Vincentown Diner (Revisited)

Vincentown Diner (Vincentown, NJ)

The Vincentown Diner was one of the very first diners; I  went to when we moved to the state.  It was also one of the first I reviewed.  Now nearly two years and 85 diners later, I decided to review it once more.  I’ve been to the Vincentown Diner over 30 times and tried many food menu items.  In the past few years, I’ve gotten to remember some of the staff and hosts.

Vincentown Diner Atmosphere: B
The atmosphere of Vincentown is modern and upscale.  It has more of a restaurant vibe than a diner.  It’s clean and polished.  The restaurant consists of a bar, multiple booths, and a dimly lit second room which I assume is for larger parties.

Vincentown Diner Service: D
There are a couple of issues with the Vincentown Diner.  One is with service.  The servers always seem rude, standoffish, or belittling.  If it was a one-time case, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but I’ve been over 30 times and have found several occasions to be this way.  Last time, the waitresses were standing awkwardly behind us gossiping about who was dating who.

Vincentown Diner Coffee: B
The coffee is always piping hot because they use an expresso machine.  I like the coffee a lot, and it comes in a fairly large cup.  Interestingly enough, the Vincentown a Diner charges 75 cents for adding whipped cream.  It’s the only diner I’ve come across that does this.  The funny thing, the whipped cream they use is the off brand in a canister.  I’m pretty sure two refills pays for their entire can.  It’s an extra expense, but they bring out an off brand canister and add it.

Vincentown Diner Food: A
The big positive is, I’ve never had a bad meal at Vincentown.  The food is fresh and local, and I can appreciate that. Their menu is smaller than most diners and also features a seasonal menu.  Some of my favorite items have been on the seasonal menu.   The Vincentown Diner menu has unique items like chicken cordon bleu, organic eggs, crab cakes, and mile high meatloaf. The Vincentown Diner menu also has the regular diner items like french toast, prime rib, and chicken breast. While the food is good, the portions usually are smaller.

The last item I tried was the bacon wrapped tenderloin.  It came over mashed potatoes with corn and black beans.  It was delicious, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  I’ve had most things on their menu from salads to pancakes, to eggs and their dinners.  My favorites tend to be the dinners and their seasonal specials.

Vincentown Diner Dessert: B
Similar to the menu, the Vincentown Diner is continuously changing its dessert menu.  This can be a problem, however, because many of my favorite desserts are only served for a month out of the year.  My favorite dessert at the Vincentown Diner is the red velvet cake.  The Vincentown Diner red velvet cake has a hint of raspberry, which makes it make unique from any red velvet cake I’ve had.

Vincentown Diner Cost: $$$
The Vincentown Diner is the most expensive diner I’ve been too thus far.  The food is local and fresh, but I do believe it’s overpriced.  Most Vincentown Diner menu items cost upwards of $20.  Most times I go to Vincentown Diner, it costs upward of $30.

Overall thoughts/Would I come back to the Vincentown Diner?
I’ve been back to the Vincentown Diner several times, but I do wish their employees were more polite.  I do believe if their cost wasn’t so steep and the employees were more friendly, they might have won the best diner in NJ.  I don’t go to the Vincetown Diner nearly as often anymore (possibly once a month) because of the lack of employee friendliness.

Atmosphere: B
Service: D
Coffee: B
Food: A
Dessert: B
Cost: $20+
Overall: B

You can see all diner reviews here.

Questions for you:
Do you have a favorite restaurant?
Has the employee friendliness ever stopped you from going to a restaurant?