Tropicana Diner (Elizabeth)

Tropicana Diner (Elizabeth, NJ)

The Tropicana Diner was named one of the top 10 diners in New Jersey.  In fact, it’s on most “top diner” lists for the state.  It’s been on my to-do list for a while, but I finally made it up last week.

Tropicana Diner (Elizabeth) Atmosphere: A
I can appreciate a diner that runs with their theme and the Tropicana Diner did that.  As the name indicates, it’s a tropical-themed restaurant, and the inside looks like you traveled to a Tropical Island in the Carribean.  I like how themed the Tropicana diner is from the outside decor to the inside to even the Tropicana Diner menu items.

Tropicana Diner (Elizabeth) Service: C
The waitress at the Tropicana Diner was extremely friendly and was great.  However, it was clear they were very understaffed.  There were points she was not able to come to our table for long periods because she was so busy.  It even took 20 minutes to get a check and more time to receive a to-go box.  The waitress was friendly, but they need to hire more servers.

Tropicana Diner (Elizabeth) Coffee: A
The Tropicana Diner has an espresso machine, so the coffee was perfect, and I have no complaints.  It was hot, and the whipped cream was excellent too.

Tropicana Diner (Elizabeth) Food: A
The Tropicana Diner menu has everything from breakfast to lunch and dinner.  The Tropicana also has a lot of Mexican and traditional items.  How often do you see that?

At the Tropicana Diner, we ordered the Shrimp Cocktail Bruschetta.  I highly recommend it, and the shrimp was fresh as well as the sliced garlic tomatoes over the bread.

Not often and I chose their “Columbianismo” special.  It came with fried pork, 16 ounces of steak, sausage, rice, beans, a fried egg, plantain, and an avocado.

Plus soup and a salad. 

I had run 15 miles in the morning, and I still had to bag up half of the food for lunch the next day.  That’s never happened.  The food itself was delicious and one of the best meals I’ve had.

Tropicana Diner (Elizabeth) Cost: $$$

For the appetizer, coffee, and meal, the cost was $38.  The meal alone was $25, but to be honest, it was so much food, two people split it easily.  It wasn’t expensive because the portions were so large.

Summary/Would I come back to the Tropicana Diner (Elizabeth)?
I enjoyed the Tropicana diner, and it was one of my favorite diners so far. While it was a more expensive meal, I received enough food for two meals.  To be honest, if I hadn’t run 15 miles, it would have been enough for at least 3. Hopefully, they hire a few more wait staff, but the food and wait are worth it.

Summary:
Atmosphere: A
Coffee: A
Service: C
Food: A
Cost: $15-25
Tropicana Diner Overall: A-

You can see all the diner reviews here.

Questions for you:
Have you ever tried a pork roll?
What’s the biggest restaurant meal you’ve ever had?