Poodle Skirts and Ponytails.... Jimmie's Diner, Wichita, KS

So I'm here in Wichita for two weeks. I will try to find a few good spots to review while I'm here. Today I played "spin the Garmin" to find a dinner spot. My original plan was to go to Ted's Montana Grill for a nice piece of Buffalo. However, when I got there, I was seated by an off duty employee and then sat for ten minutes while no one came to even great me at the table. Dejected at the thought of missing some yummy bison, and slightly pissed about the poor service, I left the decision in the hands of my trusty pal Garmin. As I scrolled through the screen of nearby eateries that he had compiled for me, I paused at the name Jimmie's Diner. It was a quick 1 mile from my position so I thought what the heck. Garmin chose perfectly as it turns out that Jimmie's is part of the Kings-X restaurant family here in Wichita. They have been serving the famous Kings-X waffle for over 60 years. This particular location looked very 50's diner from the outside, very simple with very little flash and glitz. On the inside it was like stepping into Pleasantville with a long bar seating area including padded stools and all. The waitresses were all dressed in poodle skirts and those with hair long enough had them in ponytails. Booths featured personal jukeboxes and allowed for a selection of some great 50's classics. I did not have one of their malts or shakes, but the ones traveling by to other tables look wicked fantastic. I also noticed that the metal milkshake container traveled to the table alongside the shake or malt so you get the entire portion here. Jimmie's serves breakfast all day long, and the menu was quite extensive. Along with Kings-X burgers, there was quite a nice selection of "mom food" as well. I decided on the chicken fried chicken and it was a no-brainer to pick mashed potatoes as my side. The meal came with a very simple garden salad and it was neither good or bad.....it was just a salad and you know how I feel about that. My meal arrived and I was very surprised indeed. The portion was VERY generous. Definitely big boy portions here at Jimmie's. The plate was laden with an entire boneless fried chicken breast and mashed potatoes smothered in country gravy. My first bite confirmed that it was every bit better than it even looked. The chicken was moist and the breading was downright incredible. It wasn't a crunchy overbearing crust that acted like a suit of bread armor for my chicky. It was a very light, smooth breading applied in just the right amount to allow the chicken to fry and brown properly. The gravy was delicious as well. It was not too runny, not too think, very peppery and a great compliment to the chicken. The potatoes I cannot verify, but I am certain they might be actually homemade. Jimmie's was one of those places that looked kind of tired and worn out. Somewhat bordering on "slightly greasy". The atmosphere and food reaffirmed that fact that you can't judge a diner by it's outdated, greasy, worn out cover. Jimmie's gets 5 props for condition of the restaurant, but lets be honest, I only care about the food...and in that respect my chicken fried clucker gets a full 10 props. If you're ever in Wichita, ignore the looks and try them out, I'm betting you'll leave stuffed and happy.