Corine’s Café (Mooresville, NC)

559 E Plaza Dr, Mooresville, NC 28115

Corine’s Café is a huge old-school diner, which doesn't seem to have been renovated since it opened in the 1950s. It prides itself on “home cooking,” but serves usual US diner food (breakfast and lunch). There is one unique aspect: because it is run by a Dutch émigré, it also has some Dutch specialties (mostly pancakes and croquettes). The clientele exists mostly of old(er) white local males - not a Dutch person in sight.

I get Bitterballen ($4.85) as a starter and Beef croquettes ($6.25) as a meal. Technically, they are the same, just different shapes, but it has been so long since I had any, that I double up. The croquettes come with two sides. I choose white bread (as replacement for the soft white bun you would get in the Netherlands), and onion rings. Unfortunately, the bitterballen and croquettes are homemade, not imported, and taste mainly fat and mushy. They have an odd crust and the ragout inside is too soft. The onion rings are prefab, as is the bread.

VERDICT: 72/100

Classic greasy US diner and the Dutch snacks are not worth the visit.