Jake’s Diner sits amid the hustle and bustle of Wendover Avenue, at Big Tree Way and Wendover. Jake’s, where the motto is “where something good is always cooking,” is a 50s-style diner with a menu of old-fashioned Southern American menu. A waitress told me that the diner has been around for about six years and it is named after owner Mary Blythe’s son.

Walking in, you can smell steak and eggs cooking. The scent is mouthwatering. A smiling waitress immediately greeted my friend and me. She provided us with menus and asked what we would like to drink. The menu offers the choices, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, juices and soft drinks.

After ordering my drink, I studied the menu to find what I was in the mood for, breakfast, lunch or dinner. That’s a tough choice. Every time I eat here it is dinner time and I like their burgers, so I ordered a burger and fries.

The night was still young and the late night crowd had not yet arrived so our orders were brought to us in about 10 minutes. The burgers are juicy burger and served on a toasted bun. I soon devour it. The crinkle cut French fries were cooked just right and were perfect for dunking in ketchup, mayonnaise, or whatever one desire.

Throughout the meal the server continuously brings refills and caters to our needs, a lovely quality that keeps me coming back. Another perk is all the different choices the menu offers. In my opinion, Jake’s breakfast menu is better than both IHOP and Waffle House.

It features omelets, waffles, pancakes, steak, sausage patties, ham, bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns and more, with biscuits that could possible put Bojangles out of business.

There are also breakfast sandwiches and a kid’s menu, but you must be 12 and under. What about us kids at heart?

My favorite breakfast menu options are the vegetarian omelet (cheese, onion, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms) and a biscuit, or the chopped steak and eggs. This meal is served with two eggs, grits or hash browns, toast and jelly. However, as I mentioned before, I had a hankering for a burger.

The lunch menu includes Jake’s Deli Sandwiches, Jake’s burgers, steak sandwiches, salads, and hot soup combos. I know from experience that all the burgers and steak sandwiches are splendid and that the fresh turkey and chicken sandwiches are scrumptious.

The dinner is delicious. It offers steaks, chicken, chicken wings and pork chops. All the dinners are served with your choice of baked potato, French fries or hash browns and a toasted bun.

Customers may take one trip to the salad bar also. Conveniently, customers have the option to substitute the potato and salad for vegetables.

The vegetables options include creamed potatoes, green beans, turnip greens, broccoli casserole, black-eyed peas, pinto beans, homemade yams, fried squash or okra, macaroni and cheese, slaw and corn. A combination of any two of these takes the daily specials to the next level.

The Blue Plate Special is Jake’s daily special for $5.65. You can get home-style cooking from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. with two sides bread, tea or coffee. Monday offers beef tips over rice, Tuesday it’s country fried steak, Wednesday it’s fried chicken, Thursday it’s meatloaf, Friday it’s chopped steak, Saturday it’s pork chops, and Sunday it’s fried chicken. The fish fry on Friday is also served from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The fish fry offers fried flounder, French fries, cole slaw and hushpuppies.

Jake’s desserts fulfills a customer’s sweet tooth. Homemade pies include chocolate and coconut cream, apple, pecan, lemon meringue, and German chocolate. It you are not too full from your meal, they also have Hershey’s ice cream and shakes.

Jake’s is the perfect setting for almost any occasion, except maybe proposing unless that’s your spot. I have visited after the club, before school, after work, during lunch, in the middle of the night and I’ve even gone on a date there once.

The crowd is mixed and the ages vary, but this all depends on what time you visit. If it is Thursday night at 3 a.m., then there will be a few couples a few older men, and young people who are enjoying the nightlife of Greensboro.

Jake’s allows smoking inside, but the open atmosphere doesn’t allow others smoke to bother you during your meal. It is clean with a sanitation grade of 98 percent. Also, if you don’t want to eat in, you can carry out or carry out an order using the drive through.

All around Jake’s is a good place to go. So, if you’re ever in the mood for a good meal travel to Jake’s “where something good is always cooking.”

• Marvin Powell