About Us

Serving All-Day Breakfast Since 1980

The Diner…

At Smith Street Diner, we serve All-Day Breakfast, 8 Days a Week. And we’re all about the pig! You’ll find a variety of pig pics, statuary, and other swine collectibles throughout the restaurant’s service and seating area. And we’re all about our customers! We’re here to serve you and ensure that your dining experience is the best possible. Sit a spell with us. Enjoy breakfast all day plus lunch and dinner, and we’re sure you’ll be coming back again. Smith Street Diner opened in 2005, after the closing of the former establishment Robinson’s Restaurant. We’re independent and locally owned. We’ve been serving up southern, country cooking to a variety of local Greensboro regulars, visiting family members, and travelers ever since.

The Food…

We pride ourselves in providing our diners with scratch-made food put together with lots of love and talent. Other than bread and crackers, nothing is pre-packaged. That’s our promise to you! Enjoy All-Day Breakfast plus lunch 8 Days a Week! Plus, we serve dinner Tuesday through Saturday every week. Here’s some of what our customers love most…

HUGE Biscuits

Yeah, that’s right! We’ve got the BIGGEST Biscuits in the ‘Boro. And we’ve got the t-shirt to prove it! You won’t find ‘em bigger anywhere else.

Fresh-Squeezed Orange Juice

You get 6 whole oranges in every glass of Smith Street Diner OJ!

Fried Bologna

Quite possibly the only restaurant serving this in Greensboro.

Scratch-Made Soups

Never canned, never re-heated. You get fresh-made soup daily.

Larry’s Coffee

Sourced from right here in North Carolina.

Vegetables

Sourced when in season from local NC farms.

Fried Chicken

Every Thursday is Fried Chicken Thursday! That means you get an entire ½ chicken with 2 sides AND your choice of a biscuit or corn bread. You won’t leave hungry… we guarantee it!

Fresh-Baked Cookies

We bake fresh batches of chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies every day. They’re available for purchase at the register. Pick yourself up a little something sweet to go!

And Much More!

The City…

You’ll find us within walking distance or a very short drive or bus ride from some of Greensboro’s fun attractions. As you peruse through downtown Greensboro, take note of the many public art displays, including murals commissioned by No Blank Walls and the Greensboro Mural Project. Plus, you’ll find an original beam from the World Trade Center as part of a larger art sculpture near Hamburger Square. Here’s what you can find in our immediate area:

Parks / Recreation

Center City Park
LeBauer Park
LoFi Park
Downtown Greenway

Shopping / Entertainment

Downtown Greensboro
Elm Street
First National Bank Field, home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball team
Carolina Theatre
Triad Stage
Cone Denim Entertainment Center
Greensboro Ballet
Van Dyke Performance Space

History / Museums

Greensboro History Museum
Blandwood Mansion
International Civil Rights Museum
Greensboro Cultural Center
Greensboro Children’s Museum
Elsewhere

Our Neighbors

Deep Roots Market
Orrell Design
Crafted the Art of Street Food
Preyer Brewing
Joymongers Brewing Company
Downtown Animal Clinic
Greenway at Fisher Park Apartments
Greenway at Stadium Park Apartments

The Seating…

Smith Street Diner has remained true to the original design and seating of Robinson’s Restaurant. Our seating capacity is 65, including counter stools and table seating. And our entry is just a small vestibule, which doesn’t leave much room to wait for an open table without standing over someone else while they’re eating.

So, to respect the dining experience of those seated, we encourage you to wait outside or in the comfort of your vehicle on those cold or inclement weather days when our restaurant is full. As soon as a table is open, we’ll call you on your cell phone and you can head on in. Thanks so much for your understanding.

What We Care About…

We care about our friends, family, and customers in the Greensboro community. You’ll find us participating in and supporting a number of local events.

We hold several blood drives throughout the year for the American Red Cross. It’s so important to take the opportunity to give blood and save a life. We have been a sponsor for the Triad Jewish Film Festival for several years. On Christmas morning, we serve breakfast to the firemen from 3 firehouses in Greensboro. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to get the latest on these events. Thanks for doing your part!

About Beth Kizhnerman…

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in the restaurant industry for 35 years! I’m thankful that my joy of cooking has allowed me to work with some very talented people.

While at Guilford College, I worked at several local restaurants, including Franklin’s off Friendly, the original Liberty Oak, Manor House at Tanglewood Park, and Southern Lights. After graduating from Guilford College, I made the decision to attend the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. NECI was a great experience and led to two wonderful culinary apprenticeships.

My first apprenticeship was at Season’s in the Bostonian Hotel at Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. I had the tremendous opportunity to work with Executive Chef Lydia Shire, Sous Chef Gordon Hammersley, and an array of very talented women. Working at Season’s defined my approach to food as my career moved forward. Season’s kitchen staff consisted of 90% women, which was unheard of in 1987.

My second apprenticeship was in La Roche Bernard, Bretagne, France at a restaurant called L’Auberge Bretonne. L’Auberge Bretonne was a classic French Kitchen, except for the fact that the Sous Chef was a celebrated and talented woman. L’Auberge was one of the most difficult kitchen jobs I have had in my career, but I would do it again. A few years ago, the current chef owner received a Michelin Star.

Returning to Greensboro sometime in the late 1980s, I began working at Southern Lights, and then opened South by Southwest in Winston-Salem. Then my former husband, Jerry Kizhnerman, and I opened Bistro Sofia in 1999 on Dolley Madison Road. Bistro Sofia became the culmination of all of my culinary experiences over the past 20 years. Bistro Sofia had all the elements that created a wonderful dining experience and a wonderful restaurant. As Bistro Sofia continued to prosper, Jerry opened Smith Street Diner in 2006. Eventually, I decided to close Bistro Sofia and take over ownership and operations of Smith Street Diner in 2010. I have been the sole owner since then.

Beth’s Education and Career

Guilford College Graduate―1983
New England Culinary Institute, Montpelier, VT―1985

Liberty Oak, Greensboro―1980–1984
Manor House, Tanglewood Park, Clemmons―1984-1985
Southern Lights, Greensboro―1988–1992
South by Southwest, Winston-Salem―1993–1996
Painted Plate Catering, Greensboro―1996–1999
Bistro Sofia, Greensboro, Chef Owner―1999–2010
Smith Street Diner, Greensboro, Owner―2006

Beth’s Apprenticeships

Seasons, Bostonian Hotel, Fanueil Hall, Boston, MA, Executive Chef, Lydia Shire―1985–1986
La Bretagne, La Roche Bernard, Bretagne, France―1986–1987