Eat Well is reminiscent of retro diner but cool

Think of Eat Well as a diner with a difference. Your typical diner has a certain vibe ? kind-a retro, kind-a cool. Eat Well's got that.

The leatherette booths, the gumball machine, stools at the counter, the vinyl-coated menus ? Eat Well's got those, too. So what's the difference? Well, the logo hints at it. "Eat Well, 'cause your mama told you to."

If your mama was into soy and whole grains, she'd be delighted that you're eating well here. Along with the burgers and blue plate specials, the menu features lots of granola, tofu and vegetarian options.

Yes, they really do have blue plate specials. Monday is beef pot roast, Tuesday is broasted chicken, Wednesday is meatloaf, Thursday is roast turkey and Friday is fish and chips. The cost is $8.95 with soup or salad.

Breakfast is served all day, as it should be in any self-respecting diner. And there are plenty of choices, from build-your-own omelettes ($4.75, extra for a long list of add-ons) to chilaquiles ($7.45) to Big Pancakes. That's how they are listed on the menu ? Big Pancakes (short stack $3.75, tall stack $4.75, banana nut or blueberry $1.25 extra).

Real maple syrup? Sure, for a buck extra. (Have you bought real maple syrup lately? That's a bargain!) You can go for Chorizo and Eggs, or Soy Rizo and Eggs ($7.25), or protein load with an Eat Lean breakfast ($7.45) of grilled chicken breast and egg whites with brown rice and broccoli.

Or you can opt for the old-school fries and a burger (updated with a choice of feta, blue or soy cheese), or go healthier with a turkey burger. Or take the healthier-than-thou road with a Garden Burger. What other diner gives you those options? And these are handmade burgers, not frozen, pre-formed patties.

The buns are whole grain, the accompaniments are fresh and abundant and the assembled burger is hard to get your mouth around, it's so big.

You know how the burger in the print ads always looks so much better than the burger you actually get? Well, at Eat Well, the burger you get looks just as good, or even better, with frilly lettuce and thick slabs of tomato.

Soups and turkey chili are tasty and made in-house. Salads are super-fresh and huge. Cornbread is a golden slab of crumbly, corn-y flavor and cornmeal texture. Nothing too fancy, nothing too fussed-over. Just good food, good service and good value. Eat Well. In Glendale. Make your mama happy.

FYI:

WHAT: Eat Well

WHEN: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

WHERE: 1013 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale

COST: $4.75 to $10.75

PHONE: (818) 790-6074

FOR THE RECORD

In the dining column on page A-11 on Saturday, the phone number for the Eat Well restaurant was incorrect. The correct number is (818) 243-5928.