Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Merry-Ann's Diner

05:00 - Merry-Ann's Diner
Merry-Ann's Diner wins the Iron Man award for Urbana restaurants. This place never closes. It serves classic diner food 24/7, and is dubbed the best 24 hour hangout in Chambana. My research also shows that it is also the only 24/7 hangout :) that isn't a dorm room, a house, outdoors, or illegal. And just looking at its menu (provided below) makes me hungry. Good thing I don't have a car, or I would drive there on many late nights, and Lauren would end up putting me on a diet. One more great thing about this place is that it's a wireless hotspot!
I really enjoyed Merry-Ann’s Diner. I rarely frequent diners, but Merry-Ann’s gave me a glimpse into the diners you see in movies and tv shows. There was even a crane-stuffed animal machine in the corner. The only thing that was missing was a cherry or apple pie in one of those glass cases. We ordered “The Stack” to share which was composed of a biscuit with hashbrowns over it, with 2 sausage patties, cheese, and lots of white gravy.
So far, Merry-Ann's was my favorite experience. The waitress immediately struck up a conversation with us, and the Manager "Moni" told us about her daughter, her life story, and even introduced us to a regular customer named Bill who she had grown up with, who stopped by every week on his way to fish. It made me feel at home and comfortable. You know, that warm feeling you get when everyone's friendly to you. I think that sometimes, the people at a restaurant are really just as important as the food itself. The stack was good, and Lauren and I ate way more of it than we should have, since we still have to eat so much. The eggs also tasted fresh, and when I asked where they were from, I was told that they are delivered from a far daily.
Going back to how greasy we felt after the Fat Sandwich Company, Lauren absentmindedly commented that the stack was a nice change of pace from the greasy food we had before. We both laughed when we realized what she said, because the stack isn't exactly healthy, but that just shows you how bad it was.

$11.23 - plus tax and tip
Total Spent - $67.11

Merry-Ann's Diner (menu)
217-352-5399
1 E. main St., Champaign, IL 61820

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