Hibernia Diner (Rockaway)
The Hibernia Diner has been one of the most suggested diners since I started my diner journey. The timing hasn’t worked out until recently, so when it did; I was excited to try it finally.
I got to the Hibernia Diner on the weekend around lunchtime, and it was crowded, but we were quickly given a table. I asked for either a table or booth that wasn’t front and center, but the manager bluntly said no.
Hibernia Diner Atmosphere: B
The Hibernia Diner is a modern building. It’s open, with plenty of parking. It’s not the stereotypical metallic, shiny, building but the inside is clean and modern.
The inside has plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar. We were given my least favorite table, the one that sat in the front and center directly next to the drink station. (I hate being front and center of any restaurant and there were other tables open). I would have preferred any other table, but the manager said no.
Hibernia Diner Coffee: A
The coffee at the Hibernia Diner was good, and the Hibernia Diner served Lacas coffee from South Jersey. I could have used more refills, but I have no complaints about the coffee itself.
Hibernia Diner Food: B
The Hibernia Diner menu has everything from breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The best part is you can order anything, at any time. They even have a separate menu to “eat on-trend” with avocado toast and other unique options.
I decided to order the Country Steak Breakfast. It came with fried steak, eggs (I chose over easy), home fries, and toast (I picked rye).
The Country Steak had a thick gravy on top. It tasted great, and the steak itself was cooked perfectly. The eggs and both were good too. The hash browns were undercooked and still somewhat cold. The majority of my meal was good though.
Service: C
The waitress at the Hibernia Diner was friendly, but the service was a little slower than I would have hoped. The food took a while to come out. I was somewhat salty about the manager giving us a blunt no at a simple request to sit at a different table though.
Cost: $
For my meal and coffee, the cost was $15.
Overall Thoughts/Would I come back to the Hibernia Diner?
I liked the Hibernia Diner, and if I’m back in the area, I will go back.
Atmosphere: B
Coffee: A
Food: B
Service: B
Cost: $10-20
Hibernia Diner Overall: B
You can see all 225 NJ Diner reviews here.
Questions for you:
What’s your favorite way to eat steak?
Do you prefer a booth or a table?
What a disappointment when the management at a restaurant ruins the experience from the get go. Honestly if the manager had said that to me and I had other options, I probably would have left the restaurant and not come back. I am a huge believer in customer service being a huge factor in determining which restaurants I frequent. I have had some incredible experiences at restaurants because of good managers and some terrible experiences because of them and you can guess which restaurants I frequent. 😉
I have to be honest, I look forward to reading your Saturday morning Diner posts on the way to the gym … probably not the best combo … but it gets me motivated for my workout and then my post workout breakfast! 😀
I completely agree Lindsey. I feel like I’m more likely to go to a restaurant with good management even if the food is not as good.
I appreciate you taking the time to read. I hope there are good brunch spots near you!
I definitely prefer a booth! Luckily one time I went to a diner and they sat us at a table smack in the middle, I felt so uncomfortable and my face turned bright red, the waitress was nice enough to move us to a booth even though it was pretty crowded.