The Diner

The Diner is your archetypal fast food/​chip shop establishment with all the calorie filled wonderment that any good fast food outlet should have. I have to say that it is all tasty too, from pizzas to kebabs if you’re after an indulgent pig out session then this place will see you right. It looks good also, clean and sophisticated which goes a long way to encouraging customer faith in the service. Good staff as well who work quickly and efficiently meaning that waiting times are usually never unreasonable. There’s not an awful lot more to add, except to say that this is a business doing its job well.

Located some way from the main area of takeaways in Selly Oak, The Diner has a monopoly on the late night student crowd located around Raddlebarn Road. It has the usual two or three tables often found in takeaways, although, strangely, it’s in an unusually large premises, which begs the question why they haven’t made more of an effort to create a more restaurant-​like atmosphere which would surely bring more business in. As with most of the takeaways in the Selly Oak area, its affordable, and there’s a wide range of food on offer, from burgers to pizzas, but its generally of a poorer quality than many of the other outlets, and tends to be quite greasy, which is never what you want after a night out. Many a night I have spent in The Diner bemoaning the fact that the much superior Dolphin Fish Bar has a much earlier closing time. I’d avoid if there are alternatives available.

This place is just down the road from where I live and is so very convenient for fulfilling late night hunger pangs! It is a kebab/​burger/​chips/​pizza/​fizzy drinks, the usual take away and fast food type of place, although there are a couple of tables if you wanted to stay and munch inside. The staff are welcoming and have always been quite chatty when I’ve been in, which is always nice and makes me want to return. The food is good, decent sized burgers and kebabs and pretty tasty. They also do meal deals and are quite happy to cater with what you want — so when I asked for a burger, I specifically asked for less salad and more meat and sauce! Overall, it is a cheap and cheerful place to eat good old fast food!