The diner, located on the corner of Seventh and Oak streets, was recently named one of the country’s 15 most iconic old-school diners on a nationwide list created by food website, Tasting Table. Inspired by the recent buzz, Phoenix New Times stopped to try some classic diner foods.
The small parking lot was packed on our visit, a good sign for the diner, which has only been back up and running for about a year since its four-year hiatus. It continues to offer a classic diner menu of burgers, cold and hot sandwiches and an extensive sweet treat menu.
It’s a tight squeeze in the long room as you make your way past the jukebox and soda bar to a few booths and tables. Antiques fill every nook and cranny of the restaurant, crowded with people young and old. With the outside world out of sight, time stands still.
The old brick building began as Birch's Seventh Street Pharmacy in 1929. Fred MacAlpine bought the corner-store pharmacy and popular soda fountain and changed its name in 1938. The current owner, Monica Heizenrader, and her late husband, Cary, bought it in 2001. Preserving the lunch and dinner spot as much as possible, Heizenrader kept the iconic name.
Among a menu of giant ice cream sundaes and handcrafted pies, there are a few entrees to curb the sugar rush. The Mac’s clubhouse and chicken salad sandwiches are two of six cold options. While a cheeseburger joins the reuben and sloppy joe among the five hot ones. The veggie burger and hot cheese and tomato sandwich are good options for those avoiding meat.
We decided to sink our teeth into the barbecue pulled pork sandwich and it did not disappoint. MacAlpine's smoky but slightly citrusy barbecue sauce drenches the tender pork, which melts in your mouth. The perfect portion for one is held together by a pillowy bun. The breaded fries are lightly seasoned and offer a satisfying crunchy contrast to the juicy $14.59 sandwich.
MacAlpine's lives up to old-school diner standards for simple, comforting American food. However, Tasting Table’s list focuses on what MacAlpine's Diner & Soda Fountain is really known for, the 99 different ice cream sodas offered for $8.49 a glass.
These beverages are served in a tall cup with a long metal spoon, topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. The eatery playfully pits new floats head-to-head in monthly competitions for a spot on the menu. Customers are encouraged to vote on September's “face off finalists,” which are: the Minty McFly, the Main Squeeze and the Ice Cream Soda in Paradise.
With all the new additions, it’s hard to find a flavor combination that’s not on the list, from the Shirley Temple on Holiday, a mix of sweet and tangy black cherry ice cream bobbing in a sea of fizzing Sprite, to the Pregnant Moment – a combination of dill pickle soda and vanilla ice cream that taunts to “try it if you dare.”
Although, this one may be best left to those craving a vinegar-less creamy sweet pickle experience. If you happen to be craving this odd combo, MacAlpines has got you covered.
The fluorescent green soda somehow encapsulates the essence of pickle without the salty, tangy brine. Paired with vanilla ice cream and a mountain of whipped cream, the combo creates an experience similar to drinking a milkshake and downing a pickle spear. You can even make it sour by adding phosphoric acid, an old-timey soda fountain ingredient. If you want to try something right out of Wonka’s Factory, or maybe are in the mood for spooky season, this would make a great option.
If you're not fantasizing about a pickle ice cream combo, and are looking for something actually delicious, the Shirley Temple on Holiday offers a classic float experience. The carbonated sweet and creamy combo is a more appetizing purple-red with chunks of slightly tart cherries buried in the black cherry ice cream.
If you're not in a sugar coma, head to the adjoining room filled to the brim with antiquities, all of which are for sale. The small room houses a detached carousel horse, hats from decades past, stacks of magazines, vintage clothes and a table spilling over with old photographs. As one customer put it, “It’s beautiful, it’s like a museum.”
This enchanting time capsule is now open seven days a week, serving lunch daily, and dinner on Friday and Saturday nights for a sweet, nostalgic start to your weekend.
