By COOPER BROCK
A contemporary take on a classic American diner, Bananas takes every comfort food imaginable to a whole new level. From the Maui Wowie burger to breakfast pizza, Bananas has variety out the wazoo.
Located at 924 N. Mills Ave., Bananas has a complimentary valet stationed at the main door. The interior of the restaurant is decorated with vintage art, red ceiling tiles and dim lighting. These elements give off a dramatic mood, contrary to a typical diner.
The menu is a library of creative spins on American favorites. The dish names are clever and witty, such as the Widow Maker ($25), a hotdog loaded with chili, cheese, onions and jalapeÒos; a dish sure to induce heart problems within the hour.
On the lunch and dinner side of the menu, the Crunchy Munch Burger ($9.95) has home style potato chips on the burger with a layer of melted American cheese. The crunchiness of the chips and the moistness of the patty form the perfect ensemble of a burger. All burgers can be ordered with choice of Angus beef, turkey, chicken or veggie patties. The veggie patty is especially delicious. It’s a zesty and flavorful blend of herbs, spices and veggies.
The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich ($9.90) is warm crunchy goodness in every bite. Don’t be frightened by the word Buffalo, the chicken is only moderately spicy and is covered in blue cheese crumbles to lessen the burn.
The soup of the day, ($3.65) cup and ($5.65) bowl, was a flavorful and thick bowl of creamy broccoli. If a serving of this soup does not fill you, try a well-seasoned and crunchy order of Chips n’ Dip ($4.95), which comes with a generous serving of queso, salsa or guacamole.
Breakfast is served all day, and the Chicken-n-Waffles ($12.95) are an outstanding selection. This entree¥ consists of fried buttermilk chicken atop Belgian waffles, smothered with country sausage gravy.
Also a good pick for breakfast, is the California Benedict ($8.99). This dish consists of two perfectly poached eggs served atop toasted English muffin halves with sliced turkey, avocado slices and hollandaise sauce. This harmonious blend of savory eggs and fresh avocado creates a symphony of flavor and texture in ones’ mouth.
Bananas offers a wide variety of handspun milkshakes ($6.99), as the perfect ending to their main meals.
The staff is more than adept at handling larger parties and didn’t mind splitting the bill among guests. That’s a definite plus when dining out with friends. Every bill comes a free order of banana cotton candy.
Bananas is a refreshingly above par diner that takes familiar classics and molds them into new favorites. Stop by Bananas for a unique change of pace.