As 24-hour diners dwindle in Philly, a few fight to remain

It’s still dark outside as Liberty Bell Diner’s morning crew relieves overnight staff, sleepily punching their time cards and brewing fresh pots of coffee. Regulars trickle in as the sun rises, and some immediately dish life updates with longtime servers at the Northeast diner. This scene inside one of the city’s last 24-hour diners is a vestige of all-night dining in Philly.

“People would say that when [Philly diners] opened their doors for the first time in the 1950s, they cut the keys because they were never going to close,” said Randy Garbin, diner lover and former publisher of Roadside Magazine.

But the need for all-night diners has evaporated — there are no longer enough graveyard shift workers and night owls looking for a late night breakfast to justify keeping the doors open indefinitely, Garbin said.

Although Halil Ceylan, owner of Liberty Bell, likes staying open late, he admits there’s no profit after about 11 p.m. And as diner owners get older, few want to keep them going. “Making a buck gets harder and harder,” said Carol Mickey, owner of Sam’s Morning Glory Diner in Bella Vista.

“It’s just sad because it’s a completely different type of restaurant — it’s a different feel,” with the homey atmosphere offering a beacon of comfort at any time of the day, Mickey said. “And to lose them, I think it’s like losing part of our culture — a diner is part of the American experience where you know what to expect.”

People miss having hotcakes and eggs at any hour of day, said Kelly Kitchen, 18-year server at Oregon Diner in South Philly.

For Michael Hall, the slow death of diners is heartbreaking. Three times a week for the last 10 years, he has stopped by the Oregon Diner on his way to work to eat breakfast and chat with servers “who are like family.”

“It sucks [to see the end of 24-hour diners],” Hall said. “When we were younger, we would go hang out till two in the morning and then go to a diner.”

As iconic 24-hour diners continue to cut hours and close, we’ve rounded up a handful (from breakfast-only to those open in the wee hours) in Philly so you know where you can find pancakes and bacon any time of the day.

While you could go with the classic two eggs any style, why not go bigger with a New York sirloin strip with two eggs? There’s also the fried egg sandwich or the blueberry pancakes to try at the 91-year-old, 1950s-style Mayfair. But we can’t forget waffles — if you ask nicely, this Northeast diner tops them off with ice cream.

📍 7373 Frankford Ave., 📞 215-624-8886, 🌐 mayfairdiner.com, 🕒 Monday to Sunday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (The kitchen closes at 5:30 p.m.)

Jeb Woody and Ellen Mogell are known for whipping up homestyle cooking in Northern Liberties. In 2005, they scrambled their Southern and East Coast roots to open a cozy corner spot. Order breakfast family-style with shortstacks, omelets, biscuits and gravy, challah French toast, and more for your table spread at this cash-only BYOB diner.

📍 800 N. Fourth St., 📞 215-925-1150, 🌐 honeyssitneat.com, 🕒 Monday to Wednesday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday to Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Whether you try the frittatas or order the waffles, you’ll find a bit of love in each of Samantha Mickey’s recipes. The owner of this Bella Vista diner died in 2012 but left a legacy of breakfast classics to her mother, Carol, who runs the bright space at the intersection of Fitzwater and 10th Streets.

📍 735 S. 10th St., 📞 215-413-3999, 🌐 facebook.com/MorningGloryDiner, 🕒 Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you’re looking for flapjacks and fancy toasts with a cup of joe, head to Down Home Diner inside Reading Terminal Market. Enjoy fried fish and grits, scrapple fries, and more as the neon “Save the Jawn” sign glows in the back.

📍 51 N. 12th St., 📞 215-627-1955, 🌐 downhomediner.net, 🕒 Monday, Wednesday, Friday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This South Philly diner is still kicking while demolition plans in favor of a five-story apartment building (and what is believed to be a new version of the neon-trimmed diner on the ground floor) fall into place. In the meantime, enjoy bacon omelets, chocolate chip pancakes, sausage, home fries, and more.

📍 1135 S Broad St., 📞 215-825-3636, 🌐 facebook.com/BroadStreetDinerPhilly, 🕒 Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sink into a plush booth or grab a bar stool at the counterthen to enjoy breakfast as late as 10 p.m. Open since the ‘60s, this South Philly diner serves eggs with steak, ham, or alone, any way you like. Golden brown hotcakes, old-fashioned French toast, and Belgian waffles are served fresh from the griddle. Wash it all down with a cup of hot coffee. And don’t sleep on the desserts displayed up front.

📍 302 W. Oregon Ave., 📞 215-462-5566, 🌐 oregondinerphilly.com, 🕒 Monday to Sunday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

At this South Philly diner, creamed chipped beef over white toast and home fries is a classic. Inside the big brick building just off Penrose Avenue, the sweet and savory breakfast people can get the best of both worlds with an order of the French toast, waffle, or pancake deluxe with a side of Virginia ham, crispy bacon, and sausage links.

📍 2016 Penrose Ave., 📞 215-465-1097, 🌐 penrosediner.com, 🕒 Monday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

If you find yourself in Fishtown, you can score a plate of three-egg frittatas with home fries, or three French toast pieces with fresh-cut strawberries, blueberries, crème anglaise, and powdered sugar until 10 or 11 p.m., depending on the night. The diner on York Street with blue counter seats and blue/yellow booths offers a modern, eclectic space for your late-evening munching.

📍 424 E. York St., 📞 215-426-2424, 🌐 fishtowndiner.com, 🕒 Sunday to Thursday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Dive into eggs and corned beef hash, pastrami sandwiches, Cobb salad, veal parmigiana hoagie, and more at the Liberty Bell Diner in the Northeast. Order the Liberty Bell Jamboree pancakes or French toast, eggs, home fries, sausage, and bacon — if you’re looking to get breakfast.

📍 8445 Frankford Ave., 📞 215-331-4344, 🌐 thelibertybelldiner.com, 🕒 Sunday to Wednesday 5:30 a.m. to 3 a.m., Thursday to Saturday open 24 hours

With red furniture and wood throughout, this 24-hour diner provides a cozy spot in the Northeast where you can have your eggs and bacon anytime. Go ham and chow down on the Big Breakfast 2-2-2-2 Combo: eggs of any style, fluffy pancakes, French toast, crispy bacon, sausage links, and choice of toast, plus home fries. Then, treat yourself to a slice of strawberry cheesecake or double chocolate cake.

📍 2811 Cottman Ave., 📞 215-331-0797, 🌐 fourseasonsdinerrestaurant.net, 🕒 Open 24 hours seven days a week