After waking up at 7:30 a.m. every day this week, I can successfully claim I’ve sampled every diner in Middletown. Two friends and I decided to write an ethnography report on diner culture in Middletown as a final project for our Urban Societies class. From the Athenian on construction-laden Washington Street, to the local cop hangout, Order On Court, diner culture is far from lacking in Middletown. Although eggs and home fries pretty much taste the same no matter where you eat them, each diner had its own regulars and distinct feel. This guide to Middletown diners will help you figure out where to take your parents when O’Rourke’s has an hour-long line on Sunday morning.

Ford News Diner
358 Main St.

Ford News Diner is located right off of Main Street next to Typhoon. The tiny rectangular room was half-filled when we arrived early in the morning, with regular customers chatting on the typical diner barstools over eggs and toast. Upon arrival, we were immediately offered coffee and given a strange inquiring look by the bar customers who clearly were not used to seeing any Wesleyan students so early in the morning. Pictures of favorite customers dotted the walls and the waitress, Kim, chatted with a security guard who stopped in for a quick coffee. The breakfast menu was not pricey; five dollars could buy you eggs, toast, home fries, bacon and a steaming hot cup of regular or decaf. The coolest part about Ford News Diner is being able to watch your bacon sizzle directly across the bar and listening to old men talk about “the golden days of baseball.”

Athenian Diner
864 Washington St.

While most Wes students have only been to this 24-hour diner drunk, in the middle of the night, the Athenian Diner actually has an entirely separate and extensive breakfast menu. After a 15-minute drive through horrendous traffic because of construction on Washington Street, we arrived at the mostly empty diner. During the day, the diner is a lot quieter and brightly lit thanks to the huge windows. Our friendly waitress kept our cups of coffee full for the entire breakfast (a necessity that early in the morning) and our food was ready within six minutes, the quickest out of all the diners we visited. Athenian had its own share of regulars who chatted with the wait staff, and towards the end of breakfast a family came in to eat before work and school. On our way out, we noticed that the diner had filled up and asked the waiter if it was usually so busy. He responded, “Honey, this is slow! This traffic is keeping the customers away!”

Order on Court
102 Court St.

This Court Street diner is a hidden gem, located right next to the Fishbone Café and across the street from the Superior Court of Middletown. Two old men sat reading the paper in the diner’s bay windows and the beautiful tin walls were covered with mini paper pigs with different names written on them. As we sat down at a table, the waitress could tell it was our first time because we didn’t go up to the counter to place our orders. We ordered breakfast sandwiches for three dollars with home fries for an extra dollar. Five minutes after we arrived, four burly uniformed policemen with guns peeking out of their belts entered the restaurant and immediately filled up their coffee and ordered breakfast. “We travel in packs,” one responded to our quizzical looks as five more cops came in and sat down at the tall bar stools. The waitress later explained that every time the police get off a shift, they come in for their morning breakfast. As we were paying the bill (which came with a ten percent student discount!), the waitress had us roll two plastic pigs and try to get them to stand on their snouts. If we succeeded, coffee would be on the house and our name would be written on the wall. Unfortunately, it was a lot harder than it looked, but there is always next time.

O’ Rourke’s
728 Main St.

O’ Rourke’s may be the most well known of Middletown’s restaurants. After rebuilding the restaurant after the horrendous fire in 2006, it was featured on the Food Network in 2008. Although on Parents’ Weekend the line for Sunday brunch extends half way down Main Street, at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday morning only half of the tables were full. Despite the specific catering to Wesleyan students, with campus event posters plastered on the walls, there were several tables of regular customers chatting with the wait staff and a few tables of professionals eating breakfast while dressed in suits. Coffee was served in cute holiday-themed mugs with a plate of sweet bread, and the extensive and expensive menu took us a while to get through. We finally decided on splitting raspberry pancakes and a pesto and roasted red pepper omelet that was extremely delicious and filling. Despite the less homey atmosphere, O’ Rourke’s does not disappoint.