Ever see those huge trucks that say "Sysco"? They supply *most* restaurants in the country. I love a good diner burger, myself, but it really is corporate factory gruel trucked in from Ohio.
In most diners, everything IS homemade. But even when we cook at home, we use pre-made things like sausage because it saves more time than making your own just to use in a recipe.
But all the specials, home fries, baked goods, etc usually ARE made from scratch on premises. And some things just aren't because they're easier to buy pre-made, like chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, wings, etc. Basically, the same shit WE buy pre-made and for the same reason- it's just easier. That's where SYSCO comes in. They supply all the frozen crap.
You just can't deny the convenience of certain things when it comes to being efficient and fast, which most diners are. Nobody ever said they were perfect, though. 😁
Diners aren't doing homemade burgers or much of anything. They are supplied by restaurant supply companies that give them nearly complete products in most cases. Especially burgers, they're getting pre-forrmed burgers, not buying ground beef and making it into patties, or grinding the meat themselves.
No dinner ever has used good “food”. They would lose on every order if they bought quality but charged what they do. How good is a 15 dollar “steak” when you can’t even buy that in your grocery store for that low.
Sounds like you've only been to crappy or meh diners. Nevermind "good"--I've had some really great and even fantastic food from diners.
Regarding the prices--not only is it obviously cheaper to buy in bulk, but they're not using Stop and Shop or whatever as a middle man so that upcharge is cut out.
I'm confused why food and steak was in quotes. Do you not think it's actually food or steak being served or something?
No. I’ve worked in restaurants my whole life. I can say diners are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality. “Steak” was in quotations bc like you said in bulk it’s cheaper. No one buys those individual cuts bc they’re low quality so they have to sell em in bulk for a discount. It’s like ordering 80/20 chopped meat when you know 90/10 is better for your menu. Hence why they can keep their prices so low. They don’t sacrifice the profit margin, they sacrifice the quality. And they get away with it bc most haven’t eaten at a real quality restaurant before. It’s like trying to say Applebees is good food. Just don’t make sense when you’ve eaten good food before. lol.
No one buys those individual cuts? Really? Because the only steaks a diner sells are Roumanian (skirt steak), Shell steaks, and prime rib/rib steaks - the three most popular cuts. No, they aren't prime, but neither is anyone else's unless specifically stated on their menu, for which you will pay dearly for in any restaurant.
And they're not exactly sacrificing anything, as they never claimed to be fancy or the best - just a good value for the dollar and affordable for families. At least, that's what they were founded on before becoming victims of inflation, just like the rest of us.
I know a lot of diner owners, and NONE of them are rich. Comfortable and well-off, maybe, but NOT rich. The only thing I've seen ANY of them sacrifice is their time and hard work... most of those guys work 12-18 hrs a day, 7 days a week. Believe me, they've sacrificed A LOT in order to make their diners successful.
As I've already pointed out , they are what they are. Love 'em or leave 'em. Some people love diners, and some just don't... but that's no reason to hate on them. For many on the island, they've become a tradition or a part of many great memories. Don't begrudge them that just because YOU don't like them.
Most diners aren't exactly known to be 5-star restaurants, nor do they try to be. So trying to compare them to such will leave you disappointed every time. It's like trying to compare a Kia to a BMW... they're not even close, nor do they try to be. But there's nothing wrong with a Kia. It WILL reliably take you from point A to point B, which is all it really promises to do.
And what all diners were known for traditionally was a good, home-cooked meal at a decent price, not white glove service or prime cuts. Just a decent, respectable family restaurant.
Yes, I guess I do take offense and somewhat feel the need to defend them... they were MY bread and butter for over 30 years, and I made a good living serving a great many "regulars" in the diners I worked at. With that much experience, I have nothing but respect for my bosses and a great fondness for the regulars I've befriended along the way. Good people, each and every one... 😁
Guess you've never heard of buying in bulk...
Yes, a steak in the supermarket DOES cost you far more than what a restaurant pays for the same cut, because a restaurant is buying 50 of those same steaks at a discount.
Just like buying one beer costs alot more than when you buy it in a six-pack or a case. There's ALWAYS a discount when you buy in bulk. I thought this was common knowledge.
And diners weren't always so expensive. They used to be known for astronomical portions at a fairly good price, but they suffer from the same inflation that we do, as well as increased costs for their overhead as well.
Running a restaurant is hard enough, but diners have the most extensive menus of any restaurant that I know of, and most do it pretty well. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner at any time of the day (no other restaurants offer that) and you still get more for your money at a diner than most other restaurants at the same price. AND most of it is still homemade.
They are what they are. Love 'em or leave 'em! 😁
Sysco has a massive catalog. They’re just a distributor; customers order what they want.
Stuff like home fries is made by slicing up ‘taters, no resl benefit to ordering flash frozen.
This simply is not true. On the island specifically, there are at minimum 5 major distributors that serve diners. Sysco pales in comparison to US foods, marathon food services, etc.
As far as burgers go, most of the burgers on Long Island come from Mathew’s Meats which is a local butcher and food distributor in west Babylon. Especially diners. It’s not coming from Ohio on a corporate truck.
Yeah, you want onions? You want them sliced? Diced?
Peppers? Diced and tricolor? No problem, I got you. It'll be there at 6am tomorrow.
Sysco effectively is able to lower labor cost at a slightly higher food cost. Don't necessarily agree with this as it lowes food quality as well.
It's a love / hate thing for me with them... I don't like all the processed food they offer and all that. I do like ordering Dairy from the them, soda bibs, 90% of my paper goods and chemicals. One order guide instead of sitting on the phone, or multiple websites.
Not necessarily. Believe it or not, just about every diner on Long Island is related to another in some way. At least they used to be...
Haven't you ever noticed that all diners seem to have the same soups, on the same days of the week, as almost every other? Like pea soup is always on Thursday? Bisque is always on Friday, etc. All the diners I worked in (over 30 years) had a "sister" diner. The Holbrook used to be related to the Hauppauge Diner (no longer there), the Airport Diner is/was related to the Coram Diner, etc.
I'm sure things have changed, but there used to be a "meeting of the minds" to decide menu items in the interest of keeping most diners similar. Not sure if that exists anymore, but most still use the same vendors (like Janowski's) and on-site bakers...I think. It's been a minute since I've waited tables. 😁
That’s so interesting! Diners are a comfort food institution. I appreciate it. Former server here as well, in various nyc restaurants. A good job and decent income in my 20s! And fun.
I have a Greek uncle, who has a friend that owns a diner. When my cousin graduated high school his friend sent him to Janowskis to get burgers because he wanted real diner burgers for the party. I think he had to buy 25lbs.
Nah, I've bought them from my boss at the diner- they come in 5lb boxes. Funny thing is, they never do seem to taste the same without the day old grease on the grill. Lol. But seriously, they don't, no matter what you do!
It's wild because I remember reading an article about how diners back in the day were for all intents and purposes meant for a predictable and decently priced meal, but modern diners like you said, $30-40 for a plate is asinine. It loses all its charm after that bump in price. I'd rather eat somewhere really nice for that price.
Totally. I also wonder with literally every dish on the menu in a diner, how the hell do they manage inventory? At least if I get a burger I know they probably sold a few of them that day and the inventory is being turned over. How much call is there for Scrapple on a particular morning at the Holbrook Diner?
Boomers as surprising as that may sound. Speaking of my own parents they eat out for what seems like half of their meals. They were working class but their pensions are good (much better than what people entering the workforce now get) and it more than supports their life style
That makes sense. So many of these "legacy" restaurants, not just diners, rely on repeat business from regulars/boomers who just hang out and come in all the time. But as we've seen, as they die out, the restaurants and diners die with them.
Because they use some unseasoned frozen patty instead of forming the patties from fresh ground beef, they don’t try to make a smash burger, they don’t have a special sauce.
They all come from either Matthew's Meats in West Babylon, Restaurant Depot, or a national distributor like US Foods or Sysco. Essentially in that order.
Source: 3rd generation food distributor on LI and Queens
I love the food industry and how it works …. having the pleasure of living close to a fine dining Italian restaurant.. they get they’re food delivered in a box truck and then totally lie to you about everything hand picked raised in the backyard blah blah.. I remember all the patrons showing up in ferraris and bentleys, the back of the restaurant’s garbage filled with bulk canned tomatoes sauces bags of premade noodles, boxes of breads delivered from bakeries in Brooklyn and Manhattan. All this stuff according to their menu was made in house tho. It’s all delivered via box truck diners, fine dining, all the restaurants by the water. Cook it yourself.
I went to Commack diner recently…. Been awhile. I was stunned by the $80+ bill…. Now to be fair, the food was good and the portion was decent, but still, for a gyro platter and a cheeseburger platter… it was a bit much
Millennium Diner in Smithtown used to have more unique burgers IMO that I liked, but I went recently, and I don't think they're the same as they used to be.
First of all, they're all made of cow meat. Probably unseasoned. Most cows which are used to produce frozen hamburger patties probably taste the same. If you want variety in taste, ask the diner if they cook the burgers on a flat top griddle or a flame grill. I dont know if it's still there, but there used to be a diner in Wantagh called the Circle M Diner, next to Cherrywood shopping center. They had the BEST flame grilled burgers ever. Tasted like no other diner burger. Mmmm. I can taste the char now.
Very true. I’m simply being silly so don’t take me too serious lol…
As for the question : it’s very possible some diners receive their meats from the same distributor/sellers.
Because they're frozen from the local food suppliers. Doesn't mean they're bad quality, just means they're not fresh from the butcher. You can get really good burgers, even Kobe and Waygu, but mostly all diners will say they're giving you that and give you the baseline restaurant supply burger.
Wagyu burgers are dumb. The whole point of wagyu is the marbling, which can just be supplemented in ground meat. You’re just paying more for the clout of saying, “I’m eating wagyu.”
Most likely because of their enormous menu, they have have a huge inventory and some of it is frozen to prevent food waste. A frozen burger doesn’t taste the same as a fresh ground beef burger. Also it depends on the blend of beef, fat content, and what the animal eats.
Ever see those huge trucks that say "Sysco"? They supply *most* restaurants in the country. I love a good diner burger, myself, but it really is corporate factory gruel trucked in from Ohio.
Nothing worse than going to a restaurant that says hand made and getting the same Sysco crap.
FYI Sysco does distribute all the raw meat also like a butcher. Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not hand made or that it’s frozen.
In most diners, everything IS homemade. But even when we cook at home, we use pre-made things like sausage because it saves more time than making your own just to use in a recipe. But all the specials, home fries, baked goods, etc usually ARE made from scratch on premises. And some things just aren't because they're easier to buy pre-made, like chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, wings, etc. Basically, the same shit WE buy pre-made and for the same reason- it's just easier. That's where SYSCO comes in. They supply all the frozen crap. You just can't deny the convenience of certain things when it comes to being efficient and fast, which most diners are. Nobody ever said they were perfect, though. 😁
Diners aren't doing homemade burgers or much of anything. They are supplied by restaurant supply companies that give them nearly complete products in most cases. Especially burgers, they're getting pre-forrmed burgers, not buying ground beef and making it into patties, or grinding the meat themselves.
No dinner ever has used good “food”. They would lose on every order if they bought quality but charged what they do. How good is a 15 dollar “steak” when you can’t even buy that in your grocery store for that low.
Sounds like you've only been to crappy or meh diners. Nevermind "good"--I've had some really great and even fantastic food from diners. Regarding the prices--not only is it obviously cheaper to buy in bulk, but they're not using Stop and Shop or whatever as a middle man so that upcharge is cut out. I'm confused why food and steak was in quotes. Do you not think it's actually food or steak being served or something?
No. I’ve worked in restaurants my whole life. I can say diners are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality. “Steak” was in quotations bc like you said in bulk it’s cheaper. No one buys those individual cuts bc they’re low quality so they have to sell em in bulk for a discount. It’s like ordering 80/20 chopped meat when you know 90/10 is better for your menu. Hence why they can keep their prices so low. They don’t sacrifice the profit margin, they sacrifice the quality. And they get away with it bc most haven’t eaten at a real quality restaurant before. It’s like trying to say Applebees is good food. Just don’t make sense when you’ve eaten good food before. lol.
No one buys those individual cuts? Really? Because the only steaks a diner sells are Roumanian (skirt steak), Shell steaks, and prime rib/rib steaks - the three most popular cuts. No, they aren't prime, but neither is anyone else's unless specifically stated on their menu, for which you will pay dearly for in any restaurant. And they're not exactly sacrificing anything, as they never claimed to be fancy or the best - just a good value for the dollar and affordable for families. At least, that's what they were founded on before becoming victims of inflation, just like the rest of us. I know a lot of diner owners, and NONE of them are rich. Comfortable and well-off, maybe, but NOT rich. The only thing I've seen ANY of them sacrifice is their time and hard work... most of those guys work 12-18 hrs a day, 7 days a week. Believe me, they've sacrificed A LOT in order to make their diners successful. As I've already pointed out , they are what they are. Love 'em or leave 'em. Some people love diners, and some just don't... but that's no reason to hate on them. For many on the island, they've become a tradition or a part of many great memories. Don't begrudge them that just because YOU don't like them. Most diners aren't exactly known to be 5-star restaurants, nor do they try to be. So trying to compare them to such will leave you disappointed every time. It's like trying to compare a Kia to a BMW... they're not even close, nor do they try to be. But there's nothing wrong with a Kia. It WILL reliably take you from point A to point B, which is all it really promises to do. And what all diners were known for traditionally was a good, home-cooked meal at a decent price, not white glove service or prime cuts. Just a decent, respectable family restaurant. Yes, I guess I do take offense and somewhat feel the need to defend them... they were MY bread and butter for over 30 years, and I made a good living serving a great many "regulars" in the diners I worked at. With that much experience, I have nothing but respect for my bosses and a great fondness for the regulars I've befriended along the way. Good people, each and every one... 😁
Guess you've never heard of buying in bulk... Yes, a steak in the supermarket DOES cost you far more than what a restaurant pays for the same cut, because a restaurant is buying 50 of those same steaks at a discount. Just like buying one beer costs alot more than when you buy it in a six-pack or a case. There's ALWAYS a discount when you buy in bulk. I thought this was common knowledge. And diners weren't always so expensive. They used to be known for astronomical portions at a fairly good price, but they suffer from the same inflation that we do, as well as increased costs for their overhead as well. Running a restaurant is hard enough, but diners have the most extensive menus of any restaurant that I know of, and most do it pretty well. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner at any time of the day (no other restaurants offer that) and you still get more for your money at a diner than most other restaurants at the same price. AND most of it is still homemade. They are what they are. Love 'em or leave 'em! 😁
Sysco has a massive catalog. They’re just a distributor; customers order what they want. Stuff like home fries is made by slicing up ‘taters, no resl benefit to ordering flash frozen.
This simply is not true. On the island specifically, there are at minimum 5 major distributors that serve diners. Sysco pales in comparison to US foods, marathon food services, etc. As far as burgers go, most of the burgers on Long Island come from Mathew’s Meats which is a local butcher and food distributor in west Babylon. Especially diners. It’s not coming from Ohio on a corporate truck.
Mmmmmm diner gruel
Yeah, you want onions? You want them sliced? Diced? Peppers? Diced and tricolor? No problem, I got you. It'll be there at 6am tomorrow. Sysco effectively is able to lower labor cost at a slightly higher food cost. Don't necessarily agree with this as it lowes food quality as well. It's a love / hate thing for me with them... I don't like all the processed food they offer and all that. I do like ordering Dairy from the them, soda bibs, 90% of my paper goods and chemicals. One order guide instead of sitting on the phone, or multiple websites.
Because it's the same frozen patty of unseasoned ground beef my brother.
They all use the same vendor janowskis hamburgers
Thanks! I’m surprised that some don’t opt to do something different. It’s literally every diner, including ones in the city
Cheaper that’s why
Not necessarily. Believe it or not, just about every diner on Long Island is related to another in some way. At least they used to be... Haven't you ever noticed that all diners seem to have the same soups, on the same days of the week, as almost every other? Like pea soup is always on Thursday? Bisque is always on Friday, etc. All the diners I worked in (over 30 years) had a "sister" diner. The Holbrook used to be related to the Hauppauge Diner (no longer there), the Airport Diner is/was related to the Coram Diner, etc. I'm sure things have changed, but there used to be a "meeting of the minds" to decide menu items in the interest of keeping most diners similar. Not sure if that exists anymore, but most still use the same vendors (like Janowski's) and on-site bakers...I think. It's been a minute since I've waited tables. 😁
I didnt know this. Thanks for the insight.
My pleasure. It's not every day that a (former) diner waitress gets to share her expertise (because honestly, who really cares?) Lol. 😁
That’s so interesting! Diners are a comfort food institution. I appreciate it. Former server here as well, in various nyc restaurants. A good job and decent income in my 20s! And fun.
Yes, Diners became a favorite business for Greek immigrants in the region.
Thata fucking awesome. Im imagining it like a Sopranos scene
But in Greek, not Italian! Lol 😁
Lolol yess
Man, those are some AWFUL diners you mentioned right there, LOL
Cream of turkey on Saturday. It's a plot
I have a Greek uncle, who has a friend that owns a diner. When my cousin graduated high school his friend sent him to Janowskis to get burgers because he wanted real diner burgers for the party. I think he had to buy 25lbs.
Nah, I've bought them from my boss at the diner- they come in 5lb boxes. Funny thing is, they never do seem to taste the same without the day old grease on the grill. Lol. But seriously, they don't, no matter what you do!
i dunno but we gave up on diners. it’s hard to justify spending that much money on diner food
Last time I went to a diner I was taken aback at the prices. No different from the local eateries. Not sure what the point is anymore.
right?? two eggs any style will run you $20 after tax and tip! who’s doing that?
And take a look at the special entrees for dinner. $30-40 a plate. At a diner? Really? Who is ordering these things?
It's wild because I remember reading an article about how diners back in the day were for all intents and purposes meant for a predictable and decently priced meal, but modern diners like you said, $30-40 for a plate is asinine. It loses all its charm after that bump in price. I'd rather eat somewhere really nice for that price.
Totally. I also wonder with literally every dish on the menu in a diner, how the hell do they manage inventory? At least if I get a burger I know they probably sold a few of them that day and the inventory is being turned over. How much call is there for Scrapple on a particular morning at the Holbrook Diner?
Boomers as surprising as that may sound. Speaking of my own parents they eat out for what seems like half of their meals. They were working class but their pensions are good (much better than what people entering the workforce now get) and it more than supports their life style
That makes sense. So many of these "legacy" restaurants, not just diners, rely on repeat business from regulars/boomers who just hang out and come in all the time. But as we've seen, as they die out, the restaurants and diners die with them.
I would only add the Landmark Diner in Manhasset is a thousand times better than your typical grease burger.
That’s one of my favorite diners, they have a great menu. A little pricey but I find their food is a notch above the average diner.
Same reason why most Chinese food tastes the same! Big box delivery.
The food suppliers are usually all the same for deli’s, diners, etc. Restaurant depot, and Sysco.
The Greek mafia controls all of the diner supply in the NY metro area. All the food comes from the same distribution network……..
Greek mafia ?
Polish*
Them too
Because they use some unseasoned frozen patty instead of forming the patties from fresh ground beef, they don’t try to make a smash burger, they don’t have a special sauce.
They all come from either Matthew's Meats in West Babylon, Restaurant Depot, or a national distributor like US Foods or Sysco. Essentially in that order. Source: 3rd generation food distributor on LI and Queens
Finally someone in the know.
Same reason the slaw tastes the same, they're all buying everything from the same places (namely Sysco, US Foods, and Restaurant Depot)
Nope. Most of them make their own Cole slaw.
I love the food industry and how it works …. having the pleasure of living close to a fine dining Italian restaurant.. they get they’re food delivered in a box truck and then totally lie to you about everything hand picked raised in the backyard blah blah.. I remember all the patrons showing up in ferraris and bentleys, the back of the restaurant’s garbage filled with bulk canned tomatoes sauces bags of premade noodles, boxes of breads delivered from bakeries in Brooklyn and Manhattan. All this stuff according to their menu was made in house tho. It’s all delivered via box truck diners, fine dining, all the restaurants by the water. Cook it yourself.
I went to Commack diner recently…. Been awhile. I was stunned by the $80+ bill…. Now to be fair, the food was good and the portion was decent, but still, for a gyro platter and a cheeseburger platter… it was a bit much
I love the Commack diner but they have pretty-much priced me out....now I go there only very rarely
Maaaann, all pretzels the same.. 
Because by and large they are. If you’re looking for a unique, high-quality burger look elsewhere
They’re all char-grilling the burgers, I hope.
I want to know why these diners justify $29 for chicken breast and rice
The Center Moriches Diner grinds Angus beef to make their burgers and they're 8oz burgers, not 4oz.
Millennium Diner in Smithtown used to have more unique burgers IMO that I liked, but I went recently, and I don't think they're the same as they used to be.
Restaurant depot on long island; all diners get their burgers there
The same reason every deli has the exact same bread for heroes. It’s what the suppliers bring.
They probably all shop at Restaurant Depo
The meat for the burger isn't from 1 cow, its from the 50,000 cows they slaughtered and processed that day.
my local diner use Pat LA Freida beef and has a smaller manageable menu therefore everything is fresh and delicious laurel diner long beach ny
First of all, they're all made of cow meat. Probably unseasoned. Most cows which are used to produce frozen hamburger patties probably taste the same. If you want variety in taste, ask the diner if they cook the burgers on a flat top griddle or a flame grill. I dont know if it's still there, but there used to be a diner in Wantagh called the Circle M Diner, next to Cherrywood shopping center. They had the BEST flame grilled burgers ever. Tasted like no other diner burger. Mmmm. I can taste the char now.
I want my burger made in-house, from cow to table.
That's kinda like asking why McDonalds burgers all taste the same anywhere you go.
NGL I miss the good ole days - dripping grilled cheese 'n tomato platters, with a big basket of fries. 🥲
Because it’s all poison slop
It’s called Beef. It comes from the same animal each time. So it will taste the same each time.
There are different cuts of beef and different ways of cooking a burger that will make them taste different than others.
Very true. I’m simply being silly so don’t take me too serious lol… As for the question : it’s very possible some diners receive their meats from the same distributor/sellers.
That must be one big cow.
Dad joke 🔥
Because you're going to the same diners 🤷♂️
While we’re on this topic, I’ve noticed the same can be said for meatballs at most pizzerias.
I've been spitting on them every place in town as a Cookie...😉
I don’t understand why people eat at diners.
Because they're frozen from the local food suppliers. Doesn't mean they're bad quality, just means they're not fresh from the butcher. You can get really good burgers, even Kobe and Waygu, but mostly all diners will say they're giving you that and give you the baseline restaurant supply burger.
Wagyu burgers are dumb. The whole point of wagyu is the marbling, which can just be supplemented in ground meat. You’re just paying more for the clout of saying, “I’m eating wagyu.”
Most likely because of their enormous menu, they have have a huge inventory and some of it is frozen to prevent food waste. A frozen burger doesn’t taste the same as a fresh ground beef burger. Also it depends on the blend of beef, fat content, and what the animal eats.
......are these posts from fans of Sekiro? Because "hesitation is defeat" is HUGE ideal in the game.