Valley Dairy

By Kevin Williams

I wanted to like this place and, well, I don't really have anything bad to say.  But this was another restaurant I ate at while in Pennsylvania.  I was really looking for a mom-and-pop diner and I thought I had found it in the Valley Dairy, but turns out that it is a local chain.  I discovered that when I sat down, looked at the placemat, and it listed all their locations.  SIGH.  Too late, I was already seated, it'd be rude to walk out.   So from the get-go, this place had poor karma for me.

I came here for my lunch and so I could go through notes I had taken in the morning, type them in, and get caught up on some work.  Nope. No wifi.  Well, they had wifi, but the waitress didn't know the password and exerted very little effort, more like no effort, to find it for me.  So, no working lunch for me.  A restaurant without easily accessibly wifi (fine if it is password protected, just make sure it is available) is like a diner without ketchup or fries.  Wifi is part of the dining landscape.  I'll give true mom and pops a pass,but even they should be offering it.....

So, here was my experience in photos....

I thought I'd stumbled upon a mom and pop diner....but this place is one of a dozen locations in western PA.  They actually have a pretty rich history, you can read about it here, see their menu, etc.

The interior looks as if it is from the 1970s, which isn't necssarily a bad thing, has a warm, familiar feel...

I ordered the cheese omelet and when looking at the photo and remembering the meal, it really was good food, I think I was just still miffed about the lack of wifi. I really needed to work, so I gobbled down the food and headed for McDonalds and it's free, friendly wifi.....

I passed on the pie, but I probably shouldn't have, this coconut creme looks amazing....