Launched in 1950, the Victorian Diner was not Victorian at all, but rather Georgian, as in George VI. Jay Hajj, of Mike’s City Diner, took it over and redid it last year, which ought to make it Elizabethan. But in fact it is now named after Hajj’s daughter and called Victoria’s Diner, with a Georgian Room in the back. The theme is neo-diner, with formica tables and period-looking upholstery, copper hoods and walls where actual diners had stainless steel, and a solid oldies soundtrack. When it reopened, there was some buzz that it would be like a bistro at night. The bistro theme apparently didn’t fly, however, as the only (and rather good) entrée we could find that sounded bistro was the "mesclun steak salad," and late hours have been cut back. Even so, Victoria’s adds to the dining-out-in-early-evening spectrum the classic diner virtues: plentiful food cheap, good coffee, sweet pie, breakfast all day, and gloopy gravy as needed.

Unlike classic diners, the menu actually lists appetizers, such as "Victoria’s Pu-Pu Platter" ($5.95). Wonder what real Victorians would have made of that? It consists of fried mozzarella sticks ($4.95 à la carte), Buffalo wings ($4.95), and potato skins ($4.95). Each has a dip: marinara sauce, blue-cheese dressing, and sour cream, respectively. All these items are standard and probably out of the freezer, but decent enough. The potato skins — shells covered with cheese and chopped bacon — probably get the nod.

There are also soups — classic diner fare. The chili ($2.75/cup; $3.75/bowl) is good and meaty but sweet, in the Boston way, with a lot of tomato and some evident green pepper. The chowder ($2.75/$4.25) is a thick stew of potatoes, although you can find some clam favor is in there. Think of it as chowder made by a kitchen that puts out a lot of gloopy gravy.

Okay, so how do you order this gloopy gravy? Well, you could wait for one of the specials on turkey meatloaf ($8.95), highly comforting, reasonably meaty, and covered with enough white gravy to make an Ohioan smile. The broccoli with mine was suitably overdone, but the mashed potatoes had the telltale roasted-milk flavor of the powdered kind. Regular meatloaf ($8.95) will get you gloopy gravy and the same potatoes, and so will the turkey dinner ($9.95), for which I had high hopes because roast turkey was always a feature at Mike’s. However, this time I found the breast meat brined and juicy, but cut too thin and perhaps too long before plate time. The stuffing was overly herbed and the potatoes and gloopy gravy were what they were; the best part was the smashed squash.

Diners and luncheonettes have always had an undercurrent of suppressed ethnicity, usually Greek- or Arab-American. It’s fun to think of Ralph Nader’s public citizenship beginning as he listened to the men talk in his father’s Connecticut luncheonette. At Victoria’s, one could ponder that over a chicken kebab ($8.95), very good chunks of chicken with a taste of the fire over bland pilaf. It’s served with a large green salad beforehand (including one green pepper with a hint of mold that the kitchen should have discarded).

The mesclun steak salad ($9.95) also turns out to be more ethnic than bistro. First of all, the steak, which is actually cooked to order, is highly marinated sirloin. The salad — field greens — also includes some feta cheese and a topping of shredded potato chips.

You may in fact prefer a sandwich, as the Reuben ($6.50) gets everything right but the grilling — excellent corned beef, good balance with the sauerkraut and Russian dressing. It even comes with respectable French fries, dry-fried with some skin on. The mushroom burger ($5.95) is quite large and tasty and served with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on the side, as well as a few sautéed mushrooms. The grilled onion burger ($5.95) has more onions than the mushroom burger has mushrooms.

And there are always breakfast dishes like pancakes, eggs, and my choice, corned-beef hash ($5.95). This is very good, somewhat salty hash with mostly meat and a few potatoes and onions, topped with two eggs and sides of hash-brown potatoes (made from red bliss — wise decision), and choice of toast. Hey, it’s only a few blocks to Boston Medical Center.

Victoria’s Diner has good coffee, stale but brewed iced tea, and even wine by the glass. The most expensive glass is merlot for $5.95, and it actually has a little structure. The zinfandel ($4.95) is as soft and warm as you might expect at the price, although there is a hint of the brambly zinfandel nose.

Desserts are cheap and good in their style. The old standby, grapenut pudding ($2.75), is a sweet custard with the eponymous cereal making a layer of contrast. Bread pudding ($2.75) is also quite sweet and simple, but good with coffee. A slice of blueberry pie ($3.25) is true diner pie of the 1950s, with a surprisingly flaky crust, a surprisingly sweet filling that does taste like blueberries, and lots of ordinary vanilla ice cream plopped on top. The microwave gives you a hot pie without heating the plate, and that’s fine.

Service on four visits was always friendly and helpful, whether at the counter or the booths. If memory serves, the old Victorian Diner had those mini-jukeboxes in each booth, but by the time I got there, they didn’t work. I guess they aren’t made anymore, but the oldies background music at Victoria’s is exactly what you would invest your quarter to hear if you could.

The location in Newmarket Square has served the warehouse district for 50 years, and ought to be even better at the back door to the Bayside shopping mall. There weren’t big crowds on my visits, but they were the right mix: uniformed police and EMTs, blue-collar men and couples, a table of women enjoying "girls’ night out." I think later hours could eventually attract a younger crowd like the South Street Diner’s. And at these prices, there ought to be more families.

Robert Nadeau can be reached at RobtNadeau@aol.com.