Missouri’s Best Hole-in-the-Wall Diner Now in its 75th Year

Ask any restaurant owner and they'll tell you it's not easy to stay in business for 75 years, but that's exactly what the best hole-in-the-wall diner in Missouri has done and doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon.

MSN today shared what they believe are the best hole-in-the-wall bucket list diners for each state and their choice for Missouri is a great one. This Missouri place began its existence in 1949 as The Minute Inn at Broadway and 3rd Street in Columbia, Missouri. One interesting aspect of its history is that it moved around Columbia many times.

It wasn't until 2001 that what is now the Broadway Diner in Columbia ended up at its long-time location on Fourth Street.

Why is the Broadway Diner the best hole-in-the-wall Missouri place?

It's hard to argue with their breakfast specialty known as "The Stretch". Kathy Folsom Hauswirth says it got its start in 1972 when she was given that nickname by her father. She and the Mizzou guy she was dating would go to what was then The Minute Inn and she would have this breakfast dish and her friends would say "I'll have what Stretch is having" and there you go.

There's also an interesting backstory behind Matt's Dilemma which has been around more than 20 years.

I'm not sure what makes a place a "hole-in-the-wall" destination, but it's hard to argue with Broadway Diner being a good representation of a Missouri place that has its own cult following. For Missouri and especially the Mizzou crowd in Columbia, this is it.