Home > Des Moines Restaurants > Editorial Review > Editorial Juice Review: 5 & Diner

Fifties-style diners are not unique. Anywhere. Put the wait staff in poodle skirts, crank up Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper on the jukebox and make sure the shakes are thick. Voila!

Usually, the food is good and the atmosphere fun - in limited doses.

The 5 & Diner in Johnston (there's another location in Pleasant Hill) is one such diner. The place looks like it's wrapped in aluminum foil, a shiny building glittering in the sun just north of Interstate 80/35. A lifesize Elvis cardboard cut-out, vinyl booths, fun barstools and a jukebox at every table complete the '50s theme inside.

THE GOOD

Talk about a big menu. They serve breakfast all day. There are loads of sandwiches, salads, dinners and desserts - a big plus right away.

I thought about the BLT Club, but I get that everywhere, so I went with the "Chili Size." Essentially this is a massive burger served open-face and slathered in thick chili, cheese and diced onions. A knife and fork is a necessity. A friend got the La Bamba sandwich - toasted with slices of roast beef with green chilis. Not too spicy, but a good flavor. We were both pleased.

The food portions are about perfect in size. No leftovers and probably still room for a malt or shake on the way out.

THE BAD
This could be a personal pet peeve of mine, but I like to eat my meal at a restaurant, not spend time conversing with a chatty server. Ours was chatty. Sweet Holy Moses, she was chatty. Among what we learned during our short meal: Her stupid diet doesn't allow her to eat La Bamba sandwiches anymore. Her air conditioning doesn't cool the kitchen in her home, therefore it was gonna be salads for dinner tonight. But a nice, friendly waitress is scores better than a cold one, so if that's my worst complaint, 5 & Diner did pretty well.

BOTTOM LINE

Even if you're not a fan of American Graffiti-ish diners, you'll love the menu. The variety alone makes the diner worth a return visit - or 12.