Floridian Diner: Chrome, Mirrors, Happiness
About twenty years ago, The New York Times published essentially a love letter to Flatbush Avenue. It included this bit about the New Floridian Diner, located at 2301 Flatbush Avenue:
“Just past Avenue S, we spot the New Floridian Diner and know its call is for us. We enter a palace of chrome, mirrors and phones. Waitresses wear pink bow ties and frilly aprons. Tom Jones is on the jukebox. The cakes all have at least three layers, are a foot high and are displayed like artworks. The menu is 14 pages. There are cocktails (the kamikaze, for $3.95), sandwiches (open-faced Romanian steak, $11.45) and acres of freshly baked muffins. They don’t have pineapple knishes like the ones Danny remembers from a long time ago at Coney Island, but I think this just might be as good as it gets.”
If you’ve never been, there is no better time to check the place out. The New Floridian Diner is one of the big, old school Brooklyn diners, that is open 24 hours, has a parking lot, and in this case, happens to be by the Flatbush bus depot. B9, B41, B46, B100 all stop just outside.
Food – we went for breakfast, which was in one word – good & plentiful. Ok, two words. Bacon was crisp, eggs were runny, and coffee was totally good enough.
Pancakes – this picture does not quite convey the size. There were three, and you could easily hide behind them.
The Belgian waffle with two scoops of ice cream and whipped cream is not exactly breakfast. Approaching the size of a regular pie, it is more of an ice-cream cake. Two thumbs up from the kids.
There was a good number of patrons around for a school break weekday morning, not that you noticed – the space is big, and feels even bigger because of all the mirrors. There are large and small booths, tables, a breakfast bar, and the service was prompt and generous.
Instead of Tom Jones, the previous patrons at our table had been listening to either Mary J Blige or Timbaland. Or maybe both. Bring quarters.
The cake stand is still quite spectacular, and the palace of chrome, mirrors, and jukeboxes dispenses happiness 24 hours still. Our check came to $50.60 before tip and was more food than the four of us could manage to finish. Recommended any time of day.
2301 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234, (718) 377-1895
Open 24 hours
