Best of Boston

Fanatical loyalty to one’s local diner isn’t based on food alone: It’s the atmosphere, stupid. At the Deluxe, which cooks up solid fare with a twist (e.g., sweet-potato pancakes), we’re completely won over by the charming bedlam of the place, with its clattering plates, sizzling grills, bustling waitstaff, and din of dozens of conversations at once. It’s no surprise that come the weekend, the lines stretch halfway back to Cambridge.