Papermoon Diner

As a childless (childish?) adult, I’ve gone to Papermoon Diner and wondered at the crazy, eclectic, chaotically awesome interior and loved it despite the less than stellar service; usually a bit slow and not overly friendly.  On the day L was supposed to have her cast removed (Broken arm on the second day of school), I decided to wow her with this place as a special treat before our appointment.

Why I thought it would be any faster than it has ever been in the past is beyond me. We had a very short window between her pick up at school and her appointment, but I figured we were going there at 11, so how bad could it be? When they only have one poor guy doing all the cooking, it could be pretty slow. Though, honestly, in the history of my visits there it was actually probably one of the faster ones but I was a little stressed about time so it seemed like it took forever! All in all it was probably a little over an hour. Still not great for a speedy lunch, but not bad. The server was fine but not jumping for joy that we were there.

Anyway, on to the rest of it. L was amazed with this place. The first thing to catch her eye was the wall of Pez dispensers at the entrance. 

PEZ!!

She had recently been introduced to Pez at a friend’s birthday party (Star Wars) and then later got herself a Hello, Kitty dispenser at one of the ticket exchanges at Ocean City. I believe that was when she and my husband managed to hit the ‘jackpot’ and get 1,000 tickets one day. Of course she couldn’t get a few really high ticket items. Instead, it was a whole mess of little things that are really just junk to get lost or for me to step on.  But I digress. When we were inside, she was wowed all over again by the kitsch all over the place. Hanging from the ceilings, lining the walls, etc. 

Seriously in awe.

The fun décor allowed us to pass the time by playing I Spy while we waited for our food.  She’s not really good at this game. She always picks the things that are like, right in front of your face, or uses descriptors such as, “It’s a blue chair hanging from the ceiling.” I mean, come on, that’s not even trying! But that is probably for me the biggest plus of the restaurant. And luckily enough, L did not feel the need to run over and touch everything, which would have probably then turned that into the thing I liked the least about the restaurant. 

Perusing the Menu

 

The food was ok. Because I was in a hurry, I just ordered from the first thing I saw on the menu, which was a cheesesteak. 

Not the greatest I’ve had, but certainly not the worst. I might try something more fun in the future, but would have it again.  The fries were nice and crisp and the sandwich wasn’t so overstuffed that I felt the same way.  Their menu is cool and has some unusual things, as well as some down home favorites. I really like the idea of their TV Dinners, which are some old classics like meatloaf. I’m not sure if they come out in a little segmented tray, but I hope they do. Things are certainly a bit pricey but I guess you’re paying extra for the experience. Something has to help cover all the trips to the thrift store!

L got the chicken tenders and fries, which was actually a bit of a surprise since she usually opts for Grilled Cheese when it’s available. They were your average chicken tenders and really just a distraction from our game for her. 

See how distracted she is in the background

As you walk in/exit you can see the display of huge cakes that beckon you. If I had the time, I would have tried a piece, but instead I just took her out for Maggie Moos after her appointment which was good enough for her. 

Look, ma, no cast!

I am excited to go back again and linger over our meal since coming up with new games could be fun and I feel like you will never actually see everything. I also didn’t get a chance to hit the bathrooms to check those out but I will next time!

Kid Friendliness :  4 (though I suppose it depends on the kid and the day. It could end up being a nightmaer)

Service : 2.5/5

Prices: 3/5

Taste: 3/5