Personal Review :
The Silver Diner, located in the Towson Town Center mall, is kind of a neat
place to stop for dinner while shopping. In the style of a 50's-type diner,
there are a number of booths and a counter. Each booth sports one of the
old style juke box selectors, though to our disappointment, the one at our
table took our money and never played our tune. The food was pretty good.
Not outstanding, but your better than average typical diner quality food.
My wife had the steak dinner. It was ok, not great. The unusual
part of the meal was the side of mashed potatoes, complete with bits of various
vegetables mixed in...on purpose? The Cajun Chicken Pasta was an interesting
plate of grilled chicken, cajun style, with penne pasta and too much garlic.
For my taste, I would have preferred more cajun heat and less garlic...that
garlic taste stayed with me a long time. The milkshake was a bit on the
watery side, not like the old thick shakes we used to have to eat with a spoon.
There is a non-smoking section which really was devoid of smoke, a welcome
relief from many so-called non-smoking sections in other restaurants. It was
a bit noisy though. Music of the 50's era is playing, of course, along with
the din of the clientele. But to top it off, the non-smoking section is near
the banging doors of the kitchen...and there was a lot of activity, but not
unexpected. It is a diner, after all.
On the whole, eating at the Silver Diner was a nice break, with lots of
interesting choices on the menu. I'm sure if we're in the area again, we might
consider stopping in for a bite.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baltimore Magazine, May 1999 -- "Chain Gang, A Survivor's Guide to Chain
Restaurants" -- edited by Linda Delibero
{Reprinted with permission of Baltimore Magazine}
A trip to a Silver Diner will make even the coldest cynic long for the
innocent days of mid-century America. Here, Elvis still croons from the
jukebox, girls giggle at boys over boothtops, and floats and shakes (malted!)
come in tall, sweating glasses. Sure, heart-healthy selections like salads
and grilled-chicken sandwiches hint at the more complex needs of the `90s, but
by and large this string of diners attempts to recreate the feel-good aura of
the 1950s.
Often adjacent to malls, Silver Diner is a mecca for shoppers avoiding the
frenzy of the food court. Classic diner fare like burgers, fries, and shakes
consistently delivers for patrons of all ages, while entrees like a chicken
quesadilla--not usually found on a diner menu--are surprisingly satisfying.
Why you'll like it: You can play your wedding song on the tableside
jukebox.
Why your kids will like it: Even on a weeknight, the joint jumps with
teenyboppers.
Hidden treasure: Mozzarella sticks are fried in--surprise!--won ton
wrappers for an Asian twist.
What to avoid: Going if you're gouchy or tired. The air--like a
junior-high cafeteria--hums with the sound of pre-pubescent chatter.