The Food: Stuffed peppers and veal Parmesan may show up among daily specials, but this is a diner, so breakfast dishes and anything off the griddle are what most customers fill up on. A five-page menu offers everything from club sandwiches, turkey burgers, and chipped beef to Western omelets and French toast. Desserts include cream pies, puddings, layer cakes, milk shakes, and sundaes.

The Scene: As cliched as it may sound, walking into this 24-hour diner is like taking a step back in time. The counter and six booths (jukeboxes at every one) by the doorway make up the original “cab” from 1935.  The orange-tiled space is tight and usually crowded. An addition offers rows of booths that match the originals. The clientele cycles between business-types, blue-collar workers, politicians (with autographed photos on the walls), journalists, and retirees. The wee hours of the weekend draw a rowdy high school and twentysomething crowd.

What’s Nearby: On the corner of Old Georgetown Road and Woodmont Avenue, Tastee Diner is an easy walk from the Bethesda Metro (red line). Many restaurants and bars are nearby, as are two multiplex movie theaters.

Insider Tips: Strike up a conversation with the waitstaff. While everyone’s treated kindly, staffers are known to prepare a regular’s favorite entree as soon as they spot his or her car pull up. Now that’s fast food.