I thought I knew what to order at D’s Diner.
A burger for lunch. A sandwich when I wanted something easy. Maybe fries and a milkshake if I had nowhere important to be afterward.
The omelet was the surprise.
D’s Diner has two Sonoma County locations: one on Stony Point Road in Santa Rosa and another on Healdsburg Avenue in Sebastopol. Both serve the kind of American comfort food that makes choosing lunch uncomplicated.
The burger I expected
The D’s Classic Burger is a third-pound beef patty on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and mayo. It looks like a burger should look. You can pick it up without needing instructions.
There are larger and stranger options when the classic feels too responsible. The Super Caliente adds bacon, pepper jack, grilled onions, jalapeños and chipotle sauce. The Double-Dare-Ya comes with a two-thirds-pound patty. That one requires commitment.
The sandwich menu covers several different moods. BLT. Tuna melt. Philly cheesesteak. Grilled chicken club. Even a pulled-pork sandwich with a sweet, peppery sauce.
I usually decide by looking at the bread. Rye suggests a patty melt or tuna melt. Sourdough makes sense for grilled cheese. A toasted bun belongs to the burger.
Then I came in for breakfast
D’s makes its omelets with three eggs and serves them with home fries and toast. I expected a normal diner omelet—perfectly acceptable, quickly forgotten.
It was much better than that.
The eggs cannot be dry.
The filling needs to reach more than the first two bites.
A diner breakfast depends on small things. The eggs cannot be dry. The filling needs to reach more than the first two bites. Home fries should have some color on them. Toast should arrive while it is still toast.
D’s got those things right.
If someone asks me about the best American breakfast in Santa Rosa or Sebastopol, I now mention the omelet before the burger. I did not expect that when I walked in.
Lunch remains a different matter
D’s belongs in the conversation for the best burgers and sandwiches in both cities because it understands what people want from a diner. Familiar food. Enough choices. Breakfast in the morning, a burger later, and no need to study the menu before leaving home.
American comfort food rarely needs an introduction.
Sometimes it only needs a toasted bun.
Sometimes rye.
And, apparently, a surprisingly good omelet.