Chess-themed eatery Kingside Diner is introducing a new concept in the Delmar Loop: Kingside Express (6170 Delmar).
As the name implies, the concept is a fast-casual, pickup-and-delivery-focused reinterpretation of the popular breakfast-and-lunch restaurant from Herbie’s owner Aaron Teitelbaum, with additional locations in the Central West End and Clayton.
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Guests order online (for pickup or delivery) or in person from digital menu boards above the counter. The space seats 20 people inside and 20 more on a street-side patio. Familiar design touches include Kingside’s signature black-and-white color scheme and chess-themed artwork.
Hours are 7 a.m.–2 p.m. daily. Due to its location, in the same block as The Pageant and Delmar Hall, Teitelbaum plans to open Express on show nights as well.
The Menu
At Kingside Diner, many devotees swear by the Damn Delicious (two scrambled eggs with bacon on a croissant, smothered with gravy, cheddar cheese, and chives), the “American Cuban” (made with ham and a Nathan’s Famous hot dog), and the Johnny Cash (two pieces of French toast with maple cashew butter, bacon, and banana, served with fries or hash browns).
For the Express menu, culinary director Eric Prophete (a veteran of Shack) removed items that were either too involved or that didn’t travel well, swapping in others designed for speed and deliverability, including omelets, burritos, and griddled items, such as French toast. New menu items include a margherita flatbread and a grilled chicken salad with cranberries and walnuts.
“The Express menu’s as big as the full-size Kingside,” Teitelbaum says. “It’s just that some of the items are different.”
On the beverage front, food and beverage director DJ Holmes chose to focus on easily transportable fan favorites, like bottled bellinis and mimosa-making kits.
The Background
Kingside Diner first opened in 2015 in the former Lester’s Sports Bar & Grill space (4651 Maryland), across from the World Chess Hall of Fame. The Clayton location (8025 Bonhomme) followed in 2018.
In October 2020, Teitelbaum announced that the CWE location would be relocating a short distance away, to the corner of Maryland and Euclid (the former Gamlin Whiskey House space), which allowed for “greater visibility, more socially distanced seating, and additional private event space,” he said. “The minute we opened the doors, we were busy, and we’ve stayed busy.”
In fact, both Kingside Diner locations adapted well during the pandemic, especially the pickup and delivery components, Teitelbaum says, to the point that weekend business at the CWE location “became so brisk we had to stop taking orders.” So Teitelbaum developed the Kingside Express model “to fill a demand that already exists and can operate with fewer staff than a full-size restaurant, which is important.”
“Express is both a reaction to market demand and to our success within the niche,” says Teitelbaum. “Given today’s customer preferences, it makes perfect sense, and is something we can repeat again and again.”
