P G Diner

OUT AND ABOUT

PG’s Diner
3048 Gerstner Memorial Drive
Lake Charles, LA
337-478-2925


Seven days a week 6:00 AM to10: 00 PM $1 to $12


The PG stands for Pitt Grill. This off shoot has been around for at least 15 or so. Just recently they did some exterior work. I popped in to see if the menu had changed enough for a review. It had. The interior has seen some new paint but the booths remain the same.

The breakfast menu served all day constitutes half the menu and contains several interesting things. I went for Egg in a Hole. I received two sunny side eggs (my choice) in holes made in two thick slices of their pan bread. The bread had been buttered and griddled. I opted for corn beef hash and grits as sides. The eggs were perfect, nice and runny. The bread soaked up all the good stuff. No place I know of in town does corned beef hash which I love. This one proved to be a canned product but one I know and love. They succeeded in making crispy pan fried patties of it which I never have been able to. The grits are some of the best in town. Stiff and completely hydrated they await butter and a ton of black pepper.

They do a plate lunch here. One day I got Beef Tips. They were served over mashed potatoes with brown gravy. The tips proved tender and flavorful. The side of lima beans and yellow squash were vastly under salted as was the mashed potatoes. A judicious application of salt brought up the flavor somewhat.

Next came a Philly Cheese Steak Po Boy. On an ok bun come griddled shaved ribeye, Swiss cheese and onion. No condiments as it should be. The flavor of the beef, cheese, and onion combo and the bread make a wonderful gestalt. The onion rings were of a medium cut coated with a crust that must be prefabricated since I have encountered it a lot recently. All right but give me my plain flour coating anytime.

Last time in I got a dinner option. It started with tomato vegetable soup that contained no salt. I went with a Hamburger Steak with Chili and Cheese added. The chili with beans seemed to be a canned product. It however worked well with the ground steak. It would have been better it the sautéed onions and cheese had covered the whole thing. The combination of the three favors on the meat proved wonderful. The hash brown I got, as a side proved wonderful, crispy on the outside and luscious inside.

Service in general is good for a rushed place like this. It was evident to me regular customers were viewed a bit different as it should be. All in all the food was good except for the breakfasts, which were outstanding. Since I am just around the corner I expect I will make it my breakfast stop no matter what time of day it is.