Yesterday we had some errands to do that took us out of the downtown Columbus footprint. We ended up in the uncharted wilds of Grandview, where we decided to visit a Grandview staple–the DK Diner.
I’d never been there before, but I knew I liked it as soon as we pulled up. There were telltale signs of a good diner immediately apparent–people outside who seemed happy, not surly, about the prospect of waiting for a few minutes for a table, and a decidedly unpretentious air about the place. In fact, part of the seating area (and where we ultimately ended up) is in a tent added on to provide some extra seating. Those kinds of messages tell you something about a neighborhood joint–the locals like it and the food is good enough to justify a wait.
It was a little after noon, so we were still in the Weekend Decision Zone time period, where you could opt for a late breakfast rush headlong into lunch. The DK is known for its pancakes, doughnuts, and other breakfast chow, but I felt my taste buds being pulled to the lunch end of the DK menu spectrum. I settled on an elm burger, which comes with white cheddar cheese, bacon jam, a buttered brioche bun, and “elm sauce.” I’d never heard of “elm sauce” before, and when I asked, our waitress said it was some kind of spicy Asian mayonnaise. When I heard that, I knew I had to try one.
Wow! What a burger! Juicy, messy, and packed with flavor in every bite, the elm burger was fantastic–in fact, one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long while. It was so good I immediately declared that I would go back to the DK just to get another elm burger, and I mean it, too. With a nice serving of very crisp chips, which I promptly dipped in Frank’s hot sauce and the drippings from the burger, the elm burger vastly exceeded my expectations. And after eating it, I’m still not entirely sure what is in that mysterious elm sauce–but I’m pretty sure I’d eat tree bark if I could dip it in elm sauce.
One other consideration about the DK Diner: in an era where food prices and restaurant menu items seem to be increasing every day, the DK Diner menu offers a lot of bargains. Great food, low prices: DK Diner, where have you been all my life?
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