Merrick's 'The Diner Boys' Expands Traditional Menu Fare

MERRICK, NY — Billed as a "Tradition with a Twist," The Diner Boys is a restaurant that expands the familiar and popular menu items for a unique dining experience.

Owner Nicholas Christofiges moved his North Merrick restaurant, which was primarily a take-out and delivery operation, two miles south. The Diner Boys opened five weeks ago with room for several customers.

His Merrick Road location also comes with a parking lot in the back.

"We can accommodate more people this way," Christofiges told Patch.

The menu features breakfast (all day) and weekend brunch, along with dinner options.

"It's your typical diner dishes, just kind of modernized a little bit," he said.

That includes specialty sandwiches like the chicken vodka park hero or the hot honey chicken sandwich.

Even the shakes are "specialty," like the "Sunrise Highway": Vanilla ice cream, cookie dough, Oreos and caramel sauce.

They also have a large selection of vegan choices.

"We're really trying to accommodate a spread of people versus a select few," he said.

Perhaps, though, the biggest difference for diners, there are no waiters or waitresses taking orders. Using a specific QR code for each table, customers check the menu and select the meal directly from their phones.

"You're still getting great service minus the hassle of waiting for a waiter to come by," Christofiges said. "It saves the middle man doing half the work."

It's taking some getting used to, but "so far, so good," he said.

However, for the less technologically savvy folks, the take-out window is available for ordering in.

Open until 11 p.m. every day, The Diner Boys in Merrick is getting a late-night dinner crowd.

"The place kind of fell in our lap," Christofiges said. "We weren't really looking, looking. But we always like to keep our options open. We found it and it was perfect for us."

The Diner Boys is located at 2168 Merrick Road.