The Court Diner has been a fixture in Media since 1964. Driving south on Baltimore Pike, this diner sits perched atop the hill across from another iconic space, Bevan’s Candies. As a kid, I occasionally ate at the Court Diner, but that was thirty years ago. I recently stopped in for breakfast to see what had changed over the years.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the diner had not been cosmetically modified and still retains that 1960’s era feel. To the right, a few couples dined in booths and a gentleman read through the newspaper while sitting at the long counter. To the left, the large dining room sat with windows overlooking the street. David Bowie played on the radio.
Seated in a comfortable booth, I reviewed the menu which offered a nice selection of omelettes, pancakes and waffles. I asked the waitress which omelette was the most popular, she suggested the Florentine Omelette.
A few other interesting menu items included the Greek Omelette – three eggs with sausage, feta cheese, onions and tomato, the Bacon Temptation Wrap – a soft wrap with eggs and tomato, loaded with bacon and cheddar Jack cheese and the Court Monster Wrap – grilled onions, green peppers, mushrooms, bacon, sausage and ham topped with sharp cheddar jack cheese. The also offer a Breakfast Panini, which is a bacon, egg and cheese panini sandwich on fresh ciabatta bread, served with home fries.
Although the decor still retains that 60’s feel, the Court Diner has changed hands. Original owner Charley Adams retired in 2006 and the diner was taken over by Mia Saltis and Tony Ngjela. I was also surprised to find out they have a liquor license and now hold a happy hour Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. – 6p.m.
While waiting for my omelette, I check out the lunch and dinner options. For lunch, they offer selections such as Paninis, the Monster Burger, Court Diner Club and Pork Italiano – a smoked pulled pork with roasted peppers and provolone cheese on a French baguette. Dinner Selections include Crab Cakes, Pot Roast, Crab and Shrimp Manicotti, and the Court Turkey Platter. They also have Daily Specials.
My Florentine Omelet consisted of a three egg fluffy omelet with spinach, bacon and feta cheese rolled in and swiss cheese on top. The home fries were excellent and the waitress continually refilled my coffee. This was a positive old-fashioned diner experience.
The Court Diner is located at 140 East Baltimore Pike, Media PA.
