As the north side of town continues to fill in all its pastures and green space with apartment complexes, the eating scene in Linworth is blossoming. Once defined by a largely vacant stretch between 315 and Sawmill, eateries have multiplied exponentially, providing Mexican fare, ice cream and pizza galore. Amidst this culinary explosion is George’s Linworth Diner.
As the name suggests, it’s a diner. As a diner, it’s not trying to reinvent anything. In recent years the local eating scene has given birth to nouveau diner concepts that reinvent the classic experience, this time infused with artisanal touches. That’s not George’s schtick. It’s trying to be a diner, much like its sibling on Indianola Avenue, Beechwold Diner. If you need your organic potato chips sliced with a mandoline hand-forged in Italy, George’s is not the spot for you.
But if you want to hit a diner that makes you an omelet with eggy, velvety layers that are impaled with little chunks of meat . . . a place that will sell you pancakes whenever you want them, well, George has got you covered.
About those omelets: they come in many options from cheesy-cheese, to a Reuben version drizzled with thousand island dressing. The Western Omelet ($8.95) is about as classic as it gets, with nubbins of ham, onions, peppers, and enough melty cheese to ooze appealingly after each slice of the fork. Omelets are served with toast triangles and homefries, which arrive in a jumble of crispy, caramelized potato shards.
Hotcakes ($6.75), next. The golden trio is good; appropriately poofy, which means they sop up every ounce of syrup, no matter how much you dump on top.
If something heavier along the lines of Biscuits and Gravy ($6.95) is more your style, the diner’s got you covered there, too. The split biscuits get a special toasty griddled finish, which pairs nicely with the thick house sausage gravy.
While breakfast is available all day, it’s certainly not the only way to experience George’s. There’s a whole selection of sandwiches and classic diner entrees, including ribeye steak options. If a diner seems like a risky place to try a steak, the burgers here aren’t bad. The Double Decker ($8.95) is served in traditional diner style: two slim, quarter-pound patties and American cheese on a soft, squishable bun, with lettuce, tomato and onion slices. Alongside the burger comes a mound of potato chips.
The fine-textured Meatloaf ($10.50) is plainspoken, but there’s ketchup to fix that. And for sides, there are options that include the aforementioned homefries as well as pure diner items such as applesauce or cottage cheese.
Rounding out the menu is a selection of soups, salads, and pita sandwiches. If not diner classics, certainly the items are compatible with traditional sensibilities. The diner itself can get overwhelmingly busy in the morning. For time-sensitive (or line-sensitive) diners, off-hours are the best time to visit.
You’ll find George’s Linworth Diner at 2245 W. Dublin-Granville Rd. It’s open Mondays through Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. It opens a little later, at 7 a.m., on Sundays. And it serves breakfast at all of those times.
For more information, visit George’s Linworth Diner on Facebook.
All photos by Susan Post