Over the next couple weeks, I will set out to solve the question that keeps most of us up at night – what is the best diner in the Fairfield County? I will travel up and down the coast in search of the best diner food there is.

I have trained my whole life for this moment, and now it is time to put my skills to the test. It will be March Madness tournament style, starting in the Elite Eight.

Game one- Orem’s Diner (Wilton) v.s. Circle Diner (Fairfield)

To keep the matchup fair I decided to order chocolate chip pancakes and home fries from both restaurants- a staple of diners across America.

I have been hearing the hype about Orem’s Diner for quite some time now so it was an easy choice for the Elite Eight. Orem’s was originally opened in 1921 and has moved locations three different times.

The outside and inside of the diner are very appealing, a place that is clearly well taken care of. Located conveniently on the Post Road, the Circle Diner of Fairfield has just changed ownership in early March. Walking into the Circle Diner, you can tell it is a little bit on the older side and not as clean as Orem’s.

Although both diners were relatively empty at the time, the service at the Circle Diner was noticeably faster.

When the order came out at Orem’s, the smell of delicious flavor immediately bolted to my nose. I could just tell that what was about to be in my stomach was going to be delicious.

When the waitress at Circle Diner came out with the food, the pancakes looked very good while the home fries…not so much. The home fries were a yellowish-orange and just looked unappealing. From there, I was not surprised at all when I tasted them. I don’t think you could have paid me to finish the whole plate of home fries.

Nonetheless, the pancakes were reasonably good – nothing special.

On the other hand, Orem’s diner was firing on all cylinders. The pancakes were a home run, the home fries were head and shoulders above the Circle Diner’s, just some real quality product.

Overall, although the service may have been slower, Orem’s Diner of Wilton wins this matchup with the Circle Diner by a landslide.

Check in soon as Athena Diner of Southport takes on Post Road Diner of Norwalk.