The South City Diner may serve diner food, but there's nothing mundane about it. The coffee is truly excellent. The chili has an extra-tomatoey flavor and compares favorably with anybody's. Everybody raves about the diner's pancakes, too. The menu also includes some unexpected items, such as pasta with pesto sauce, grilled polenta, and liver and onions. The winner of the "I dare you" category is their answer to the slinger, the Meatloaf Omelette -- just don't attempt this one while on a date. The retro atmosphere features a jukebox full of oldies, records and album covers mounted to (and falling off) the walls, comfy vinyl booths, happy X-mas lights and plenty of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia. The colorful locals of the South Grand area are lucky to be close enough to haunt this joint.