Triangle Diner- Winchester, VA

The Triangle Diner- a 1948 O’Mahony, where Patsy Cline once worked. We visited it, and took these pictures several years ago when it was Lynette’s Triangle Diner
As you can see from the postcards, it went through several neon signs and vestibules over the years, which changed the look of the diner considerably. Eventually it was covered with dark wood, though much of the stainless can still be seen. A great, working vertical diner neon sign and clock is still in the parking lot. The windows still read air conditioned. Inside, the diner is a time warp to sixty years ago.

The diner is currently for sale. The listing can be found here.

The diner and addition have 1290 square feet, the lot is 6875 square feet. The diner seats fifty people.
The current price for the diner and property is $459,000.

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The Triangle Diner is found at:
27 West Gerrard Street, Winchester, VA.

Virginia Auto Group- Front Royal, VA

A 1956 Mountain View that my parents had eaten at in the late ’80s. Now converted to a used car lot office. The two other diners in town, the Good Food diner- see 1 and 2– (where my dad was severely food poisoned in the ’70s), and the Fox Diner, are now both gone.

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Fox Diner- Front Royal, Virginia

Photos from the archives of the Fox Diner of Front Royal, Virginia, taken in 2003 or so. It was originally part of the Donut Dinette chain. The original donut shaped sign was behind the fox diner sign. It had changed names the second time we visited, in 2006, but retained the signage. Last I heard, it had been torn down.

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old exterior photo, showing the original sign.
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Interior. Notice at the bottom the fox lawn ornament
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Signage
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short stool
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Formica patterns
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Burger Bar, Bristol, VA

Some more photos, taken on the road on a trip to Chattanooga this past week, by my Dad, Michael G. Stewart.

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That’s my mom in the red
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Snow White Grill – Winchester, Virginia

The Snow White Grill in Winchester was built c. 1948. Snow White Grill was another burger chain, along the lines of Little Tavern, White Tower, or White Castle. They were in the West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland Area. Interestingly, the Snow White Grills were designed by the same architect, Luther Reason Ray, of the Structural Porcelain Enamel company, who also designed the classic Little Taverns, as well as Hot Shoppes in the same area. This explains the obvious similarities in design and materials.

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The Library of Congress has records regarding Snow White Grills from:

1941 – Snow White Grill for Hansel Hurst, Queen Street and Burke Street, Martinsburg, West Virginia
1948 – Snow White Grill for Hansel Hurst, 159 Loudoun Street, Winchester, Virginia – Luther R. Ray Architect
1948 – Snow White Grill – 9 Patrick Street, Frederick, Maryland
1950 – Snow White Grill for Hansel Hurst, 239 N. Market Street, Frederick, Maryland
1952 – Snow White Grill for Hansel Hurst, South Potomac Street, Hagerstown, Maryland (Detail Shots)
1954-1955 – Snow White Grill Inc., Baltimore Street and Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland
1955-1956 -Snow White Grill, Inc., West Baltimore Street and Howard Street, Baltimore, Maryland
1959 – remodel front of building for Snow White Grills, 1513 E. Joppa Road, Towson, Maryland
1960 -Snow White Grill, 1808 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland

It’s possible that there were more.

Bob and Edith’s Diner – Arlington, Virginia

There are two Bob and Edith’s Diners, a very short distance apart. This one is the original, founded in the late 1960s. It’s the real deal, small, cramped, with good food and a real, friendly diner atmosphere. It’s right down the road from an old Ollie’s Trolley

Here they both are, shot during Winter, 2006.
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The old short stools in cheerful alternating blue and yellow.
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Then there’s the other one, obviously converted fairly recently from something else. Much flashier. More trendy. Bigger. I love the cantilevered structure on the left, sheltering the picnic tables. It’s complete with a large, round neon sign, oddly, inside the building

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DELUXE DINER – Arlington, Virginia

Here’s a diner, a newer on site construction, with a great modern style. It’s nice and flashy without being too terribly over the top, probably because of it’s small scale. The blue glass adds a little bit of color to the otherwise entirely stainless exterior. The slatted windows are a nice touch, and the angle of the roof and facade give it a bit of a googie flavor.

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539 23rd St S
Arlington, VA 22202
deluxedinerva.com

Ollie’s Trolley

I ate lunch here today.

First things first- look back at the previous post. Do you notice any similarities between the Waffle Shop and Ollies? The unusual horseshoe counter is there, and while it is now standing room with a dining room adjacent, it’s obvious that it once had stools. There’s the same undercounter wire rack. The terrazzo floors are nearly identical, with the same tan floor and salmon foot rest. Both have a primarily glass facade (at least on the counter section). And both have similar tilework. Though the theme is different, the execution is very much the same, and it’s not something you see very much.

Was this originally a Waffle shop?

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And for reference- here are two Ollie’s Trolley’s of the trolley sort.
Louisville, KY (c) Spencer Stewart 2005
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Former Ollies Trolley in Virginia  (c) Spencer Stewart 2007
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