Charlie Parker's Diner

Thanks to a high-profile feature on the Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” there’s a good chance you’ve heard about Charlie Parker’s Diner (700 North Street and www.charlieparkersdiner.com), our most recent stop on the Culinary Delights Tenderloin Tour 2012. Since opening in 1991, this charming Quonset hut has won critical acclaim and devoted customers by serving some of Springfield’s best breakfast food. In fact, it was Charlie Parker’s “Breakfast Horseshoe” that brought Food Network’s Guy Fieri to town in 2007. As he quickly learned, Charlie Parker’s huge portions require a certain amount of “food bravado” and an empty stomach. As you know, the Culinary Delights crew is never short of food bravado, and it was with that spirit that we descended upon Charlie Parker’s today, to see how their breaded pork tenderloin stacked up with its local competition.

Upon entering the premises, we immediately took note of Charlie Parker’s policy towards camping, which is “No Camping at Anytime.” While we can’t imagine why anyone would want to build a campsite inside a small Quonset hut restaurant, we must say we were a bit turned off by Charlie Parker’s militant, anti-camping stance. The gentlemen of Culinary Delights prefer to reserve the right to pitch a tent where they see fit. However, after a bit of discussion we resolved to not let our differences in the value of the outdoor lifestyle come between us and a potential tenderloin delicacy.

Unfortunately, we were also disappointed by the tenderloin. Although the loin was an improvement over last week’s fare at Yesterday’s, and was a decent and hearty sandwich, it simply didn’t stack up against the heavyweights such as Billy’s and Westwoods. It had many things in its favor: a generous size; a tasty bun; plenty of “fixins” (pickle, onion, tomato, lettuce with mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper available as needed); and a very reasonable “basket” option with the sandwich and two sides for only $7.95. (A sandwich and chips will run you $5.95.) But, as a whole the group found the tenderloin lacking in flavor and very dry. It wasn’t the worst sandwich we’ve had; it just wasn’t the best.

The sides were also fairly underwhelming. The fries were soggy, and the fruit and mac and cheese were adequate but not exemplary. The tater tots were the lone saving grace – very crisp and just as you might remember them from your fondest school cafeteria memories.

Although we were not impressed with Charlie Parker’s tenderloin (or the restroom, which was a bit of an experience), we must encourage our readers who possess food bravado to still visit this restaurant. The breakfast food is delicious, the service is excellent, and ambiance is perfect. We also want to note the restaurant’s liberal beverage policy. As we were leaving, our lovely waitress insisted we take complimentary cold beverages to go, due to the dangerously high temperatures outside – a very nice touch. We won’t be back for the tenderloin, but we’ll definitely be back, and we’ll remember to leave our camping gear at home.