5 & Diner, Phoenix

This restaurant was simply mediocre until I stopped in the ladies' restroom before leaving. It was insulting. There were two stalls, one of which had no lock on it, and the other constructed such that a human of any size could not sit down (that's what most of us girls do) and close the door, since the front of the commode was two inches from the door when closed. I will not explain the contortions involved in using that restroom. For this reason alone, I won't visit this restaurant again.

We stopped in to the Phoenix location of 5 & Diner for a quick dinner before a basketball game. My companion ordered the meatloaf with mashed potatoes, and I ordered a Bacon Burger that comes with cheddar cheese and seasoned fries. We both found our meals unremarkable, but acceptable. I was not asked how I wanted my burger done, and it came medium-well. Safe, but wouldn't have been my choice. The seasoned fries were pretty good and plentiful.

Having taken the virtual tour at 5 & Diner's web site, I find it hard to believe we were in a related restaurant. The photos were certainly not taken at the Phoenix location, where the environment is dank and crowded. There's nothing shiny or attractive about this place, and eating outdoors would be dining in a parking lot.

Our server was uninterested. He had a distant gaze while we were ordering and had to ask us to repeat our order. Once our food was delivered, he never came back until check time, even though our table was right in front of the door to the kitchen. I never got a soft drink refill.

So why did I even give 5 & Diner two stars? I am leaving room for the fact that other locations may be better than the central Phoenix one, and that maybe other servers care more about their jobs than the one we had. Also, I gave them credit for being open 24 hours.