I finally made it to the Capital City Diner when it was open.
I have been craving scrapple for six months- a regional specialty they just don’t have it in Halifax. I was in luck at the Cap City and got it with my three pancakes and coffee. 
I visited the Capital City diner on May 24th, 2009, shortly after it arrived from Avoca New York to the Trinidad neighborhood of NE Washington. Since then I’ve been eagerly awaiting its opening.
Since I am currently at school in Halifax and could not make it myself, my father visited the Capital City diner this morning for breakfast along with a couple of his friends, fellow diner enthusiasts. The new owners, Matt Ashburn and Patrick Carl, have done an incredible job with the place, as you can see from the photos.
From Michael G. Stewart:
The breakfast was pretty good-Tasty & well prepared. The service was a bit spotty, but I guess to be expected this early on. The physical diner is pretty original, no silly updates or “Happy Days” isms. Despite being in a transitional part of town, there was a really good mix of young urban hipsters, some w/ families, professionals, & neighborhood locals. Good vibe, felt safe, fun & comfortable. So far, so good!
From SallyAnn Rogers:
We had a grand time at the Capital City Diner. My waffle was brown and crisp and not a bit mushy. The place is a little cramped, more like hobbit size, but it was filled to the brim and was a very nice experience. You are going to love it.
Red painted trimwork and roof really make the diner pop.
Blue and black
Silk City Diner manufactured by the Patterson Vehicle company of Patterson, NJ. Note that the background of the tag matches the tilework of the diner. I’m not sure if this is original, but it is a very nice touch.
The diner is located at 1050 Bladensburg Rd. NE washington DC
Become a fan of the diner on facebook.
This was my first real diner trip in a while. I met up today with Mike Engle, author of Diners of New York; the man behind NYdiners.com, and roadside buff and frequent Zippy the Pinhead contributor Ed Engel at the American City Diner, and headed out from there.
The first stop of the day was the American City Diner of 5532 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, DC. It’s a late ’80s Kullman, one of the early retro-styled diners, and one of the ones that did it right. For some photos as it appeared when new, click here. Since then, it’s been added on to, with a large side addition, and a front porch which obscures everything to the left of the vestibule.
The Left side of the diner- 2009
The left side of the diner – 1989
The former Howard Theater. Great rusty marquis on this one.
The now abandoned Wonderbread / Hostess Factory
Ran into a little excitement along the way between these two stops, but all’s well that ends well.
Northeast Academy of Dance Neon sign. Look at the detail at the left hand corner of the sign.
We hit up the Capital City Diner, which was moved here on the 20th. Watch the video of it being moved. This Silk City, formerly of Avoca New York, has made its way to the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast DC.
Photos at its original location and some backstory can be found at :A Real Historic Diner Coming to DC!
This next leg of the trip had some neat neon and signage
A&R Auto Parts
Syd’s Drive In / Liquor
Cross Roads
Tesst theater
Hyattsville Hardware / Franklin’s
Calvert House
Silver Spring’s old Canada Dry bottling plant
A quick stop at the Silver Spring Tastee was made.
Now
Then
More old photos can be found here.
Then a side trip to Forest Glen, parts of which have deteriorated greatly since my last visit.
Dinner at the Tastee Diner in Bethesda
Then
And the trip’s final stop at Bethesda’s former Little Tavern. A 1990 photo of it, when it was still a Little Tavern, can be found on the Diner Hotline.
Diner Hunter 