I didn't know what to expect walking into Fino's Family Dining in Monroe. It was the classic set up. I had driven by, it looked diner-ish and fairly standard. But what would its many-paged menu yield?Essentially everything. There was the Italian section, the soups and sammies, the 'Mexican' section, the Greek/grilled meats, diner, breakfast joint, so on and so forth. I would probably stay away from the ethnic sections, except for the Greek and Polish offerings.
I've actually been to this place twice now. The first time I ordered a chicken kabob with rice. The chicken hunks were moist and had a good blend of spices, the serving was gigantic, and the rice was not dry. (Ewww... moist... I hate that word.) When I asked for the gyro sauce or something similar, they brought me ranch dressing, but that aside it was pretty good.
Here's the kicker though. On Sundays, Fino's has traditional Polish fare. Lovely globs of comfort food, prepared with care. Pierogies, potato pancakes, roasted meats, cabbage rolls and kraut. Fantastic.
While there, I also tried the fish and chips, the hot turkey sandwich, the chicken and dumplings and an omelet. Everything was pretty good. The fish and chips were a little bready and there was a little too much dark meat with the turkey, but just picky complaints.
If what you're seeking is a hug from the inside out, in the form of gravy, go to Fino's. On a Sunday. If you're looking for lighter foods, you can probably find something (like the soup) but you'd be missing out on some real comfort food.
Summary:
Flavor: Everything we had was flavorful and well seasoned, if not exactly pretty to look at. The soup especially stood out - though a little black peppery.
Prices: Reasonable. The chicken kabob was a great deal of food for the price tag. Actually, everything was.
Ambiance/service: Friendly servers, the kind you know have been there for awhile and have seen everything one could possible see in that kind of scenario.
Location: 881 S Monroe St in Monroe
Contact: (734) 457-1156
