The Mercury Diner

It might have been cosmic fate when The Mercury Diner’s building on Columbus’ Parsons Avenue became available to owner Abed Alshahal. The out-of-this-world, daytime concept opened in 2022 and has been dishing out classic breakfast and lunch items with a playful twist ever since. Its interior is inspired by the midcentury retrofuturism style, with colorful red and orange booths, a zodiac ceiling mural and spherical light fixtures.

The menu features inventive dishes such as The Big Bang, a plate of house-made biscuits, two sunny-side-up eggs, cheddar cheese, home fries and a choice of breakfast meat; and the Space Cowboy Burrito, a roasted red pepper tortilla filled with bacon, peppers, onions, scrambled eggs, flavor-blasted potato crisps and Mercury Sauce.

Diners can opt to order the bestselling item on the menu: the Egg ’n Cheese Sandwich, which features folded eggs, Havarti cheese and Mercury Sauce on a house-made English muffin. The Mercury Diner’s play on chicken and waffles has been another favorite since the restaurant’s inception. Originally created out of necessity — as there was no room in the kitchen for waffle-makers — this version replaces the waffles with pancakes.

The restaurant also offers a variety of lunch options, which pair well with a selection of specialty drinks, including a line of nonalcoholic refreshers like the Cherry Lime Ricky, made using house-made lime cordial and cherry almond syrup topped off with soda. A full cocktail menu is available as well, and keeping in line with the diner atmosphere, an array of milkshakes and floats are also on the menu. 621 Parsons Ave., Columbus 43206, 614/852-3036, themercurydiner.com