Breakfast for lunch at Dimitri’s Restaurant

There aren’t many restaurants in Delta Township that serve a good breakfast. Sure, you can brave the crowd at Cracker Barrel or Denny’s, but if you want a homestyle meal at a reasonable price, the family-owned Dimitri’s Restaurant is unrivaled. The eatery was a staple of downtown Lansing for nearly 40 years until it relocated to the west side in 2010. The downtown crowd still misses it dearly, but for Delta Township residents like me, their loss is our gain.

Dimitri’s has a very relaxed and homey atmosphere. The staff is friendly, greeting you right at the door and getting you a table as quickly as possible. Being a place that mainly caters to the breakfast and lunch crowds, the menu consists of omelets, egg skillets, pancakes, burgers and sandwiches. There’s also a display of pie slices right by the cashier’s desk, which is the first thing customers see when they walk in, almost like a warning not to fill up so much that they won’t be hungry for dessert.

Breakfast is served all day, so don’t feel obligated to switch to the lunch menu just because it’s noon. My family always orders breakfast for lunch — specifically the omelets, which come with American fries and a choice of toast for $8.99. I usually order mine with cheddar cheese because I don’t like veggies or meat in my omelets. What can I say? I have very plain taste.

Consequently, my omelet usually isn’t as thick and fluffy as the more topping-heavy ones my family orders, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious. Rich in both flavor and protein, it’s the perfect start to the day — or the afternoon. Equally as enjoyable are the flawlessly golden-brown potatoes. I prefer American fries to hash browns because the potato pieces are thicker, crispier and less greasy than the thinly shredded hash browns you find at other breakfast places, and they go great with ketchup. As for the white toast, it always has the perfect amount of melted butter spread on top.

I’ve also ordered the pancakes before, which are delicious but very large. Don’t plan on finishing them unless you have a sufficiently empty stomach. My mother once ordered the triple stack of blueberry pancakes, and once the waitress brought them out, she immediately wished she had ordered the double stack instead.

I don’t know what the downtown version of Dimitri’s was like, but the Delta Township location offers a very satisfying experience on all fronts, from service to flavor to price. My only regret is that I’m always too full to try one of the oh-so-temping chocolate pie slices — but there’s always next time.