For the last thirty-plus years I have passed the Butter Krisp Diner in Covington at Claiborne Hill. Diners are definitely not my thing so there was no way I’d go in there, but I remained endlessly curious about it. There was always a lot going on there, and the donuts were reputed to be great. Once I drove through to get Tom a donut, but their drive-thru was a little scary. Dirt and rocks and potholes, I wondered if I would get something in my tire along with the donut.
What I learned shortly after was that The Butter Krisp Diner was originally opened by Gilbert Copeland, the founder of Tastee Donuts and the older brother of Al. Al worked for Gilbert as a day job at Tastee then fried chicken till the wee hours of the morning to perfect his recipe for Popeye's. This Copeland connection made me more curious than ever about the place.
And then the diner suffered major damage with either Hurricane Ida or an unnamed fierce storm, and for months later each time I passed I wondered what was being done in there for such a small place to get a redo that took that long.
One day at Claiborne Hill, in a busy intersection that wraps around, I noticed a car line that dwarfed any that Chik-Fil-A and Cane’s had, including the Popeye’s lines in the height of the chicken sandwich craze. It crossed the river and went into Covington! Tracing the line to its source I realized that the diner had reopened. It was madness.
But now that the diner was new, I had to go in. It sparkled inside, with the kind of waitresses one only sees now at diners. Patrons looked like regular folk from the neighborhood and were clearly regulars based on their familiarity with each other and the staff. And a steady stream of others who all knew each other walked in and out for donuts. It was a charming scene.
The food was exactly as I expected, meaning nothing special. I ordered waffles for Tom and an American breakfast for me. And a few other things in this first and only visit.
Tom had all the starters. I picked up a cinnamon donut and a large glaze donut twist from the walk-in counter that Tom eagerly consumed with a cup of coffee he was very enthusiastic about.
My American breakfast came with two nice strips of bacon and two eggs that I ordered over easy. A guy from the kitchen delivered it with the most sincere apology and another egg. He said they overcooked one of the eggs and brought another. Such solicitousness was unexpected, unnecessary, and just plain sweet. I was charmed. Of all places not to order hash browns, I for some reason asked for grits, which came with a puddle of melted yellow something around the edge of the dish. They were fine grits, as were the eggs, and the bacon was good. The biscuit was nothing special but exactly what I would expect.
Tom’s waffles, which he didn’t really touch after the massive sugar consumption appetizer, were actually really tasty. They had a nice vanilla component and were the best I have tried of any waffle ever placed before Tom. Too bad he was so full of donuts.
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This seemed like a place to have a great traditional old-fashioned club sandwich but it was not on the menu. I got a burger and fries. The burger was absolutely ordinary at best, but the fries were nice. Heavily dusted with Creole seasoning, they were hot and crispy and hard to resist.
My favorite thing about the meal turned out to be the jalapēno kolache I ordered as an afterthought.
I loved the staff at The Butter Krisp Diner. They were straight from yesteryear, which I always find refreshing and soothing, somehow.
Now when I pass the Butter Krisp Diner, I know what I am missing inside. Nothing, but only because diners are not my thing. But for people who want to socialize with others in an old-fashioned way and who enjoy the simplicity of diner food, The Butter Krisp Diner is a find.
And if you are in a hurry and just want a great donut, the drive-thru got paved in the renovation.
