Diner Ross

For the entrance to Diner Ross, read our review of DiscoShow.

You walk up the stairs to the lounge-bar area and in the corner is a faux hot dog cart under an umbrella. That’s the hostess stand.

Inside is a large space full of naugehyde booths and red chairs, stainless-steel legs on the tables, and the walls covered in bygone decorations; a lot of money was spent on posters, photos, and original art. The soundtrack, as well, is from the era: “Mr. Big Stuff,” “Everyday People,” “You’re So Vain,” “Young Americans,” “Take a Walk on the Wild Side,” and the like. Other than Diner Ross being LOUD LOUD LOUD, the music, furnishings, and décor are the best things about this restaurant (and the name).

Then there’s the food.

You finally get to see a menu with prices on it (none of the online menus or even the one posted outside the DiscoShow front door bothers with that mundane detail). And once you see the numbers, you’ll know why. Appetizers and salads are in the $20s. Mushroom risotto is $28, trout $32, meatloaf $35, and chicken $39. The burger is $36! Steaks start at $48 (with fries), rise to $69 for the filet mignon (no number of ounces), and top out at $180 for the 42-ounce Tomahawk. If you want steak sauces, add $5. And this is supposed to be an old-fashioned New York-style diner.

We got the shrimp cocktail, five medium and slightly mushy shrimp with a couple of sauces ($24), and the signature Disco fries, a big plate of potatoes with gravy; even though the service was lickety-split and we had our food in 90 seconds flat, the fries were soggy and cold in a matter of minutes. Meanwhile, are you sitting down? With tax and tip, the shrimp cocktail and fries came to $60. And those were, essentially, the cheapest items on the menu.

DiscoShow is worth the $118 ticket. As for Diner Ross, take a stroll through to see the art. But skip eating there.