Fried chicken and waffles? Treasure Coast's first Metro Diner all about comfort food
Kelly Tyko
STUART — This new restaurant is all about comfort food.
The Treasure Coast's first Metro Diner opens Tuesday at 2660 S.E. U.S. 1 in Stuart with large servings of dishes such as fried chicken and waffles, chicken pot pie and shrimp and grits. Most dishes are under $15.
“It’s comfort food with a flair,” said Lance Hickman, managing partner of the Stuart Metro Diner. “We’re unique in that we serve a full menu all day long.”
The 3,685-square-foot diner also serves beer, wine, mimosas and Bloody Marys.
The restaurant is the first business to open in Baron Shoppes, which replaces the former Wallace Chevrolet on U.S. 1 near Monterey Road.
Other businesses coming to the plaza include Firehouse Subs, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Great Clips, Paradise Car Wash, Jupiter Medical Urgent Care and Eyeglass World, said Jeremiah Baron, owner and president of Jeremiah Baron & Co. Commercial Real Estate.
Hickman, a Vero Beach resident, said the restaurant has hired about 90 employees.
The growing company plans to open in Vero Beach and Port St. Lucie, too, Hickman said.
"We welcome guests as if they are coming to our house," Hickman said, adding the family-style diner’s slogan is "Where the locals eat."
The original Metro Diner opened in Jacksonville in 1992.
Things changed for the single-location restaurant in 2010 after it was featured on the Food Network program "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," hosted by Guy Fieri. Fieri highlighted the meatloaf plate with mashed red-skinned potatoes and brown gravy.
In 2011, the restaurant started expanding and now has nearly 60 locations in Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Nevada, Delaware, Oklahoma and Georgia.
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Stuart Metro Diner
Address: 2660 S.E. U.S. 1, Stuart
Opening: April 24
Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
Phone: 772-247-1104
Website: www.metrodiner.com
Other Martin County restaurant changes
Now open: Mondo Wood Fired Pizza opened this week at 950 S.E. Indian Street, near the Willoughby Boulevard intersection in Stuart.
Closings: Hog Snappers Shack and Sushi in Stuart and Kona Beach Cafe in Jensen Beach recently closed.
Moving: Namaste Grill, which was previously located in downtown Stuart, will soon open in Regency Square at 2500 S.E. U.S. 1.
Renovating: The Stuart Cody's at 3373 S.E. U.S. 1 is currently closed for interior remodeling, Cody’s Treasure Coast co-owner Michael Fadi wrote in an email to TCPalm.
More:Two Martin County restaurants closed, two opening and other changes
More:New restaurants coming to Treasure Coast in 2018, plus list of recent openings
Kelly Tyko is a consumer columnist and retail reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers and TCPalm.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. This column reflects her opinion. Read her Bargainista tips at TCPalm.com/Bargainista and follow her on Twitter @KellyTyko. Sign up for her weekly newsletter at www.tcpalm.com/featured-newsletter/bargainistabest.