During the first class the theme for our assignment was to think about the term and the concept of “Americana” and find visual representations of this phenomena.
For me, I chose the humble American diner as a representation of Americana, I feel that even though one might not have visited the US, they will still be undoubtedly familiar with the concept of an all American diner.
Steak ‘n Shake restaurant in Orlando, FL
A classic Red Velvet milkshake at the aforementioned Steak ‘n Shake restaurant
As we can see in the interior of the Steak ‘n Shake restaurant, even fast food joints that might not be something that you consider a diner follows the very classic two-toned tiling with square patterns, a quintessential design element of a classic American diner. There is also a splash of red color in the setting, red seems to be the most common color that you can find in classic diners.
Another archetype of a diner are the seating options, which often include booths and seating along the counter
Here is an example of a Huddle House close to Tallahassee, FL
As we can see from the example above this is represents a very typical diner setting in the US that is very regularly used in movies, TV series and various other media as well
Another interesting take on the classic diner are the “Western” or Texas-style diners.
These still hold on some of the traditions of diners, such as the aforementioned booths but they are more themed towards the frontier and the wilder Texan ways, these were also of considerable size, due to which these seemed to be more popular along the bigger roads, such as interstates, instead of being closer to the city centers
Texas Roadhouse, Palm Bay, FL
I could also see that the menu had more of a Texas influence, as it boasted different cuts of meat and a wide array of barbecue, which while not exactly rare in other types of diners was definitely more of a focus here.
To round things out I would like to present some newer takes on diners. As the population of the US has diversified, Latin and Mexican cuisines have become very prevalent in not only their own diners, but within the menus of classic American diners as well.
Chili’s, Miami, FL
The Taco Stand, Miami, FL
To see the cultural significance of diners as a part of the broader Americana, here are some pictures from the American Diner in Mylly shopping mall in Raisio, does any of this imagery or elements seem familiar?
American Diner, Mylly, Raisio
Cheers, until next time! 🥤(Five guys, Miami, FL)
All photos, unless otherwise noted, Juho Valtonen, 2025-2026