Joe's Diner - revisited

We posted about Joe's Diner on Sycamore a while back and wanted to post a follow-up about our visits since their 'soft' opening. We have been back 3 or 4 times since and have really enjoyed each visit. Their menu is a lot bigger than it looks and even on our last visit, my fifth visit to Joe's, I was finding things I had never even noticed on the menu. Lately we have had friends and family specifically request to go there when they are visiting downtown, which is a rare thing. Usually people come down and leave the food choices to us because they tend to not know the options, so Joe's must be getting some decent press.

Last time we visited I also finally tried the chicken and waffles that get much praise on Urban Spoon. I've never had that combo before, so it's hard to truly judge, but it was really good and they make a fine waffle.

I think they are still finding their footing a bit with the way things run, but each time we visit they seem to be getting better. It seems like it's really becoming a neighborhood diner; the staff are all very friendly and there's always a good amount of people dining when we go in. We'll definitely continue visiting and hope Joe's is here to stay.

Joe's Diner

Man oh man! Joe's Diner!


I'm the one who writes most of our posts, but Dan's the one who knows *everything* about what's going on. He said that Joe's Diner was reopening (uh I didn't know it existed, much less than it closed), and that they were having a "soft opening" before their formal launch on August 12th. This meant that their menu wasn't completely ready (sounds like they'll have a ton of milkshake flavors at launch, for instance), but I saw no reason to wait.


This is absolutely my kind of place! I've always been a *huge* proponent of the greasy spoon, and this manages to be... how to word it?... a clean-but-greasy spoon. It felt retro without feeling inauthentic, the waitstaff was awesome and friendly, the food was delish. I hope this becomes a regular place for us, especially as it will be open until something like 4am!


Here's my burger on a kaiser roll, with sweet potato fries. Yeah, I'm not always muy adventurous, but I know what I like. My brother Bradley always tries the burger first, no matter where he goes-- he thinks if they can't nail a burger, he doesn't have much faith in the rest of their menu. Based on that premise, Joe's passes for me. And the milkshake? Scrumptious. Can't wait for more flavors, though!


Joe's Diner website (as of posting, "Coming Soon"): http://www.joesdineronsycamore.com/