Entertainment/Ticket - Dining

Wednesday, Jul. 30, 2008

A meal for a fiver (or so)

Fireman’s Five Dollar Diner in Morro Bay offers daily specials, sandwiches and burgers for less than the price of a movie ticket

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I n these tough economic times it’s hard to fathom how a restaurateur could open an eatery that offers many of its meal for five bucks. But with the Fireman’s Five Dollar Diner in Morro Bay, that’s exactly what owner Dan Rose is doing.

This is no chain eatery that has its items shipped frozen in bulk. This is a small family-run restaurant near the waterfront.

The new eatery is casual, to say the least. Service is not a priority, but that’s how they like it. The diner actually has a sign in front reading “bad service & bad food,” but hey, it’s cheap.

This is the kind of place to visit if you’re entertained by staff that is a bit rude to you and will put you in your place from the moment you walk in. I expected that when I took a couple of friends with me to check it out. However, one of my friends did not and was ready to hit the door after two minutes of interacting with our server.

Bad food?

First off, the food isn’t bad. It’s actually quite good, although in a very casual manner. There are no frills or time spent on pretty presentation of the dishes. But the food is served quickly and I was surprised to find it both delicious and made with high-quality ingredients. (Remember, it’s mostly about five bucks).

The shrimp tacos (a daily special for $7) are served as a pair, both wrapped in soft corn tortillas. Each taco had an ample pile of grilled prawns, lettuce, chopped tomato, shredded cheese, and a mild white sauce. Add a bit of hot sauce and the tacos turn into a spicy meal.

There are no sides of beans or rice, but it was the perfect portion—not too big and not too small.

The shredded pork taco plate ($7) offers a pile of juicy stewed-down pork that comes with a blend of rice and black beans, and a side of corn tortillas.

The mixture of rice and beans is unusual — they are usually served separate —but is a welcome blend of flavors of textures.

A similar dish—the chicken taco plate ($6) is served in the same style. The stewed-down white and dark meats were also delicious, although not as good as the pork.

Hamburgers at the diners are large and served with a side of potato chips. When I visited they were offering a “surf and turf” burger with grilled shrimp atop the half-pound of ground meat.

We skipped the shrimp but enjoyed the chargrilled burger with its enticing $5 price tag. They were out of clam chowder, but I’ll return to try it—at $3 a cup, it’s one of the best deals on the waterfront.

The diner recently attained an alcohol license and now offers any beer for $3 and a glass of wine for about $4. We enjoyed our taco plates with local Firestone Walker brews that were the same price as cheaper beers like Budweiser.

Desserts are hit-and-miss with the diner as the owners pretty much serve what they want, when they want. When we visited, a complimentary dessert was given to each of us: two miniature chocolate cake bites topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

We left with a bill of $10 or less per person including dinner, drinks and dessert. Try finding a deal elsewhere — one that includes a view of Morro Rock—to match that.