Fake train, real gravy at Gail's Diner

There's just something special about a diner. There are many restaurants that call themselves a diner these days. But according to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, a diner is a small, informal and inexpensive restaurant that looks like a railroad car.

Gail's Diner on East Military Drive in North Little Rock (formerly the Starlite Diner and other eateries) is a true diner.

The building still looks the same, and true to the diner name, it looks like a silver railroad car.

My son and I recently headed out on a sunny Saturday morning to check out Gail's.

We entered through the double front doors to find that the place still sort of looked the way we remembered. To the left is a long counter with stools for seating. To the right of the door is a modestly decorated dining area with large booths anchored along the walls. We opted for seating in the well-lighted back room with an arrangement of tables and chairs, along with sports-themed decor and a mounted TV.

A friendly server quickly brought menus, took our drink orders, then bustled off. We had a few questions and she was able to help us when she returned with our water. Gail's menu is not extensive, so it shouldn't have been hard to choose, but it was.

The menu offers breakfast items, sandwiches and burgers, and daily specials. We started by ordering a single Demolicious Burger with Fries ($7). It was well worth the price. We ordered it with an over-medium fried egg, bacon and cheese. Other toppings include lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, jalapeno, onion and grape jelly. It can be ordered as a double ($8) or triple ($9.50).

We also chose the three-piece fried chicken ($9; $8 two-piece), with green beans and a side salad as our two sides.

Lastly, we went for one of our favorite breakfast staples -- sausage gravy and biscuits ($5). The server said the gravy was homemade, and after meeting Gail Dawn right before we left, I don't think she'd stand for packaged gravy in her restaurant.

After about 20 minutes, the burger and chicken were brought to the table.

I cut the burger in half and the egg's yolk oozed down the side. It was a thing of beauty. Surprisingly, it was less messy than I thought it would be, and just as delicious as I had hoped. The burger was hand-patted and well seasoned. The fries, while not the star of the plate, were hot, crisp and golden. Most of them went home, though, and reheated well in the toaster oven.

We received a thigh and two wings as our chicken dinner, and I was a bit disappointed. I figure for $9 we should have at least gotten one leg. But it was moist and delicious, coated with a tasty batter that came out of the fryer brown and crisp, and the chicken itself was very moist. The side salad was a nice mixture of greens with cucumbers and tiny tomatoes, and the green beans, cooked with pork, were amazing.

The biscuit and gravy tasted heavenly -- smooth and creamy, with the perfect amount of black pepper.

They do have a variety of desserts some days. When we went, it was bread pudding, but I'm not a fan of that. Those interested in their daily specials, check Gail's Diner out on Facebook.

On the back of the take-out menu is Gail's life history, which starts with a love of cooking that she discovered at age 12. She went to cooking school in hopes of running her own restaurant. She is an American success story.

At noon Friday, radio personality Tom Joyner will appear at Gail's Diner to sign autographs and offer free lunch giveaways to the first 102 guests. There are also plans for new menu items and possibly longer hours. We hope so.

Weekend on 01/22/2015