Bring On The Brunch! Hi-Lo Diner

One of my best Bring on The Brunch adventures this summer was Hi-Lo Diner. When I think back to my visit there the best way to describe my visit is deliciously different. The service, food and overall vibe of Hi-Lo was everything I had hoped for and more. I took advantage of a free Saturday morning and invited my dad out to brunch. I had spied a picture of the Bloody Mary offered at Hi-Lo on their Instagram earlier this spring. Pickle rolls and a High Life snit…I knew my dad would be all over this place!

We arrived at Hi-Lo Diner around 10:30am, usually prime brunching time and it was a gorgeous day so we were prepared for chaos. When we walked in we were immediately greeted as soon as we came in the door and were thrilled when we found out that we could get a spot on their patio right away! On our way out to our table, I ran into a group of my old UMD Dance Teammates, always exciting when this happens. After a bit of chatting with the girls, I excused myself and joined my dad at our high-top table off to the side of the patio bathed in gorgeous early summer sunlight. Within moments we had our drinks ordered, a grapefruit mimosa for me and a Hi-Lo Bloody for Dad (no surprise there).

A short time later, when our drinks were delivered, we asked for some suggestions on the menu. I tried to push Dad towards a Hi-Top, but he had his heart set on Huevos Rancheros. After some debating, I finally settled on the Quack of Dawn Hi-Top, duck confit on their fried dough topped with a poached egg, hollandaise, crispy shallots, tarragon, and cherries. While we waited for our food my dad got giddy over his drink, his listening skills were clearly struggling because he didn’t hear me when I told him about the pickle roll and High Life snit that would be accompanying his order. He also didn’t hear me when I threw out the ‘I told you so’, he was way too busy taking pictures and bragging to everyone on Facebook about the best brunch ever. It was so great to see him having such a wonderful time.

Soon our food was placed in front of us and a whole new round of photography ensued. We had both underestimated the portion sizes. We dug in and gave our best attempt at clearing our plates. Looking back, I don’t think I would order the Quack of Dawn again. It was so sweet and rich that I was sick for most of the day following our visit. Dad, on the other hand, loved every bite. I did sample his which confirmed that I had just made the wrong choice, I needed to come back and try their other options.

We had such a wonderful time at Hi-Lo Diner and I was very impressed at the speed of service. The staff can really crank people through without rushing anyone. Order eat and enjoy with a little wait in between. I would recommend Hi-Lo to just about everyone, bring your friends and order all the Hi-Tops for a little sampling party at your table or grab a family member and treat them to a delightfully different take on
breakfast.