Dolly's Cafe
For more than a half-century, generations of truckers, church folk and hungover college students have been squeezing into Dolly's booths, eager for a heaping plate of eggs and hashbrowns. We recommend the eggs Benedict, the avocado omelet, or for lunch, the gut-busting Guy Burger, a massive number that has to be held together with a steak knife. 1825 N. Washington St. • 326-0386 • facebook.com/dollyscafe
Ferguson's Ferguson's is not a café or restaurant — it's a diner. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in tasty, heaping portions, and there's nothing on the menu that you'll struggle to pronounce. Old-fashioned and straightforward, Ferguson's is a reminder of a more simpler time. Try the New York omelette made with Sonnenberg's sausage, green peppers, onions and mushrooms. 804 W. Garland Ave. • 328-1950 • fergusonscafe.com
Frank's Diner Regular winner of the Inlander's Best Of readers poll for diners, Frank's Diner — from the owner of The Onion — is famous for their breakfast, of course. Silver-dollar-size hotcakes. Spicy Creole benedict. Classic oatmeal. But the Diner's dinner options are just as good. Try the meatloaf. There are our two locations, but our favorite is the train-car style location on Second, near Browne's Addition. 10929 N. Newport Hwy.• 465-2464 | 1516 W. Second Ave. • 747-8798 • franksdiners.com
Hogan's Diner Some call it a throwback. Others call it old-school. Whatever it is, it's working. With 1950s décor and attentive service, Hogan's is where you go for a burger, a shake and a breakfast big enough to fill you up for the whole day. Can't put away a couple of pancakes the size of dinner plates? They let grown-ups order off the kids' menu here. No shame in that. 2977 E. 29th Ave. • 535-7567 • facebook.com/HogansDinerSpokane
Jimmy's Down the Street It's not surprising that some of the biggest TV attention the Lake City has received has been for this well-known mom-and-pop restaurant. But even its appearance on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives couldn't quite capture Jimmy's famous breakfast offerings: from fresh pecan rolls to homemade biscuits slathered with thick sausage gravy, everything is homemade and Southern-inspired. Check out the lunch menu for huge burgers and sandwiches or freshly baked pies. 1613 Sherman Ave., Coeur d'Alene • 208-765-3868 • jimmysdownthestreet.com
Knight's Diner A breakfast staple since 1949, Knight's is also a love letter to Hillyard's rail-riding past. The diner — whose employees steam and hand-peel 100 pounds of Idaho Russet potatoes daily — is housed in an old dining car from the Northern Pacific Railway. With plenty of bacon and eggs to go along with your taters, what else do you need? 2909 N. Market St. • 484-0015 • knightsdiner.com
Mary Lou's Milk Bottle You can't go wrong with diner-style food and 1950s nostalgia, especially at this neighborhood icon, which — have we mentioned? — looks like a giant milk bottle. The retro-throwback restaurant at the heart of the Garland District takes customers back to a simpler time, when the burgers were served with homemade milkshakes, the fries were cut fresh, the wait staff was friendly, and buildings looked like giant milk bottles. You can relive the past by sipping on a huckleberry milkshake. Inside a giant milk bottle. 802 W. Garland Ave. • 325-1772
The Satellite Diner & Lounge On your best nights, the nights where you really have fun, this is your last and final stop. This is where you stumble in, tired, maybe a little tipsy, at 2:30 am (it's open until 4) and eat what you've been craving. Pancakes. Omelets. Buffalo chicken wraps. The Steamer burger. If you dare, dive into the extreme menu, including The Billy Breen, a bacon burger with grilled cheese sandwiches for buns. 425 W. Sprague Ave. • 624-3925 • satellitediner.com
Wall Street Diner A favorite spot for weekend breakfasts, brunches and lunches, Wall Street Diner, nearly hidden in a residential neighborhood of north Spokane, has an old-fashioned counter and a cozy adjoining dining room. Expect to spend between $6 and $12 for a meal that will keep you filled up for the rest of the day. 4428 N. Wall St. • 325-4730 • thewallstreetdiner.com
The Yards Bruncheon In the new Kendall Yards development, across from the Inlander offices, The Yards offers both classic and innovative diner fare. The banana pancakes are delicious, of course. Want something bolder? Order the French toast burger — a burger in between two maple-syrup-soaked pieces of French toast. Our favorite is the massive breakfast poutine, complete with sausage gravy and candied bacon. It's enough for at least two. 1248 W. Summit Pkwy. • 290-5952 • theyardsbruncheon.com
