The Downtown Diner, located in downtown Granite City, Illinois, an area now known as The District, is a top notch establishment and one that needs to be seen – and tasted – to believe! A favorite of mine and my wife’s back when it was where The Speakeasy is now. This new location is even bigger and better than before while maintaining the same delicious food and flavors we’d grown to love!
Now please join me for a look at this exciting and energetic establishment that is sure to electrify your tastebuds and keep you coming back for more!
The primary colored exterior is impossible to miss on Niedringhaus Avenue. It’s housed in the very same building as the Garden Gate Tea Room and Boardgamery.
I loved seeing the spoon handle from the doors of the original Downtown Diner, which is now The Speakeasy, yet another one of Brenda’s extraordinary establishments. Not to mention the record-lined floor. I’ve never seen another floor like it and had a great deal of fun reading which albums I was standing on when waiting to order.
As soon as you walk in, this cute little candy confectionery sits off to your immediate right.
To one’s left when they enter was this adorable little booth that I felt was a prime seating area with the window to The District right there. The pastel colored room off to the right will be full of sweet treats in the coming weeks ahead.
The door opening into what you can see is a bookshelf is one of two entrances to the Boardgamery, which is exactly as it sounds, a place to play board games and also features a full service coffee and snack bar. Notice though the barstools look like soda bottle caps, another detail I just loved.
So the restroom is technically housed inside the Boardgamery and fits more with that aesthetic, but because they’re all interconnected, everything is just within mere steps of one another. I love the superhero decor in here, especially that of one of music’s greatest heroes, the King himself, Elvis.
Just as they were in the original diner, the table tops are various puzzles, another detail I loved looking over while sitting there eating. Visually there was so much to take in and see here that I just felt mesmerized by it all. You’ll notice the shelf that sits directly above the table with a baseball on it and some salt and pepper shakers, these were all over the restaurant and had little packs of random trivia cards at each, another excellent touch.
While there was plenty of pop culture memorabilia throughout, there was also quite a lot of historical posters and informational pieces about Granite City, which I felt was a superb touch. The decor did the most phenomenal job of transporting the patron to an entirely different place and time.
The jukebox does work and is waiting on you to make a request.
This section of the wall is dedicated to local celebrity, Bonnie Bramlett, who after reading all this information, has had quite the career. I recognized her instantly from the iconic sitcom, “Roseanne.”
As you can see, the details and ambiance are second to none. The door on the left takes you into the Boardgamery.
I especially loved this display because I’m a HUGE fan of the movies and given that we have THE BEST movie theater around, The Granite City Cinema, right there in The District, I felt it was most definitely worth showcasing on its own. Soon there’ll be plenty of places to grab a bite to eat before taking in the latest Hollywood blockbuster just down the street!
I absolutely love the comic book themed menu! It fits the vibe of the Diner/Boardgamery perfectly and made what is typically a mundane moment for me of just reading a menu an exciting one that really livened up the experience! Plus, all the new offerings really made it difficult for me to choose what to get!
The single patty with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion is always my go to! I love their tots and fries, but its always the onion rings for me! Mmm, mmm, good.
The fish and salad additions were incredibly welcoming as I’m a big fan of both!
Love seeing the tie-in with the Boardgamery/Novel Ideas Bookstore. The entire complex is connected after all, so what better way to encourage people to order some delicious food while playing a fun-filled game!?!
Even as a former Kahok, I love seeing these items on the menu! I’m sure they’ll bring plenty of people plenty of nostalgia and inevitably make plenty of us wish we’d attended Cutesville schools!
Love the bottled options, but I’m personally a big soda fountain fan. I always love walking through the book-lined hallway to see what catches my eye to and from the Boardgamery where the soda fountain is located.
The single patty burger (my bacon was brought to me separately, like I said, this was a training shift, so no big deal, but it didn’t make the photo) and the onion rings. Both were phenomenal, but there was something so good about those onion rings! I was left wishing I had a second order!
The tater tots were totally good. Not something I usually get, but I figured why not? Didn’t regret them whatsoever and would most definitely get again!
So STOP what you’re doing and get down to the Downtown Diner for your next dinner! They’ll love to have you and I promise you you’ll love to have them… again and again! Definitely a 10/10 Highly Recommend!
As I mentioned above, the Downtown Diner is housed in the same complex as the Boardgamery and the Garden Gate Tea Room, which is located at 1410 Niedringhaus Avenue, Granite City, Illinois. The Downtown Diner is open 11:00 a.m. till 8:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed both Sundays and Mondays.
I promise you there is no place in town as aesthetically pleasing as the Downtown Diner! So get yourself down there and enjoy all the ambiance and deliciousness they have to offer! No doubt about it, this place is a 10/10 that I Highly Recommend it to all!
As always, THANK YOU so much for viewing! I appreciate you greatly! Please feel free to leave me a comment below as I love reading and responding to them! I’ll be back soon with another all-new post, so until then, I wish you all, all the best!
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I so appreciated this thorough review. Loved all of the photos, especially the sneak peek of the menu! Your excitement is infectious and I can’t wait to go have the experience for myself. Thanks for sharing this hidden gem, I had no idea it existed!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind words & taking the time to leave a comment! I’m excited for you to go because there’s no doubt in my mind you’re going to love it!
This was very interesting! Thank you for sharing the new menu. I always like to see the menu before going to any restaurant. Looks very inviting!
You’re welcome! I’m the same way! Love to scope the options out ahead of time! Hopefully you can go eat there soon & enjoy it as much as I did!
Oh my goodness everything sounds & looked so good! I’ll definitely be checking it out! Thanks for sharing!
You’re so very welcome & I hope you enjoy yourself as much as I did!
What is you fountain soda? Coke or pepsi.
Pepsi for the fountain, but Coke is available in cans.
I so appreciated this thorough review. Loved all of the photos, especially the sneak peek of the menu! Your excitement is infectious and I can’t wait to go have the experience for myself. Thanks for sharing this hidden gem, I had no idea it existed!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind words & taking the time to leave a comment! I’m excited for you to go because there’s no doubt in my mind you’re going to love it!
You & Missa need to take me here!
Let’s go!
We’ll have to go here next time I’m in town!
Happily! It’s simply the best!