The rare diner chain where chefs and celebrities eat, Waffle House is among the most iconic chains in America, regardless of mealtime or genre.
Even if you're in the middle of a major city, Black Bear Diner is the type of restaurant that'll make you feel like you're in a cozy, woodsy cabin out West.
Any restaurant founded with friendliness at the front and center is bound to be a good one. Indeed, few chains are as heartening as Friendly's, the Massachusetts-born diner that opened in 1935 as a sunny and smiley ice cream shop.
Breakfast or not, Denny's reigns as one of the biggest—and most successful—restaurant chains in the U.S. Since launching in California in 1953, the company has grown to include more than 1,600 locations across the globe, becoming known for things like endless breakfast and Grand Slams along the way.
Another California-based mega-chain, IHOP, emerged near Los Angeles in 1958 as the International House of Pancakes.
The late 1950s were a robust era for diner chains because another enduring brand to emerge at this time was Perkins Restaurant & Bakery.
Another Ohio-based diner icon, Bob Evans, has been gracing our plates since 1948 when its namesake founder began making his own sausage to serve at a tiny diner on his farm in Gallipolis.