Highspire Diner Highspire PA – I Aspire To Stop Here Any Time We’re Near Harrisburg!

2019 Update: Not much has changed at the Highspire, except new ownership in 2018 and an updated plastic sign out front. Love this lil diner!

2013 Post:

Nothing starts a Retro Roadmap Roadtrip off right than breakfast in a classic diner. It's the official "to heck with the diet, let's start eating that so-good-yet-so-bad-for-you roadfood" kickoff to a few glorious days away from regular life that we look forward to every time we hit the road.

I'm pleased to share with you the place where we hit the road this last time, a gem of a diner just outside of Harrisburg PA - The Highspire Diner in Highspire PA. It's an easy exit off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and definitely worth getting off the highway for.

This shiny diner is a Silk City built in 1952, and with the exception of a few additions (vestibule, TV above the counter) it looks almost as pristine as when it was planted here 60+ years ago on the main drag of the small hamlet of Highspire.

Click here to see photos of what the diner looked like in 1982 (from pal Larry Cultrera of Diner Hotline) and in 2011 (From pal Wendyvee of Roadside Wonders)!

Current diner owner Charlie Harmantzis purchased the diner in 2011 and has done a great job in highlighting the original charm of this classic eatery.  He replaced the previous brown tabletops and burgundy booths with fresh blue and white versions, coordinating nicely with the diamond tile pattered along the counter.  Charlie came out of the kitchen just as we were leaving the diner and we complimented him on his vintage car which you might see parked out back - a perfect touch for the full retro diner experience.

The Highspire has all the usual diner meals you'd expect plus a specials board that was being updated by our friendly waitress. But they're most known for their breakfast delights The Sideliner (3 eggs, scrambled with onion, sausage and home fries, topped with American cheese and brown gravy) and their Rope sausage (1/2 pound long "rope" of sausage served with 2 eggs, homefries - or grits! and toast.)

We opted for neither, as we were trying to start off small (because we knew we'd be feeling rather LARGE by the end of this trip!)

I'm psyched to know that the Highspire is open 7 days a week as we're definitely going to stop by here more often when we're heading to or through the Harrisburg area. (Retro Roadmap Roundup anyone?!)

One neat thing about our visit to the Highspire Diner was when I posted a photo of it on the Retro Roadmap Facebook page so many pals of ours  chimed in to say how much they love this little diner. While it was a recent discovery for us, it's got a lot of fans, and I'm glad to add Retro Roadmap to their list!