Joanie’s Happy Days Diner

Because "Arnold's Drive-In" was already taken and you really don't want to piss off Mr. Miyagi



(Again no official website is available. This is the third place in the last two weeks that I ate at that does not have a website. Hmmm? I am seeing a business opportunity here for someone… else that has any real ambition.)


I was planning on having breakfast at Hollywood Grill Cafe this morning over in Fisherman's Wharf*, as it has popped up on a few "Best of " breakfast places in San Francisco lists (which I am happy to see usually include Dottie's TRUE BLUE CAFE, Ella's, Chloe's, and several other of my favourites) and I thought it à propos what with the Academy Awards going on tonight; however, after getting over there I was disappointed to find out that it is closed for renovations/expansion. Looks like I will have to venture back over there in another few months. (See, if these little places had an actual website to check beforehand, I would have known this!)
















There really is Slim Pickens, Mr. Louis Burton Lindley, Jr., for breakfast places on Fisherman's Wharf. Touristas have to eat, too… don't they? So, I had to walk around a bit to find something decent. (On my way to finding a place to eat I heard and then saw 2-3 Wild Parrots of San Francisco flying overhead, which is always a nice sign.)


I ended up going to Joanie's** Happy Days Diner, located at the end of Columbus Avenue. They also have a location in Burlingame on Broadway. I had the California*** Omelette ~ Avocado, mushrooms, bell peppers, and 'merican cheese (which I had substituted for Monterey, Jack!). "All omelettes are served with your choice of hash browns, or country style potatoes, buttered toast and jelly. Choice of toast: White, whole wheat, rye, sliced sourdough, or English muffin." I went with the "countrified" potatoes (which are just another name for home fries; it is very unusual for places to have both kinds of breakfast potatoes on the menu) and sourdough toast. I also had a large glass of orange juice and a cuppa coffee.



The omelette only had the cheese and sliced avocado on the top of it, not wrapped inside. I thought this kinda strange. It was good enough, though, and there were plenty of mushrooms and green bell peppers throughout it. The countrified potatoes were good and a very large portion to boot, generously topped with chopped, fresh green onions (if you like your boots topped with green onions, that is). However, the nicest thing I can say about the coffee was that it was black and hot. I added some maple syrup that was on the table to it, it helped a little. Afterward, I felt it "necessary" to stop in at Peet's® (the one located in the Boudin Bakery gift shop); I had a cuppa what they had a-brewin', which was Major Dickason's Blend® ~ always a pretty decent cuppa.

As condimentary (this is not a real word, but I Jabberwockied "condiments" and "complimentary") supplements they offer both Tabasco® (the standard red) and Cholula® only, so I went with some Palo Alto Fire Fighters Pepper Sauce (Thanks again, Amy!) on the omelette and some HP® Brown Sauce on the countrified potatoes, and some fresh cracked pepper from my portable McCormick® grinder on both.

While sitting there waiting for my meal, I had (what I thought was) a good idea for a Diner-special omelette: the Cheeseburger Omelette ~ Ground beef, tomatoes, onions, 'merican cheese, and most of all sliced Pickles! (But no lettuce, as that would just be foolish.) Maybe with some French fries inside, too? I actually had a similar pizza (well, no French fries were on it, but that doesn't sound half-bad either) two years ago at a great place called Mark Anthony's in Onset Village (Onset Village is a census-designated place in the town of Wareham, MA ~ the Gateway to Cape Cod); Mark Anthony's makes a great pizza (probably one of the best in the area) and this combination (well, without the ground beef for me) really works.

As it is always such a pain to find decent parking (I did find a free/safe spot three blocks away from the main drag on Fisherman's Wharf), I doubt that I'll be going back any time soon… please don't tell the Fonz!


Glen Bacon Scale Rating: California Omelette (rated with the Countrified Potatoes) ~ 6.2; Peet's® Major Dickason's Blend® ~ 6.9


*(Fisherman's Wharf, for those of you that have never been to San Francisco, or are completely clueless, is a neighborhood in San Francisco that is basically a tourista destination, and due to which I hardly ever get over that way. I just want to point out that it is "Fisherman's Wharf" ~ singular possessive, not "Fishermen's Wharf". I guess it was just a solitary fisherman that opened up the first gift shop in this area.)

**(Why "Joanie's" you ask? Well, even if you didn't ask, I'm telling you anyway.

I assumed that it probably had something to do with the owners not wanting to be sued by that fargin' bastage Richie Cunningham, but it was actually a much simpler explanation: Joanie is the name of the owner.
Joanie is actually from Cambodia/, which I am told is a suburb of Milwaukee.)

***(Because the Wisconsin Omelette wasn't on the menu.

I had to explain this joke to the owner. "Happy Days" took place in Wisconsin, Joanie.)