Few locations are as distinctly American as the diner. These humble establishments have provided coffee and a hot meal to many generations all across the country. From all-night delis in New York City to stops along lonely stretches of Midwestern highways to converted railroad cars around the country, diners are classic Americana. (They figure large in our list of America’s greatest roadside restaurants.)
Diners have often been immortalized in American art and entertainment, too – as in the iconic 1942 Edward Hopper painting “Nighthawks;” in Edward Kienholz’s walk-in 1965 art work “Barney’s Beanery;” in Monk’s Café (the real-life Tom’s Restaurant), the famous diner where Jerry and his buddies gathered on “Seinfeld;” and in countless classic films (including memorable scenes in “Grease” and “Five Easy Pieces,” among many others, and in Barry Levinson’s 1982 film actually called “Diner”).
24/7 Tempo reviewed pictures in the Library of Congress to compile an assortment of vintage photos of diners through the years, ranging from about 1935 through 1968. The results dot the map from the East Coast to the Southwest and everywhere in between. (Here’s the best diner in every state.)
Click here to see vintage photos of diner through the years
The years the photos were taken are approximate in many cases, but that’s part of the point. Diners are timeless, and universal (at least within the U.S.)
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
A restaurant cook in Mogollon, New Mexico
> Circa: 1940
[in-text-ad]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
A restaurant worker arranges a menu board in Paterson, New Jersey
> Circa: 1994
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Two Girls Waffle House, Anchorage, Alaska
> Circa: 1910
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
K & J Dairy in Detroit, Michigan
> Circa: 1986
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
A sidewalk restaurant counter, New York City, New York
> Circa: 1953
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Twistee Treat Ice Cream Stand, Saint Joseph, Missouri
> Circa: 1996
[in-text-ad]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
The Parkette, Lexington, Kentucky
> Circa: 2020
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Nan Denton’s Drive-in, Knoxville, Tennessee
> Circa: 1979
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Zorba’s Greek restaurant, Missoula, Montana
> Circa: 1979
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Mel’s, Grandy, North Carolina
> Circa: 2017
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
The Snow Cap diner, near Seligman along the historic highway in Arizona
> Circa: 2016
[in-text-ad]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
A chef in a North Beach Italian restaurant, San Francisco, California.
> Circa: 1941
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Bailey’s dairy treat stand, Hot Springs, Arkansas
> Circa: 2020
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Washington Street Diner, Athens, Alabama
> Circa: 2010
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Coffee Pot Restaurant, Lexington, Virginia
> Circa: 1982
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
William Penn Diner on Route 40, Delaware
> Circa: 1939
[in-text-ad]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
La Esquina De La Tama, Miami, Florida
> Circa: 2020
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Peter Pan Diner, Danbury, Connecticut
> Circa: 1978
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Happy News Cafe, Washington, DC
> Circa: 1937
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Sushi-Rama restaurant, Denver, Colorado
> Circa: 2016
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Yard Restaurant on the U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu County, Hawaii
> Circa: 2001
[in-text-ad]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
The Mill, Lincoln, Illinois
> Circa: 2019
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
The Varsity Grill, Atlanta, Georgia
> Circa: 2017
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Tip Top Drive In, Lewiston, Idaho
> Circa: 2005
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Bang’s Drive-In, Chariton, Iowa
> Circa: 1980
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Bert’s 50’s Diner, Mechanicsville, Maryland
> Circa: 2017
[in-text-ad]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Restaurant and market in Lowell, Massachusetts
> Circa: 1987
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Diner in Clinton, Indiana
> Circa: 1940
Source: library_of_congress / Flickr
Ko-Ko-Mo, Dine In Your Car sign, Bossier City, Louisiana
> Circa: 1979
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Sweet Creek Diner and Bakery on Route 66, Galena, Kansas
> Circa: 2021
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Architectural drawing of Monowi Tavern, Monowi, Nebraska
> Circa: 2017
[in-text-ad]
Source: library_of_congress / Flickr
Continental Family Restaurant sign, Jamestown, North Dakota
> Circa: 1987
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
The Drive In restaurant, Taylors Falls, Minnesota
> Circa: 2019
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Abe’s Bar B-Q restaurant, Clarksdale, Mississippi
> Circa: 2016
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Charlie’s Diner, Leeds, Maine
> Circa: 1984
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Flight G7 Restaurant, McMinnville, Oregon
> Circa: 1987
[in-text-ad]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Workers at a steel company restaurant, Youngstown Ohio
> Circa: 1941
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Old Nevada abandoned restaurant
> Circa: 1995
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Jade Island Chinese Restaurant, Meredith, New Hampshire
> Circa: 1984
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
The Meltdown Diner, along historic U.S. Route 66, Tulsa, Oklahoma
> Circa: 2020
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
A barbecue place in Luckenbach, Texas
> Circa: 2014
[in-text-ad]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
The Hot Dog Corner restaurant, Seneca, South Carolina
> Circa: 2017
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
A modern diner in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
> Circa: 1995
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Melrose Diner, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> Circa: 1995
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Chris’s Diner, Vermillion, South Dakota
> Circa: 1987
Source: library_of_congress / Flickr
The Great Western Espresso Coffee Co., Cody, Wyoming
> Circa: 2004
[in-text-ad]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
A house trailer diner, Wenatchee National Forest, Washington State
> Circa: 2018
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Ross Diner, Quechee, Vermont
> Circa: 1995
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Broiler Cafe, Salt Lake City, Utah
> Circa: 1980
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Public Domain / Library of Congress
Kütte Swiss Restaurant, Helvetia, West Virginia
> Circa: 2015
Source: library_of_congress / Flickr
Red Wagon Restaurant, Lake Delton, Wisconsin
> Circa: 1988
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