Even if you’ve never been to New York City, you might recognize the Court Square Diner. A Hollywood starlet, the diner has appeared in various shows including 30 Rock, Jessica Jones, Gossip Girl and Person of Interest.

Brothers Steve Kanellos and Nick Kanellos bought the diner in 1991, becoming the third owners since it opened in 1946. Back then it was known as the Bell Diner, and was an older style diner designed to look like a railcar or wagon.

According to NYDiner.com, it might even be as old as 1935, though there is less evidence to support the claim its this old.

The diner is one of few standalone diners remaining in New York City. Once common place, rising land values have seen the lots sold out from under diners. Such was a the case recently with the Wyeth Diner in Williamsburg. The classic metal diner had numerous restaurants churn through it until it shuttered permanently and the lot sold for new development. Luckily, the historic build was relocated to the Navy Yard for use as a movie set.

The Kanellos brothers renovated Court Square in 2009, choosing to create a retro-style exterior with polished aluminum and other accents. The diner looks great, and that might explain why it serves as a film location for so many shows.

Though the Kanellos are American born, they lived in Greece as children. When they returned to Astoria, they worked in the restaurant industry before finally investing in the diner.

Today, the diner still operates 24-7, a rarity in the city that supposedly never sleeps but more recently has been turning out the lights at 9pm. The diner also cooks their baked goods in-house, and has new daily specials to keep the menu fresh.

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The NYC School system was closed for one of the many random holidays, and I had spent the cold November afternoon exploring the city with our four-year-old. After visiting the LEGO store, Highline, the giant pigeon, Whole Foods, the mall at Hudson Yards, a freezing cold playground, I had one errand I needed to fulfill – returning a library book to Queens. A full day of adventures left my four-year-old demanding French Fries, and the Court Square Diner seemed an ideal place to settle in to grab a bite.

It’s been a few years since I’ve eaten here. The last time was long before the pandemic, but they did serve disco fries, and in my mind had been one of the few places outside of New Jersey where one could find Taylor Ham on the menu. The Taylor Ham seems to have been eliminated, but there were still disco fries.

We showed up before the dinner rush in that eerie twilight hour. The dining room was mostly empty, which is perfect when you are eating with an erratic four-year-old.

I ordered a coffee and plain fries from the four-year-old. He of course was more interested in playing Tablet games than eating, but the plain fries were crisp and hot.

The disco fries arrived a bit on the dark side. They should be broiled but not burned. I was also disappointed with the use of American rather than mozzarella cheese, but I can overlook this aesthetic choice. The brown gravy was totally ordinary. Overall, I was happy to have disco fries, but these were not the best in class.

I also ordered a Reuben sandwich, which comes with pickles and slaw. I can admit this is a nonsensical pet peeve, but the accouterments arrived with my coffee rather than the sandwich. I was left staring at a delicious looking pickle, coleslaw, and Russian dressing while waiting for my food.

The Reuben sandwich was perfectly serviceable. It was salty, greasy and the cheese was melty, and that’s what I wanted after a day in the bitter cold. As far as Reuben’s go, this was a passable experience, but in retrospect I think I would have had better luck with an omelet.

Of course I’ll probably eat at the Court Square Diner again, and I might even order the disco fries and Reuben sandwich. But that doesn’t mean either of these are award winners; they are staples, and sometimes that’s good enough for a diner. The Court Square Diner is an institution, but it could use some new energy.

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