Silver Diner will open its 21st restaurant at National Harbor on Tuesday, August 1 at 11 a.m. following a ribbon cutting with Prince George’s County officials. I must say, they've really outdone themselves with this one. On Thursday, July 27, I was lucky to be invited to a sneak peek of the new Silver Diner restaurant and had 3 mommy friends tag along. After all who doesn't need a mom's night out? The Silver Diner is located on the corner of Waterfront Street, occupying the space where Elevation Burger was previously. The first thing that caught my eye was the architecture. It's their most innovative diner yet! They've got this fantastic outdoor patio with 70 seats, and get this, there's another area with 25 seats that have sliding glass doors, so it feels like you're dining outdoors even when you're indoors. And guess what? They've got a stand-alone bar called "Bar Silver." Fancy, right?
If anyone really knows me they know I love diners and Silver Diner has that classic, modern vibe. They've got those iconic red booths, and the floor tiles have this lovely blue and white art-deco design. It reminded me of the good old days when we used to go to diners all the time. And the chrome touches and diner accents just added to the charm.
 |
Now, the best part was the menu. They really have something for everyone, from young singles to families like us and even seniors. Can you believe they have vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options alongside their diner classics? It's what they call a "flexitarian" menu, and it's perfect for people with different tastes and dietary needs. The executive chef and co-founder, Ype Von Hengst, did a fabulous job with the menu. He's the one who brought farm-to-table to the diner, and they still source from local farms, including ones in Prince George's County.
 |
Speaking of families, they have a special Kids Menu that has won national awards and even got featured in journals! I was so impressed. And you know what's even better? They take customer feedback seriously. Ype Von Hengst himself tests the new menu items with customers and listens to what they have to say. That's some top-notch customer service right there. They hired 120 new employees for this location, and get this, they're known for promoting from within. Almost all the restaurant managers and operating partners started as servers or kitchen workers, some over 10 years ago! Can you imagine the dedication? And there are servers who've been with them for 15 to 25 years, which is quite unusual in the restaurant industry.
The location is just perfect for National Harbor. They really did their homework and studied the dining patterns and interests of the community before designing the restaurant. So, it's not just a place for families and friends to gather; they've got a higher-end bar to cater to singles and meeting attendees too. Talk about being flexible!
Oh, and here's something that warmed my heart. Silver Diner partners with a nonprofit called Real Food for Kids to fund and influence healthy dining in schools. They've fed more than 150,000 meals to needy families in the region and raised over $163K for the cause. They even got recognized as health and nutrition leaders at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Kudos to them for giving back to the community!
Since we live nearby, we love that they're open from 7 a.m. daily. It's so convenient for breakfast or even an early brunch. And they close at 11 p.m. on most days, except for Friday and Saturday when they stay open till 1 a.m.
 |
Overall, our visit to Silver Diner at National Harbor was delightful. It was a test run for the kitchen and although it was extremely busy all of the staff were extremely accommodating. If you're looking for a place to dine with the family, have a date night, or just enjoy some good old diner classics with a modern twist, Silver Diner is the place to be!
For more information, you can visit www.silverdiner.com. And remember, they've got free parking for up to 90 minutes with a purchase, so you don't have to worry about that. Happy dining, everyone!
