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Business & Tech

Ruby's Diner: Some Nostalgia with your Burger

This week food writer Clara Park reviews Ruby's Diner in Ardmore.

When I was in high school, a friend of mine got into a bad car accident and was hospitalized for many days. She pulled through and fully recovered, but it was a sweltering summer and she had not been eating. I swung by  and picked up a black cherry milkshake and set off for the hospital. She sipped half the milkshake and her mom gave me a thumbs up for getting her daughter to actually eat something that day. I thought of this story when I went in for lunch with two youngsters in tow.

Ruby's Diner is a mecca for kid-friendly dining in Suburban Square. I have never walked by the huge windows and not seen dozens of families, kids, teens, tweens, etc. sitting in the spacious booths and chatting up a storm. The two kids and I had to wait a bit (school's out for summer after all) but it was a lovely day and the bench outside was empty. 

Our server brought over two kids' menus and two kids' activities sheets complete with sticker sets. We ordered the macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers with french fries and the cheeseburger with cheddar. The kids wanted water and I had an iced tea.

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The mac and cheese looked and tasted like Kraft, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The chicken fingers were fine. Crisp on the outside, bursting with white meat and one dimensional in flavor, they were what you would expect: chicken.

The cheeseburger with cheddar featured an average-sized all beef patty, lettuce, tomato and Ruby sauce (Thousand Island dressing, basically). It's a solid burger, cooked all the way through ... reliable. The fries were hot and crisp.

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I enjoyed the option of adding a small side salad to my burger plate. It was more than just lettuce and a sad tomato wedge, with black olives, grape tomatoes, peeled cucumbers and croutons.

Our server was young but quite enthusiastic. He attended to all of our needs and was quick and very efficient. The hostess/manager also checked in and answered questions. The staff at Ruby's is on the younger side, adding to the sense of energy in the restaurant. The old-fashioned white uniforms add a nostalgic feel.

The bright red and white decor is "1940's diner" although I felt like I was on the set of American Graffiti. In the evening, there can be more of a vibe that calls to mind the Edward Hopper painting Nighthawks. 

The prices have gone up over the years but it's still possible to have a meal for two under twenty bucks. Ruby's Diner still serves up the same burgers and shakes I enjoyed in high school in the same cheery dining room.

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