Rockin Robyn's Diner - Edmonton, AB

The long weekend is more precious to me now than ever before, since I started working. I realized you need to enjoy the free time you have. A few friends decided to go out for brunch as some of us had just returned to the city after being away for different purposes. After looking on Urbanspoon, we decided to go to Rockin' Robyn's Diner, a restaurant that recieved 92%. As we drove there, we passed many motels and storage places to get to this diner located in a very industrial area.

See my friend Robyn in the green shirt!

Stepping into Rockin Robyn's Diner was like stepping back into the '50s. The checkered floor, the red booths, and all the posters on the walls screamed diner. Although it wasn't very busy, it seemed to be a nice place to hang out as it reminded me of classic America.

"The Platters" Pancakes with a side of whipped cream and strawberry sauce

I decided on "The Platters" Pancakes, a pile of homemade pancakes with sides of whipped cream, strawberry sauce and your choice of bacon, sausage or ham. The pancakes were fluffy and plentiful. I enjoyed the pancakes quite a bit and the condiments added a nice sweetness to the dish. The two accompanying sausages had a nice char grill from the flat top and were very juicy.

The Eggs Benedict

My friends decided on the eggs Benedict, the traditional clubhouse, and Robyn's Reuben sandwich. We waited about 20 minutes for the food to come out, even though there was literally no one else waiting for their food. The eggs Benedict ($8.50) was definitely not the most elaborate nor tastiest Benedict I have ever had. Two nicely poached eggs lay on top of back bacon and a toasted English muffin, covered in hollandaise sauce. It was clear that the English muffin was purchased at a grocery store and the back bacon was just sliced off. Nothing too impressive nor time consuming, but  but I would call it standard. The breakfast items come with your choice of toast and panfries or smashed potatoes. My friend decided to switch out the carbs for fruits, which was no trouble at all.

The traditional clubhouse sandwich with a side of handcut fries

The traditional clubhouse ($8.00) was exactly what it sounds like. Traditional. In between your choices of multigrain, whole wheat or white bread were slices of ham, cheddar cheese, chicken breast, lettuce. tomato and chipotle mayo. The sandwich was cold when it came out to us. It definitely would have been nicer if it were warmer as the cheese was solid and not melted the way I like it.

Robyn's Reuben with a side of casear salad

The Robyn's Reuben was a toasted rye bread sandwich with corned beef smoked meat, swiss cheese, sauerkraut and lots of Dijon mustard. Costing only $7.50, it was definitely a good price for a meal.
There was too much Dijon mustard for my liking, almost overpowering the sandwich. But other than that, there were good flavors and the warm toast made it more delicious. All the sandwiches, burgers, and lunch menu items come with your choice of side: soup, caesar salad, a heaping mound of hand cut or crinkle cut fries. The hand cut fries were seasoned very well but I would have liked them to be fried a little longer as they were slightly mushy.

We decided to end the meal off with one of their "homemade" slices of pie. Usually, dessert is my favorite part of the meal (those who read this blog know that!) but I was more than disappointed with the pie. Today, they had only apple cinnamon, apple raspberry and lemon meringue available, having run out of the pumpkin and chocolate cream. We decided on the lemon meringue pie and boy, was this a big mistake. It must have come straight from the display case as it was served to us cold. The filling tasted like that those Jello mixes you buy at the grocery store, with a gelatinous texture and a strong, fake lemon flavor. The meringue was also unappetizing as it stuck to the top of your mouth and was much too sweet.

Rockin' Robyn's Diner has a great retro decor and the food to match. The menu offerings are standard, safe, and relatively tasty although it would have been nice if more of the components were homemade. Overall, for the price, it was a good deal as I left with my belly full. Although I wouldn't drive out of my way to go to Rockin' Robyn's, I would not mind going again if I was in the area. On June 1, they will be holding their first birthday event with $1 shakes and burgers, which may be as good a time as any to give Rockin' Robyn's a try.

Top Pick of the Night: Pancakes with strawberry sauce and whipped cream

http://www.rockinrobyns.com

Rating:

3.5/5 Erics