Route One Diners: Diner Fare Done Right

Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall: Last Sunday I decided to take an unusal roadtrip which would include three very important stops…breakfast, lunch and dinner. This was not just any trip because I decided to do a tour of some of the local diners along Maine’s Route One. Anxious to start, I head out early on my way to Wells where I would sit down with the locals and tourist alike to enjoy an authentic diner style breakfast. The Maine Diner on Route One in Wells offered the goods I was looking for, homestyle cooking for cheap. The waitress delivered eggs and hash, a side of homefries, toast and hot coffee, nothing beats the taste of diner food especially for breakfast. The restaurant was full of people waiting to enjoy the same fare and the waitstaff buzzed around the room at a frenetic pace. With over 4 million customers served you can understand why… Pointing my car North on Route One, I headed for Brunswick where the Miss Brunswick Diner awaited. Now some folks think they have found the perfect lobster roll but, until you have had one here you are missing out! A perfectly toasted roll filled with pure lobster meat and just enough lettuce to give it some color, even the locals love these. Heck on a slow day, they sell between 20 to 30 so they must be doing something right. After enjoying lunch and enjoying the river walk path along the Androscoggin, I hopped in my car and this time headed east toward Waldoboro, home of the famous, Moody’s Diner. Now Moody’s has been serving diner fare for over 75 years and has become a Maine icon. Some of their recipes have been published in Gourment magazine and they’ve even recieved awards from the Culinary Hall of Fame but, there is nothing pretentious about this place at all. They have survived by serving simple, good food at a reasonable price. After enjoying a good ol’ fashion cheeseburger complete with fries and a chocolate shake I decided to indulge in a slice of heaven. Moody’s is famous for their pie and after one bite you’ll know why. So the day was done and I was ready to head home but, one thing is for sure, if you are looking for a way to spend a day then taking a ride along Route One and enjoying these great diners may be just the thing. Either way, you end up with a day full of good food and great memories.