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Silver Diner has spent more than three decades expanding across the Washington region while holding onto its identity as a neighborhood gathering place.

Robert Giaimo and chef Ype Von Hengst founded the restaurant in Rockville, Maryland, in 1989. Their original concept paired the chrome-accented nostalgia of an American diner with a welcoming place for families, friends and neighbors to share a meal.

The company now operates locations across Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., including a McLean-Tysons restaurant near Tysons Corner Center.

Reinventing the diner menu

Around 2010, Silver Diner began emphasizing fresh, locally sourced and healthier ingredients instead of relying solely on traditional diner fare.

The company works with more than 25 local farms and purveyors and prioritizes hormone-free meats and sustainable ingredients. Its “flexitarian” menu accommodates a range of preferences with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes alongside familiar comfort food.

Customers can still order staples such as burgers, patty melts and all-day breakfast. Other choices include ricotta pancakes with lemon curd, ancient-grain bowls with shrimp or roasted vegetables, plant-based burgers, quinoa-coconut pancakes and vegan stir-fry.

Silver Diner also identified healthier dishes with heart symbols before calorie information became a common feature on restaurant menus. It later developed a nationally recognized healthy children’s menu and partnered with nutrition initiatives and researchers on meals intended to encourage healthier family eating habits.

Local ties remain part of the formula

The restaurant’s community efforts extend beyond its dining rooms. Silver Diner supports regional farms and food producers, promotes school nutrition and wellness programs, and has hosted farmers markets at some locations.

Its broad menu and familiar diner setting allow the restaurants to serve several roles, from weekday breakfast and family brunch to lunch meetings and late-night meals.

The McLean-Tysons location is at 8101 Fletcher Street in McLean, across from Tysons Corner Center and off International Drive.