59er Diner: French Toast & a Peanut Butter Shake

We were on vacation. We were hungry. And when we saw it, like a magnet, we were drawn to it. We trudged through the snow and walked into the 1960s. Or was it the 1950s? Well, whenever it was, it delivered a nostalgic blast from the past. And don’t forget the milk shake!

A most interesting way to be greeted in the men's bathroom

He said: As the waitress slid a menu in front of me, there they were – five of the most welcoming words anybody anywhere can find at a restaurant: “We Serve Breakfast All Day.” Oh man, we hit the jackpot! Biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs, stacks of eggs, pancakes, and then there were all the other meal choices like pasta, steaks, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads and starters. Just so many choices but hey, this was a we-serve-breakfast-all-day kind of place so was there really any true conflict? No!

I ordered cinnamon maple French toast. Yes indeed, a stack of thick satisfaction with a crusty coat of sweet goodness. I’m also the kind of guy who loves his French toast (and pancakes when I order then) to float in maple syrup and there was plenty of syrup on hand. Check! Man, my mouth is literally watering as I think back to this sweet, all-day breakfast pleasure.

My daughter ordered a "plain old boring pancake" (larger than her plate)

Speaking of pleasure, just above the breakfast portion of the menu, it states “Eat Milkshakes.” And the 59er Diner specializes in milkshakes. Not only that, they’re fanatical about it. More on that in a second. I ordered a peanut butter shake. Proving this was a shake specialty establishment, mine showed up the way that it should – in a glass goblet but with an accompanying tall, metal container with way more shake it than my glass.

If I remember correctly, practically our entire party, which spilled over into a handful of tables, ordered shakes. After all, we saw the 59er Diner was keeping a running shake tally and we needed to help the cause. My math shows we added seven to the overall shake total of 388,386 from 2013 to 2022. Hey 59er Diner, you’re welcome!

She said: this was such an amazingly fun atmosphere. I love a good throwback diner. The decor was top notch. I ordered a salad. It tasted like you imagine it would taste—fresh and yummy! I love a good honey mustard dressing and this was a good one. Overall, they just had the right ratio of dressing to lettuce to tomato, cucumber, and cheese. Why did I order a salad at a burger and fry joint, you ask? Well, because I’m a hot fudge brownie connoisseur. And I knew I wanted most of my calories and stomach space to go to trying that menu item. I have an inherited gene about foods coming out even—enough mashed potato to go with the steak; enough syrup on the pancakes; enough ice cream with the brownie. If it doesn’t turn out right (and you are at home) you have to go for a little more ice cream or a little more brownie to help it even out. That wasn’t the case tonight.  The dressing to salad ratio was on point. The ice cream to brownie ratio was on point. And that’s always a win!

By the way…if you visit the 59er Diner, located on Highway 2 just 15 miles from the Bavarian village of Leavenworth in western Washington, also 135 miles east of Seattle and about 200 miles west of Spokane, just know this is not the diner’s original iteration. There was a fire in June of 2016 that burned the restaurant to the ground leaving ownership and shaker lovers heartbroken. But just two years later, with a desire to keep the milkshakes flowing, the 59er Diner reopened.

"Watching the building burn was heart-wrenching,” Joe Cannata, 59er Diner owner, told KING-TV, “but all of my tears came in the weeks and months after that, because of the people showering you with love. They were there for us with whatever we needed. They're still here for us today."

Guy Fieri from the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visited the 59er Diner.