A Food Network star and top chef shares her favorite diners in America

Back in the '50s and '60s, when you wanted to hang with friends you'd head not to the local watering hole, but to a diner or soda shop. There you might enjoy a milkshake with a plate of fries or a delicious slice of pie.

But many of these small, locally owned diners have struggled to survive in a modern market that's increasingly crowded by national chain restaurants. That's where Ty Pennington and Amanda Freitag come in.

In their Food Network show, "American Diner Revival," Pennington and Freitag travel across the country to find small-town diners whose menu and design could use a little boost. The show's second season premieres Friday night.

"Diners are the quintessential small business," Freitag, who most recently served as the executive chef at Empire Diner in Manhattan, told Business Insider. "They're the hub of the community. They're usually family-owned and passed down from generation to generation."

Freitag, who is also a judge on "Chopped," shared her favorite American diners with Business Insider.