Dan I Cook’s Hidden Treasure….The Hash-Browns at the Metro Diner in Coral Springs Fl.

Staying true to my word, I am not writing about any restaurants unless they are Four Beers. The days of writing about new places opening are over.  All the other blogs can do that crap. I will tell you this, if I write about something, you can bet money it’s damn good.

Hash Browns

I have been infatuated with hash browns ever since a trip as a young boy to Waffle House. To this day, Waffle House is my gold standard for hash browns. Being able to get my hash browns Traditional; Scattered & Smothered (Onions); Scattered, Smothered & Covered (Onions and Melted Cheese); Scattered, Smothered, Covered & Chunked (Onions, Cheese and Ham); Scattered, Smothered, Covered, Chunked & Topped (Onions, Cheese, Ham & Chili; Scattered, Smothered, Covered, Chunked, Topped & Diced (Onions, Cheese, Ham, Chili and Diced Tomatoes) is a beautiful thing.

Over the the years I’ve steered away from traditional hash browns and started eating home fries (diced potatoes with onions and seasonings ). The reason being is that so many restaurants screw up hash browns. Most of the time they are over cooked and they taste like you are eating a can of Potato Stix.  Other times it’s not cooked enough and it’s a mound of mush. I basically have been sticking with home fries unless I hit IHOP (the one in Margate makes some damn good ones) or Waffle House.

Metro Diner

I don’t remember when this place opened in Coral Springs. I have watched the original one when it was featured on Triple D.  I’ve been wanting go here to have the meatloaf but I have never gotten around to it until a few weeks ago.

I decided to go in for breakfast and really wasn’t expecting much. When I walked in I immediately noticed they had an open kitchen with seating in front.  To me a set up like this means the restaurant has some balls. I consider a set up like this as the Ultimate Quality Control. There is nowhere for the cooks to hide because they are on public display.  The customers become the managers as we watch everything they do. Trust me, I watch everything.  Hats off to Metro Diner for this set up and, of course, I sit my big ass right up front LOL.

What catches my eye right away is the mounds of hash browns on the flat top grill. There were about 8 perfect mounds and the cook was putting a gold liquid on top of each one. Turns out it’s margarine he is ladling on each of them.  As I see this my one eyebrow is lifted like I’m The Rock and I know what is cooking right on the grill folks. I watch as the cook turns each hash brown mound over revealing a perfect golden exterior. I’m like,  “$hit, I got to get me some of that!”.

I order some pancakes with bacon, a side of cheese grits and some hash browns with cheddar cheese, onions, and mushrooms.  My meal comes out and my eyes gravitate towards the hash browns. They look damn beautiful.  The pancakes, grits, and bacon tasted standard nothing out of the ordinary.

Now, with my hash browns I always put on hot sauce and ketchup. I do my routine and take a heaping bite. Man, oh man, are these babies delicious! Nice and crispy on the outside and warm/soft on the inside. As I am eating, the cook is pumping out hash browns like a mad man. Seems like everyone in this joint is getting hash browns. You get hash browns! You get hash browns… and even you get hash browns! It was like Oprah was working the line.  It was a ballet of food being pumped out with the hash browns being a principal dancer along with the eggs.  Great theater!

Service and Ambiance

Service was fine no complaints there and the ambiance was ok, too. My thoughts kept going back to when this place was the Greek restaurant. The restaurant is very pet friendly.  Each time I visited there have been customers with dogs sitting outside.  Being a dog lover, I really loved seeing that.

Verdict

I’ve been back maybe 4 times and the hash browns had been consistently excellent.  I have only had the pancakes, waffle,  corned beef and hash, grilled cheese sandwich with tomato, bacon, and turkey. All have been good but not excellent.  But, as stated, this article is about hash browns baby!!!!  4 Beers for the Hash Browns! Remember to tell them Dan I Cook sent you and Stay Hungry!

Four beers = Outstanding
Three beers = Good
Two beers = OK
One beer = Needs work
Zero beers= Sucks (No beer is never a good thing.)

https://metrodiner.com/locations/florida/coral-springs/?_ga=2.128967375.294661609.1545566259-838582972.1545566259