Recipes Everyday Cooking More Meal Ideas Copycat 35 Classic Diner Food Recipes You Can Make At Home From breakfast to dinner. By Corey Williams Corey Williams Corey Williams is a food writer for MyRecipes and Allrecipes. She has a decade of journalism experience. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on August 15, 2024 Close Photo: DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS There's something so nostalgic and comforting about sitting on a plastic restaurant booth, opening a laminated menu, and ordering a diner food favorite—from pancakes or hash browns to tuna melts or meatloaf. The problem is, depending on the diner, results can be inconsistent. Guarantee perfection by making your favorite diner foods at home with these tried-and-true recipes. 01 of 36 Good Old-Fashioned Pancakes Meredith Food Studios "I found this pancake recipe in my Grandma's recipe book. Judging from the weathered look of this recipe card, this was a family favorite." —dakota kelly View Recipe 02 of 36 Juiciest Hamburgers Ever Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "No more dry, lackluster hamburgers. These are juicy, and spices can be easily added or changed to suit anyone's taste. If you find the meat mixture too mushy, just add more bread crumbs until it forms patties that hold their shape." —Jane View Recipe 03 of 36 Breaded Chicken Fingers "This chicken fingers recipe is for you if you like the taste of garlic. It is easy to make but requires time to marinate." —Janet Shannon View Recipe 04 of 36 Ham and Cheese Omelette fabeveryday "This ham and cheese omelet is so easy and so good. I usually sauté the ham before adding it to the omelet so it gets crispy and more flavorful." —Eli View Recipe 05 of 36 Quick and Easy Home Fries Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "These home fries turn out crispy every time. They're great for breakfast or as a side dish. If you prefer crispy hash browns, use shredded potatoes (instead of cubed) and follow the recipe directions." —magicallydelicious View Recipe 06 of 36 Chef John's Tuna Melt Chef John "This tuna melt recipe is dedicated to all those chefs who tell you to never, ever mix fish and cheese together; and yet there they are, at the diner at 2:00 in the morning. And you know what they eat? Tuna melts. And the reason they do is because they are delicious." —Chef John View Recipe 07 of 36 Classic Waffles Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "These waffles turn out lovely and crispy. Perfect for any day of the week!" —Megan View Recipe 08 of 36 Lorraine's Club Sandwich "An easy, quick, and delicious sandwich to eat anytime." —LORRAINEWINKEL View Recipe 09 of 36 Old-Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie "A coconut cream pie recipe that's tried and true. It took many years of searching and baking to find the right one, and this is it!" —Carol H. Old-Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie 10 of 36 Vanilla Milkshake Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "A vanilla milkshake recipe that's very easy to make. Add chocolate, berries, peaches, or whatever you like. My kids like to add root beer instead of milk." —DPULLIAM View Recipe 11 of 36 Easy Meatloaf Meredith Food Studios "This meatloaf recipe doesn't take long to make at all, and it's very good!" —Janet Shum View Recipe 12 of 36 Homemade Crispy Hash Browns DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS ""These turned out great! They weren't greasy at all, they held together perfectly, and they looked quite pretty when they were done cooking, too." —eiskyjente View Recipe 13 of 36 Classic Patty Melt fabeveryday "They were delicious and as good as the ones at the diner." —kd View Recipe 14 of 36 Best Grilled Cheese DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS "This easy grilled cheese sandwich has a crispy Parmesan crust and a gooey Cheddar and bacon filling, and is simply the best I've ever had! As far as grilled cheese goes, this is it!" —nevadamommy View Recipe 15 of 36 French Toast DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS "This fabulous French toast recipe works with many types of bread — white, whole wheat, brioche, cinnamon-raisin, Italian, or French! Delicious served hot with butter and maple syrup." —Jan Bittner View Recipe 16 of 36 The Best Chicken Fried Steak Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "This chicken fried steak recipe is one I received from a co-worker about 5 years ago. A Southern favorite, these crispy, breaded, tenderized cube steaks drenched in creamy gravy can be served for breakfast or dinner. It's by far the best chicken fried steak I've ever had." —norah View Recipe 17 of 36 Homemade Crispy Seasoned French Fries DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS "My family loves seasoned fries and with 4 children the bag of fries from the store became too expensive. So I tried batter — after all, it makes chicken, shrimp, and onion rings crispy so why not potatoes! Now even my husband can't get enough of these French fries. They even stay crispy when you reheat them in the microwave." —Cassie View Recipe 18 of 36 Chocolate Cream Pie Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "This rich and creamy chocolate cream pie is an old family recipe my grandmother used to make me when I was a little boy." —Cecil View Recipe 19 of 36 Apple Pie by Grandma Ople Holiday Baker "This amazing apple pie recipe belonged to my grandmother. I have never seen another one quite like it! It will always be my favorite and has won several first place prizes in local competitions." —MOSHAMAMA View Recipe 20 of 36 Easy Sausage Gravy and Biscuits TTV78 "This recipe is so quick, easy, and AMAZING. It's definitely easy on your wallet too!!! Highly recommend!" —Lacey Bauman View Recipe 21 of 36 Eggs Benedict DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS "Delicious and much easier than I thought. My family was amazed by the combination of textures and tastes.” —Andi G View Recipe 22 of 36 Beef Tips DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS "Beef tips are slow-simmered in a flavorful sauce until tender. My husband loves these easy beef tips and gravy—they melt in your mouth!" —denisef View Recipe 23 of 36 Crispy Fried Chicken Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "Great recipe and great technique. Had no idea letting batter become paste-like and then covering while frying would make such a difference! Definitely a keeper." —Ebcook View Recipe 24 of 36 Perfect Baked Potato "This baked potato has a crisp, golden skin, and is light and fluffy on the inside - a perfect baked potato. Serve with a dollop of sour cream if you like. Great comfort food!" —curleegirlee View Recipe 25 of 36 Georgia Country Ham and Redeye Gravy Soup Loving Nicole "A different kind of good." —BOOKMARKER View Recipe 26 of 36 Christy's Awesome Hot Ham and Cheese "This ham and cheese sandwich is great on a cool night with a cup of tomato soup." —SeattleFarmersMarketGirl View Recipe 27 of 36 BLT Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "This BLT is classic: bacon, lettuce, and tomato — nothing fancy, just delicious." —MOTTSBELA View Recipe 28 of 36 Bacon In the Oven "I always cook bacon in the oven! You just need to plan a bit ahead as the bacon takes longer. With baking, the bacon grease stays nice and clean and you can reuse it to sauté vegetables or eggs for extra flavor." —barbara View Recipe 29 of 36 Best Scrambled Eggs Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "This best scrambled egg recipe took a bit of tweaking, but I've finally made the best scrambled eggs ever! My friends and family love it." —mimo1099 View Recipe 30 of 36 Basic Mashed Potatoes Dotdash Meredith Studios "This mashed potato recipe is perfect if you're looking for good, old-fashioned mashed potatoes." —Esmee Williams View Recipe 31 of 36 Gourmet Root Beer Float Melissa Goff "Tall glasses overflowing with root beer and vanilla ice cream. Top with whipped cream and cherries for a touch of elegance." —Lucinda View Recipe 32 of 36 Matzo Ball Soup Soup Linda T "Some family members say it started with our great-great-grandmother Bubbie Rose. My husband (her great-great-grandson) has put his own twist on it by adding extra vegetables and fresh dill which we think sets this soup apart from the rest." —becky View Recipe 33 of 36 Philly Cheesesteak Dotdash Meredith Food Studios "This Philly cheesesteak is made with sirloin sliced into strips and seasoned with a delicious blend of herbs and spices for a flavorsome sandwich." —SwizzleSticks View Recipe 34 of 36 Homemade Banana Split "A classic dessert that never disappoints. Love it!" —Jenny Aleman de Bolaos View Recipe 35 of 36 Deluxe Corned Beef Hash Dotdash Meredith Food Studios ""Delicious. I had left over corned beef from earlier in the week and this was a great way to use it up." —Maya J View Recipe 36 of 36 More Inspiration Chef John 16 Irish Pub Recipes 14 Old-Fashioned Dinner Recipes Worth Making Again 25 Classic Recipes Made Casserole-Style Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit