Olde Towne Diner

There is a big opportunity in Leo, Indiana (just North of Fort Wayne) for a nice restaurant. Residents say it all the time; it comes up in surveys and town planning meetings. The few restaurants that exist are pizza chains, a Subway and a couple of 'mom & pops'.

The food at the Olde Towne Diner, 14515 Leo Road (State Route 1) is decent. Sometimes it's pretty good. Maybe that's good enough - it promotes itself as a 'diner', and a diner it is. Retro diner decor, pictures of Elvis and James Dean - you know the drill. It opened in 2007, and the booths in the front window are becoming a bit 'sprung out.'

I like the people who work there - friendly service goes a long way in any setting. The view across the street is interesting - I've taken a photo (shown above) of the Scherer & Maxfield tractor dealership, featuring quite a few antique tractors parked out front.

The soups are a good feature. Cream of Broccoli is on the menu, and the last time I was there clam chowder was the soup of the day. I've heard good things about a lasagna soup - I haven't had a chance to try it, but it sounds interesting. My kids like the grilled cheese sandwich they serve.

I personally am fond of their fried fish. I know that isn't the healthiest thing for me, but it's something I don't make at home, so I don't have it very often. I was told theirs is Alaskan pollock. It's light and the batter is usually not overly fried. It comes with slaw and fries. I'm not crazy about their French fries, so I was given the choice of their chips instead. It would be nice if they would offer another vegetable as an alternative. The chips (called seasoned chips) are good though - kind of thick, fried on site. Tasty they are, and an indulgence.

They do offer some salads, but otherwise it's mostly classic diner sandwiches and burgers. You know what I mean - BLT, breaded pork tenderloin, hot ham and cheese, grilled or breaded chicken, coney dogs, hot dogs. There are cute little diner knick-knacks for sale by the cash register near the door. So why am I expecting more? I guess because I see the opportunity. Leo tends to stick to its old formula, and doesn't always keep up with the times and current tastes and trends. It might be a philosophical argument - is this simply sticking to the classics, or is it a lack of forethought or worse (excuse me) laziness? I dislike being critical, but those are my thoughts.

On a sweeter note, they do make handmade milkshakes, and offer a variety of homemade pies. I also like the fact they have a drive up window - more than once I've called in a phone order and then driven to the drive up window to pick up the food. They could use a little updating, some help branding perhaps. But that's just my opinion. It's Leo, so they'll probably just stay stuck in the time warp and do it the way they want. With their location close to the downtown businesses and high school, they probably have enough clientele just as it is.