California Diner

An invite from a friend spurred me to drop by and visit California Diner, a small resto located at the Metrolifestyle Compound along Jacinto Extension beside Bos Coffee Corner.

One of the co-owners is Tom MacIntosh, who works for a Non-Government Organization serving depressed areas in ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) he says the place is a 60s-inspired outdoor California diner popular among the beach culture in that bygone era. The diner had a vintage feel to it from retro decals  to the Beachboys music played in the cafe.








Tom says his partner, a Filipino who once worked and resided in California inspired the theme of the diner, sort of  to remind him of the place where he once lived. The menu is a mix of American diner staples like hamburgers, chili dogs, french fries and milk shakes; Mexican food such as beef tacos and chicken fajitas.









The De Luxe burger (150 gram beef patty with bacon, cheese dili pickles, lettuce and tomatoes) is a must try    and is a hit among customers.

But no one leaves the diner without having their signature Vanilla Milkshake delectably thick and creamy it could be considered as the diner's star attraction.

I would also recommend their tacos and chicken fajitas these come with Spanish rice and chips, the Mexican menu is taken from Tom's wife Evelyn who had extensive culinary experience in Mexican food aside from having passionate interest in its cuisine, she said that they are still in the process of adding more menu as they are yet to go full-blast with the business.

Tom says the business has been very good and has exceeded expectations, Each dish offered at the California Diner is a good choice on its own, there are certain days when people go for burgers, days when people dig in for tacos or times when the rice toppings are tops.

Tom preparing the increaslingly popular Vanilla Milkshakes

During my visit, the MacIntosh family were there; Tom and Evelyn plus their lovely daughters Connie, Bethany and Katie along with their friends.  It is also a favorite tambayan for the expatriate community in Davao as some of the family's expat friends would come and visit for some friendly chit-chat.

For those wanting to gorge upon popular American/Mexican comfort food with wallet friendly prices, California Diner is now open to serve you. It is located at Metro Lifestyle Compound Jacinto Extension Street just beside Sinangag Express and Bos Coffee Corner.