Metro Diner Madness in Madison
Mar 16, 2018
Article originally published on RocketCityMom.com
by Bo Williams
Metro Diner, one of the latest additions to northeastern Madison, has the diner ambience down pat, to include a personable chef barking out orders in a colorful manner. It’s a full-service restaurant and part of a rapidly-growing Tampa-based chain of several dozen locations. (We’ll get a Huntsville location soon too.) There is an extensive anytime breakfast menu. There are also burgers, sandwiches, and diner favorites like pot roast, turkey, and fish & chips. Interestingly and unexpectedly, there are also a few alcoholic beverages available.
One thing you should know immediately is that this is a popular place indeed. Lea, the boys, and I showed up at what I believed to be an off-time — about 3:00 on a Saturday afternoon — and still had a small wait. Now everything progressed efficiently, but just know that you’re probably not going to pop in and out of here quickly on Sunday right after church, for example.
The Metro Diner Menu
After we were seated, Lea had biscuits and gravy on her mind. I think two people could have been satisfied with the portion she received. The sawmill gravy was hot and flavorful, with generous bits of sausage. She also had good things to say about her scrambled eggs and hash browns.
Aaron was in a breakfast mood too, so no alarms went off when he ordered a waffle. Then, while our server went over the toppings, he deftly and subtly nodded as she said “ice cream.” So that’s how my younger boy managed to order and consume a waffle with ice cream on it for dinner. Well played, son. (Hey, I’ll let the kid work the system without penalty once in a while.) The waffle was excellent, with a delightfully crisp exterior and a sweet, vanilla flavor of ideal intensity. This waffle is also available with fried chicken.
Nathan and I headed for the sandwich menu, where he got a robust chicken salad sandwich that had half-disappeared by the time I thought to ask him about it. (No better testimony than that.) My delicious club sandwich was tall enough to eliminate any possibility of looking cool eating it, so I did the best I could. Our respective accompaniments of a side salad and fruit cup were both fresh and appealing.
I’d like to come back and try a burger sometime soon, and I might just make it the Holy Davoli Burger, which is a bacon cheeseburger served with grilled cheese sandwiches for buns. There is also a shrimp and grits entrée available, with fried grit cakes with Andouille sausage within.
For Kids at Metro Diner
For diners 12 and under, there are two children’s menus — one for breakfast, the other for lunch and dinner — and all children’s meals include a beverage. For breakfast, there are six silver dollar pancakes or half a Belgian waffle available for $4. For $5, your child can have a scrambled egg, two slices of bacon, a slice of toast, and grits. Lunch and dinner selections include grilled cheese, chicken tenders, and a chicken quesadilla for either $5 or $6, and including a choice of fruit, cole slaw, French fries, or macaroni and cheese.
Metro Diner has both highchairs and booster seats available for small children, and they get big points for having changing tables in both restrooms.
Our service was polite and prompt throughout the meal. We’ll find our way back here from time to time. The menu is varied enough to please most palates, including a few vegetarian options. There are also different specials week to week, with choices not available on the regular menu. And with most meals in the $8-11 range, Metro Diner is as friendly to your wallet as it is your tummy.