Montgomery County’s Fine Diners
By K. Bailey Fucanan

Cheap, greasy grub consumed in a converted railroad car was the original diner environment. Today, however, with vintage memorabilia, polished chrome, retro styles and homemade eats, five fine diners in the Valley Forge area equal fun, affordability and surprisingly good food.

Take Daddypops (232 N. York Road, Hatboro, PA 19040, 215.675.9717; hours: Daily 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.), in Hatboro, affectionately named after owner Ken Smith’s grandfather. In this intimate eatery, with its eight booths and two barbershop chairs anchoring the counter, patrons literally line up to be served.

Breakfast is the most popular meal and the flapjacks feature a certain secret ingredient that Smith says he’ll never reveal. (Is it cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice?) But his home fries are simple and no-nonsense.

“Some people try to doctor them up,” he said. “I don’t. I just like them crispy brown. The difference is we make them fresh daily and go through about 800 pounds of potatoes in a week.”

The freshness is apparent at Towne Restaurant (120 N. Main Street, Telford, PA 18969. 215.721.0211. Hours: Mon through Thu 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fri 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sat 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.), in downtown Telford, in the former Fenstamacher Building. Once a post office, a grocery store and a barber shop, this brick Anglo-Dutch building now houses one of the area’s most popular eateries. Although the exterior doesn’t scream diner, the welcoming interior, Formica counter and bar stools certainly do. The latter are often lined with police officers, letter carriers and other hungry locals.

“We make everything here and all the recipes are mine, my mom’s mom or my husband’s,” said owner, and often waitress, Pam Brunner.

Breakfast meats from Leidy’s, located nearby in Souderton, are served and the soups are so popular they’re offered to go by the gallon. Brunner and her husband include a mission statement on their menu and after eating here, it’s evident: Mission Accomplished!

In the quaint shopping village of Skippack, along Route 73, Mal’s Diner (4006 Skippack Pike, Skippack, PA 19474, 610.594.0900. Hours: Mon through Fri 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sat 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.) is one of several eateries, but for breakfast and lunch it is often the busiest. With an art deco vibe, faux electric guitars in one section and your aunt’s living room in the other, Mal’s offers variety in both atmosphere and menu. You’ll find everything from grits, chipped beef and eggs Benedict to beer, wine and coffee drinks, right through dinner.

“Whatever you’re in the mood for, we have it,” said owner Dina Catagnus. “We offer quality food, a good size breakfast and…it’s homey here.”

At Ruby’s Diner (160 N. Gulph Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406. 610.337.7829. Hours: Mon through Sat 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. View website), inside King of Prussia Mall, the decor is as simply delicious as the menu. White walls; red booths; and vintage motorcycles: a Harley Davidson, an Indian and a Triumph; rock this ‘40s theme restaurant.

“At least 20 or 30 times a day people take photos of themselves near the bikes,” said Director of Operations Tom Krall. But, they come for the food.

Ruby’s menu features a mix of burgers, salads and milkshakes, just as the atmosphere suggests, and although it’s a chain there are only three in the state. Burgers are the biggest sellers, according to Krall, but the new Kobe beef, turkey and breakfast sliders are a real hit. Open every morning at 7 a.m., before the mall opens, it’s the perfect place to fuel up before power shopping.

Breakfast is a big seller at Ray’s Restaurant and Malt Shop (14 E. Germantown Pike, East Norriton, PA 19401. 610.279.3555. View website), in East Norriton, and according to owner Ray Carroll, it’s just as busy for lunch and dinner. Turkey clubs and Reubens rule midday; and traditional hot oven roasted turkey and meatloaf platters are the most sought after evening meals. But burgers are big here too.

“We sell a ton of burgers,” he said. “Sometimes we make so many burgers that I think I’m running a burger joint.”

A diner experience doesn’t seem complete without a milkshake and the ones at Ray’s are beyond noteworthy. He only uses locally crafted Nelson’s Ice Cream for all the treats served in his ’50s style malt shop, tucked in the back of the restaurant. Essentially a blast from the past with photos of Marilyn Monroe, Frankie Avalon and Grace Kelly you can just imagine girls in poodle skirts and saddle shoes crowding the counter.

“I love it when I hear grandparents telling their grand kids that this place takes them back to when they were young,” said Carroll.

Young or old, everyone can relish the simple, delicious fare - and the nostalgia - at these fine diners and others throughout Montgomery County. Go to the Play and Stay hotel package page to learn how you can get $50 in dining cards with your next stay here.

Additional dining

Franconia Heritage Restaurant (508 Harleysville Pike, Franconia, PA 18924. 215. 721.4400. Hours: Mon through Sat 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. view website)

West Main Diner (805 West Main Street, Lansdale, PA. 19446. 215.855.7801)