February 18, 2011: Misty's Diner

Update 17/06/2023: Misty's Diner is now closed.

Tummyrumbles first drew my attention to Misty's Diner a few years ago.  I'm a sucker for burgers, chips and desserts and I was surprised at how veg-friendly the online menu looked.  (Since then a couple of friends have expressed disappointment at the vegan options; the meat-free dishes are still quite lacto-ovo-heavy.)

Misty's is a loud-and-proud American-style diner with booths boasting jukeboxes and TVs, walls heaving with memorabilia, and a menu stuffed with the foods the U.S. is famous for: 18 burgers, 9 hot dogs, sodas, thickshakes, Tex-Mex and all things deep-fried.  I asked twitter for advice on what Michael and I should check out.

Within seconds, Nashina urged us to try the jalapeno poppers (and sizeoftheocean later agreed).  These deep-fried nuggets (we received 8 for $12.90) were more cheese than jalapeno, and barely needed a dipping sauce at all.  They weren't all that spicy but were darn tasty nonetheless.

I was mighty impressed to note that they're willing to make any of their burgers with a vegetarian patty, and put them to the test by ordering a bleu cheese and cajun burger veg-style ($10.90).  They package it up pretty, wrapped carefully to prevent spilling, with a half-pickle pinned through the top with a miniature US flag.  It was pretty mild, bordering on bland - the patty was a standard potato/carrot/pea mix and  lthough the dressing had a nice tang to it, I didn't pick up any Cajun spices.

Michael was keen for a vegetarian chili dog ($9.90), such an intimidating mass of chili and cheese that it took several bites to ascertain whether or not it even included a 'dog' (it did).  Once Michael overcame his concerns as to how to eat this, he rather liked it - it was rich with beany protein.

On katspat's advice (because I totally wouldn't have done this on my own, oh no), I made the Reese's Pieces thickshake ($7.95) my beverage and dessert.  It was both of these and more, a morass of peanut butter, chocolate syrup, crispy chunks and general sweet creaminess.  It's unashamedly over-the-top and a definite winner in its class.

Our trip to Misty's was fun.  It's pretty novel and not something I'd be inclined to eat regularly though it clearly has a following, with all of the booths booked out on the night we stopped by.  (If/when we do make it back I'll be agitating to try the deep-fried pickles and cherry pie, as recommended by rbbrown and sizeoftheocean.)  The menu has a distinctly high-fat vibe, with the couple of lighter options not sounding all that appetising (steamed mixed veges or Oriental vegetarian salad, anyone?).  That said, our mains were pleasantly grease-free and reasonably portioned.  Though chili fries and gut-busting burgers are their bread and butter, Misty's have got the ovo-lacto-vego with an all-American appetite covered.

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Misty's Diner has also been blogged by tummyrumbles, Grace Notes @ Snark Attack, ponikuta, foodswings, Alexa Reynolds Delbosc, Iron Chef Shellie, steakreview.com.au, E's State of Mind, Burger Adventure, Petit-Miamx, Lacey, Ze Eats and Spatula, Spoon and Saturday.

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Misty's Diner
103-105 High St, Prahran
9510 0033
fully licensed
veg snacks and mains $5.90-$16.90
www.mistysdiner.com.au

Accessibility: Entry includes a couple of steps and a fairly narrow door.  The front tables are quite well-spaced and are a good vantage point for checking out the dessert display.  There is table service, although payment is to be made at the low-ish front counter.