Mickey’s Diner

After the conference, I drove over to tour Fort Snelling, but it was closed. The web page said it would be open, but it was closed. A lot of other people were there to see it, but it was closed. I headed into St. Paul and ate lunch at Mickey’s Diner.

Mickey’s is a funny place. It’s an authentic diner, built in 1937 and brought to this spot where it has operated ever since. Unlike Fort Snelling, it’s never closed “except when it needs repairs” — and it isn’t very clean.

The locals eat there. Near the end of my meal, three people wandered in who were obviously very high on some substance. My waitress and the bus boy stood behind the counter in front of me and discussed the arrest of a shirtless man that was taking place across the street. Three college students at a nearby booth were talking about a Bible Study. And yet it’s been around so long that it’s also a tourist attraction. Others, like me, were there just to see the place and enjoy the atmosphere. It’s been featured in several TV shows and served as a location in several movies. The menu lists all the famous people who have eaten there.

I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, which was decent. My waitress talked me into hash browns — “they’re really good here.” And they were good, but a bit weird with a cheeseburger. My chocolate shake was very good. I didn’t hang around long, I didn’t want to get towed. The half hour I spent here seemed more like an episode of a TV show than a lunch.

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