Mel’s Diner - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Before the freeways and the Interstate system, there were highways. The highways went through the center of every city, small town and berg. You would count the stop lights to get an idea how large the town was. Between the cities, it was the now proverbial "open road." If the road was good and the traffic light, the speed limit was often a speedy 55 miles per hour. Travel by automobile was slower then. There were service stations, auto repair garages, motels and cafes to cater to the traveling public. You drove as far as you could during the day and towards evening sought out a convenient diner and motel, to eat a good meal and have a good night’s sleep for the next day’s travel. A truism of the day advised that a café where the truckers and the state trooper ate was a good one. Quite often that café was stainless steel, railroad car-style diner complete with lots of red neon tubes. It is a bit sad that today’s automotive traveler doesn’t have the opportunity to come across the truck stop diner. Today the freeway ramps have clusters of service stations and name brand eateries and snack shops. It is pull off the freeway for a quick fuel up and pick up a Styrofoam encased burger or a 6-inch sub, usually to eat on the go. Sadly, we don’t usually venture off the freeway until we reach our destination and we therefore miss the opportunity to find a diner and have a sit-down meal. The diner, a symbol of American-style comfort foods, has been a backdrop in many movies and has become an icon, the image immediately recognizable.
We were going to be in the Pigeon Forge area for several days to visit with family. When I saw the stainless steel and red neon diner, I knew I was going to have at least 1 meal there before we continued our travels. It was to be breakfast the very next day. The diner has been at its present location for several years. Outside the stainless steel is polisher, the neon tubes glow brightly and it just looks spiffy, almost brand new. Inside it is all spit and polish. A lot of effort goes into cleaning and upkeep of that diner.
The serving staff is constantly on the go. For a long and narrow diner, it sears a surprisingly large number of people. Our server was polite and attentive to our requests. Although this is surely not the Mel’s diner of the sitcom, the lady wore a t-shirt that proclaimed, "Kiss my grits!" After we ordered, we took in the surroundings. The decor is right from the fifties and there is a juke box loaded with rock and roll records. It doesn’t take much imagination to go back a few years and savor a few memories of the good ol’ days. It is also surprising, that with all the hard surface inside the diner, that the noise level is low and conversation is possible in normal tones (well, sometimes the juke box was a bit loud, but that’s how it was).
The menu feature a good selection of traditional breakfast dishes, hot and cold sandwiches for lunch, and dinner dishes like meatloaf! For a tourist Mecca location, the prices are moderate, $6 to $8. The food is tasty and well prepared and the portions adequate. When the food is placed before you, you are ready to dig in.
The wife ordered pancakes, bacon and eggs. There were 2 large, golden brown pancakes, slices of crisp fried bacon, and her eggs over medium as ordered. She said the food was cooked well and had good flavor.
I ordered my usual, eggs over medium, hash browns and sausage. All was cooked as ordered and it was tasty. It certainly was what I would have expected from a good diner. The coffee was fresh and the cups were kept filled by any of the servers passing by. It was an enjoyable breakfast and out is a good mood fro the rest of the day’s activities. The next time we are in Pigeon Forge, we shall stop by Mel’s Diner for another nostalgic meal. Perhaps for lunch this time, and try a Big Bopper Bacon Burger or Johnny B. Goode Grilled Chicken platter.