Diner 31 — Restaurant in Manistee Township

Everyone needs a little breakfast in their lives, and since I’m part of everyone I decided to try this little spot out!

It was a small, quaint little place. Much like the small, quaint little places of yesteryear. Typical diner decorations, typical diner servers, and typical diner patrons. This was textbook. It was super busy when I got there, but by the time I left there was probably a 10-15 minute wait at the door. But you know these breakfast places keep takin’ ‘em in and puttin’ ‘em out.

Since I absolutely despise anything where all my breakfast foods are mushed together (pizzas, burritos, omelets, scrambles, hitches, macros, and fizzles), I opted for the more traditional route of “food on a plate, maybe touching a little bit.” It’s kind of like the difference between kissing cousins and married cousins.

This episode of breakfast will be brought to you by: chicken fried steak, scrambled eggs, American potatoes, bacon, and toast. Special guest, chocolate milk.

I’m a little trollop for chicken fried steak. Or really anything fried with a layer of gravy. This one wasn’t bad. Had decent flavor, gravy portioning was good. I would welcome it back like a close friend. The eggs were good as well. Since my body can only consume scrambled eggs, anytime they aren’t runny or have that weird cooked-too-long skin on them is a win in my book. I would embrace them again like a long lost relative. The American potatoes (or how I always have to ask for them because I can never remember the name “those little potatoes that are chunks”), were good with the ketchup. Cooked the way they were supposed to be. I would sit next to them again on a bus.

The bacon. Oh, the bacon. If you’re a breakfast place and serve bacon, this will make you or break you in my eyes. The hardest thing I have ever found so far are restaurants that claim to know how to do floppy bacon. Limp bacon. Soggy bacon. Whatever you want to call it. They always claim they know how, then they bring out bacon I could harpoon a fish with. I want bacon I can tie together like shoelaces. Sadly, this bacon missed the mark. I would turn this bacon away at the door.

Ultimately, it was a breakfast place. It did what it set out to do.

Chocolate milk 10/10 Made up breakfast foods...

We had a little bit of a wait, about 10 minutes is all, due to this place being so well known for its Fantastic Door and Warm, Friendly and Welcome Service. You know it's a great place to eat when it is The Choice of The Locals! When we got seated, the atmosphere within this Diner is a Great as their Food is. Both my Wife Nancy's and my Breakfast were cooked to perfection and served without much of a wait at all. We hadn't even finished our first cup of coffee by the time our breakfast meals were served. Nancy has over easy eggs and they were cooked perfectly, which is getting more difficult each day to find a restaurant that has a True Breakfast Cook that knows how to properly cook eggs! If you're in Manistee, MI before 2pm and you're Hungry, Id Highly Recommend giving the Diner 31 a try, as You Will Be Leaving with a Full Tummy and a Big Smile on Your Face and still some $ in your wallet! We thoroughly Enjoyed Our Breakfast and Experiencing the Cordial Atmosphere at Diner 31! Thanks again to The Entire Staff! All The Best to You All! Bill and...

"Diner 31 in Manistee, Michigan, is a hidden gem that serves up the quintessential American diner experience with flair and heart. The cheeseburgers we had were nothing short of amazing, cooked perfectly to meet the high expectations one has for such a classic dish. Accompanied by fries that were golden brown, crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside, it was a meal that hit all the right notes.

What truly set Diner 31 apart, though, was the level of service. The staff was exceptionally helpful, going above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed for a delightful dining experience. Their recommendations were spot-on, and their friendly demeanor added to the cozy, welcoming atmosphere of the diner.

Whether you're a local or just passing through Manistee, Diner 31 is a must-visit for anyone in search of delicious food and warm hospitality. It's clear they pour their heart into every aspect of the dining experience, from the cooking to the service, making every visit memorable. Highly recommended for a taste of classic Americana...