Fari’s Diner

Fari’s Diner: 350 Winthrop Ave., North Andover, MA

Mike had been wanting to try the Fari’s Diner for a little while. Since the South Florida Eats team was local in Massachusetts, we jumped into the car and drove over to a very non-descript strip mall. There is a Market Basket and a Kohl’s in the same strip mall, along with a credit union. It wasn’t the closest place to where we were, but it was worth checking something new out. Just be aware that Fari’s Diner is only open for breakfast and lunch.

The Restaurant:

The inside of Fari’s Diner seems like taking a walk back in time. I have to say it’s quite a depressing view when you walk in. The place was basically empty, with one other person having breakfast. While we were there, a second couple happened to enter and sit down.

There is a huge counter on the right side that absolutely no one but the employees were sitting at. This is also where the register is located for you to pay your bill. The rest of the restaurant is a mix of booths for four and two people. The benches of the booths have seen better days, with rips and tape on many of them. It wouldn’t take much to update them and give some life back into the furniture. The overall decor is just as dated and is in need of an update as well.

Fari’s Diner Food:

We both were craving some good diner breakfasts, so let’s take a look at what we ate. The first dish was Mike’s. He chose to get an omelet with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, ham, and cheese served with two hash brown patties. The presentation was nice, and he thought that the omelet was pretty good. It was something that if he happened to be in the area again, Mike would stop in.

I went with a traditional ham and cheese omelet served with home fries. Now, looking at the photo, you might think that the home fries were made with sweet potatoes, but you would be wrong. They use so much paprika that it discolors the potatoes to the point that they don’t look like traditional home fries anymore. It also ruined the flavor, and I wished I had ordered the hash brown patties instead. My omelet was nothing special, but still good.

We also ordered a plate of well-done corned beef hash to see what it would be like. It’s definitely from a can, but they did a good job of adding crispness to it without ruining the hash. This is definitely a side we would order again.

Pricing $-$$:  Fari’s Diner is not a place that I would go out of my way to visit. Some of the food is good, while other parts I would avoid.