Dena's Diner

                On a trip up toward Oxford, we stopped at a fun little strip mall restaurant that has been hailed for their burgers. Dena’s Diner is exactly what the name implies, a mom and pop type joint that serves up a bunch of comfort food.

                It really is too bad that this place is located in a strip mall because it so wants to exude the ambiance of an old style car hop diner. Still, this small, well lit restaurant has a varied menu filled with nine burger options as well as daily specials.

                We stopped in at lunch time on a Sunday and most of the tables were filled. Even being a bit crowded it didn’t take long for us to be served and to have our lunches cooked up fresh for us.

                Located at 8375 Colerain Ave. in the Grossbeck neighborhood of Colerain, Dena’s Diner is located very close to Cross County Highway so it is a convenient place to stop.

The Burgers

                We both had a Diner Burger with cheese. This and all of Dena’s burgers is made from six ounce hand patted Angus ground chuck and the freshness showed. Neither of us wanted to pay extra for the fries so we settled for a bag of chips instead, which, along with a small bowl of fruit salad, is included in the cost.

                The fruit salad was a surprise. You’re used to seeing something like that at First Watch and other such restaurants but not a neighborhood diner. The fruit was fresh and juicy and made us feel a little less guilty for having pigged out on yet another burger and not eaten anything “healthy.”

                But the burgers were healthy. They were juicy and tasty and their reputation is well won. Josh even insisted on having a picture of his burger with a bite taken out rather than our typical “before” type shot.

                It’s refreshing when a burger tastes like a burger and not frozen or over seasoned meat. These burgers tasted like their name, a diner burger. Nothing fancy, just like Dena’s, but with plenty of flavor. Add in the quaint atmosphere while ignoring the strip mall location and it’s well worth the effort to head over to the northwest side to check out Dena’s Diner.