A Friendly Diner with Great Milkshakes

Do you know what I get asked by my American readers all the time? "Hey Mr. Ibaraki Eats, I miss a good milkshake. Where can I find one?" I have pointed them in the direction of Oarai which has an amazing milkshake and coffee shop. I wrote about that place a while ago. Now, I have one more recommendation for them. Not only does this place make delicious milkshakes, but they make all that old-style diner food that we Americans love. It even looks like an old-style diner, with 1960s booths and a jukebox. Today, I will be talking about Hitachinaka's own 33 Diner.

33 Diner

33 Diner or double 3s diner, is located in the Nakane area of Hitachinaka City at a building called Bricks. The Bricks building has a music class, business on the second floor, and 33 Diner on the first floor.
The Ibaraki Eats Duo visited 33 Diner on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. The diner is not close to any train station or bus stop that I know of. That being the case, we drove to the diner and parked at the huge parking area next to the Bricks building. We first walked through the awesome looking double doors with the Bricks neon sign on top. That is not the entrance to the diner. The entrance to the diner is to the right of the double doors with the stripped sun cover. There is a door leading to the diner from the hallway of the Bricks entrance, so if you get turned around it is not a big deal.
We walked into the diner and grabbed a booth.

Inside

The inside of 33 Diner is awesome! It looks exactly like a diner should look like. The pink old-style counter stools, the huge booths, and the jukebox at the diner's entrance playing the Jackson 5. I couldn't believe there was a place like this in Hitachinaka. I had heard the owner lived in California for a while and learned how to cook there. They then wanted to bring that American diner culture to Hitachinaka. Well, all I have to say about that is mission accomplished.

The Menu

Great news everyone!
The menu is in both English and Japanese. No need for me to translate anything. The menu has a burger part, a pancake part, sides, a breakfast part which shocked me, and a drinks part with milkshakes!
I love milkshakes. Mrs. Ibaraki Eats though, has a whole other level of love for them that scares me sometimes. She said, "I don't care what I eat as long as there is a milkshake." Yes ma'am.

Smashed Cheeseburger with Bacon

I believe that all the burgers at 33 Diner are smash burgers. How do I feel about smash burgers? I don't dislike them, but I would take a regular burger over a smash burger any day of the week. A smash burger loses its juiciness from the patty once you press it down.
So how was this smash burger? Not bad actually. I was pleasantly surprised that the smashed patty still retained some meaty juiciness. The cheese was great and the buns were very tasty. No crispy bacon is always a disappointment but not surprising. All and all, not a bad burger, not great, but not bad. The fries were excellent and crispy, but they needed some ketchup or something to dip them in.

Chicken and Waffles

Mrs. Ibaraki Eats did not want a burger, she wanted one of her favorite American dishes, Chicken and Waffles. We had chicken and waffles before in Ibaraki and they were disappointing. Rubbery waffles, unseasoned chicken, it was a disaster. So how did 33 Diner's chicken and waffles fare?
Mrs. Ibaraki Eats spread some lovely-looking maple syrup all over the chicken and waffles, cut a piece of waffle and chicken, and gave it a try. She gave it her approving thumbs up. It was my turn next. I got a fork full of fried chicken and waffles and took a bite.
The fried chicken was excellent. It was crispy on the outside, juicy, and flavorful on the inside. The waffle was tasty. Not as crispy as I would have liked, but it wasn't a rubbery mess like I had before. This chicken and waffles plate was a success and my wife would not mind ordering them again.

Oreo Shake

If you want to see something truly adorable, watch Mrs. Ibaraki Eats order a milkshake. She gets very happy and can't wait to say her order. My wife ordered her Oreo milkshake but then called the waitress back and added extra whipped cream and sprinkles.
When her milkshake came to our table, it looked glorious. My wife grabbed the Oreo cookie and took a bite out of that first before drinking the shake. She dunked the cookie into some whipped cream and sprinkles and happily ate the rest of the cookie. She then grabbed the straw and had some of that ice cream goodness in the glass. She was happy, very happy. I think that if she could have a milkshake every day, she would.
I got to try the milkshake as well and I also gave it my thumbs up of approval. The whipped cream was delicious and the ice cream mixed with that familiar delicious taste of Oreos is always a winner. I would love to try the rest of the milkshakes at 33 Diner. I am sure my wife is already making a plan for that.

33 Diner was a fun and tasty experience. The milkshake was fantastic, the chicken and waffles were delicious, and I loved the overall diner atmosphere of the place. I hope to come back soon and maybe this time I will pick a song on the jukebox.

So if you are around Hitachinaka and are looking for a fun and tasty American diner experience, why not give 33 Diner a chance? Who knows? You might see us there. Me, picking a song on the jukebox while my wife orders all the milkshakes.
Enjoy!

For more information on 33 Diner, check out their Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/33_diner?igsh=bHE4Mmd6aW82djZn