Annie’s Showcases the City’s Longtime Relationship with Diners
Monday, March 19, 2012
Can’t Beat the Classics
While options abound, one diner has always been above the rest. When it comes down to it, the home fries might differ depending on where you are, but it’s the staff that really sets a diner apart in the Heart of the Commonwealth, and Annie’s Clark Brunch has everything you need.
Annie’s is a jovial place full of classic rock, colorful customers, and a staff that will wake you up more than that bottomless cup of black coffee. Annie’s has remained a haven for good food and an amiable atmosphere, and don’t expect it to change anytime soon.
When you’re in the mood for diner food, you want the full experience. Keep it messy. Give me a waitress who will shout my order to the cook. Keep the fake wood paneling and splitting – but thoughtfully duct-taped – red leather booths. And hang on to the customers who joke and yell across the cramped space.
The atmosphere of Annie’s seems like it hasn’t changed in decades, and that’s part of the reason patrons love it. Old Polaroid’s and yellowing newspaper clippings adorn the walls, showing the cook throughout the years, still serving up heaping plates of fantastic diner fare. These glimpses into Annie’s past are only interrupted by awards and plaques – Best Diner in Worcester, Best Short Order Cook – year after year.
A Family that Cooks Together Stays Together
The staff also makes the experience enjoyable. They’re always ready to strike up a conversation that’s guaranteed to get a laugh out of you. Go a few times, and they’ll remember your order. The staff at Annie’s is a perfect mix of friendly and brash – a great complement to students’ morning grogginess.
What makes this staff even stronger is its cohesion. How else could waitresses maneuver and seamlessly carry dishes piled high through mazes of winter coats and chatting customers? The cook’s daughter works by her side, adding to the bonds behind the counter. The diner also has a connection to Clark that goes beyond its namesake. Don’t be surprised if the waitresses and cook are outfitted in school apparel ranging from sports teams to the EMS faction.
Miss Worcester, one of the Worcester Lunch Car Company’s most notable diners.
Meals at Annie’s are incredibly cheap. While diner food is usually at the lower end of the scale, Annie’s is the best for your buck. Other diners in town, like Kenmore on Shrewsbury Street, charge more for a cleaner lunch car; and Gold Star Diner’s food might be cheap, but it’s just not as good. At Annie’s the home fries have just the right amount of spice, and the toast is never burnt, and the spicy hash is made fresh, first thing in the morning.
Annie’s offers other typical breakfast staples, but be forewarned; the “Annie’s Favorites” section of the menu is written with a heavy dose of satire, and this short order cook doesn’t like to break up her regiment. Pancakes interrupt the cook’s usual orders of eggs and take up a ton of room on the griddle, but she’ll still be happy to cook them for you.
The only thing you need to worry about is making sure you have an appetite when you walk in the door. The smaller sized pancakes – which go by the misnomer “baby cakes” – make it hard to clear your plate, and the omelets are overflowing with your choice of fillings.
Annie’s breakfast menu is fantastic, so tread lightly on the other side of the menu – the lunch menu. While Annie makes a mean meatloaf, if you’re a first timer, you’d be crazy to miss the eggs and bacon.
In the end, no matter what’s on your plate, take some comfort in years’ worth of accolades adorning their walls. Stroll in and imagine yourself a part of a loud, boisterous family that won’t let you leave without a full stomach.
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