Restaurant Round-Up: Portabella’s, Tokyo Diner & Soda Jerk Diner

I used to be a regular at a diner. When I was in high school, my friends and I would always go to the Carlisle Diner late-night, and it was very pleasant. We had the same waitress, sat at the same table in the back and ordered generally the same stuff every time we went. We were like the crew from Seinfeld going to the coffee shop except we were young, poor and probably annoying. No one even suggested going anywhere else; that would have been the equivalent of George suggesting that Jerry and Elaine go to Monks [UPDATE: I have been informed that Monk's is the name of the regular coffee shop in Seinfeld, and then in the episode in question, George is trying to get the gang to go to Reggies. My mistake. As a Seinfeld maniac, I'm ashamed].

To me, that's what a diner is. Apparently some people around here people seem to have other ideas. For a while, Tom Sawyer's Cantina on 2nd St. in Harrisburg was called Tom Sawyer's Diner, but while it looked like a diner on the outside, it certainly wasn't one in spirit. This week in the Restaurant Round-Up, Dori gives another non-diner diner—Tokyo Diner—high marks. Also, Fran talks about eating beef at a place named after a mushroom and Winton reviews a REAL diner, the Soda Jerk in Hummelstown. As always: Comments, leave 'em if you got 'em.

Tokyo Diner
Name: Dori
When: Saturday Dinner
Been Before: No
Ordered: Edamame, gyoza (pork) and chicken and shrimp hibachi. The husband chose vegetable tempura, chicken and steak hibachi and a Sapporo. The others all ordered hibachi combinations including chicken, steak, scallops, lobster, tuna and shrimp. No one ventured into the realm of sushi, but they offer it.
The Food: 8 out of 10 — The hibachi meats were seasoned and cooked perfectly. The fried rice portions were huge. Gyoza was a little bland and greasy for me. Vegetable tempura was yummy and quite a nice size serving for $4.95. The salad’s ginger dressing was sweeter than I’m used to, but good in a Thousand-Island-inspired sort of way.
The Ambiance: The exterior is downright depressed-looking (my mom drove by and thought it was out of business!). It’s not the most up-to-date décor, and the owners demonstrated a flair for kitsch (e.g., an obviously plastic orange tree in the entry foyer). While it was not fancy by any stretch, it did seem to be clean and there were a high percentage of tables occupied that night.
Company: My husband, three other couples and one husband sans wife.
Cost: $30 per person with an appetizer and non-alcoholic beverage.
The Service: 6.5 out of 10 — Very pleasant and not overly showy on the hibachi, which I prefer. Only complaint was that the waitress only came back for drink refills once early on… and with all that soy sauce, I was thirsty!
Notes: Compared to Benihana on Paxton Street, the group agreed that Tokyo Diner delivered better food quality, far more generous serving sizes and lower prices. If you are a sucker for ambiance, I think Sakana (2308 Patton Rd in Linglestown) even beats Benihana; it’s new with a modern, Zen-inspired interior and friendly service. I’ve only been there for lunch, but it was very good and seemed to be in the same price range as these other two.
Recommendation: Yes

Portabella’s Sports Bar and Grill
Name: Fran
When: Sunday at 1:30pm
Been Before: Yes
Ordered: Portabella’s Burger and a Guinness
The Food: Generally speaking, if it’s got beef in it, Portabella’s does it right. Portabella’s signature burger is a nice beef patty (fresh, not frozen), with provolone cheese, BBQ sauce and frizzled onions. The flavor really pops and the beef was cooked exactly to my liking. Their fries are great—nice and crispy, and the cole slaw was also crisp and delicious. As is proper etiquette in a Bar and Grill, I ate some of my wife’s French Dip (essentially a prime rib cheese steak served with au jus), which was scrumptious. In my opinion, when you are served greasy, beefy food at a sports bar and you keep eating even after you’re full knowing what you’ll feel like later, the food has served its righteous purpose. Oh, and I realize it’s completely subjective, but Guinness on tap is always a bonus for me. For those of you who don’t like thick, coffee-like beers, they have a decent selection of other popular brews.
The Ambiance: It’s a sports bar. What do you want, fresh bread and a wine list? I will say this, the place is clean, and if you’re going to see a game, a TV is always line-of-sight right above your girlfriend’s head.
Company: My wife and another couple.
Did Others Like Their Meals: Yes
Cost: Entrees range between $7-$15 for lunch, $10-$20 for dinner.
The Service: I’ve always had friendly, casual service.
Notes: In the warmer months, they have a really nice outdoor seating area.
Recommendation: Yes

Soda Jerk Diner
Name: Winton
When: Some weekday in September around 7:30pm.
Been Before: Yes, for dessert
Ordered: Hot turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and green beans. Lemonade to drink.
The Food: The food was great. 7 out of 10.
The Ambiance: 50’s diner.
Company: My girl, Ann.
Did Others Like Their Meals: Yes
Cost: $7-$8
The Service: Service was good. The food was prepared quickly!
Notes: Their dessert menu is excellent! Lots of options.
Recommendation: Yes