Doug's Diner Dash

Well, mighty fine and a great big western "Howdy," buckaroos and buckarettes. Ranger Doug here, back in the saddle once again in wild and woolly Big Bend National Park in the deserts of Texas. (I've always wondered about that "woolly" part, but then we do have Bighorn Sheep here.) I'm sorry it's been so long since my last entry -- over a month! -- but there's been a lot going on and little time to do it. As you can see by the above photo, I've been busy packing and such for this latest dash from Acadia National Park in Maine back down to here, whose theme this time around was a Diner Tour. Our fun-loving Human Resources Director at Acadia, Tammy, suggested this due to one of her favorite Food Network shows, "Guy's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives," and it was just the ticket. I managed to hit most of my intended targets, but alas, there were some that will have to wait for a later time. Let me show you the winners.


The first one achieved off the list was the cozy little A-1 Diner in Gardiner, Maine. It was built in 1946 and is in pretty much the same configuration as it was back then, except that it has now been attached to a building out back. This allows them much more room behind the counter and keeps the place a lot cooler. Its well-worn interior shows a lot of loving traffic over the years.


The second stop on the dash was not an official diner at all, but a home-cooked diner dinner was served me at the home of former girlfriend Lisa and her family in Vermont. The entree was homemade chicken pot pie, whose recipe was from Dot's Diner somewhere on the Vermont/Canadian border, I think.


Next on the list was the Triple XXX Diner in West Lafayette, Indiana. I was treated to a scrumptious breakfast here by friends Bill and Susan, and I can highly recommend their Mother Road Omelet. (They claim to be a Route 66 eatery, but I wasn't aware that Route 66 went through Indiana. Huh.) Established in 1929, this place was established to tout Triple XXX Root Beer, for which it gets its name and which still served, and is famous for their Chop Steak Burger made from ground sirloin steak, fresh-ground right there on the premises. If it's half as good as the breakfast I had, I've gotta get back here for one of those.


Several states went by before coming across my next target, the Cafe on the Route in Baxter Springs, Kansas. For some reason, the cafe -- as well as the entire town of Baxter Springs, for all I could tell -- was closed, so a photo of the place would have to suffice. From the looks of what I could see through the windows, it's a more upscale establishment and not really my style, anyway. Oh, well.


By far, the major highlight of this little diner dash of mine was this classic Route 66 eatery: the Rock Cafe in the little town of Stroud, Oklahoma. Located halfway between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, the Rock Cafe was established in 1939 and built from rocks unearthed during the paving of Route 66, and holds the dubious honor of having served me my very first buffalo burger ever. Mighty tasty, I must say, and the floor show -- owner/operator/cook Sally -- was well worth the trip. While downing my burger, fries, and Shiner Bock, I heard her explain to her wait staff (her kids), "You tell those people out there the burgers are just cooked; no medium rare or well done -- none of that crap!" The fact that I had arrived just prior to 25 members of a car club probably didn't help her mood any, but I don't think she takes much guff from anybody. What a character! This place -- and Sally -- was visited by the Pixar group, led by none other than John Lasseter himself, and both can be seen in the Bonus Features of their animation Cars, for which John and crew were out doing background scouting. Be sure to check it out -- both the movie and the cafe.


Here I am at another eatery not on the list, Theo's Grill and Bar in beautiful(?) downtown Grand Prairie, Texas. My sister Lyn (seen here digging into her purse) sought to lovingly add her own favorite place to the list, so I naturally complied, always ready for a treat. Good home-style cooking is served here, as can be verified by the place being packed to the grills.


And last but not least, this is my own personal addition to this little gastronomical voyage -- Penny's Diner here in nearby (70 miles away!) Alpine, Texas. Having only been built six years ago, it doesn't have that well-worn appearance and homey feel the A-1 or the Triple XXX does, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. The food is good and wholesome and the patronage is very faithful (one fellow actually sat down and ordered "the usual"), and with good reason, too. Be sure to check it out if you're ever in these parts.

So, that's the show for now, folks, but stay tuned for more of Doug's rambling adventures through the sprawling Trans-Pecos region of Texas (the area west of the Pecos River, made famous by none other than ol' Judge Roy Bean himself), as I'm back and ready to roll. Cameras, ho!

p.s. If you'd like to see the entire show, either go to my SmugMug Galleries link above or Click Here