Mom's Kitchen, Greenacres, December 21, 2013

It is a thing of gourmet legend -- a hole-in-the-wall diner that has excellent food, great service AND it's cheap. Some people say such a place is merely a myth to entertain children (and old people, who are basically children with more money and incontinence). But I tell you, that place exists. And that place is Mom's Kitchen at 7478 Lake Worth Road, in Lake Worth, Florida.

Mom's is a place you can drive by for decades and never visit, because how good can it be, eh? It looks like a crappy box-diner on the outside, uncomfortably close to busy Lake Worth Road and next door to a motel that's a shoe-in to be a location filming spot for the Florida version of "Breaking Bad."

But once we got inside, we were pleasantly surprised. Mom's Kitchen is small. But it's very clean. It's style is rustic and kitschy, but the old-timey sentimentality isn't overwhelming.  The service was excellent, and we were seated very quickly even though we arrived after 9 am on a busy Saturday.

The menu is lengthy.  All your favorites are probably on it, and if not, the kitchen takes requests. Breakfast is served all day, but they have a good lunch and dinner menu, too.

Coffee is served hot and plentiful. Ice water comes in a large glass -- Mom's knows its customers are thirsty.  The food arrived FAST!

Cindy had a ham, spinach and cheese omelette. They were happy to add spinach to the ham and cheese omelette on the menu. She also had a huge helping of hash browns (very good!) and a biscuit.

 The biscuit wasn't  great -- a little spongey -- but it did a great job of soaking up the extra gravy on Sean's plate.

Sean had a Southern-style Eggs Bendict, which is poached eggs and sausage on a biscuit smothered in gravy.  Home fries came on the side, and Sean ordered bacon as well, because BACON!

The bacon was the kind of big, chunky bacon that doesn't come out of a supermarket package. The Southern eggs benedict was absolutely delicious. And Mom's has its own hot sauce, which is spicy without being scalding. And the hot sauce goes very well with home fries, mmm-mm!

The service was fast and friendly.  And you can pay with cash or by credit card.  Even better, the food is very affordable, so you won't be paying that much.

Inevitably, we'll have to draw comparisons between Mom's Kitchen and another local institution, Deli Inn Diner.  You know we love the Deli Inn Diner.  It's your best chance in Palm Beach County of having a waitress dressed as a superhero, or whatever fun theme they have that week. But the Deli Inn Diner is showing its age, and its food just isn't as good as the offerings at Mom's Kitchen.  Between the two, our tastebuds cast their vote for Mom's.

Revisiting Pete's Place, Greenacres, November 27, 2013

Pete's Place is a classic diner, no frills, excellent food and fast, friendly service.

It's also on the way to my office. So, I asked Cindy to join me.  I usually have the chicken portabella omelette, but something about Cindy's eggs over medium with home fries and biscuit sounded delicious.

There were two differences. Cindy had hot chocolate topped with a mountain of whipped cream ...

And I had bacon with mine. I like to put the eggs on my home fries, which I also dosed with hot sauce, because that's how I roll ...

All in all, it's a great breakfast. But I have to say, Pete's home fries were a step down from their usual "Food of the Gods" status.

Some of Cindy's home fries were only partially cooked. That's a big no-no, and something I haven't seen before at Pete's.  Perhaps it's because we were some of the first people there.  A steady stream of law enforcement officers followed us in the door. 

As for mine, I found them a bit under-seasoned, which is the first time that's happened at Pete's. That's why I used hot sauce. 

Well, you can't hit a home run every time. The coffee was hot, the service was fast and the waitress was sassy in a nice way.  And it's cheap. Pete's remains one of my favorites.

Pete's Place, Greenacres, August 10, 2013

First Impressions

Pete's is tucked away in the Publix shopping center at the corner of Forest Hill and Jog Road, and it has been open 22 years. You can check out the menu on a whiteboard in the window, which is helpful.

 It's your standard diner inside, well-lit, nice wide, clean booths and tables, and row of swivel chairs in front of a bar for single diners. The decor is wood paneling, as well as some nondescript paintings, but Pete's also puts up artwork made by children who eat there, and that's a nice touch. And hey, free, fast wifi. I wrote and published this review while at Pete's, and checked my email to boot.

Pete's also has a collection of old-timey kitchen appliances on display.  Either that or they've captured a posse of tiny, shiny robots. That's right, Pete's may have saved us from the Robot Invasion. Come check it out for yourself.

The Food

Anyway, there is a 6 page menu, as well as specials every weekend. I usually have the chicken portabella omelette, but decided to go with the Asheville Omelette (spinach, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, cheese) and a side of home fries and a pair of Pete's big biscuits. 

The home fries are the best part of a breakfast at Pete's for me. They are sauteed with onions and expertly seasoned.  These home fries are dangerously delicious.

I ate both biscuits and ALL the home fries. It's a good thing I'm going for a long bike ride after eating this. Though to be honest, to work off all these calories, I'm going to have to bike to Tallahassee.

I found the Asheville Omelette a little too onion heavy.  So I'll stick to my chicken portabella omelette next time, or try one of the others (with 6 pages of menu to choose from, I've got some options). I've also had the fruit-stuffed french toast, which is very good.

They also have nice muffins and cookies for sale at the counter.

The Service

There's almost no turnover in the staff that I can see, which tells you something. The ladies of Pete's are friendly and attentive, and quick on the coffee refills.

Worth a Return Visit?

Always. We'll always have Pete's.

Location:

Riverbridge Plaza

 6774 Forest Hill Blvd, Greenacres