Spot Coffee (for a point of reference, think Starbuck’s) is a small-chain…Delray Beach, Florida– Buffalo (3), New York–Williamsville, New York (wherever the hell that is?)–Rochester, New York– Toronto, Ontario.

Now, I’m not exactly sure as to who likes these kinda joints…Generation X or is it Generation Y–what I do know, is that nothing and nobody is ever going to beat Chock Full O’ Nuts’ lunch counters circa 1960 with their $.10 coffee, whole-wheat-donuts and nut-and-cream-cheese sandwiches—However…

If you are a member of Generation X, Generation Y or like Mrs. Jeff Eats someone who doesn’t dwell on the past—you will absolutely love Spot Coffee’s coffees, breakfast items, pizzas, sandwiches, salads. Today- at the Delray joint had an ice coffee that was perfectly made, a grilled cheese on focaccia bread and a belgian waffle that almost made me forget about Chock Full O’Nuts’ stuff.

You can check www.spotcoffee.com for menu/prices.

If you like “mom & pop” neighborhood diners, you will definitely want-to-try the Red Fox Diner in Lighthouse Point. For sure, the joint must be doing something right-as its been around for something like 40 years. You can check menu/prices/loads of photos at www.redforxdiner.com.

Regular readers know, that “diners” like this hold a special place in old Jeff Eats’ heart. For some reason, joints like the Red Fox take me back to a time when America wasn’t so complicated. Maybe I’m getting old, but I kinda think that the America of the 50′s without all of the big box stores, shopping malls, McDonald’s, cable stations and facebooks—was a much nicer place to live…You do recall ABC, CBS, NBC, WOR, WNEW, WPIX (for you New Yorkers out there) and that was about it, don’t you?

The Red Fox Diner does breakfast/lunch. The joint is open Monday-Friday 6am-3pm and Saturday-Sunday 6am-2pm.

Over the years, I must have eaten in the Red Fox Diner something like 10 times. The joint’s menu has loads of breakfast stuff, sandwiches, salads, burgers, meat/chicken/fish entrees. Absolutely nothing fancy going on here…I will tell you, that the Red Fox’s 1/2 lb cheeseburger is one of the best “diner” burgers I’ve had- same goes for the joints’ chicken philly cheesesteak sub.

The Red Fox Diner is located “in-line” in a non-descript Lighthouse Point strip center. Some of you guys may disagree, but I find sitting outside at one of its three outdoor tables–to be far more enjoyable than people watching from some uptown joint’s patio on West 73rd Street and 9th Avenue in Manhattan on a sunny day.

If you are looking for the way breakfast and lunch use to be and should still be, you gotta checkout the Red Fox Diner.

If you want to see what a “hole in the wall” diner really looks like–checkout Center Street Nook in Jupiter.

Right up front, I recently did a breakfast and lunch at this maybe 35 seater and loved the joint. You can check menu/prices at www.centerstreenook.com.

To make what could be a long story a short one…delicious raisin bread french toast and belgian waffles—also really enjoyed the bacon cheeseburger and philly cheesesteak sub–they call it a hoagie, but I’m from New Yooork!

You regular readers know, I love the “mom & pop” diners of the world. If you’re like me, you will really enjoy Center Street Nook.

Center Street Nook is open Monday-Saturday 7am-9pm, Sunday 7am-2pm.

No kidding around, it just dawned on me why this joint’s name has the word NOOK in it!

The Breakfast Shack is a “mom & pop” breakfast-lunch joint in Boynton Beach. The Breakfast Shack has a website www.thebreakfastshack.com- but as far as I’m concerned- it’s totally worthless as it has no menu/prices/photos.

Real simple, tons of breakfast stuff, burgers, sandwiches, salads.

The joint is open Monday-Friday 8am-2pm and Saturday-Sunday 7am-2pm.

Despite the crap website–I really enjoyed the joint. Delicious western omelet, banana waffles, french toast.

The Breakfast Shack is a nice break from the bagel-deli gigs playing all over South Florida.

As I’m sure- most of you know that Krispy Kreme Donuts is a “national-international” donut chain with stores in the United States and abroad. Really don’t have the time or inclination to go into detail, but the chain- which has been around since 1937 found its “growth” stunted a few years ago, when its management was caught-up in a public accounting/business scandal. Suffice it to say, many think (me included) that the new management, installed just a few short years ago, has turned Krispy Kreme Donuts’ business around. Now, I could be wrong here, but I think that Krispy Kreme’s stock currently selling at $6.39 (KKD) is an absolute steal. Do your on own DUE DILIGENCE. You can get details on Krispy Kreme at www.www.krispykreme.com.

As for Krispy’s donuts…a recent outing to a Miami location convinced me that its hot-glazed donut is one of the most delicious “things” known to mankind. To be perfectly honest with you, Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee is better, but Krispy’s donuts are better. Just so you know, my taste test also included, cake and cinnamon twist donuts–also delicious.

For the record, I bought KKD yesterday. Like I said before, I think that “new” management has finally gotten a firm hand on this turnaround situation. I also like the fact, that huge foreign expansion plans appear to be in the works.

By the way, the Miami location listed above, is open 24/7.

Let me make this one short and sweet (pun intended)…I never met- a donut that didn’t like me and vice versa. One of my favorite “in house” delights, is to pig-out on 6 honey glazed donuts with a hot cup of coffee while reading the newspaper. Suffice it to say, when I’m in such a mood, I really don’t care if the donuts are Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Publix brand

…just call it, a quest for a sugar high or a carefree moment. Not being a limited kinda guy–I also love powdered, jelly, cake donuts (just to name a few)–but honey glazed is at the top of the list. Anyway…the point of this discussion, is to get across the fact, that donuts are one of my favorite food-groups.

For the record, over the years I must have eaten/taken out donuts from the Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach–Dandee locations a combined 30 times. I have never tried the Hollywood joint. From what I understand, the 3-stores are owned by different people…but the donuts and food menus are basically the same. You can check menu/prices at www.dandeedonuts.com.

The best way for me to describe The Dandee Donut Factory, “think”– Dunkin’ Donuts meets Waffle House or Ruffle House (By the way, when the guy who owned Waffle House wouldn’t sell a franchise to a guy who wanted one, the second guy started his own chain named Ruffle House. I thought you’d like that little gem, in case you ever go on Jeopardy). All 3 locations, in addition to donuts have a breakfast/lunch menu. Counter/table seating. For the record, the “non” donut stuff, is as good as any “mom & pop” diner’s offerings and runs circles around the IHOP’s, Denny’s and Perkin’s of the world. That said, the real game at The Dandee Donut Factory is DONUTS.

Let me close this out by saying…the donuts served by Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme are no match whatsoever for the donuts made by Dandee.

If you realy want to eat 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11…delicious- out of this world donuts, you gotta try The Dandee Donut Factory. The Pompano location is open 24/7. The other two joints are open Monday-Sunday 6am-4pm.

These “guys” really know how to make donuts.

Mom’s Kitchen…very original name, right! Just don’t confuse this “mom & pop” diner- with “mom & pop” diner- Mom’s Kitchen reviewd here on July 5, 2008, then again, “that” Mom’s Kitchen is in Lake Worth and this Mom’s Kitchen is in Fort Lauderdale. Then again, this Mom Kitchen’s has been around since 1972…

Anyway…if you are a fan of neighborhood diners—faux 1960′s look- as I am, you will enjoy Mom’s Kitchen. You know the look, counter seating, booths, formica. This particular Mom’s does breakfast & lunch Monday-Saturday 6am–3pm and Sunday 6am-2pm. As for menu particulars, the full boat of all-day breakfast stuff, burgers, sandwiches, salads. Absolutely-positively nothing fancy here.

For the record, I’ve done 3 breakfasts here and 2 lunches…let’s call this one “good solid diner” food.

To wrap this one-up—good diner food, good diner service, good diner prices, good diner decor, good neighborhood vibe.

A couple of you guys-suggested that I give Long Island Bagel & Deli in Boca Raton a try…so I did.

Just got back from Long Island Bagel & Deli–suffice it to say, I won’t be back.

The joint which opened about 1-month ago, looks like your typical bare-bones bagel restaurant. My friend Mike and I ordered, 2 cups of coffee, 1-toasted everything bagel with cream cheese and 1-everything bagel with chicken salad—with the waitress being told to make sure that the everything chicken salad “bagel” had extra mayo on it and absolutely-positively no lettuce or tomato on it.

30 minutes that’s right THIRTY MINUTES after placing the order, 1-toasted everything bagel with cream cheese and 1-everything bagel with chicken salad-tomato-lettuce and no mayo arrived.

While waiting those 30-minutes, I noticed that the owner was busy sitting/talking with a couple at another table…while his two counter men, were filling orders and handling the register. In all fairness, the restaurant was busy (not crazy busy) but busy—that said, there is absolutely no way that a “small” order like the one my table placed- take 30 minutes to prepare and then find that the order was done wrong. Look! I’m sitting there 30 minutes twiddling my thumbs—same “boredom” for others sitting there and the owner “sits” yapping away at a table. Give me a freaking break…the guy should have been behind the counter, doing whatever-to get food out to customers.

I’ve been to a ton of bagel joints down here…why anyone would pick Long Island Bagel & Deli over nearby competitors is beyond me. Just off the top of my head, I can name at least 6 bagel-delis in the area that run absolute circles around this joint. Let’s try Bagel City, Bagel Works, Utopia Bagels, Nestor’s, Zinger’s and Westside Bagels just for starters.

By the way, the bagels were nothing special—same for the chicken salad. To flesh the food out a bit, the bagel was extremely thin and had the consistency of white bread. The chicken salad, chicken chunks in mayo–if anything else was in the mix, it wasn’t dectectable to this palate. Trust me on this one, this was by no stretch of the imagination “good” chicken salad. This little fiasco before tip was $12.50—trust me, not even close to being worth anything even close to that amount.

Long Island Bagel & Deli is open 6:30am-3pm and Sunday 7am-3pm.

Junior’s Diner…”mom & pop”–cash only–booth/counter seating diner in Orlando.

I love neighborhood-diner joints, like Juniors. Nothing fancy, just good solid breakfasts, burgers, fries, sandwiches—what makes these joints special is–that they have personality. Unlike chains like IHOP and Perkin’s, the Junior’s of the world have a down-home style and personal touch that only local-owners can generate.

Now, we all know that Orlando is a tourist “mecca”—I seriously doubt, that there are any national restaurant chains without at least one Orlando outpost. If you want to eat where the “locals” eat…you gotta try Junior’s Diner. The joint is open Monday-Saturday 6:30am-2pm and is closed on Sunday.

Keke’s Breakfast Cafe is a “small” breakfast-lunch chain. It currently has 2-Orlando stores and another in Winter Park. You can check menu/prices/locations at www.kekes.com.

For discussion purposes, think IHOP and Perkin’s and you’ll have a pretty good idea as to what Keke’s is all about. That said, based on a recent breakfast “sampling” of chocolate chip pancakes, apple cinammon waffles, western omelte, french toast—I think that if Kekes, IHOP and Perkin’s were lined-up in a row…I’d pick Kekes. Notice-I didn’t include Denny’s in that list. For what it’s worth, Denny’s in my humble opinion, is an absolute disaster. Over the years, I have never had a meal at a Denny’s where “something” wasn’t wrong. How Denny’s continues to survive in a piss-poor economy is absolutey amazing. Then again, its rock-bottom prices maybe the reason-that people will voluntarily eat there.

Now let’s be straight with each other, Kekes is a “commercial” joint…it gets the job done in the food department—but it is missing, shall we say, the ambiance and style of the “mom & pop” joints that make eating breakfast really-really special. This mom & pop vibe-thing maybe an “intangible”—but you know it- when you are eating your food and talking to your waiter/waitress.

Assuming that you haven’t been totally spoiled by your favorite “local” diner–I think that you will enjoy Keke’s.

Keke’s bottomline…good fine, good service, reasonable prices.

Keke’s is open for breakfast-lunch 7 days a week 7am-2:30pm.