Just along the A420 from Swindon to Oxford and up from the picturesque village of Faringdon sits the hidden gem of American Diner’s Mollies.

Signs to other fast food outlets are just moments away but you won’t quite get the quality nor experience that you get at Mollie’s Diner. For those with no time to dine, this particular branch offers a drive thru which is wonderfully unique for a non fast food restaurant in this country.

The setting from the outside instantly makes you feel as if you have been transported to the US and you are making a stop after a long road trip. In fact, due to the road it is on, many cars and trucks pass by with a fair few stopping to use the drive thru or a much needed break in the restaurant itself.

It’s more than just a diner though! Behind the restaurant on the other side of the car park is Mollie’s Motel. Sending all the vibes of an American pit stop, Mollie’s is far from a dive diner and far from a run down motel but in fact a very clean and well presented place of comfort with style. The motel is small but serves its purpose and is a great stop-over place as well as a place to stay on holiday!

For those staying in the motel, you usually find that you want to distance yourself from the motel restaurant but Mollie’s Diner is part of the motel experience, so you definitely want to eat there!

The diner is modern and clean. The theme matches that of a traditional American 50’s diner in terms of its booths and bar seating but it isn’t cluttered with the typical vintage decor. I actually liked that! The lack of road signs and celebrities photos scattered across the walls gives it more of a widespread appeal.

The menu is generous and makes you take a moment to choose what you want. Usually in an American themed restaurant I more often than not go for a burger but something told me to be more adventurous, especially with what was on offer.

Whilst the burgers looked delicious and undoubtedly would have been delicious, it was fried chicken that caught the eye and my husband had a selection of small plates. The children had a small plate of popcorn chicken and side plates of fries and macaroni cheese.

The chicken was Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders with Pineapple BBQ Sauce and I had Sweet Potato Fries and Coleslaw as Sides. Very well cooked and very tasty, the tenders blended beautifully with the Pineapple BBQ Sauce. There were other choices of sauce but the Pineapple did it for me. I wouldn’t usually go for BBQ sauce but am glad that I opted for this. The sweet potato fries were nice and the coleslaw was light and tasty.

The Small Plates we had were:

Frickles (Fries Pickles and Garlic Mayo) I tasted one and thoroughly enjoyed it! Definitely the best small plate out of the chosen three.

Jalapeño Cheese Puffs (Red pepper and tomato). Also, very good and a lot nicer than I have had at most places.

Sweetcorn Fritters with Chipotle Mayo. Tasty but quite hot! If you like hot food then you will probably love them!

A fantastic selection of drinks, on the table we had a Chocolate Milkshake and a Raspberry Shrub (fresh Raspberries, fresh Mint, Raspberry Purée, Sugar Syrup and Soda!

The drinks were fulfilling with the Raspberry Shrub having a bitter taste and the milkshake being very creamy, chocolatey and very filling! Perhaps not the best idea to start with the shake!

The staff were friendly and attentive. Our server Pippa was very swift and helpful as were Neil (Manager) and the lady who greeted us (I didn’t catch her name sadly). The staff were kind as my youngest was asleep in the car so my husband stayed with him and joined us a little later (halfway through my eldest child and my dinner) and they were quick to deal with their food upon arrival. We had planned to use the drive thru for them had he not woken!

The kids didn’t eat much but that isn’t unusual for them! We often struggle with food for them but they did enjoy what they tried. They enjoyed being in the booths and the whole experience and the staff were more than happy to interact with them, especially my youngest who is very friendly!

The Kids menu doesn’t appear to be online but we have pictured it above!

For desert the kids had vanilla ice-cream and my husband and I shared a Knickerblockey Glory. This was something my mum often made when I was a child so it was nice to have one similar to those days! A very nostalgic moment!

Would we go back? Absolutely! My husband was even planning out what he would eat next time! He is thinking about Nachos and Popcorn Chicken and I am thinking of maybe trying The Chicken ‘n’ Waffle or Pork Belly Rib. With Birthdays and an Anniversary around the corner and also Father’s Day. We may be back sooner than we think!

Perhaps we will stay over in the motel too! Especially if it is near a concert or festival we are attending!

With branches in Bristol and one opening in Manchester this year in the Old Granada Studios, it may well be a great location for many concert goers to stay in! Have a look at their website for the Motel and Diner here and the Menu here