I saw this episode just before I left San Diego for a ballpark tour of Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Chicago. Al's Breakfast was one of the best meals on the trip!
I'm honestly shocked they got a camera crew in there. If you think the place looks small on TV, you're right. And grabbing your plate and coffee and shuffling down is not just played up for the show. It is just what they do there.
I think Al's has changed ownership since this episode (and by the time I made it there for breakfast) -- but it's still a classic, true to its roots, with those payment books, magnificently cluttered walls, and great food. One thing that's different -- and it's a good thing -- is the wait line is now outside, not right behind the people who are eating.
I was a regular at Al's as a student at the University of Minnesota in the 1960s; the founder/owner Al Bergstrom knew me by name. Fourteen stools at the counter.
Used to walk past there daily for at least a few years, once upon a time, heading to the U of MN, or back home again. It's definitely its own institution.
I've been looking the 'Challenger' episode. Didn't realize it was the 1st show ?!? They explain below how they originally used different cars from where ever they were... www.foodnetwork.com/shows/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/videos/exclusive-on-location-with-guy-fieri-
Mr. Doug Grina renamed the show & I like it, diners, drive-ins, diners, & dumps, we have a few dumps here in Kentucky, but their food is great & prices are dirt cheap, more so than a dive , should be quad D instead of triple D
Guy needs to change the shows name from triple D to Quadruple D, diners, drive-ins, dives, & dumps, lol, but this is my kind of place being 59 yrs old from rural Kentucky, great food, atmosphere, prices
It's nice that this seems to have made it through the pandemic. Like most of DDD spots, this is not an impresive place. Classic, yes. Unique, yes. The food is just medicore. Nothing special. The new owner, Allison is a neat chick though.
That did look like something less than a dive and honestly they were not cooking anything that you could not cook at home and do a better job ! My God, I could make better pancakes than that. His looked burnt! But was a good show to see Guy's first season!! PS, Having everyone shifting down reminded me when I went through Army Ranger school and the few times we got to eat in the mess hall we got our food and then had to walk around the outside walls to the garbage and dish turn in. You had to have all your food eaten by the time you got there or you had to dump it!!
Having eaten at Al's many times, I must correct you. The pancakes are not burned, and are quite good. They offer a number of unusual add-ins, like sweet corn and walnuts. And of course you can make much of the menu at home: It's a breakfast restaurant. But then you would have to make it. Kinda missing the point of a dive restaurant here.
