HIDING in plain sight on a Williamsburg corner, #85 Broadway at Berry Street, is a one-story building, a shack really, that has been a diner for the better part of the last 90 years, if not longer. It’s presently called Diner and it has been under the same ownership since the early 2000s, and offers brunch and dinner for fairly high (for a diner) but not outlandish prices. I haven’t been in, but if I’m with company in south Williamsburg I might give it a shot. As far as the “artwork” above it, I’ve seen these Runic characters around town, but don’t know the artist.
Let’s jump in the Municipal Tax Photo time machine. Here it is at #85 Broadway in 1980. Reports from this era indicate it was called Sabrina’s around this time. Note the plastic lettered “privilege sign” sponsored in this case by Coca-Cola.
Pressing the lever and setting the controls for 1940, we see the diner still there, in what’s likely the same one-story building, sporting a “Broadway Diner” neon sign.
The longevity of this building, and its history hosting diners, is impressive. I never see any published pieces about it…but that’s why Forgotten NY is here.
Check out the ForgottenBook (HarperCollins, 2006), as well as Forgotten Queens (Arcadia, 2013). I also have a chapter in the anthology “New York Calling: From Blackout to Bloomberg” (Reaktion, 2007). As always, “comment…as you see fit.” I earn a small payment when you click on any ad on the site.
9/10/26
3 comments
Starting sometime in 1989, I worked at 35 Broadway on the corner of Dunham Place (one block long, Kevin – !) for few years and just about every day around lunchtime someone would make the general announcement “I’m going to Sabrina’s. Do you want me to pick anything up for you?”, since Sabrina’s was the only eatery anywhere nearby, with the exception of Peter Luger, which was and is not big on takeout. I think that it is likely this diner is the one that inspired the cliche “greasy spoon”. This predated the hipsterization of Williamsburg by a number of years. Part of my job responsibilities was conducting job interviews with prospective employees. A large percentage of them got off the J train, took one look around them and went back up the steps and took the next subway out of there.
To somewhat mis-quote you – Gloria was sick on transit Monday.
Looking at the menu it seems more like a hipster bistro than an actual diner.
Curious about the graffiti in rune letters.