If you didn’t know it was there, you might overlook Dianna’s Diner; it’s a narrow building squeezed between a Speedway gas station and a Ritter’s Frozen Custard at the corner of Stop 11 Road and Emerson Avenue. And if you passed Dianna’s by, you’d be missing out on a good meal.
In many ways, Dianna’s is a typical diner — from the booths and bar seating to the casual service and full-view cooking area. But with small, lesser-known establishments (especially if the unique “charm” of diners doesn’t appeal strongly to you), potential patrons might feel nervous about taking a chance. With Dianna’s, you don’t have to worry.
My husband and I have eaten there several times, but our most recent trip to Dianna’s was on a Tuesday evening. The diner wasn’t busy, so we had our choice of several booths or spots at the counter. We picked a booth and found our menus already on the table, and we got to work making our picks.
I have a love-hate relationship with menus that offer breakfast and dinner at the same time of day. On the one hand, I love having the option of breakfast for dinner, because I’m a big fan of breakfast food. On the other hand, though, it makes the decision-making process so much more difficult, especially on those days when everything sounds good.
After much indecision, I settled on breakfast and ordered “The 2x2x2 Special,” which includes two eggs any style; one waffle or two pancakes; and two pieces of bacon, two sausage links or one sausage patty. I opted for the eggs over-easy, the waffle and the sausage links. The eggs and sausage links were exactly as expected, but the waffle was incredible.
It was the best waffle I’ve ever had. I’m not sure if they do something unique with their batter at Dianna’s, but the waffle reminded me of a funnel cake or elephant ear-type carnival pastry. It was sweet and moist enough to eat without syrup, but I still used some.
My husband ordered a patty melt, which was a half-pound patty topped with grilled onions and Swiss cheese, on grilled rye bread. The sandwich came with chips, but he also ordered a side salad. He didn’t say much about it, which means he liked it. His empty plate told the same story.
Most of the dishes we passed up are traditional diner fare — salads, soups, burgers, tenderloins, hot dogs, etc. But Dianna’s also offers some heartier dinners, including steaks, fried chicken, ribs, catfish and more. The breakfast menu has all the staples, including omelets, French toast and various combinations of eggs, breakfast meat and carbs. The breakfast menu also includes some meatier options, like country-fried steak, pork chops and corned beef hash, among many others.
And like any diner worth its salt, Dianna’s serves pie topped with ice cream, but the diner also offers cobbler, cheesecake and more.
In addition to my mind-blowing waffle, the other highlight of our meal was the ice. Yes, the ice. It might sound silly, but I love when restaurants have that little pebble ice that’s kind of chewy. I try to keep a mental list of all the places that have it, and Dianna’s is officially on that list. Be sure to add Dianna’s to your list of places to try.
Dianna’s Diner
5015 E. Stop 11 Road
Indianapolis, IN 46237
(317) 882-1350
