> Has anyone had breakfast at Charlie's Diner on Penn Ave (between Wilkinsburg > and Point Breeze)? What was your opinion of the food? I am on a quest for I really like this diner. I've been going there regularly for the past six years. It used to be "Scotty's Diner", part of a small local collection of diner-like establishments. Charlie and Evelyn Huwalt have been managing the place for something like 23 years, and so when Scotty wanted to sell the place, they took over. Charlie's is a classic diner in the sense that the place is mostly filled with regulars (except for weekend mornings, where it becomes somewhat of a haven for yuppies or yuppie-wannabes in search of a politically-correct/racially-mixed-but-safe experience), you can watch the cook make your food, and it's open 24-hours. The new cook (took over about 2 years ago) isn't bad, but the old one was great, not because of his cooking, but in his uncanny ability to pick NFL games against the spread. (As a result Scotty's used to get a lot of the Pgh Steelers coming through, and I was told recently that he is now working in the Steelers' front office.) Anyway, you get the idea. The better waitresses are pretty surly and slow, especially if you're a stranger. They're not afraid to talk back to you if you give them any lip. Perhaps fortunately for newcomers, the new cook is a small guy --- the old one was at least 6'6"/240lbs and did not take kindly to complaints or ill-behavior. The food is good but very very basic. The portions are only average-sized and the prices are small. A recent addition to the menu is the grilled pecan roll (very very greasy and delicious). The breakfast special with ham from the bone and grits is a favorite. The turkey sandwiches are also popular. In summary I can recommend this place highly. Just don't go in there expecting it to be an Eat-n-Park or Gullifty's or MacDonalds... Peter
Pittsburgh, PA