#dinerstakeout

I recently went to Vito's in Cresson for the first time under the recommendation of a friend. It's a small pizza shop just off the rail road tracks in Cresson. Upon walking in the door I was greeted with all the familiar smells of a pizza shop' peppers and onions cooking and the smell of dough baking--a good first impression. It looks like a pizza shop inside, nothing too fancy about it. Its seat yourself, a waitress was with us in plenty of time and got us menus.

I tried the cheese steak on the recommendation of a friend and on the advertisement they had on the menu that they bake their bread in house. Which is a HUGE plus in my book. The wait wasn't long, my cheese steak was good. I won't say it was the best cheese steak I ever had but I would eat it again. The bread was definitely a highlight of the sandwich, it was fresh and soft and the sandwich was nice and big. I could only eat half of it and I got to save some for later. Mike got pizza, I snagged a few bites, the sauce had a sweetness too it which I loved, it made me want to get one of their Sicilian pizzas with the thick crust and I would like to go back and do so. Other than that it was...pizza nothing crazy, but was of good quality and the price was right, less than 3 bucks for 2 slices, can't beat that. The cheese steak came in a 5 bucks, so its not over priced.

Mike modeling his giant pancake--the picture doesn't do it justice.

If you are a student at Saint Francis University and you have not had breakfast at Route 53 Diner in Cresson, what are you waiting for? Route 53 is one of the best places to eat in the Cresson/Ebensburg area. The food is good, the prices are good, and the service is good. Also, who doesn't love good breakfast food?

The craziest thing about this place is the pancakes (as shown above) these things are giant! The pancakes are basically the size of manhole covers, you most likely do not need more than one to fill you up. They come in at least than 2 bucks a pop, so anyone, even the broke college kids can afford to eat here. I opted for something a little less sweet for my break fast and I got the SOS (chipped beef gravy) if you're a fan of chipped beef this stuff is fantastic. A little more expensive than the pancakes (Just under 5 bucks) but worth it. I will say the decor is a little funky, its like they're remodeling on the inside but its been like that for months so I'm not sure about whats going on there.

There is not a whole lot to say about this place other than its got good breakfast, good coffee, decent prices, and it's close to campus. You can't ask for much more than that. Monday to Wednesday they're open until 2 p.m. so even if you're a late riser, you can make it for breakfast. On Thursday and Friday they're open until 8 p.m. and until 3p.m. on the weekends. They have a lunch and dinner menu but I've never gotten anything but breakfast. They're breakfast is just that good. I would also recommend the French toast and the "Monster Bagel" --the Monster Bagel is a large bagel with breakfast meat, an egg, and tons of cheese on top. Its bad for your heart but good for your soul.

Starting with an Altoona classic, I went to Tom and Joe’s diner. I’ve long been a fan of Tom and Joe’s; it has very informal atmosphere, walk in, seat yourself and someone will be with you quickly. It's got a really interesting history behind it, it is one of the oldest eateries in Altoona and it has a history of waitresses that are not the nicest. I assure you that its (mostly) an act and its part of the experience, the waitresses may tease you, but the service is by no means not quality. However, wwhat really shines about this diner is the food. Its quality food that is cooked right in front of you. You know its fresh and not frozen or precooked as with many restaurants today.

If you sit at the bar, you can watch George, the grill cook make all of the eggs, home fries, and other orders right in front of you. He will also most likely yell orders very loudly across the restaurant, again part of the experience. This is one of the best parts of it, in my opinion. There’s no hiding what they’re doing to your food, you can see (and hear) it all if you wish.

Additionally, the food is fantastic. I went simple, the #2 combo, just eggs, toast, and home fries. If you get home fries, you have to add onions and cheese. I was talked into it by a friend during one of my first visits and I have never went back. The onions and cheese are the perfect compliment to the home fries, the onions are always done perfectly, with just a little crunch that is full of flavor. Add the onions and cheese, just do it. I promise. It's worth it. My mom got the special omelet which is advertised to have two eggs in it and I was told that there was no way that was two eggs, there was way too  much food there. The food was all hot and delicious as I have come to expect from them. Then the best part. The cost. The #2, two eggs, home fries, and toast comes in under 4 dollars, add the onions and cheese it's under 5, omelet with added cheese and onions was under 6 bucks. Add in coffees and a tip and the bill was a few dollars below 20 bucks, which for the amount of food is perfectly fine with me.