Notable Edibles Short Orders, Long Legacy

FOOD TRENDS COME and go but some things never go out of style, such as the classic diner.

Diners changed the perception of eating out for many Americans in the mid 20^th century. They “were convenient, social and fun,” according to The Henry Ford, which has its own example called Lamy’s Diner. Lamy’s was established in 1946 by the Worcester Lunch Car Company of Massachusetts. After it was brought to Michigan and restored, in 2012 it became a working restaurant again inside The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.

With servers donning classic diner uniforms complete with black bow ties, soda jerk hats and crisp white aprons, the diner is a time capsule that captures what it was like to dine in Massachusetts at the time, with the New England influence apparent in offerings like the “frappe, which is what we know in Michigan as a milkshake,” says Executive Chef Eric Schilbe. “[It’s] always fun to hear [customers say], ‘Wait, they don’t have a milkshake on the menu!’ but we absolutely have a frappe. Toll House cookies, our potato chips and Fluffer Nutter sandwich for the kids are also inspired by the original location of the diner in 1946.”

Diners changed the perception of eating out for many Americans in the mid 20^th century. They “were convenient, social and fun.”

The menu is brief but includes a variety of pies and soups that change daily and reflect the seasons, with pumpkin, apple and pecan on the menu in fall. On the savory side, one of the popular options is the sloppy joe served alongside a cold bottle of Faygo, Schilbe says.

In addition to the food, nostalgia is another factor for customers.

“We offer quality in a great location, which equals a great experience that adds to their visit, brings back fond memories and creates new ones,” Schilbe says.

Also created in the 1940s—an era that became known as the “Golden Age of Diners,” according to The Henry Ford—is Fleetwood Diner. Established in 1947 as Dagwood’s Diner, the 24-hour eatery is a favorite for Ann Arbor’s diverse community, from students and professors to locals.

In a 1981 article in the Detroit Free Press, Fleetwood Diner was described as not “just surviving; it’s thriving. … The Fleetwood has made a few concessions to the times: The French fries are precut, the burgers are pre-formed. But the flavor and the character of the old-style diner is intact.”

More than 40 years later, Fleetwood is still thriving and not much has changed. It’s located in a trailer-like space, which hearkens to the 1920s when diners evolved from lunch wagons into more upscale units that resembled elegant railroad dining cars, hence the term diner.

The extensive menu includes a variety of pita sandwiches, such as the Fleetwood Club with grilled chicken, bacon, lettuce and tomato; salads, including the classic Greek; and, of course, plenty of breakfast options from homemade corned beef hash to scrambled eggs with green onions and toast.

But most people are here for the Hippie Hash: hash browns topped with grilled green peppers, onion, tomatoes and broccoli and showered with a generous amount of feta cheese. The original comes with two eggs any style and toast and can be bolstered with the addition of gyro meat, homemade corned beef hash, chicken and tempeh.

In Detroit, another diner that has endured for decades—and different motels — is Clique Diner, located on Jefferson in Rivertown Inn and Suites. The mid-century modern diner has long been popular with local power brokers, including City Council members, attorneys and politicos.

The draw here are the hot cakes, large or silver-dollar-size, with the option to add blueberries, banana, pecans, house compote or chocolate chips. French toast is offered in several decadent ways, such as berry stuffed with cream cheese and topped with compote and the Bananas Foster on croissant.

There’s also an array of omelets, including diner staples such as western, Mexican, farmer’s (ham, onion and home fries) and more.

“There are few superstars in the diner world, but the Clique comes close,” wrote Tracy Van Moorlehem in a 1999 review for the Detroit Free Press (when it was the house restaurant of Shorecrest Motor Inn). “This near-downtown breakfast and lunch spot serves plain, sticks-to-your-ribs food prepared with proper respect.”

Moorlehem continued: “It’s an informal kind of place, so while the service is good, your question about the vegetable of the day may well be yelled across the room to the cook. But diner bustle is one of the charms of the place.”

That diner bustle is on full display not just at Clique but also on any given Sunday at Charlie’s Restaurant in St. Clair Shores, where a diverse crowd of churchgoers, friends enjoying mimosas and generations of families can be found packing nearly every red and dark wood booth and table during the brunch rush.

Established in 2011, the large eatery has a menu to match—the type of place where you can have an omelet, strip steak, fettuccine alfredo and a gyro platter at the same time. The restaurant acquired a liquor license a few years ago, and the sleek counter would look right at home in an upscale cocktail bar.

Diners may not have the same buzz as the latest restaurant trending on TikTok but they don’t need it; the consistent, well-done food, authentic ambience and warm hospitality speak for themselves.

Charlie’s
22315 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores, MI
586-285-5381 | charliesrestaurant.com

Clique
1326 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI
313-259-0922 | thecliquediner.com

Lamy’s Diner
Located in the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
313-982-6001 | thehenryford.org

Fleetwood Diner
300 S. Ashley St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-995-5502 | thefleetwooddiner.com

Dorothy Hernandez is a freelance journalist who frequently writes about food at the intersection of culture, entrepreneurship and social justice. Her go-to diner order is an omelet loaded with vegetables with a side of crispy hash browns.