Running and Laughing through the Garden State
The Broadway Diner in Summit is my 300th New Jersey diner! YAY! The diner trip itself was unplanned and uneventful. I didn’t throw a happy 300th diner celebration and it was honestly one of the more quiet diner trips I had. Which is fine. Had I known this would be my last diner trip for a long time, I would have made it more eventful!
Continue reading “Broadway Diner (Summit)”
Oceanos Restaurant (West Berlin)
While in West Berlin, NJ, I decided to check out Oceanos Restaurant. While it’s in the grey area of diners, I decided to classify it as one. It serves diner food, looks and acts like a diner.
Oceanos Restaurant (West Berlin) Atmosphere: C
Oceanos Restaurant is in a large building with plenty of parking. The inside has a long but handicap friendly ramp to get in. Inside, Oceanos Restaurant needs a definite makeover. The inside is dirty and part of the wall was falling down.
Oceanos Restaurant (West Berlin) Coffee: A
Possibly the best part of Oceanos Restaurant was the coffee. It was brewed hot and fresh and the waitress added an absurd amount of whipped cream.
Oceanos Restaurant (West Berlin) Food: D
Oceanos Restaurant menu had plenty of options, including all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There weren’t a lot of specials, but there were plenty of options. It looked like Oceanos Restaurant was more dinner based with a lot of chicken breast, roast beef, and pasta options.
I was hungry so I decided to order the Greek Sampler. The pita bread was dry and the olives looked like they had been sitting around for a long time. It was edible but it wasn’t great. It was pathetic.
I decided to order the stuffed salmon. It came with stuffed salmon with crab meat as well as two sides. I chose beets and mixed vegetables. It also came with soup or salad so opted for a starter salad.
The starter salad was decent, but nothing unusual.
Both sides tasted frozen and reheated. It was clear the mixed vegetables were frozen and then reheated.
The stuffed salmon tasted precisely as you would think frozen fish and reheated to taste. I was disappointed because I thought it would be good. It was edible, but I wouldn’t order it again.
Oceanos Restaurant (West Berlin) Dessert: C
Since my meal at Oceanos Restaurant came with dessert, (either pudding or ice cream), I ordered the rice pudding. I wanted bread pudding, but they didn’t have it. What kind of diner doesn’t have bread pudding?
Oceanos Restaurant (West Berlin) Service: C
The service at Oceanos Restaurant could use help. Our waitress was friendly, but the food took a while to come out. When we got there, the hostess was on his cell phone, so it took a while for us even to sit down.
Oceanos Restaurant (West Berlin) Cost: $$
For my coffee and meal, it was $20, which was too expensive for the quality of food.
Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back to Oceanos Restaurant (West Berlin)?
I wouldn’t go back to Oceanos Restaurant. It was edible diner food, but it was expensive for the quality of food. Plus, Oceanos Restaurant needs a considerable makeover.
Atmosphere: C
Coffee: A
Food: D
Dessert: C
Overall: C
Cost: $15-20
Oceanos Restaurant (West Berlin) Overall: C
Questions for you:
Have you been to any meh restaurants lately?
Do you like rice pudding?
Recently I was at the South Star Diner in Mount Holly. The South Star Diner has gone under new ownership and has a new name, new manager, and is entirely new. Which is great because when it was previously the “, “I can’t say my experience was all that great. I haven’t been to the diner in 6 years (and my time in New Jersey flies).
South Star Diner (Mount Holly) Atmosphere: B
The South Star Diner has been remodeled. Outside it has a large, shiny, sign that says “South Star Diner.” There is a reasonably open parking lot and it sticks out on Route 38.
Inside there are plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar. They’ve done remodeling, so it appears to sit more people than previously.
South Star Diner (Mount Holly) Coffee: A
The South Star Diner serves Lacas Coffee, which is brewed right in Pennsauken. It was great and the waitress refilled it often. In all, it was good coffee.
South Star Diner (Mount Holly) Food: B
The South Star Diner menu is massive and has everything you typically have in a diner menu. There is all-day breakfast, seafood, wraps, a full page of salads, and steaks. I was in a pork chop mood, so I decided to order the broiled pork chops.
The broiled pork chops came with soup or salad, two sides, and the pork chops.
I decided to order the Greek salad and it was a great starter salad. It was bigger than some diner salads I’ve had before. Plus, it even included anchovies, which most people know how much I like those.
The broiled pork chops were decent. They weren’t my favorite nor my least favorite, but they were plenty there.
For my sides, I chose the beets and baked potato. If beets are a side, chances are I’ll choose them. Both were fine, but nothing special about them.
In all, my meal was good and I was most impressed with a starter salad.
South Star Diner (Mount Holly) Service: A
Our waitress was friendly and slightly funny, plus our food came out fast. I couldn’t ask for better service.
South Star Diner (Mount Holly) Cost: $
For my pork chops and coffee, it was $16.
Overall Thoughts/Would I Come back to the South Star Diner (Mount Holly)?
I liked the South Star Diner and they’ve definitely made big improvements to it. It now stands out on Route 38 and is a spot I would want to stop.
Atmosphere: A
Coffee: A
Food: B
Cost: $12-20
Service: A
Overall: A
Questions for you:
Do you like pork chops?
Do you prefer soup or salad?
Recently I was in the Hackensack, Kearny, and Jersey City area. Since it was around lunchtime, I decided to stop. I was hungry but not starving. The Truck Stop Diner is unique because, as the name indicates, it’s located at a real Truck Stop. When we arrived, there were dozens of trucks parked in the massive parking lot.
The Truck Stop Diner Atmosphere: B
The Truck Stop Diner has a stereotypical diner atmosphere. The outside is relatively boring and just has the name “The Truck Stop Diner.”
The inside of The Truck Stop Diner is everything you imagine in a diner. It’s all metallic with chrome seating. There are old schools, booths, tables, and a full-length bar. At the front of The Truck Stop Diner, they sell lottery tickets and candy-like an old school gas station.
The Truck Stop Diner Coffee: C
The coffee at The Truck Stop Diner was ok but not great. It was nothing to write home about.
The Truck Stop Diner Food: C
The Truck Stop Diner menu has everything you picture in a diner and more. There are plenty of breakfast and dinner options. There is a smaller menu at the top of the diner, which at first I thought we were limited too, but then the waitress brought over a full menu. The Truck Stop Diner is known for their “great food”.
When I went to order something, the waitress laughed and said: “oh, we don’t serve that anymore. They try new things and they don’t usually work’. I laughed and tried to order something else which they didn’t sell anymore either. Finally, I just asked the waitress what they did sell and ended up with a vegetable wrap with sweet potato fries.
The wrap was better than I anticipated and the sweet potato fries were nice and crispy. In all it was good food, but I do wonder how many options on The Truck Stop Diner menu they have.
The Truck Stop Diner Service: B
The waitress at The Truck Stop Diner was interesting. I’m sure she’s been working there for a long time. She was quirky but nice and our food came out quickly.
The Truck Stop Diner Cost: $
For my wrap and coffee, it was $12.
Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back to The Truck Stop Diner?
The Truck Stop Diner was a decent stop. I probably wouldn’t be back because there are other, much better places in the general area. Is it a fun spot to check out? Yes. Was the food decent? Yes. Was it a 5-star restaurant? No.
Atmosphere: B
Coffee: C
Food: C
Service: B
Cost: $6-12
Overall: C
Questions for you:
Have you ever ate at a truck stop restaurant?
What is your favorite wrap?
The Little Duck Diner (Savannah, Ga)
While on a day trip to Savannah, Georgia, my husband and I ended up at the Little Duck Diner. We weren’t planning on going, but the original restaurant was closed. A quick google search found the Little Duck Diner only a block down the road. Just looking at the Little Duck Diner menu, it looked like a fun and unique experience, so we thought why not.
Little Duck Diner Atmosphere: A
The Little Duck Diner isn’t like regular diners. It’s not an old school metallic restaurant. It’s located on the main street of Savannah and looks like a fancy bistro. When you walk in, you feel like you’re in a chic and posh diner versus an old school diner. According to the website, the Little Duck Diner is inspired by our little ducklings and known to be a vintage chic diner reminiscent of dining cars and diners in the 20’s and 30’s with a contemporary twist.
While the seating is a little closer than I prefer, it’s ok.
Little Duck Diner Coffee: B
The coffee at the Little Duck Diner was good, but there was nothing unusual or unique. The waitress did bring a refill.
Little Duck Diner Food: A
The Little Duck Diner menu consists of one of the most diner unique menus of any diner I’ve been too. You’ll find a few diner favorites like pancakes, grilled cheese, omelets, and eggs, but most of their menu is unique and features a lot of duck items as well as Asian fusion and bi bim bop.
Some of the items that stuck out where the Quacko Tacos (duck tacos), shrimp and grits, and flyboy tacos.
I decided to order the Quacko Tacos and a side of grits. Grits are an item I’ve tried to find at diners up north but never been successful. Grits are just better in the south.
The Quacko Tacos were delicious. I can see why Duck is the Little Duck Diner specialty. Inside the Quacko Tacos were bbq duck, lettuce, avocado, pickled carrots, daikon, sriracha mayo, and cilantro. I appreciated the extra kick with the siracha. All of the tacos came with a side salad that tasted fresh.
The grits were delicious and I have no complaints. Definitely just as good as other grits I’ve had in the south.
Little Duck Diner Service: A
The waitress was friendly and our food came out fast. In fact, I couldn’t believe for such an upscale and posh restaurant/diner; our food came out that fast. I was more than impressed because there were several parties in the diner too.
Little Duck Diner Cost: $
For my coffee, quacko tacos, and grits, it was $15.
Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back to the Little Duck Diner?
I liked the Little Duck Diner and I was happy with the meal. While it was my original intention to go to a diner in Savannah, I’m glad we did.
Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Service: A
Cost: $10-20
Overall: A
Questions for you:
Do you like Duck?
What is your favorite type of taco?