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| - Tom's Diner is one of those places I really, really want to like. You see it when driving down the street and it looks like a cool, retro place that got picked up from the past and dropped in the present next to the chain stores and abandoned buildings lining the rest of the street. If only the experience here matched the charming exterior.
I don't have a problem with the diner food, first of all; it's not great, but hey, for cheap eats, it's not bad. They make a mean French onion soup, I admit.
My problem is more with the maintenance of the place. The windows are dirty, seats are busted, tables aren't properly cleaned - those things really detract from the experience and make the place look run-down and a bit unwelcoming.
The biggest offense for me, though? The service. My waitress? It took her three trips to remember I had ordered an additional drink (yes, we reminded her), by which time I was almost done with my meal. Also: this diner does not have ketchup at its tables. This would be okay if the servers remembered to bring it out with all meals. They do not.
Seriously, guys: you operate in Pittsburgh. Ketchup is mandatory.
I may poke in for a quick bite again, but I'll be honest with my final opinion: considering how mediocre my experience was on a slow Saturday night, I suspect some fast food chains could knock Tom's out of the park on a busy day at this diner.
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