Two eggs cooked just over easy and slid onto a plate next to glistening bacon, crispy home fries and well buttered toast: This is the art of a diner, those reliable micro-community hubs that provide sustenance and regularity. Thankfully, the local diner is still alive and well in Tampa Bay.

The American diner fixed in Formica is long past its heyday of the 1950s and ’60s, but Tampa Bay still has more than a few establishments to satisfy late-night carousings or all-day breakfast cravings. Did you know Elvis Presley once ate at a Tampa diner? Ayres Diners were spread throughout Tampa back in the ’50s and ’60s, modular, stainless steel structures that were ubiquitous around the country then. Chanko Japanese restaurant in Seminole Heights operates in the last original Ayres structure still standing — the same one Presley ate in.

We’ve rounded up 16 local diners below. For our purposes, the one featured here serve breakfast all-day, have some semblance of a counter for eating and are relatively affordable. But this list isn’t exhaustive. Do you have a favorite diner? Drop a comment below and let us know what we’re missing.

The nostalgia runs deep at this Holiday diner off U.S. 19. The Christian Hot Rod Association hosts Saturday nights in the parking lot, when you can cruise in and get 10% off food with your classic car. Light gray and red vinyl booths with the bold gray piping, matching Formica tables and chairs and red and white checkered floors cement the ambiance inside. There’s a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu with all the diner classics with Pittsburgh (protein rich) and Asher (hearty) breakfast options.

1730 U.S. 19, Holiday, 727-942-7880.

This Apollo Beach spot serving country fried pork with two eggs ($13.99), create-your-own breakfast sandwiches and pasta meals has been a local haunt for over 30 years. They are not open for dinner, but you can still grab something hearty for lunch like a spaghetti with chicken parm ($13.99) from their new menu rolled out in November. The decor is more nautical than traditional diner nostalgia, with a cadre of regulars and a family-style atmosphere.

6048 N. U.S. Highway 41, Apollo Beach, 813-645-6226, apollobeachdiner.com.

Serving Pinellas County since 1979, this Clearwater mainstay has breakfast and lunch specials starting at $6.49 and $9.99 throughout the week. For dinner (Tuesdays-Saturdays only) you have options like two center-cut pork chops cooked your way ($12.99), shrimp and grits ($14.99) and spaghetti and meatballs ($13.99). They claim to be “the best family restaurant in Pinellas, perhaps Florida” on their Facebook page. We’ll leave it up to you to decide.

2839 Roosevelt Blvd., Clearwater, 727-539-1428, countryskilletdiner.com.

This South Howard modern diner with old-school charm has history in its bones: The location used to be Tampa’s Old Meeting House. Daily Eats carries on the legacy as a South Tampa diner with a buzzier, younger vibe. Expect doggies on the patio, matcha and chai lattes ($6) and beer and wine. Daily Eats serves updated diner fare like breakfast bowls and benedicts while still serving classic have-it-your-way breakfast plates and handhelds like a chef’s burger ($15) and a patty melt ($15).

901 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-868-3335, ilovedailyeats.com.

With a more selective menu, Ellie’s still has all the diner classics like egg combos, omelettes, skillets, sandwiches and burgers. But if you’re wondering what to get for lunch, they recommend ordering a Philly cheesesteak ($11.99). The chef, “Dino,” is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and knows the secret to making a fantastic one, they say.

12008 Race Track Road, Tampa, 813-854-2483, elliestampa.com.

This North Florida Avenue 24-hour haunt has a vibe all unto itself. New York subway placard replicas hang above arched windows in a vintage building that used to house a Taco Bell. The retro black-and-white hex-floor tiles disappear under comfy red and gray vinyl booths and matching gray Formica tables populated with regulars. The menu has a ton of choices, from breakfast to deli sandwiches to pastas. They serve draft beer, wine and New York egg creams ($5.45). Joe’s offers an experience only a 24-hour diner can, a little off-kilter, but centered in its eccentricity.

11701 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-933-2952, joesnewyorkdiner.com.

This old-school, family-owned spot has been around for a quarter century and is open seven days a week from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. The menu is formidable. They offer daily specials like shepherd’s pie ($10.95) and salisbury steak ($11.95), rotating homemade soups and a wealth of cakes and pies like chocolate and cheese, and cherry and key lime. The Albanian omelette ($10.95) is their heritage namesake: feta cheese, gyro meat, tomatoes and onions.

3590 34th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-526-6673, kristinascafestpete.com.

Serving Largo since 1999, this spot has an extensive menu including three different soups of the day, like chicken lemon rice, Manhattan clam chowder and chicken orzo. The restaurant also has a full bar and American and Greek favorites like steaks, kabobs and roasts.

788 Missouri Ave. N., Largo, 727-584-7330, largofamilyrestaurant.com.

Opened in 1959, the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner ate here regularly when he was in town and it’s just down the road from his eponymously named Tampa baseball field. No counter, no problem: This is a quintessential diner. They serve breakfast specialties like corned beef hash and eggs ($12.99), blueberry hotcakes ($10.99) and lunch like meatloaf ($11.99). “For good food,” states their sign on N. Dale Mabry Highway.

4816 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, 813-875-2670.

The New York Diner, while serving classic diner fare, also runs regular specials like a ham steak breakfast ($12.99), butterscotch pancakes ($9.99) and consistently offers salteñas ($5), a Bolivian pastry not unlike an empanada. At this spot, they are made with either beef or chicken in a savory stew-like sauce encased in a slightly sweet pastry shell and baked to order. A unique offering in diner digs, they also do a wing Wednesday (75 cents per wing) and seafood boils.

2126 Jelane Drive, Valrico, 813-654-4300, thenewyorkdinervalrico.com.

Papa’s is 1950s-themed, with white-and-black hex-tiled floor, vinyl booths and a large black diner counter. It’s open 24/7, which is a win when you’re really craving a Reuben sandwich ($14.99) at midnight. The menu is vast, from all-day breakfast and homemade soups to salads, burgers to desserts.

1764 Gulf to Bay Blvd., Clearwater, 727-446-8283, papasnewyorkdiner.com.

Pickford’s is actually from the 1950s, a pale pink art-deco building that houses two businesses under one roof: Urban Bungalow, a home essentials gift shop, and Pickford’s Counter. The Counter is a modern update on the old-school luncheonette. You can grab a breakfast burrito ($12.95) or a turkey melt ($11.95), plus they have a full drinks menu complete with espresso drinks, beer and wine and various milkshakes ($6) that harken back to what Pickford’s was when it opened over 70 years ago.

2606 W. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, 813-555-1212, pickfordssundries.com.

Suzi’s is a small breakfast and lunch spot in Largo with a quaint old-school diner counter and vintage stools. “Love, peace and eats” is the motto here. The prices are low and the menu is stacked with all the diner classics like corned beef hash with two eggs ($10.95), sweet cream buttermilk pancakes ($6.50-8.50) and a tuna melt on rye ($10.49). Suzi’s is a no-frills type of place where they’re likely to learn your name after a couple of visits.

1555 E. Bay Drive suite O-P, Largo, 727-221-9662.

The building that houses Tchotchke has a storied diner history. It was the location of Munch’s Restaurant and Sundries until former owner Larry Munch sold the building after 70 years. Tchotchke’s opened its doors in the spring of 2024. It’s a modern diner that plays the hits, like two eggs your way ($13) and biscuits and gravy ($17), and offers a spin on the classics with biscuit benedicts and hash plates.

3920 Sixth St. S., St. Petersburg, 727-202-8833, tchotchkecafe.com.

This Seminole Heights gem is open 24 hours and has been serving Tampeños for over 40 years. Grab a New York strip and eggs ($17.99), a cheeseburger with fries or soup ($10.75) or a fried seafood combo ($15.99). The menu has a little bit of everything. Three Coins Diner has a welcoming vibe and even a small patio out front, if streetwatching is your thing.

7410 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa, 813-239-1256, threecoinsdiner.com.

You can get Trip’s on both sides of the bay, in Seminole Heights in Tampa and in Crescent Heights in St. Petersburg. Both locations are a walk through the history of their respective areas, with old photographs and local ephemera on the walls or embossed in your table. While not that old (the first St. Pete spot opened in 2012), Trip’s does feel very homey and lived in. The menu has all the classics for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus beer and wine.

2339 Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-498-8980; 6416 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-533-1900, tripsdiner.com.