84 Diner shutters after 30 years
‘South Florida’s largest diner’ in Davie abruptly closed its doors in July
At 6,578 square feet, the 84 Diner in Davie often billed itself as “South Florida’s largest diner.” Now it is the emptiest.
After 30 years in business and numerous owners, the Greek-style diner abruptly closed in July. A leasing agent who manages the property says the current owner stopped paying rent and vacated the premises. The restaurant’s phone has been disconnected. Anestis Nikiforidis, the owner since 2012 according to state records, could not be reached for comment, with no response to an email sent through the diner’s website.
A “For Lease” sign hangs in the front window. The ownership left no sign or farewell note to patrons. 84 Diner’s Facebook page has not been active since 2013.
The diner, at 11432 W. State Road 84 in the Winn-Dixie shopping plaza near Hiatus Road, was a steady and dependable presence through the years, serving all-day breakfast and Greek dishes such as souvlaki, moussaka and spanikopita (spinach pie). Political operative Roger Stone gestures Thursday after
Like other Greek-style diners with roots in the Northeast, it featured an encyclopedic menu that ran the gamut from burgers and chicken parmigiana to Reuben sandwiches and tuna salad platters. And bottomless coffee.
The diner opened in 1989, according to an old menu, and it had several owners through the years, most of Greek heritage who came from New York and New Jersey. Its location, just off I-595 and convenient to points east and west, made it a popular rendezvous spot for business breakfasts or quick bites (I used to meet sources there in my news column days).
At one point, 84 Diner enjoyed a good reputation. In 2003, its chili was named best in Broward-Palm Beach by Broward New Times. In 2013, the diner was voted one of the top 10 places to eat in Broward in Ch. 10-WPLG’s annual viewer poll. But restaurant fatigue and time apparently took its toll. In 2016, 84 Diner landed the top spot on Ch. 10-WPLG’s “Dirty Dining worst of Broward 2016” list, with an April 2016 inspection that cited 60 violations spotlighted. In June 2019, health inspectors again dinged 84 Diner with an inspection that rang up 19 violations (seven deemed “high-priority” or “intermediate”), including cooked meats held at unsafe temperatures, improper hand-washing by a kitchen worker and a dish washing machine that failed to meet the proper sanitizing threshold.
Yelp reviewers were not kind to Diner 84 in its final months, with numerous one-star reviews, some from longtime customers, complaining about food that was “far from adequate.” On July 14, a week before 84 Diner closed, Yelp user Anthony J. wrote: “I came here for breakfast and ordered [scrambled] eggs with well done home fries, and a side of pancakes with bananas. The waiter brings out bananas without pancakes and says they are running out of bananas and [he doesn’t] want someone else to get them. He states I could put them on top … when my food arrived the home fries were raw and the onions raw as well. I will never eat here again.”