R.D.’s Diner in Whiting adds home-cooked simplicity to Bus. 51

By Jacob Mathias

In today’s restaurant climate where everyone is offering their modernized take on some kind of ethnic specialty, a deconstructed version of something that shouldn’t be deconstructed or grotesque bacon nightmare, R.D.’s Diner in Whiting is a simply refreshing return to comfort food.

The menu offers classic breakfast and lunch options with omelettes, pancakes and biscuits and gravy in the morning and such classics as a turkey club, hot beef or turkey sandwich, or broasted chicken for lunch. Homemade soups are offered as well and change daily. A case of pie behind the cash register makes it hard to leave without a slice.

The hot turkey was warm and comforting on wet, windy day earlier this week. The turkey is tender, flavorful and piled on toasted white bread alongside mashed potatoes and ladled with a healthy dose of brown gravy.

My only complaint was the potatoes were a tad on the lukewarm side, but for now I’m chalking that up to new restaurant jitters.

The soups are a reminder of grandma. The homemade chicken dumpling is simple with chicken, dumplings, carrots and celery. It warms the belly and the soul to get you through the rest of your day.

The turkey club is the classic preparation of a double-decker sandwich with layers of lettuce, tomato, turkey, bacon and mayonnaise. There’s nothing fancy about it and there shouldn’t be.

The pies are good, but the cream-based deserts take on a little bit of “fridge flavor”- a common issue at most diners.

This is a diner, not a bistro or gastro pub. The food is good, simple and comforting. It does its job and lets you move on with your day.

R.D.’s Diner is located at 2404 Post Rd. in Whiting and open Saturday to Thursday from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM and Fridays from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM.