Profile

The Westway Diner is most famous for two things. First, it was here (rather than at Tom's Diner on the Upper West Side) that Larry David approached Jerry Seinfeld about what would finally become their incredibly popular "show about nothing." Second, it's famous for the arresting banner that covers the outside, declaring it the number one diner in the Manhattan, as determined by Daily News readers in 2002. Things have changed since then. Maybe it's the location, or the Seinfeld thing, or maybe it's the poll. But whatever keeps bringing the tourists, cops, renters, and office workers here, it's not amazingly scrumptious food. The astoundingly large menu thoroughly covers the world of classic diner grub, from egg creams and milkshakes to steaks, hamburgers, and deli sandwiches, and almost everything is competent, basic, and stick-to-your-ribs. Breakfast dishes, such as the tangy and light-tasting feta and spinach omelet, served with nice crunchy homes fries, are particularly well-liked. Although the mid-block entrance looks a little dingy, reminiscent of the Times Square of the seventies and eighties, the interior is bright and expansive, with a mural of Broadway marquees and theater-going crowds covering nearly all of one wall. — John D. Rambow

Feta cheese omelet, $8.59