Some friends and I made it a point to dine at Dixie’s Diner on Stoney Creek in Elizabethton this past week.
Dixie’s Diner is located at 1791 Highway 91, Elizabethton.
The meal marked our first visit to the restaurant, which was opened last fall by owner James Harris. Upon our arrival, we were welcomed and told to seat ourselves at any of the eatery’s booths and tables. Banner-sized placards with big, friendly letters promoting slogans such as, “Live life with a twist,” and, “Here, everybody’s a regular,” adorn the wood-plank walls. The chair and benches are upholstered in dark burgundy vinyl. The dining area isn’t showy, but it is cozy, comfortable and clean, and the wood-plank gives the room a rustic touch and imparts a bit of a golden glow to the lighting.
The menu at Dixie’s Diner isn’t elaborate, preferring to keep the focus on burgers, sandwiches and a few country-style dinner platters. In addition to lunch and dinner, the restaurant also offers breakfast all day with a menu of traditional favorites such as biscuits and gravy, hash browns, pancakes, omelets and French toast.
The motivation for our recent visit was to show solidarity with the restaurant’s effort to support paper carriers let go by the Elizabethton Star. It’s rare to come across a business with a conscience these days, but the owners of Dixie’s Diner made a wonderful gesture by setting aside half of the proceeds to be divided among the roughly 16 carriers affected by the decision made by the Alabama owners of the formerly locally-owned newspaper.
The cause was particularly close to my heart since I was among the dozen employees let go in a massive purge a couple of months ago. This new weekly blog was born of that decision after I had numerous people request that I continue my weekly discussions of regional restaurants.
The day I learned of the decision that I was no longer needed at a paper with which I enjoyed a 20-year history was, understandably enough, a difficult one. Thankfully, several local restaurants made it a little more bearable. Jiggy Ray’s, a new pizzeria in downtown Elizabethton, treated me and several co-workers to a free lunch when the manager discovered what had gone down at the newspaper. It was a much-appreciated gesture. I’d encourage everyone to patronize Dixie’s Diner and Jiggy Ray’s, as well as Sycamore Drive-In in Elizabethton. Sycamore Drive-In owner Gary Hicks has been very outspoken in his support for all the community workers who were adversely affected by the decision, which was made by distant corporate heads from Alabama who had made no more than a couple of visits to Elizabethton and no attempt to actually get to know their new employees.
But, stepping back off of my soap-box, the main focus of this weekly endeavor is to introduce readers to some suggested dining destinations.
Dixie’s Diner, although tucked away up Stoney Creek beyond both Unaka High School and Unaka Elementary School, is worth the drive.
My friends and I were treated courteously and attentively by the servers, who also helped by making some recommendations on menu items.
Meatloaf, Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes at Dixie’s DIner.
I chose the Meatloaf Dinner, which is accompanied by a choice of two sides, which can include French Fries, Green Beans, Onion Rings, Corn, Fried Okra and Mashed Potatoes. I chose the Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes.
Other dinner platters that got my notice included Hamburger Steak Dinner, Pork Chop Dinner and a large and small Chicken Tender Dinner.
One of my friends, a burger connoisseur, studied the those options on the menu. Burgers come in two sizes – 4-ounce and 6-ounce patties – and are served with fries and a drink. Any of the burgers can also be ordered as a double with two patties. Options include Hamburger, Cheeseburger and Bacon-Cheeseburger. He chose the latter.
Dixie Diner’s Bacon Cheeseburger with a side of Crinkle-cut French Fries.
My other friend considered some of the sandwiches, including the BLT and the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. In the end, he chose one of the dinner platters and ordered the Pork Chop Dinner. For his two sides, he choose Fried Okra and French Fries.
About the only other items on the menu are a couple of dinner salads and a two-Hotdog Platter. We chose to share an order of Onion Rings among the three of us. Our food arrived speedily.
I was pleasantly surprised to find the meatloaf consisted of two muffin-shaped servings of meatloaf topped with ketchup. Every restaurant serves its own version of this comfort food classic, and I enjoyed the muffin-sized meatloaf servings. The meatloaf at Dixie’s Diner is firm, flavorful and not at all greasy.
My friends also reported satisfaction with their meals. The burger aficionado enjoyed his order, which featured a six-ounce patty, topped with an ample amount of bacon and cheese, and served on a sesame-seed bun.
The Pork Chops Dinner Platter accompanied by French Fries and Fried Okra at Dixie’s Diner.
My friend who ordered the two pork chops was also pleased with the only minor complaint being they might have been cooked slightly too long. The thinly-sliced chops were still well seasoned, flavorful and paired nicely with the Mashed Potatoes and the golden-brown Fried Okra.
I also like the nicely seasoned Green Beans and the Mashed Potatoes that came with my Meatloaf.
Although we were all just too full to indulge, Dixe’s Diner does offer some sweet at the conclusion of the meal, including Funnel Cakes, Snow Cones and Ice Cream. We’ll try to get back for some of those sweets in the near future. I’d also like to make a return visit and try the breakfast at Dixie’s Diner.
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AT A GLANCE: Dixie’s Diner, 1791 Highway 91, Elizabethton. 474-0080. Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Menu items $7.59 and under. Credit cards accepted. Carryout available.
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