St. Petersburg, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: Diner
Overall Rating: 3/5
Dined in December 2016
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
A diner is a small fast food restaurant, typically a 24-hour operation but not always. The very first Diner was created in 1872 by Walter Scott, who sold food out of a horse-pulled wagon. 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.
Main review:
Diners have been part of the history of American cuisine and mainstay staples for over one hundred years but thanks to the television show Alice from 1976-1985 Mel’s Diner and owner Mel Sharples (actor Vic Tayback) brought the idea of the diner to the world. As a result, the diner has gained even more fame and greater popularity that now has diners opening throughout Europe, and into Asia.
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| Picture courtesy of IMBD |
Metro Diner’s original location gained even more fame when in 2010 Diners Drives, and Dives featured them in episode 4 of season 10 ‘You Found ‘em.’ From that episode, he featured the meatloaf plate where Guy Fieri declares, “Diners across the world have to take a lesson on this one.” Also, the Pittsburgh steak salad and the Yo Hala on the square dish, chef Davoli’s special that incorporates challah bread as the base for the sweet and tart dish that incorporates bananas, cream cheese and berry compote “that is worth coming here for,” says host Guy Fieri.
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| Picture courtesy of Metro Diner |
My wife had heard about it, and we dined together when I returned home from overseas work, to enjoy a wonderful meal. This was the type of diner that locals go to eat, and out of towner’s hear about if they run across the right local to talk to. She enjoyed the chicken pot pie loaded with fresh baked chicken, Lima beans, corn, carrots, peas and French cut green beans. The dish is then topped with a homemade biscuit crust, that is absolute to die for.
The bold city burger was calling my name from the five listed patty choices which include a breakfast, patty melt, and Swiss burger. The bold was the pick of the day based on the toppings of a gooey St. Louis Provel cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, sausage, fried jalapeños and garlic aioli on a brioche bun.
Other Noteworthy Breakfast and Southern Favorites:
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
Noble Crust Modern contemporary Italian and Southern dishes in St Petersburg, Florida
Nueva Cantina Vibrant, Authentic, and contemporary Mexican Cuisine with brunch in St Petersburg, Florida
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, Florida reviews on Wine Dine and Play:
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Colonial Portuguese Fusion with tapas
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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Traditional and classic Italian plates
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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New American, Southern Twist
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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A Few Florida Favorites:
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A Jazzy Upscale Seafood Eatery chain in 9 States
Tampa, Florida, USA
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Relaxed eatery & comfort foods At the Albert Whitted Airfield
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
Multi-day festival and tasting
Key West, Florida, USA
|
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Waterfront Beach and Seafood Bar
St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA
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Med-Latin & tapas café with 360 views
St Pete Beach, Florida, USA
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Convivial sports bar with Irish pub grub
Brandon, Florida USA
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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:
Metro diner was a wonderful experience that I look forward to returning to in the future many times. Their menu had expanded beyond a typical diner, but the comfort of the food is the staple and brings to locals back again and again. Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Metro Diner a 3 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants.
Overall Star Rating:
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2 of 5 Stars:
Above the Average
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Restaurant style:
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Casual Dining
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
Hire a Babysitter!
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
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Cuisine Style:
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American, Southern, and Vegetarian
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Experiences:
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Rustic, Hole-in-the-wall, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Public Lot
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Wifi
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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.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant
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Patio:
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No
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Food Prices
(excluding, alcohol, taxes & gratuity)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00
**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant connoisseur’s**
My food bill:
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Currency:
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Price chart:
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$23.00
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$
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$31.00
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$
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£19.00
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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$30.00
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$
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¥159.00
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥
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€22.00
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European Union (EUR)
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€
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The Metro Diner:
5250 4th Street N
St. Petersburg, FL 33703
Contact Information:
Maître d or host:
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+1 727 324 6088 |
| Restaurant website: | The Metro Diner |
| Serving hours: Eastern Standard Time (GMT - 5:00) |
Sun-Thur 7:00 am - 8:00 pm Fri & Sat 7:00 am - 9:00 pm |
| Website contact: | Contact The Diner |
Social Media
&
Accolades:
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Facebook link |
| Twitter @MetroDiner | |
****
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…
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Landmark Mexican Restaurant
Austin, Texas, USA
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Traditional Spanish & Cuban chain since 1905
Ybor City & Sarasota, Florida, USA
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Acclaimed soul food spot for fried chicken
New Orlean’s, Louisiana, USA
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Other Pictures:
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
