Review: At As-Salam Diner & Kabab House, a new flavor of neighborhood diner

Cheery service, down-home values, and wide-ranging offerings fill Bailey tables

Chicken shashlik at As-Salam.

As the diners of my youth have faded away, I missed the guaranteed pancakes, nonstop coffee, and patty melts at 3 a.m. But what I was most hungry for was the sense of community they gave me.

At diners, people you know by sight, if not name, are there to take care of you, day after day. They commiserate and celebrate with you, like a neighborhood friend who just happens to feed you for money.

That’s how As-Salam Diner & Kabab House made me feel the first time I walked in: a stranger made to feel at home.

Vegetable pakora at As-Salam.

Built in 1940, the building held the Mars Coffee Shop for decades. A long counter lined with stools still separates the dining room from the kitchen. Most guests choose the booths or tables, where families can relax over their pakoras and tandoori chicken.

As-Salam’s starters can whittle down guests’ hunger while the main event cooks.