Penrose Diner

In spite of having not visited Penrose Diner during the two visits I have had to Philadelphia for the Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run; I vowed to visit it during my third trip to the city since it sits right across from the Holiday Inn Philadelphia Arpt-Stadium Area where I typically stay. I must say that I finally realized that Penrose Diner is a hidden gem in South Philadelphia; this classic diner has been around for more than 50 years in Philadelphia which is why I had to visit. And I put off getting in an early morning run, just so I could visit once the diner opened because I have seen how busy it gets! In fact, that is a reason why I was deterred from visiting in the previous years. Once I entered the location, I waited, then proceeded to the bar area for a seat, rather than a booth seat in the dining area. The server, Colleen, did her tasks behind the counter, acknowledging me by asking me if I needed anything to drink and a menu in-between doing her tasks. Once I was ready to order after looking at the menu, I ended up ordering a short stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a small orange juice which was presented to me within an acceptable time frame. I enjoyed sitting at the bar because there was a television plastered ahead which gave me something to look at. Prior to taking my first bite of the scrambled eggs, I smirked as Adele 'Hello' played in the background because it is a song I absolutely adore! The scrambled eggs tasted fantastic! And the short stack of pancakes did not disappoint as I knew they would not; there were plenty of syrup containers given to make it taste just the way I like. My only regret with the short stack was that I should have ordered just one pancake rather than the short stack, because I ended up not eating all of it. In-between eating, I could not help but overhear the genuine employee interaction with one of the regular customers. Oh my, these Philadelphian accents, I always look forward to hearing them when I visit Philadelphia because it is a breath of fresh air in comparison to midwestern accents in Chicago.In closing, I am quite positive that I will revisit Penrose Diner being that I frequently stay at the Holiday Inn Philadelphia Arpt-Stadium Area, plus I enjoyed my meal! With that being said, I most definitely recommend this diner if you plan to visit Philadelphia. ~ Be obsessively grateful. ~Thomas G

Everybody who knows goes to Penrose!! I remember an old lady telling me that when I overheard her arguing with another lady about the better diner. (Melrose Diner used that slogan in their ad's when I was a kid.) RIP Melrose Diner. With the current round-about construction going on out front the approach to their parking lot can be tough, but overall the lot usually has plenty of spots open. I have always held the Penrose in high regard because of their servers being a superb sample of South Philly dialect. You'll get lots of huns and babes during your time inside. Although I've sampled quite a few dishes over the years my most recent two trips were for lunch. I believe you can get breakfast all day here which is a big draw.The inside is large with every seating option you can imagine. I enjoy sitting at the "bar" area. You get a great view of how fast they run their operation. The customers are a melting pot of people throughout their day, friends of the servers grabbing a quick bite, workers, families, older folks .... etc. Food wise I've never been blown away by anything I've ordered. It's just ok-good. The Italian cutlet sandwich - came with plenty of melted cheese, spinach, tomato on a fresh toasted roll with sharp provolone. It was a large portion for the price, but was missing a snappier sharp provo to give it a great sandwich. The chili I had was full of stringy cheddar, ground beef and kidney beans. The pulled pork has a big piece of fat I had to remove, weak sauce and the house made coleslaw was very generic. The Brioche roll saved it, but otherwise it was just ok-good. The fries are ok and average, but you usually don't get to them because of the size of the sandwiches.If you want quick service in a clean environment with big portions/decent food hit up the Penrose.

Ordered eggs bacon and French toast. I got the eggs fried over easy they very pretty good and the bacon helped with the seasoning . The French toast was good a light over cooked. If they wasn't over cooked the whole meal would of been a 5 star the customer service was ok at 1st but became very good we had a big party of people and she did it by herself.

I don't know. People talk up this place, but I've been several times for dinner meals and I never left feeling really satisfied with eating there. The food is usually dry and not really tasteful. The service can be kind of slow at times. I wish I could give it a better rating.

Late lunch at the counter.I had a salad with double grilled chicken.Food was excellent.Service was quick and excellent.Only problem No Coke , Pepsi.

Two items to make sure you try while at the Penrose: Sticky Buns with nuts-best sticky bun ever. Fudge covered cheesecake and I'm not even a cheesecake fan! Stopped here to grab a late lunch and to have some leftovers for a bite to eat before heading to an event. Awesome and friendly service. Our waitress's name was Dana but another woman with shirt blonde hair also helped us out and she was great as well. For food we tried the following: Roast Beef club-average club but fries great Salad-loved the egg and cheese and crotons and lots of other veggiesAppetizer sampler- the buffalo wings, fries and the mozzarella sticks were my favorite on this platter! Everything was fine but just those items stood out! It was a nice size for the price. It's your typical diner inside and even has a counter you can sit at. Nice dessert case when you walk in to tempt you for later!

The presentation was nice the French toast was dry, the scrambled eggs with cheese was dry and the grits was not hot the best thing on my plate was the shrimp I wouldn't go back but the service was nice.

Best diner breakfast I have ever had. Great tasting omelet and hash browns for me. Wife had french toast hash browns as well. She said it was delicious. Friendly and fast service. Mine was awesome. Traditional diner decor with large booths, counter area with stools and large tables towards the back for families and large groups. Average loudness for a diner. Also came back the next day for a breakfast. I had the French Toast with eggs, ham, sausage and bacon. It was to die for. The service was friendly and fast again. That breakfast was delicious too. Come check them out and Enjoy!!!

Great diner! I've been meaning to stop in for a really long time. The space is large and has an old school diner feel. We were seated immediately and our server came over right away to take our drink orders. To start, my partner and I both ordered a French onion soup and it did not disappoint!! It was cheesy, flavorful, and the perfect temperature. For my main course I had the chicken Caesar and my partner had a chicken sandwich. Both meals were fresh and delicious. And the portions were huge! Their menu is extensive so I need to return to try different things but it was a great visit overall.

Penrose has great food and great service their staff is very friendly! We are looking forward to coming back next time we visit!