Top 5 Diner Orders That Are Never the Wrong Call

When the menu is laminated, eight pages long and somehow sticky, these are the orders that have never once let anyone down.

1. 1

   Patty Melt on Rye

   A burger that went to finishing school: griddled onions, Swiss and buttered rye make it better than anything listed under "Burgers."

2. 2

   Biscuits and Gravy

   Peppery sausage gravy over split biscuits is the dish a diner actually gets judged by, and a gluey one tells you to leave early.

3. 3

   Denver Omelet With Hash Browns, Extra Crispy

   Ham, peppers and onion folded into the most reliable order in America, as long as you say "extra crispy" and mean it.

4. 4

   Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

   It's what you'd make at home, but the flat-top gets the bread a deep golden crunch that no home pan has ever managed.

5. 5

   Slice of Whatever Pie Is in the Case

   Don't ask what's good; point at the one with the tallest meringue, and you'll be right about 90 percent of the time.