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The Pelham Bay Diner’s classic red and yellow sign can be seen towering from a distance, and the restaurant itself stands at a crossroads, flanked by the 95 Interstate Highway, Ely Avenue, and East Gun Hill Road.
There is a romantic factor attached to that late-night meal after a long night spent dancing, a nostalgic feeling that is stirred when it’s time for a “classic” Sunday morning family breakfast.
It’s the stuff of feasts: a towering stack of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and fruit, all accompanied by heaping cups of coffee and orange juice.
The diner, perhaps one of the most quintessential American dining experiences, is where we go to find our country’s comfort food. In the Pelham Bay area of the Bronx, the Pelham Bay Diner provides that and more, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, all year round.
Straddled by the 95 Interstate Highway, Ely Avenue, and East Gun Hill Road, the Pelham Bay Diner has become a landmark Bronx destination where different worlds cross.
Pelham Bay’s best customers include local Bronx natives, intrepid Manhattanites, passersby on their way to New Jersey – all willing to make a stop at the glittering stainless steel Art Deco eatery before continuing on their journey.
It’s a place for business meetings, and where Grandma and Grandpa still have dates. It is where children indulge in chocolate milkshakes and ice cream, and some go to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, while others just sit at the counter for coffee and cake, and a chat with the waitress-turned-friend.
It started back in 1982, when owner Jerry Stefanitsis and his wife opened the diner’s doors, looking to work hard, and ultimately achieving more than they ever dreamed of.
As you walk in, friendly staff greets you at the Pelham Bay. The diner’s counter is neatly decorated with pastry boxes offering everything from cookies, chocolate croissants, and muffins, to rich slices of cheesecake decorated with strawberries, chocolate, and whipped cream. Everything is made in-house by staff that Stefanitsis has worked with for years.
“I’ve met lots of very interesting and wonderful people while working here,” says Lissett Collado, a lunchtime waitress who explained that staff and customers at the diner are like a second family.
“I’ve met people who continue to come in every weekend. It’s a tradition for many,” she says.
That tradition has been cherished by Stefanitsis, a mild-mannered man with a pensive stare. In its near-thirty year run, Pelham Bay Diner has undergone three renovations so far, and appears as new as the day it opened, with a specific rhythm to its operation. The restaurant runs like a well-oiled machine, with spotless tables and attentive service.
“This diner is a meeting point for many people. It’s also my home, and a very big part of my life,” said Stefanitsis, who credits his abiding success to a simple concept.
“We have to think like a customer, to make sure that our customers are happy and [that] they return,” he says.
Keeping his portions consistent and the prices affordable, while providing delicious food has also proved a draw for the many diners who, everyday, pack the place for breakfast, lunch, and even the wee hours, after a night out.
“We have customers who have been coming here for more than twenty years. They come from every corner of the Bronx and the rest of the City,” says Stefanitsis. “We’ve watched them grow up, bring their families.”
And who can blame them? The extensive menu, which includes everything from turkey sandwiches to seafood platters, is sure to have something to satisfy every craving.
While diners enjoy their classic burgers and fries at the Pelham Bay Diner, there are also many choices for the more health conscious, including the popular New Orleans Chicken Salad, a fresh mixture of blackened chicken breast, greens, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and olives.
The Pelham Bay 8 oz. burger is a giant, old-fashioned house burger decorated with juicy slices of red onion, green-leaf lettuce, tomatoes and coleslaw. Make it deluxe for crisp French fries. There are also pasta specialties including everything from bistro shrimp pasta, spaghetti and meatballs, and the Italian favorite pasta Bolognese.
In a nod to the many Latino diners, tostones, [fried plantains] and Cuban style ropa vieja [pulled beef] are among the choices offered at Pelham Bay.
And if you’re craving that hangover-curing breakfast, go for the Bronx breakfast option, a serving of pancakes French toast or waffles accompanied by a serving of your choice of bacon, ham, or sausage and two eggs.
Last but not least, Pelham Bay also offers something for the more health conscious with a varied array of salads, including the popular New Orleans Chicken Salad, a fresh mixture of blackened chicken breast, greens, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and olives, all beautifully dressed in your vinaigrette of choice.
Stefanitsis, who spent most of his life living and raising his family in the Bronx, makes it clear that running the around-the-clock establishment is no easy feat.
“It’s dedication,” he says quietly. “But we also owe our success to the people that have made this diner an extension of their home.”
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