St Petersburg, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: Diner, American
Average Price: $
Overall Rating: 2/5
Dined in October 2017
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Chef Mark Davoli
The idea of the American diner took off between the 1920’s and 1940’s serving hamburgers, club sandwiches, coffee, and milkshakes. Over time diners expanded to menus with a wide variety of other American and European foods, plus breakfast. This is where Metro Diner comes into play with the original opening in 1938 outside of Jacksonville, Florida. Today (2017) there are fourteen locations around Florida and thirteen more outside the state in Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. This review is based on the Saint Petersburg location.
Menu:
- Salads
- Soups
- Fruits and Such
- Griddle Greats
- Eggs Galore
- Benedicts
- Omelets
- Breakfast Favorites
- Sandwiches
- Breakfast Sandwiches
- Lunch and Dinner Favorites
- Sides
- Kids Menu
- Desserts
On the two previous visits, my wife and I enjoyed the chicken pot pie, the bold city burger, the Monte Cristo sandwich, and the Big Bern's fried pork tenderloin sandwich. On this visit, my wife had their Philly cheese steak sandwich made with ribeye and melted provolone with a side of their macaroni and cheese. The steak was wonderful in flavor, but the macaroni and cheese were not as good as others I’ve had dining around town.
 |
| Philly cheese steak sandwich |
I had the two egg breakfast with a side of hash browns and a wonderful biscuit with sausage gravy on the side that was to die for.Yet again Metro Diner scores a home run on good comfort diner foods.
 |
| Two Egg Breakfast |
Dessert:
We did not have dessert on this visit
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Breakfast and Diner Articles and Restaurants:
Al Fanar Restaurant and Café Authentic Emirati Cuisine, Festival City, Dubai, UAE
Café du Monde Iconic café & coffeehouse serving beignets since 1862 in New Orleans, Louisiana
First Watch Café chain for health-minded breakfast, brunch, & lunch; reviewed in Tampa, Florida
Food 101 Farm-to-table eatery offering Southern classics in Sandy Springs, Georgia
Fugitives Drift Lodge and Zulu Battlefields African Cuisine Buffet, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Paradise Grille Beachside joint offering casual American eats in Pass-A-Grille, Florida
Safar Restaurant Arabic and Emirati blended buffet at the Dubai International Airport (DXB), UAE
Stella’s Restaurant Southern-inspired comfort eats and diner in Gulfport, Florida
The Dutch Kitchen Buffet of Dutch and French cuisine at the Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
The Jungle Junction Zimbabwe & International tastings buffet at the Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe
Waffle House A Southern 24/7 breakfast chain known for their hash browns, based in Atlanta, Georgia
Z Grille Colorfully inspired twists on American Classics in St. Petersburg, Florida
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other St Petersburg restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
|
Colonial Portuguese Fusion with tapas
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
Traditional and classic Italian plates
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
New American, Southern Twist
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
A Few Florida Favorites:
|
American Chain with a large menu
Tampa, Florida, USA
|
Seminole, Florida USA
Thai and Japanese fare including sushi
|
Multi-day festival and tasting
Key West, Florida, USA
|
|
5-course American meal with a show
Fort Myers, Florida USA
|
Weekly, Organic, Sustainable
Gulfport, Florida, USA
|
Convivial sports bar with Irish pub grub
Brandon, Florida USA
|
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
|
Max Points Possible:
|
Total Points Awarded:
|
Total Points deducted:
|
Ambiance
|
10
|
8
|
2
|
Food quality
|
9
|
6
|
3
|
Plate presentation
|
8
|
5
|
3
|
Customer service
|
7
|
4
|
3
|
Alcohol and other beverages
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Total regular points awarded
|
34
|
23
|
11
|
Total percentage — less the Bonus
|
0.676470588235294
|
||
“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
Total bonus percentage
|
0.0588235294117647
|
||
Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
|
0.735294117647059
|
||
Stars Awarded (see chart below)
|
0 - 5
|
2
|
**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
|
2 of 5 Stars:
74% Rating with a 2 point “wow” bonus
Far Above the Average Experience
|
Restaurant style:
|
Casual dining
|
Cuisine style:
|
American Breakfast, Chain
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Low Carb, Vegetarian
|
Reservations:
|
Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted
|
Dress code:
|
Casual attire
|
Child policy:
|
The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
|
Experiences:
|
Contemporary, Hotspot, Rustic, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem.
|
Payments:
|
Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
|
Parking:
|
Private lot
|
Wifi
|
The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
|
Noise level:
|
Medium
|
Smoking:
|
Nonsmoking restaurant
|
Patio or terrace:
|
No
|
Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
|
Price
|
United States Dollar (USD)
|
$
|
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
|
£
|
Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$
|
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥
|
European Union (EUR)
|
€
|
Metro Diner:
5250 4th Street N
St. Petersburg, FL 33703
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
|
|
Maître d or host:
|
+1 727 324 6088
|
webpage contact:
|
|
Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT - 5:00)
|
Sun-Thur
7:00 am - 8:00 pm
Fri & Sat
7:00 am - 9:00 pm
|
Social Media
&
Accolades:
|
|
****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
|
French-American Fine Dining
Yountville, California, USA
|
Elegant Modern Australian with Molecular Gastronomic
Melbourne, Australia
|
Acclaimed high-concept inspired Farm to Table tavern
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
|
Other Pictures:
 |
| Biscuits with Sausage Gravy |
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
