It can’t have been easy for Jenny’s Diner to have transformed its North High address into a restaurant space. Formerly a thrift store, the Beechwold location stood empty for a long time before the diner began to take shape. Given the history of the location, the spot wouldn’t have had all the kitchen equipment and hook-ups that one might inherit when taking over something like a former Taco Bell or Wendy’s.
But walking in now, it’s hard to believe that Jenny’s space was ever anything other than a neighborhood hangout. Cloaked in a classic diner red and black color scheme, a long counter runs up one side, and booths line the walls. It already looks like a tradition.
Slide into the black booths and feel right at home. Stationed at each table are the accouterments that distinguish real diners: that include a bottle of ketchup, paper sweetener packets, salt and pepper, and most importantly: jelly packets. In classic diner style, the menu options are served all day. And that menu features the pancakes, omelets and sandwiches you’d expect from a diner. There’s even a $14.99 diner ribeye.
But let’s start with breakfast. Three-egg omelets are available in a host of flavors ranging from a classic ham-‘n cheese combo to more creative options, the latter of which includes a reuben omelet, a chili omelet and a glorious Sausage and Mushroom Omelet ($9.99) that also includes cheddar, pepper jack and a final finishing ladle of rich hollandaise. The heady, heavy masterpiece is paired with potatoes, and the functional house hash browns might have benefited from a little more time on the griddle to carmelize, but they otherwise hit the mark.
For a sweeter start to the day, the menu also has french toast and pancake options. A stack of Pancakes ($7.99) delivers an ample pile of three fluffy cakes and an equally fluffy pile of butter. The pancakes do a fine job of soaking up the sweet syrup and delivering an intense sugar ‘n starch buzz.
In the lunch department, the house quarter pounder is a better value than those found at fast food joints. For $8.99, you get an earnest grilled patty with cheese (lettuce, tomato, onions are options) with the house hot, crunchy fries. And if biggie burger culture has wrecked you for quarter-pound patties, you’ll want to go with two patties. That takes you to $11.99, which still feels like a good deal in a sit-down joint.
Or there is a selection of diner classic sandwiches that include Rubens, a meatloaf melt, grilled cheese and gyros. There’s something likable about the simple Chicken Gyro combo ($8.99). Served with fries, an order yields a soft, tender pita stuffed with grilled chicken, and the classic mix of shredded lettuce, tomato and onion with a tzatziki sauce that binds it together.
Despite its newness, Jenny’s Diner comes off as a place with a longer history, with its predictable clip and guests that look perfectly at home. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, Jenny’s is closed Monday and can be found at 4768 N. High St. in Clintonville.
For more information, follow Jenny’s Diner on Facebook.
All photos by Susan Post
