Restaurant Review: Paoli Diner

Restaurant: Paoli Diner 
Address: 1676 E. Lancaster Ave. Paoli, PA 19103
Rating: ★ out of 5 stars
Style: American / Greek / Italian / Diner
Food: Disappointing
Atmosphere: A mix of contemporary and classic.
Parking: Yes. Lot parking.
Service: Polite, but obviously uninterested.
Price Range: Average
Unique Feature: The owners are planning a name change and some new additions like a salad bar and pizza.

From Lancaster Avenue, the Paoli Diner looks as if it should be a beacon of diner fabulousness; outdoor tables adorned with umbrellas, a glow that just seems so inviting, and they have a liquor license, which could in essence elevate them to a level past run-of-the-mill diner.

But upon entering the near empty establishment, I realized very quickly that the Paoli Diner has some serious soul searching to do.

The signs outside read: “Paoli Diner,” “Family Restaurant,” “Bar & Grill,” “Sports Bar.”

My mother-in-law and I sat down and attempted to decide what to have. There were literally hundreds of different options, all the usual suspects for a diner, and then some. Our waitress greeted us, started us with water and coffee, and within three minutes was back, not actually stopping at the table, more in a kind of perpetual motion (which she continued throughout the visit), asking if we were ready, which we weren’t.

We eventually decided. I ordered a crock of French Onion soup, a side order of Fries with brown gravy and a Chicken BLT Salad. My Mother-in-Law, a cup of Lentil Soup, and the Open Faced Turkey, that came with a side of Mixed Veggies.

While we waited for our order, I took in the sights; a mix of old wood, exposed brick, and stained glass lamps and new frosted glass and metal fixtures. The booth was clean, with no remnants of the previous table’s potentially jelly slathering child, which is always a plus at a diner.

Our soups and fries arrived. The Lentil was decent. My Mother-in-law was happy with it, but I felt it was a bit thin and obviously canned. My crock of French Onion looked appealing. The cheese was minimally browned, but better than some I’d had to send back, during my days as a diner waitress. The flavor of the onion soup was definitely lacking and not very oniony at all with floating bits of bread, its past iterations I’d rather not think about.

The Fries, on the other hand, were a big win. They were crispy, hot, and served with a side of artery clogging brown gravy. The portion was enough that had I known then what I know now, I’d have ordered them and been done, having already gotten the best thing offered at the Paoli Diner / Restaurant / Grill / Sports Bar.

While happily dipping my fries, the next round arrived. The Chicken BLT Salad looked wonderful; a massive, heaping mound of lettuce, what must have been an entire tomato, cucumber, crispy bacon and thin strips of chicken. I continued my dunking, this time with my chicken and bacon, into the side of creamy ranch dressing. Attempting a fork at this stage in the game was just too much to expect.

My mother-in-law’s gelatinous mess of an open-faced turkey sandwich made me want to cry. It was the saddest thing I’d seen done to a freshly sliced turkey in a long time. The flavor of the gravy was disturbing, but no more so than the vinegar flavor of the mashed potatoes hiding under the goopy “gravy” mess.

The side of mixed veggies was a nightmare from my childhood; a frozen mix of corn, carrots, peas, limas and green beans that sat untouched in its monkey dish.

And then it happened; a foreign object found floating amid the toxic yellow mass. Was it plastic? No, some sort of paper? We think. Still indefinable.

At that point, I wrapped my salad to go; myself. A practice that still perplexes me to this day. And under what had seemed to be a perfectly fresh and decent salad, I found a browning, near rotten tomato and the most unappealing bruised and battered cucumber I think I’ve ever seen.

And so goes Paoli Diner. On my way out, I asked whom I believed to be the owner, a very pleasant woman who I already pitied, about how long the diner had been here.

Two years, she responded. And we will be doing some renovations; changing the name, adding a salad bar and pizzas to the menu.

If ever there was a place that was in need of Gordon Ramsay, this is it. A more cohesive identity would help to bring Paoli Diner's true identity into focus and I hope only the best for their future endeavors.

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