A Review of the Highway Diner and Bar, in East Hampton Hamptons regulars - particularly those under the age of, say, 10 - have gawked at it a hundred times through their car windows: the old military tank beside the Montauk Highway in East Hampton, its gun aimed at the nonstop summer traffic. Now there is reason to take note of the rather unremarkable building next to it: The Highway Diner and Bar, the latest restaurant to lease the space from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 550. Of course, a diner is not a new concept, even on the South Fork, which has its share of the cutlery-clanging, cholesterol-raising, BLT-with-slightly-soggy-fries restaurants. And as we discovered during three recent visits, the Highway Diner and Bar, which opened late last year, remains true to the genre in several respects. It offers a bright, cheerfully cacophonous ambience, along with diner classics like Reuben sandwiches, roast chicken and, yes, BLTs (served here on sourdough bread, with sweet, meaty strips of D'Artagnan bacon, and, if you choose, a side of decidedly unsoggy, hand-cut fries). But this is a diner with a Hamptons twist, and it is not limited to the minimalist, countrified décor - all pale wood, white walls, sky-blue accents, and tables with enough space between them that you could perform cartwheels (which is what one child did on a Sunday afternoon before an adult intervened). The menu, which was developed in consultation with Robert Gurvich, a chef raised in New Orleans and now living in Sag Harbor, is strewed with surprises: smoky crayfish étouffée and beer-braised beef tacos, served with sweet onion, avocado and sour cream lime sauce. An oyster po'boy on crusty bread offers equal measures of crispiness and juiciness in every bite, and for breakfast, there is cinnamon-scented brioche French toast with caramelized bananas. Add to that a respectable wine list, cocktails with names like Georgica Sunset, and a retro soda fountain where you can dawdle over a caramel egg cream, and you have an appealing new dining option with something for everyone in the heart of the Hamptons. Which is exactly what the two owners, David Kuperschmid, a former video producer, and Gunnar Myers, a restaurateur, intended - a place for "families, locals, tourists, city folk: everyone from the guy who cuts the lawn to the guy who owns the lawn," as Mr. Kuperschmid put it. Whether or not the guy who cuts the lawn is prepared to plunk down $32 for a sirloin steak or $26 for grilled yellowfin tuna remains to be seen, but our menu explorations resulted in several happy discoveries. It is tempting to get lost in the appetizers, which include a creamy, thyme-scented clam chowder and a plateful of calamari, rock shrimp and razor-thin zucchini slices, all fried in a crunchy rice-flour batter and served with a lemony chipotle sauce. And don't overlook the basics. While Mr. Gurvich's Louisiana offerings are tempting, as are the local seafood options, some of the comfort-food classics are excellent, including the roast chicken, with its perfectly crisp skin, and the Reuben, on griddled rye with house corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. Other dishes, including the meatloaf (among the most popular dishes, Mr. Kuperschmid said) and the Highway Burger are hearty but unremarkable. Whatever you order, leave room for something from the soda fountain: an egg cream, perhaps, or a root beer float. Around 9 p.m. on a weekend night, the lights dim, the music drifts toward Bob Marley, and the family crowd departs and is replaced with well-dressed and seemingly well-off couples of all ages. You may find yourself wondering, as we did: Is this really a diner? Our answer: yes, in an idealized, Hamptons-chic sort of way. At the very least, it is a good excuse to take a break from the traffic. Highway Diner and Bar 290 Montauk Highway East Hampton (631) 324-0130 highwaydinerandbar.com THE SPACE Upscale diner atmosphere with pale wood everywhere, retro light fixtures and a spacious, uncluttered, L-shape dining area seating 116 that is pleasingly noisy. THE CROWD Families and groups of all ages. Young, friendly servers are happy to point out their favorite dishes. THE BAR There are two. A 12-stool bar offers a wide selection, including a Highway Manhattan ($14) and wine from an international list of 15 by-the-glass selections ($8 to $14) and 12 bottles ($22 to $75). The quartz-top soda bar with 14 stools is the perfect place to sip egg creams ($5). THE BILL Salads, soups and appetizers, $7 to $17; sandwiches, $10 to $16; entrees, $19 to $32; desserts, $6 to $10. A junior menu lists seven $8 items, and a breakfast menu ranges from $6 to $18. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover are accepted. WHAT WE LIKED Braised beef tacos, fried calamari and rock shrimp, roast chicken, local black sea bass, crayfish étouffée, New England clam chowder, chicken andouille gumbo, fried oyster po'boy, warm turkey sandwich, BLT, cheesecake, egg creams and floats. IF YOU GO Open daily from 8 a.m. to about 11 p.m.