We were in Ardmore, PA the other night so RetroRoadhusband and I decided to see what the Chung Sing restauarant AKA “diner that is actually a Chinese restaurant” was all about. Since we needed to grab a bite to eat it seemed like a perfect excuse for a little RetroRoadmap investigation. Let’s check it out shall we?
It was raining so I just snapped this quick view before we headed into the vestibule. As you can see there’s no mistaking that this restaurant definitely a diner by design. It’s actually a vintage Fodero diner, once called Dean’s Diner and built in 1952 (thanks Larry at Diner Hotline for the info.)
And here’s what the inside looks like today.
Yes the original booths, counter and stools are long gone, but you can still see the stainless steel menu frames above where the counter would be, the swinging stainless steel doors and curved roof. Oh well, it isn’t as authentically vintage inside as I had hoped, but we sat down to dinner anyways.
The fare was your standard Americanized Chinese food, not fancy but filling for sure. The dinner specials were incredibly affordable and we were served enough food for twice as many people. Not pictured in the shot below are the two bowls of soup and small desserts that were included in the deal.
We ate ’til we were stuffed and still had plenty to take home to snack on for the next day or two. We weren’t the only folks there either, as there was a steady stream of locals coming in to dine or to grab their to-go meals.
It was still raining when we headed to the car with our doggie bag, appetite and curiosity sated. Now we know what the inside of a vintage diner that is now a Chinese restaurant looks like- and so do you!
Chung Sing Restaurant
210 East Lancaster Avenue
Ardmore, PA 19003-3210
(610) 649-8115
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How funny! I want to go there!
I used to live in the charming neighborhood behind Chung Sing. We always called it “The Chinese Diner.” You wouldn’t believe the portion sizes and extras that come in the take-out bag!
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