The Metro Diner

 

While we were on our Christmas break we decided to treat ourselves to a Jacksonville landmark, The Metro Diner.  In 2010 when the Metro Diner was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives it became one of the areas most favorite places to dine.  Since it began in 1992 at its original location in San Marco, it has won several local awards, and now serves the entire area with four locations.

 

Melanie has been a fan for quite some time, but this visit was Jenn’s first time.  Melanie chose one of the Blackboard Specials while Jenn went for the classic menu items.

Jenn couldn’t make up her mind over the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict, or the Shrimp and Grits with Andouille Gravy.  When she talked to the server about it, she was offered a free sample of the Shrimp and Grits.  The grits were served up as a "cake" that was smothered in the Andouille gravy.  It is a very rich dish that will surely put you into a "food coma" for the rest of the day.  :)

Although the sample was delicious she ordered the Crab Cake dish, which came with a choice of side.  Jenn chose cheese grits.  The cheese grits are not just topped with cheese, there is cheese at the very bottom so you get a full cheesy experience.  The Hollandaise sauce was made fresh, which is fantastic because most places have their hollandaise come from a bag or a powder mix.  It paired well with the crispy crab cake, which has no 'filler' products to take away from the crab.  All of the flavors were spot on and everything was perfectly seasoned. Next time, Jenn vowed to order the Shrimp and Grits. 

Jenn’s son ordered a waffle with fruit, but asked if the blueberries could be removed. He’s weird like Jenn and doesn’t like blueberries.  :) His waffle was big and delicious.  He could only eat half of it, but ate all of the fresh fruit.  The waffle is sweet and crispy and can be served a ton of different ways.  The most popular way is with the Metro Diner's fried chicken and homemade strawberry butter.

Melanie usually orders an eggs benedict dish, as the Metro Diner has several to choose from.  Ultimately, Melanie chose one of the specials of the day, the Bacon, Spinach, and Mushroom Omelet.   The omelets at the Metro are advertised as "3 Egg Omelets."  They dont shy away from big portion sizes.  Melanie asked if it was possible to make it a 2 egg omelet with egg whites only, which the staff was happy to do.  The omelet had swiss cheese that added a nice sweetness to the earthiness that came from the mushrooms and spinach.  Her food also came with a side, she chose hashbrowns.  Melanie has been on a hashbrown kick as of lately.  She added onions, cheese and ham chunks to the hashbrowns.  She then mixed everything together to create a huge hash with Tabasco added to the mix to give it a zing that cuts through the richness of the hash/omelet mixture.

 

Being a first timer Jenn really loved her Metro Diner experience and will definitely be returning.  As a returning customer, Melanie enjoyed her meal, but she is partial to the Metro Diner location she first dined at.  But the more she eats at this Metro diner location, the more she is starting to love it as much as the one across town.

Let us know about your favorite restaurant, and if you want us to try anything in the Jacksonville area.

SPIIINNN!!!