Holiday Diner has been a staple in the Danbury community since opening over 70 years ago in 1947.

After celebrating its grand reopening last year, the restaurant stands as an updated, new age diner; sporting a completely brand new and modern kitchen, dining room, and roof. Owner George Psarofagis says that their menu is smaller in size compared to most diners, but they make a point to focus on serving fresh, from scratch products.

“We feel that doing less but doing it better adds much more value than having a large menu with too many options,” Psarofagis said.

Holiday Diner’s menu features classic and traditional diner favorites, such as a full breakfast menu with clubs, burgers, and wraps. All these delectable comfort foods are made fresh daily for the best quality.

“We are not your typical diner with an encyclopedia menu. We offer all the diner classics, but we do as much as we can from scratch,” Psarofagis said.

Menu highlights include breakfast items such as their homemade corned beef hash, their fresh-squeezed orange juice and lemonade, and their pancakes, which are made from scratch daily.

They also serve mozzarella sticks and dressings that also get made from scratch, along with their chicken cutlets that they bread to order. By the end of the year, Psarofagis says that they hope to have fresh-cut fries on the menu, too.

Milkshakes are still a signature of their menu, and they even have a Milkshake Of The Month program where it features a special flavor for that month. Their shake of the month for August is their Froot Loops shake.

Holiday Diner can seat a total of 120 people throughout its booths, tables, or counter seating. It is positioned on bustling White Street, and is within walking distance from Western Connecticut State University. Students who present their school ID can even get a ten percent discount for meals. Senior citizens can also receive that discount.

Psarofagis said that his parents, Bill and Maria, were excited to purchase the beloved eatery in August of 2000.

“My parents have been in the diner business for 40 years and when they heard that the diner was for sale, they jumped on the opportunity to be a part of such a diverse and thriving community,” Psarofagis said.

That love for their community carries over into another aspect that makes Holiday Diner stand out: the exceptional staff.

“We really focus on providing great service, because I’m a true believer that service is just as important as the food. Our average employee tenure is over ten years, which is unheard of in restaurants,” Psarofagis said.

He describes the atmosphere there as like the popular television show Cheers, which is iconic for its camaraderie and welcoming nature.

That kind of hospitality and goodwill is what keeps customers coming back to the point where they become familiar faces to the friendly staff.

“Everybody knows everybody, and 90 percent of the customers are regulars,” he notes.

Customers can always count on take-out, and the diner even offers delivery though Uber Eats and DoorDash.

Catering is available, too, with a full breakfast catering menu.

Sample Of The Menu

Eggs: Choose from a selection of delicious omelets, including the veggie omelet with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms.

Breakfast Faves: Holiday Diner serves different styles of Eggs Benedict for breakfast, all of which come with home fries. A standout is their Irish Eggs Benedict, made with their homemade corned beef hash.

Pancakes, French Toast, Waffles: Customers cannot go wrong with a short or full stack of pancakes or French toast, as well as the Belgian waffles, which come with butter and syrup. A new highlight is their “Blue Blue” Pancakes, which are blueberry pancakes topped with a homemade warm blueberry compote. Then there is their Toasted Almond Pancakes, which have the pancakes topped with an almond icing and the almonds toasted in house.

Snacks: Everyone can quell any craving with many different snacks, including curly fries, hand battered chicken tenders, and their mozzarella sticks, which are especially a huge hit.

Burgers & Sandwiches: Holiday Diner has a variety of burgers and sandwiches, such as the Chipotle Chicken Sandwich where they make the chipotle, mayo, and freshly bread the cutlet to order.

Wraps: All the wraps are served with fries, coleslaw, and a pickle. The Chipotle Burger Wrap is made of chopped burger, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and their chipotle sauce.

Salads: The Crispy Chicken Salad is made with lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, chicken cutlet, bacon, and avocado. Another option is the Caesar salad, which they make a homemade Caesar dressing for.

Lunch Faves: Any of the quesadillas are fan favorites for lunch. The most popular ones are the Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla and Philly Steak Quesadilla.

Desserts: Holiday Diner is known most for its out-of-this-world milkshakes. Their self-proclaimed “Best Shakes in the Universe!” come in a variety of flavors, such as the Orange Cream Shake made with their fresh orange juice. They also have a Chocolate Peanut Butter And Pretzels shake that is very popular. A new addition is their Affogato shake, which is made with a shot of espresso.

Holiday Diner, located at 123 White Street in Danbury, is open seven days a week. Hours are Sunday through Tuesday, from 7 am to 3 pm, and Wednesday through Saturday, from 7 am to 8 pm. For more information, visit holidaydiner.com, call 203-748-9798, e-mail holidaydiner@gmail.com, or follow the restaurant’s Facebook @HolidayDinerdanbury or Instagram @holidaydiner.