Comparing Denny’s to Mitchell Hall is like comparing a Grand Slam breakfast to a microwave ham and cheese croissant…
Both are great – and they both played a major role in my life in my early 20s. Here is a breakdown of these fine, dining establishments.
Heritage
Denny’s is as “American Institution,” as you can get without being funded by taxpayer dollars. Fun fact, as much as I have patronized various Denny’s across the country – I was today years old when I learned that it was founded as Danny’s Donuts in 1954, and has grown into a sprawling empire of over 1,700 restaurants.
Mitchell Hall is one of the largest dining facilities in the world. It houses 400 tables and the staff can serve 4,000 cadets “nutrient rich” meals in and out in 30 minutes. It is also the place where I learned how to eat to live, instead of how to live to eat.
Vibes
At Denny’s the vibes can range from indifferent to moderately indifferent depending on the location and the time of day. There hasn’t been much of an inbetween in my experiences and I think that’s part of the allure.
The graveyard shift is typically my favorite shift, because people working that shift do not give a shit about anything – which is an awesome reminder to not take myself so seriously.
I would characterize Mitchell Hall, though, as balls to the wall during morning and noon meals. The individual experience will always come down to your “table commander’s” disposition and the people at your table can make or break the overall experience, for sure.
I lucked out during the second semester of my four degree year and was fortunate enough to sit at a table that would allow us to eat at rest if we made a toast that made the table laugh…
My classmates and I learned to bring the heat, daily, and even when we couldn’t get a laugh out of the table – we always made each other laugh, which we were definitely not allowed to do. We either hit it out of the park or didn’t eat much, because we were getting lit up. So there was a great incentive for us to hone our wit.
Self deprecating humor always seemed to rue the day – and two of my favorite toasts granting lunch at rest, that I still remember to this day because they were absolute bangers, were:
- A toast, to alone time and Cadet Francis’ subscription to Boy’s Life Magazine
- A toast, war is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things… Mrs. Dillon is the ugliest of things
Food
I have eaten and continue to eat more than my fair share of Moons Over My Hammy and Lumberjack Slams – and they are delicious no matter which Denny’s you are dining at. The Denny’s just outside the South Gate of the Zoo is probably my favorite Denny’s in America because I have so many fond memories of eating like a king there.
Food just tasted better there…
Mitchell Hall, on the other hand, provided me with one of the worst “food poisoning” experiences I can remember – and is responsible for my food aversion to pulled pork sandwiches, to this day.
Chicken ala King and Beef Stroganoff were two staples of the Mitchell Hall menu that I absolutely hated… but their breakfasts were usually fairly good.
I know that the Mitchell Hall nutritionists and staff have a tough job, and that it’s unfair to expect a five star meal at a place that has to serve 4,000 people all at once.
So, with that in mind – the food was passable, I guess.
Final Thoughts
Based on my experiences, I would put Denny’s and Mitchell Hall in the same “sustenance” class for dining establishments. Both have impressive backstories and their individual quirks give them a great deal of charm.
Which leads to the Mitch’s Touch-n-Go sticker concept. I thought it would be fun to mash these two iconic eateries into one sticker – for anyone else who has a special place in their heart dedicated to these two acquired tastes.
