Calm, coffee, and conversations all define Luke’s Diner from the sensational show Gilmore Girls. Those three descriptors encapsulate the classic diner we searched for in our own Falls Church City.

Gilmore Girls is a seven-season long comedy-drama featuring Lorelai Gilmore (played by Lauren Graham) and her daughter Rory Gilmore (played by Alexis Bledel). The duo frequent their town’s quintessential hangout spot, Luke’s Diner, on the daily, and it is featured in many of the scenes. Luke’s Diner, the casual and family owned cafe, is an intimate and cherished meeting space, coffee shop, and study spot. So when seeking out Falls Church’s Luke’s Diner, we used those characteristics as a blueprint.

The restaurants we decided to consider were Northside Social, Cafe Kindred, Lazy Mikes and Rare Bird Coffee Roasters.

Northside Social

Northside is a popular restaurant in the heart of Falls Church City. Their food is more modern and emits a bigger city vibe, contrasting Luke’s Diner’s more comforting vibe. Despite this, when asked which restaurant would be best as Falls Church’s Luke’s Diner, Freshman Gia Khan said, “Northside Social, it’s a small business, the coffee shop has a nice environment. Wait, guys don’t quote me!” (She gave us permission to include this.)

Cafe Kindred

Our first impression of Cafe Kindred was that it was an intimate space for small gatherings. We saw many people reading the newspaper, talking with a few friends, and drinking their morning coffee. Cafe Kindred does not allow the use of cell phones or laptops inside (on weekends), just like Luke’s! Not only does the vibe fit similarly with Luke’s Diner, but the food is very similar. They sell sandwiches, burgers, pastries and varieties of coffee.

Cafe Kindred is family-owned and they make strong connections with their customers. When chatting with one of the staff members, Daniel, about his thoughts on whether or not Cafe Kindred is comparable to Luke’s, he said, “We know about half of our guests, and if they start walking in we start ringing in their [usual] order.”

He was even able to recite the customers’ names and frequent orders to us. This shows that Cafe Kindred is a very close space and community like Luke’s Diner.

Lazy Mike’s

Lazy Mike’s is a strong contender for the title of “Falls Church’s Luke’s Diner.” It’s also family-owned, and their menu contains American style food like Luke’s. However it differs because they focus less on coffee. In addition, Lazy Mike’s is more restaurant focused rather than café.

Rare Bird

Rare Bird Coffee Roasters has a gathering feel similar to Luke’s Diner. Many come to the shop to meet with friends and get work done. Upon entry into the shop, the feel is very modern and upbeat. The decorations are warm and the furniture is unique. However,, because the space is often used for work, technology is used far more than in the classic Luke’s Diner, and we know Luke would hate a laptop in his store.

While there are a few promising contenders, based on our criterion, Cafe Kindred is the most suitable to be the Luke’s Diner of Falls Church City. It is a personable meeting space where you can get delicious food and coffee as well as experience the sense of community. Maybe if we start going there more often, we can pretend we’re Rory Gilmore and actually do our homework!