So everyone knows the Satellite -- this is pretty much it if there is such a thing as a downtown Spokane hole in the wall institution.
On the off chance you haven't visited the Satellite, this is what you can expect: Not a whole lot as far as face value goes. Really, bags of Franz buns are stacked in plain sight, alongside bags of pre-shredded cheese. In that sense there is little to differentiate the Satellite from most diners -- this is not a crazy, creative type of diner at all.
Yet, there's something to be said for good, honest diner food, and the Satellite does that perfectly well. Be it the need for a hangover cure or a 3am pick-me-upper, you can find perfectly acceptable biscuits and gravy here. The biscuit (apparently homemade) is smothered in a gravy (I can't help but suspect a package was involved here) and really, that's all there is to it. Again, perfectly acceptable, though not up there with Sultan Bakery's take on the dish, which frankly is the benchmark for biscuits and gravy in our minds and hearts. (Stop by the next time you're heading to the west side.)
The hot wings are pretty average, as are the omelets. In fact, the Satellite is pretty much the definition of average, but there's nothing really wrong with that. I can't recall ever hearing anyone downright disliking the place, because, really, there is nothing to dislike. The food is perfectly acceptable, and the location and opening hours -- it doesn't close until 4 am -- are hard to beat.
We do enjoy the Satellite, despite us tossing variations of "average" around here quite a bit. It's not a mindblowing diner, but it certainly has its place, and Spokane is better off for having this spot downtown.