Small, informal restaurants typically serving simple, affordable American food, often housed in prefabricated structures resembling railroad cars.
From 'dine' via Old French 'disner' from Latin 'disjejunare' meaning to break one's fast. The American diner concept emerged from lunch wagons in the 1870s, evolving into the iconic prefab restaurants that became symbols of American roadside culture.
American diners were originally horse-drawn lunch carts serving night workers, evolving into the gleaming chrome and neon temples of egalitarian dining we know today. Their railroad car aesthetic wasn't just style - many were actually built by railroad car manufacturers, creating mobile restaurants that could be delivered anywhere on a flatbed truck.
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