Hot take: the local diner near me ruined their fried pickles by switching to a tempura batter

Went to Rosie's Diner over on Route 9 last Saturday like I always do. Ordered their fried pickles cause that's my usual. And man, they swapped from their old buttermilk batter to some thin tempura style. It's not bad exactly, but it's just not the same. The old one had that crunch that held up even when they got cold. These tempura ones got soggy in like 5 minutes. Am I crazy for thinking a classic diner should stick to the classic batter? Has anyone else had a place change up their recipe and just ruin the whole vibe?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai_park1mo ago

i read something online about how tempura batter doesn't hold up as well on thicker cuts of pickle because the moisture seeps through faster. that would explain why your old buttermilk ones stayed crunchy even cold, it was like a protective layer. sounds like your diner jumped on a trend instead of sticking with what worked for twenty years.

oscar_ellis1mo ago

Huh, never realized fried pickles required this much scientific analysis.