Don's Diner in Plainville, MA, Offers Authentic Diner Food, Service and Atmosphere

Article and photo by Eric H.

Don's Diner has many of the classic elements that make this fourth- generation Plainville, MA, business the "real deal": chrome, booths and formica tables, a counter with stools, the smell of coffee permeating the small building, friendly quick service and delicious food.

What separates Don's Diner from the pack, however, is that this landmark sticks to the basics without succumbing to new diner trends.  In other words, you won't see organic foods and teas from all over the world.  If its calorie-busting chocolate chip pancakes and delicious blueberry-packed muffins that you seek, then Don's Diner does the job wonderfully. Additionally, the omlettes are fresh and filling, the coffee smells great (Don's did enter the 21st century by offering New England Coffee), and the conversations give Don's a full-bodied diner ambiance.  Staff and customers all seem to know each other, an earmark of a revered local diner.

Don's, dating back to 1936, had actually closed a few years back. It was sad to see a vacant diner, the antithesis of  the welcoming characteristics of a bustling diner.  Fortunately, Don's re-opened in late 2006 and gathers a robust crowd.  Don's might be only open for breakfast, but that's a giant step ahead in bringing more life to the downtown.  We can only hope for a lunch menu soon, which would result in Don's becoming the prime diner in an area that seems to have lost diners through the years.

The area surrounding Don's Diner augments the diner's   presence from another era. There's an independently-run pharmacy with an old-fashioned drug store sign, a dinky town hall building, old homes, and at the corner a vacant building that's falling apart but yet somehow charming.  In other words, Plainville is the perfect location for Don's Diner: it's a real American town with its ups and downs and a seemingly friendly population that, in many instances, lays down its roots here and proudly calls the town a great place to live.

A diner like Don's complements that loyal fabric by serving as an unofficial meeting place for locals to eat delicious comfort foods, drink coffee, read the paper, chat with the waitresses and meet thy neighbor.  What more could you ask for in a diner that, happily, looks like a diner?

Don's Diner Inc 121 South St., Plainville, MA, Tel. (508) 695-7036

Listen to the Podcast Dining Review of Don's Diner