If you have lived in East Haven for any length of time, you have probably ended up at Twin Pines Diner. Maybe it was breakfast after church. Maybe it was coffee at 2 a.m. Maybe it was a slice of cake you didn’t plan on ordering.
The diner sits at 34 Main St., near the Branford line. Its sign promises “Affordable Family Dining,” and its motto, printed on its ads and menus, is “Where the food is good and the price is right!”
Open around the clock
Twin Pines keeps the lights on all night. Its website says it is open 24 hours for dine-in and takeout, for breakfast, lunch, dinner or late night.
That all-night crowd has its own stories. Zip06 reported that two young theater makers, Theo Zucconi and Kenny Pelphrey, came up with the idea for a theater company while talking over late-night meals at Twin Pines.
The owner
Jim Triantis owns Twin Pines. In a customer testimonial posted by a public insurance adjuster he hired after a fire in a neighboring building, Triantis said he has been at the diner since 1982 and ran a couple of other diners before that.
He said about 4,000 people come through the diner every week, and that meeting so many people has made him a good judge of character.
A plaque in the diner’s own photo gallery says “Since 1979,” next to old photos of the building going up. A framed newspaper story on the wall carries the headline “Jim Triantis: Never Say ‘No.'”
A diner with its own bakery
One thing sets Twin Pines apart from a lot of diners: the baked goods are made on site. Patch reported in 2022 that the breads, cakes and pies are made in a bakery in the diner’s basement.
You see the results as soon as you walk in. Glass cases near the entrance and along the counter are stacked with layer cakes, pies, cream pastries and muffins.
The room
Inside, Twin Pines looks the way a diner should. Photos from the diner show a long counter with red stools and a dark stone countertop, rows of booths, and big windows. One dining room has a stone wall and fireplace. Another has an old upright piano.
Outside, the building has a red tile roof and stone walls. The diner’s photos show the front steps lined with flowers and a carved wooden sign that reads “Welcome to Twin Pines Restaurant-Diner.”
A big menu
The menu runs for pages. Breakfast specials are served from 5 to 11 a.m., and the basic two-egg, pancake and French toast specials come with coffee or tea. There is a full section of Benedicts, including eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine with spinach and a crab cake Benedict with tomato and Old Bay. The Hungryman Special stacks pancakes or French toast with three eggs, home fries and meat.
There is a long list of three-egg omelets, from plain to Greek to Philly steak, plus steak and eggs, corned beef hash and a Monte Cristo. Later in the day, the menu adds sautees, stir fry, early bird specials, blue plate mini specials, complete dinner specials and a wine list.
Giving back
Twin Pines has a long habit of feeding people who need it. Patch reported in 2022 that the diner served free Thanksgiving dinners to seniors, veterans and others in need.
That same season, the diner joined a holiday gift card program organized with East Haven lawyer Andrew Amendola and other local businesses. People who received a free Thanksgiving meal could also get a $20 Twin Pines gift certificate.
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What locals say
The diner’s walls tell part of the story. Plaques shown in its photo gallery include a 2005 Connecticut Magazine Readers’ Choice award for value, a CTNOW Best of New Haven readers’ poll honor for best value in 2016, and a New Haven Register readers’ poll title for best diner in 2018.
In 2017, East Haven neighbors on Nextdoor named Twin Pines a neighborhood favorite for best breakfast and brunch, according to another plaque.
Staff love it, too. Waitress Andrea Monico, who has worked at the diner on and off for decades, told Patch in 2022 that the owner’s commitment to the community is one of the reasons she loves her job. That same Sunday morning, Patch reported, the place was packed, with diners waiting for a seat.
The diner goes all out for the holidays. When Patch visited in December 2022, the dining room was covered in decorations, including a couple of singing Santas, and the staff were dressed for the season.
What to order
Breakfast is the obvious draw. But save room. The best reason to visit may be the bakery cases.
Layer cakes
The tall rotating case by the door holds whole layer cakes: chocolate, white frosted, cream-topped and fruit-topped. Get a slice with coffee, or take a whole one home.
Pies
The pie case runs deep: fruit pies, cream pies and cheesecakes, cut and ready. A slice of pie after a diner dinner is a tradition for a reason.
Cream pastries
Look for the shelves of cream-filled pastries, tarts and fancy cakes. They make a good box to bring to a family party.
Muffins
Big, crackly-topped muffins sit right on the counter. Grab one with a coffee to go on your way to work.
If you go
- Where: 34 Main St., East Haven
- Phone: 203-468-6887
- Hours: Open 24 hours, according to the diner’s website. Call ahead to confirm.
- Online: twinpinesdiner.net
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