MARY ANN'S DINER 29 East Broadway, Derry 434-5785; maryannsdiner.com Serving: Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Serving breakfast only on weekends and holidays. Cuisine: American Prices: $ Price guide: $ Entrees average $10 or less $$ Entrees average $11-$20 $$$ Entrees average $21-$30 $$$$ Entrees average $30 or more Rating: * * * Ratings guide: * Not recommended * * Good. Recommended * * * Excellent. Highly recommended * * * * Flawless. A must Visit the Dining section of NewHampshire.com to read previous Our Gourmet reviews listed by town.

When you dine out often, as we do, one thing you don’t get a lot of is fun. You might get good food, nice ambiance and good service, but you just don’t get a lot of fun. Sometimes it’s good to go somewhere and get a little playfulness with your food.

Although they serve both breakfast and lunch, it was time to do a breakfast review, so we decided on breakfast at Mary Ann’s in Derry. Mary Ann’s opened in 1989 and has become something of an institution in Derry. You can’t miss it: It’s the big building near the intersection of Crystal Avenue and Broadway all gussied up in ’50s-era faux chrome.

The food is good and the portions hearty. I think the owners, the Andreoli family, sum it up best in their “About Us” link on their Web page. “The servings are the size we like when we dine out, in an atmosphere we would love to dine in.” And it is a place that’s fun to dine in. They even print “Let the Good Times Roll!” on their receipts.

It’s fun in a “Happy Days” sort of way. Inside, one is assaulted with an endless and eclectic mix of reproduction 1950s décor. If you want a quiet breakfast, this isn’t the place for you. It’s a big place, usually pretty full at breakfast and quite boisterous due to the number of families there.

The menu, too, is eclectic. It’s extensive with a good mix of old favorites and interesting new dishes. My dining companion opted for the old — eggs Benedict ($5.50), his favorite for breakfast. The dish comes with home fries that are really good — they’re nice and crispy on the outside, but moist on the inside. I had them with my dish as well and liked them enough that I kept picking at them long after I had my fill of my main course.

The most unusual thing about the eggs Benedict was actually not the eggs themselves — it was that the waitress asked my dining companion how he wanted his eggs. Eggs Benedict of course require poached eggs, but the waitress said not everyone was aware of that.

My dining companion ordered the eggs poached and found them a bit overdone — they weren’t as runny as they should have been, but they were covered in a Hollandaise that, while not outstanding, was good with just a taste of lemon and a good consistency. He said that as far as eggs Benedict goes, the dish was average.

Mary Ann's, with its eclectic mix of reproduction 1950s décor, is near Crystal Avenue and Broadway. (SHANE GERARDI photos)

I chose the new: Jack Daniels black raspberry steak tips and eggs ($7.50). I ordered my eggs scrambled, and they were just fine. The steak tips were done to order and they arrived medium rare as I had requested. I found the steak tips a bit stringy, which made them difficult to maneuver since they were slathered in sauce, but overall they were very good and the sauce was sweet and tangy.

It was the weekend of Mother’s Day and the Mother’s Day drink special was the mimosa. This isn’t Al’s Diner — Mary Ann’s does serve some alcohol.

Although it wasn’t yet Mother’s Day, I felt I should order one anyway. It was actually quite good and at $3.75 a bargain.

Our server, Jessica, was outstanding. She stopped by often to make sure we were happy and to refill our coffee, she had a great attitude and was extremely friendly.

Overall, we found Mary Ann’s to have good food, good portions and good service. Oh, and don’t forget — good fun. If you’re in Derry, bop on over; it’s the most.

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