Hands Diner

I'm just gonna say that I love Manos Diner. Here is why:

It is Spanish for Hands Diner. Think of how fucked up of a name that would be if you saw a place called Hands Diner.

It reminds me of a classic episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, one of the best and most underrated shows in TV history. That's the show in which a few guys watch a really crappy B movie and make fun of it. The movie they made fun of is called Manos: The Hands of Fate. The movie is, bar none, the WORST movie I've ever seen in my entire life. Just imagine Michael Bay high on shrooms and using a time machine to go back in time to gather everything bad and unsavory you could think of, then spending an entire weekend shooting what he collected while his buddies danced around on acid trips.



The food is pretty good at any time of the day. More importantly, it is consistent. Consistency is key for a diner.

It's open 24 hours. This might not sound like a big deal, but my hometown only has Dunkin Donuts and a CVS open 24 hours. There is no restaurant that is even open really late.

It's a place to collect one's self.

They allow students to shoot movies there.

It's a good mix of locals and college kids. In essence, it is a microcosm of Ithaca.

There's that waitress with the fucked up laugh.

They play the John Tesh radio show.

They have a variety of tables of different sizes, ranging from small two person booths, to that large Last Supper booth that comfortably seats 6.

Ample parking day or night. Unlike State Street.

Quality home fries.

It's a good place to cap a night of shooting a movie that your friends said would take 3 hours but really took 10.

They have fliers for local music acts.

There's a bar attached to it.

You can play Keno.

It's in what I like to call the 24 Hour District, next to the 24 hour Hess, and the 24 hour McDonald's.