Metro Diner open for business, unique takes on Southern classics

Nov 15, 2024

Metro Diner, located at 3075 Atlanta Highway, opened its doors last week. It held its official ribbon cutting ceremony and began full operating hours, including dinner service, starting Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Metro Diner’s menu features various unique takes on classic Southern food and all-day breakfast options.

 

 

On Monday, Nov. 11, I decided to visit Metro Diner and see what it had to offer. The diner features a spacious interior with an open floor plan and a bar. The décor embraces a traditional diner style, complete with black-and-white tiled floors and retro bar stools, creating a cozy, nostalgic vibe.

Mike Shearer, general manager and proprietor of the diner’s Athens location, said every Metro Diner location features a sign that reads "Where the Locals Eat" above the counter. However, the Athens location was customized to say "Where the Dawgs Eat" to better connect with the Athens community.

The menu offered a wide range of options, from all-day breakfast items like pancakes, waffles, scramble bowls and omelets to lunch choices such as salads, soups, burgers and sandwiches, as well as dinner entrees like salmon and steak. The extensive variety had me a bit skeptical, as I wondered whether each dish would be able to live up to a high standard of quality.

I decided to sample a little bit of everything from the menu, starting with a couple of breakfast options.

First up was the "Fried Chicken Benedict." The dish featured two sides of a soft, buttery biscuit each topped with a crispy chicken tender, a poached egg and a generous drizzle of classic Benedict sauce, served with a side of home fries. Typically, I think of an English muffin when I hear "Eggs Benedict," but the fluffy biscuit was a tasty twist, adding a rich, airy texture to the dish. The chicken was juicy without being greasy, and the poached egg had just the right amount of runny yolk. The Benedict sauce was creamy with a perfect balance of tang, tying the dish together.

  

Next, I tried the “Croissant French Toast,” which featured a stack of four flattened croissants transformed into a light, fluffy French toast. Topped with a scoop of butter and a dusting of powdered sugar, the dish was rich and indulgent, but still delicious. The use of croissants instead of traditional bread added an interesting twist, giving the meal a buttery, slightly flaky texture that made it stand out from your typical French toast.

The “Fried Chicken and Waffles” was the last of the breakfast items I tried, and it is one that Metro Diner is known for. The dish came with four quarters of a golden, fluffy waffle paired with a hearty pile of crispy fried chicken. Atop the waffles was a scoop of a pastel pink strawberry butter, adding a unique sweet twist. The real highlight, though, was when our server mixed maple syrup with a touch of hot sauce to create the perfect dipping sauce. The combination of sweet, savory, and just the right amount of heat was perfectly balanced, making this dish a standout and a must-try for anyone visiting.

First up in the lunch category was the “Bold City Burger,” a featured dish on this week's specials menu. This towering burger was made with beef and sausage patties, fried jalapeños, bacon and a creamy garlic aioli sauce. Standing about six inches high, it packed a lot of flavor into one sandwich. Despite its hefty size, the flavors did not overwhelm each other, with the garlic aioli tying the whole dish together.

Next, I tried the “BBQ Bacon Burger,” which struck a nice balance between a classic cheeseburger and the bold flavors of the “Bold City Burger.” This one featured a juicy beef patty topped with crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms and melted Swiss cheese, all layered together with a tangy barbecue sauce. It was a tasty, well-rounded burger that offered a more classic, but still delicious, take on the standard diner fare.

 

Photo/Ella Pine RedandBlack.com

 

Lastly, I tried the “Spicy Honey Chicken Sandwich,” which featured buttermilk-marinated chicken dipped in Metro’s signature spicy honey sauce and topped with tomato. The sweet-to-spicy balance was perfect. The chicken was coated in a thin layer of sauce, keeping it flavorful while still allowing the juicy chicken to shine through.

For the final dish, I had to try Metro Diner’s famous bread pudding. As someone who is not usually a fan of bread pudding, I was skeptical. But this dense, sweet, buttery, gooey square of cinnamon-covered pudding, topped with a frosted layer and a sprinkle of sugar-coated pecans, completely won me over. It was fantastic, and possibly my favorite dessert I’ve tried all year.

Server Tatyana Graham shared what she loves about working at the diner.

"It's a family environment, it's not a traditional corporate restaurant job," Graham said. "They take their time to make sure that you know what you need to know."

Overall, I was very impressed with my visit to Metro Diner. The food, the atmosphere and the friendly staff all contributed to a great experience. It was both enjoyable and tasty, and I am definitely looking forward to coming back for more.

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The article above was written by Ella Pine, originally posted on RedandBlack.com