Northern Virginia is not diner country. Other regions (mostly north of here) are dotted with the gleaming silver of the vintage lunch cars manufactured just for the purpose of feeding hungry drivers quickly and cheaply as they took advantage of a new mobility. In NoVA, we really have to search for examples of this piece of history. Luckily, 29 Diner is in plain sight on Fairfax Boulevard.
It has been since 1947, when Bill Glascock set up the shimmering edifice from New Jersey’s Mountain View Diners Company. It was declared an historic site in 1992. Since 2014, John Wood has been running the business with an eye toward charity and a streak of showmanship.
A smoker out front hints at the best reason to visit 29 Diner, though. In my estimation, at least, that would be the opportunity to eat barbecue at breakfast. I’ve often tucked leftover pulled pork into an omelette at home, but options are fewer and further between beyond my kitchen. At 29 Diner, ‘cue takes up a significant portion of the bill of fare, including guest appearances by the smoked chicken, beef, or pork appearing piled onto a sausage-egg-and-cheese or stuffed into an omelet.
But I was going for a more comprehensive breakfast experience. The BBQ Breakfast Bowl begins with a layer of what’s identified on the menu as hash browns, but are actually deep-fried cubes of home fries. Three eggs are cooked to the diner’s preference (scrambled, in my case), and draped over a layer of bark-covered, lightly smoky meat (I chose beef). Finally, a thin layer of grated orange cheddar melts over the assemblage.
None of the components are especially memorable. In places, both the eggs and beef are more than a bit arid. But in the end, it’s a diner breakfast. My demands aren’t great. What I want is greasy food with some personality. And 29 can certainly boast of that. When I’m craving breakfast with a little bit of smoke, I know a place.
10536 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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