Step back into the 50s at Deano’s Diner

Wining & Dining
“Well it’s one for the money, two for the show” . . . “and three for the daily special” if it takes your fancy!

“Well it’s one for the money, two for the show” . . . “and three for the daily special” if it takes your fancy! The words in the song immortalised by Elvis Presley will live on for generations, and so will the delightful pleasures of the hamburger!

By Le connoisseur

Presley, and the legend he was, still attracts tens of thousands of fans worldwide through the generations.

Grandmothers and Granddaughters still swoon over him, and both are guaranteed to know the lyrics verbatim to at least three of his popular songs from the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

Reputedly he has sold even more music in LP, CD and digital form, since his untimely death in 1977, than when he was still alive — such is his amazing popularity and eminent “listenability”. There is no doubt, he is still “The King”!

The Hamburger’s origins apparently date back way, way longer than “The King” and his era, however!

Back in the days of Ghengis Khan, the Tartars rode around on their conquering missions with slices of raw meat getting thoroughly tenderised and “mashed up” underneath the saddles of their horses — so the legend goes! Much, much later, new immigrants to America, especially those of German origin, are thought to have introduced the concept to the streets of New York, in the early 20th Century — in the form of meatballs jammed into a fresh roll and garnished with slices of onion and tomato; a quick, cheap and filling working man’s lunch.

Both the music and the burger have survived the years — and both concepts have been most imaginatively melded together at Deano’s Diner, which emulates a typical 1950s style American Diner, presenting both take- away and sit-down customers with a unique experience.

Most of us have only “experienced” the all-American Diner idea, via films and television series — remember The Fonz, and Happy Days?!

Diners are designed to feed people fast and well with simple, filling fare — that all-time favourite, the burger, plus fries, milkshakes and variations on these themes. Deano’s Diner succeeds in doing precisely this, here in Harare!

Typical Diners are usually relatively small, narrow eateries, crammed into hard-to-come-by real estate in very busy big-city streets in America, and true to the overall theme, Deano’s Diner is relatively small too — though with our wonderful sunny climate, there is more space to sit down outside — even in a converted 1950s American car — rather fun!

Just off King George Road in Avondale, proprietor Dean Westlake with Deano’s has certainly succeeded in designing what must be the capital city’s most imaginative take-away and sit-down restaurant.

While the focus is on take-away fast food, provision is made to enjoy it at more leisurely pace by eating in — then of course, you can really soak up the atmosphere and environment — because the décor is faultless and the attention to detail, simply amazing.

You would have to go several times just to feast your eyes and absorb it all, as your senses will not take it all in with one visit! And this, we certainly intend to do.

The food choice is simple, and, in our opinion, after sampling this delectable fare, simply the best and most reasonably priced — considering what you get — gourmet burgers in town. I also savoured quite the most outstanding milkshake — Cranberry — I’ve ever tried in my entire life there!—At Deano’s the music and Rock and Roll culture extolled by “The King” are melded perfectly with the King of Hamburgers — and all for much less than a princely sum.

There is, of course, a jukebox, fitting with what one would expect to find in a true American diner, and the colour scheme is very effective and authentic — red, black and white, carried through absolutely everywhere. This was definitely one of the best themed restaurants we had seen in a long time, and so imaginative, too.

Scrumptious food served at Deano’s diner

My sow and steer stack — a bacon burger topped with baked apple, beef burger patty, fried egg and grilled cheese slice — was absolutely scrumptious. My colleague’s chicken BLT, a “tender crumbed chicken breast layered with bacon, melted cheese, and served in a toasted roll with lettuce and tomato”, was equally spectacular, as was his chocolate milkshake, beautifully garnished with finely grated chocolate on the top.

Instead of fries we opted for the Diner salad to accompany our burgers, and it was delicious, too! Ice-cream and other sweet delights, as one would expect in a diner, are of course on offer too, but we were well-filled up by our burgers and shakes.

We noted that there is a kid’s menu, and there are plenty of beverages to choose from — various fruit juices, fizzy drinks, milkshakes and so on — all typical diner offerings, of course!

Deano’s was doing brisk trade in take-aways while we took our more leisurely lunch by sitting in — well, in a car, to be precise! There is space for about a dozen sit down diners inside and around another dozen outside and they are open 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 10 am to 3pm Saturday: Well worth several visits!

Family Restaurant 4 Plates Expect to spend US$15 to US$20 per head for sit down meal with drinks Pasangano Complex, Avondale Shops, behind NMB Bank

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