Advertisements

Tag Archives: diners

Lakehurst Diner

September 29, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , 3 Comments
Lakehurst Diner

Last week I met my friend Lauren at the Lakehurst Diner in Lakehurst, NJ. I’ve driven by the Lakehurst Diner many times on my way to the Lakehurst Base.  For whatever reason, I haven’t stopped.

Atmosphere: B
The outside is medium sized building with plenty of windows.  When we arrived, it was relatively empty for dinner time.  There were plenty of booths and tables available.  We sat towards the back which was nice.

Coffee: A
The coffee was the best part of the diner. It was brewed hot and fresh and refilled often. I thought it was great.  In fact, the coffee was the best part of the meal experience.

Lakehurst Diner lakehurst nj

Food: D
The Lakehurst Diner has everything a typical diner usually has.  There is nothing fancy or unique.

There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.  There was an entire menu of specials. I wasn’t sure what I wanted, so I ordered the Broiled salmon special which came with a salad, vegetable, potato, and salmon.

It was exactly what you pictured. There was absolutely nothing extra, and it definitely felt as though there was no effort.  The ordered a greek salad which was $2 extra.  It was the best part of the meal.

Lakehurst Diner lakehurst nj

The food all tasted as if it had been frozen and reheated. I joked that because it was near a Navy base, it felt as though the food came from a deployed ship.  Many of my Navy friends found it funny but sadly true.

Lakehurst Diner lakehurst nj

The food was edible but would I order it again? No.

Service: B
The waiter was friendly, and our food came out relatively fast. One thing I found interesting was that Lauren’s food came out about 10 minutes before mine. It’s always strange to me when meals don’t all just come out at once.

Price: $
For my special and coffee, it was $15.

Overall Thoughts/Would I come back?
It wasn’t my favorite diner and in the bottom as far as diners go. I probably won’t be back. If I do come back, I’m definitely choosing something else. I had a great time with Lauren, and that is all that matters.

You Can See All 211 Diners Here.

Questions for you:
Those in the Food Industry: Is it normal for meals to come out at once, or at separate times?
What is one of the blandest meals you’ve had?

Advertisements

Silverton Diner (Toms River)

September 22, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments
Silverton Diner (Toms River)

A couple weeks ago, I met Cyd from New Jersey Isn’t Boring at the Silverton Diner right outside of Toms River. It’s one of the last diners we both hadn’t been too in the greater Toms River area.  Cyd and I have been to no less than 30 NJ diners together!

Atmosphere: B
The diner has a huge sign that can’t be missed. It’s located in a shopping mall.

silverton diner toms river

The interior has several booths, tables, and a bar. It’s a big space but nothing special or unique.  The one thing I couldn’t help but notice was the “Psychic Night”.  I would be curious to come back and see what it is all about.

Silverton Diner Toms river nj

Coffee: A
The coffee was brewed hot and fresh with plenty of refills.  It was good coffee.

Silverton Diner Toms river nj

Food: B
The Silverton Diner has plenty of options. There are several breakfast, lunch, and dinner specials. I wasn’t sure what I wanted. I had a migraine, and I wasn’t that hungry.

I decided to order the pebble peaches salad with chicken. It was a small salad with greens, canned peaches, nuts, and chicken, crunchy noodles. It was topped with balsamic glaze was tasty.

Silverton Diner Toms river nj

It was a good salad for what I wanted for the day, but it wasn’t my favorite ever. If I had been more hungry, I know I would have been more disappointed.

Service: C
Even though the diner wasn’t that crowded, the waiter took a while to come back. He seemed disconnected from the table and his day. He was nice, but it seemed like he didn’t want to be there and forget Cyds soup and brought out the wrong dressing.

Cost: $
For the salad and coffee, it was $15.

Overall Thoughts/Would I come back?
It wasn’t a bad diner, but it wasn’t my favorite. It was right in the middle as far as diners go.

Afterward, we stopped next door at the local donut shop which was excellent.

Atmosphere: B
Coffee: A
Food: B
Service: C
Cost: $8-14
Overall: B

You can see all diner reviews here

Questions for you:
Do you like peaches?
What is your Favorite restaurant sign ever?

Roundabout Diner (Portsmouth, NH)

September 9, 2018 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,
Roundabout Diner (Portsmouth, NH)

I recently said on Instagram, but one of my goals has become to go to a diner in every state.  Yes, they do exist!  I’m not obsessed with the goal, but it allows me to see various parts of the country.  Am I ever going to spend thousands to go somewhere to go to a diner?  No, but if I am in the state, I’m going to go.

During my brief trip through New Hampshire, I decided to stop at the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth.

Atmosphere: A
This diner is precisely where you would think it is, on a roundabout.  It’s also attached to a Best Western Hotel which makes for a great stop if you are driving somewhere and need to stop for the night.  That’s precisely what we did.

Roundabout diner portsmouth nh The diner has everything you picture in a restaurant.  The interior is retro, with plenty of metallic signs, and memorabilia.

Roundabout diner portsmouth nh

Coffee: A
The coffee was brewed hot, and fresh.  One thing that impressed me was the New England logo mugs.  In all, it was an excellent coffee.

Roundabout diner portsmouth nh

Food: A
The Roundabout Diner has everything you would want in a diner.  There are plenty of breakfasts, lunch, and dinner options.  Since it is New England, they did have plenty of Lobster options as well.

I opted for the “Pile Up Burger” sandwich because it was one of the “staple” choices.   It came on Sourdough bread with 1/2 lb. burger, pulled pork, turkey, ham, bacon, cheddar cheese, egg, slaw and Russian Dressing.

Roundabout diner portsmouth nh

It was a lot of food.  I finished the majority of it and saved the rest in our hotel fridge.  There are only a few diner meals I haven’t finished before!

Roundabout diner portsmouth nh

Service: A
On a Friday night, the diner was busy.  The waitress was moving between tables, and we could see her working extremely hard.  I was impressed, but she made time for every single table.

Cost:
For my burger and coffee, it was 20.  For the amount of food, it was a good deal.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
In all, I’m pleased with my food, and I have no complaints.  It is in the top 10% of diners I’ve been too ever (in NJ or out of state), and I have no complaints!

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: A
Food: A
Service: A
Cost: $8-15
Overall: A

You Can See All Diner Reviews Here. 

Questions for you:
Have you ordered a restaurant specialty?
Have you gone to a restaurant located in a hotel?

Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

September 8, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , ,
Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

Recently I stopped by the Schuyler Diner with Cyd, IE NJ Isn’t Boring.  I was on my way to Vermont, and it worked out to a perfect meeting spot.

Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

Atmosphere: A
When we arrived, we were the only ones in the entire restaurant.  There are very few diners I’ve been to that have been empty.

The Schuyler Diner has recently been reopened, and it’s very different from what people have remembered. It’s also attached to an Indian Restaurant which makes it one of the most unique restaurants I’ve been too.

Inside there is also a giant fish tank which is cool. In all, it’s a unique dinner.Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

Coffee: B
The coffee was good. There was nothing overly unique or special, but it wasn’t bad either.

Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

Food: A
The Schuyler Diner has everything and anything you want. They have one of the biggest menus I’ve seen and a lot of specialty items. There is pizza, flatbread, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I decided to order the grilled portabella wrap which was stuffed grilled portabella, as well as other vegetables, goat cheese, and pesto. It was incredibly packed and tasted great.

Schuyler Diner (Lyndhurst)

Service: C
The waitress was nice but often forgot parts of the order. For being the only ones in the restaurant, the food did take a while to come out.

Cost: $
For my wrap and the coffee, the cost was $12.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I liked the Schuyler Diner and it was a nice surprise. The service was a bit slow but other than that it was great.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Service: C
Cost: $8-15
Overall: B

You can see all 209 diner reviews here.

Questions for you:
What is your favorite grilled vegetable?
Goat cheese: yay or nay?

Galaxy Diner and Cafe (Rahway)

August 25, 2018 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment
Galaxy Diner and Cafe (Rahway)

Recently I was at the Galaxy Diner and Cafe in Rahway, NJ.  Danielle and I needed a spot to meet that as somewhat close to Newark, and Rahway was a good stop.  Reading the reviews of Yelp, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Atmosphere: A
When we arrived, the hostess was friendly and quickly sat us at a booth near the back.  The exterior of the Galaxy Diner is metallic, shiny, and as picture perfect as you expect a diner to be.  The inside has plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar.  We were lucky to snag a booth on the weekend.

Coffee: B
The coffee was decent but nothing to write home about.  I liked it, and the waitress refilled it a few times.

Galaxy Diner Rahway NJ

Food: A
The Galaxy Diner has everything you expect a diner to have.  There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner specials.  There is even a salad bar filled with more than the average bar: beets, grape leaves, bean salad…the list is endless.  I wanted to make use of the salad bar, so I decided to order the Soulvanki special.  It came with a shish kabob of pork on top of rice as well as pita bread.  It also came with soup, and I ordered chicken noodle.

I don’t even know where to start with all of the food I ordered.  Everything on the salad bar was fresh, and I thought of any restaurant salad bars, it was one of the better ones I’ve had.

I ate some of the soup, which was decent, but I had so much food already.

Galaxy Diner Rahway NJ

The Shishkabob had gyro meat as well as grilled vegetables.  It was cooked perfectly as well.  Honestly, it was one of the better diner meals I’ve had in a while.

Galaxy Diner Rahway NJ

Service: B
The waitress was nice but forgot about us.  After we finished our meal, it was another 20 minutes before she came back.  That was fine, as Danielle and I always have plenty to talk about.

Cost: $
For all of my food, plus coffee it was $16.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back:
I really enjoyed the Galaxy Diner and had a good experience.  It is one of my more favorite diners in the area, and I would go back.  The salad bar is excellent and definitely one of the better restaurant salad bars.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Service: B
Cost: $10-20
Overall: A

You Can See all 206 Diners Here.

Questions for you:
Where is your favorite salad bar?
Do you like grilled vegetables or prefer raw? 

 

Matthews Diner (Waldwick)

June 30, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , ,
Matthews Diner (Waldwick)

Recently I went to Matthews Diner in Waldwick, I’ve wanted to go to the Matthews Diner for the pure reason that my brother’s name is Matthew.  There is no apostrophe in Matthews on the sign, so I’m just going with it.

I arrived around 11:30 am on a weekday. Honestly, it was much more crowded than I anticipated.  It was busier than I’ve seen many diners on weekends.

Atmosphere: A
Matthews Diner is a colonial style building. It’s not a big, metallic, shiny, diner but it does have a very colonial look.  The entire town of Waldwick appears to have the same sort of Colonial look which is neat.

Matthews diner waldwick nj

The inside reminds me of an Irish pub.

Coffee: B
The coffee was decent, and there wasn’t anything unique or unusual. That seems to be the trend lately with diner coffee but normal coffee is never a bad thing.

Matthews diner waldwick nj

Food: C
Matthew’s Diner serves everything all of the time. It’s always nice to be able to order breakfast at 6 pm or lunch at 9 am.

I opted for pancakes, two scrambled eggs, and bacon. I heard the pancakes at Matthew’s Diner were good.  I will say when the pancakes came up they were big. One of my more favorite diner pancakes.

Matthews diner waldwick nj

I was disappointed in the eggs as they were undercooked. I decided not to finish them.  It’s hard to mess up breakfast, but undercooked eggs is one way.

Matthews diner waldwick nj

Service: C
The waitress barely came to our table, and we actually had to ask another server for a drink refill. She was friendly, however, either they were understaffed, or our waitress forgot about our table.

Cost: $
For my coffee and breakfast; the cost was $13.

Overall Thoughts/would I come back?
I liked Matthews Diner, and it’s clearly doing well (as shown by how busy it was on a weekday).   I was disappointed in the eggs as well as our service.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: C
Service: C
Price: $8-15
Overall: B

You can see all NJ 195 Diners I’ve been too here.

Questions for you:
Where are your favorite pancakes from?
Have you ever been to a restaurant with your name in it?

Red Bank Diner

June 9, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , ,
Red Bank Diner

I was in the Red Bank area around 4;30 pm on a weekday.  Anyone that knows New Jersey traffic knows that 4 pm starts bumper to bumper, everywhere.  I live about 90 minutes from Red Bank and I while I wasn’t starving around 4:30, I didn’t particularly want to wait until probably 6:30-7 when I would actually get home.  It seemed like a good idea to find a diner and stop.  I didn’t know much about Red Bank, but I remembered I had eaten at Toast last year and had a good experience.  I stumbled upon the Red Bank Diner and made my way there.

red bank diner nj

Atmosphere: B
The Red Bank Diner is unique.  It’s located on the main road and a local business.  It’s not a standalone building and attached to several other restaurants.  The inside is clean and modern.  It has several booths and a small bar.  It reminds me more of a local restaurant than a diner, but that is okay!

Coffee: A
The coffee was good.  What gave it an “A” is our server kept it refilled the entire time.  There was never a moment that my cup came close to being empty (and believe me, I can drink coffee).

red bank diner nj

Food: B
The Red Bank Diner has all of the usual diner favorites.  There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.  When I went, I wasn’t starving, but I was hungry.  It took me a while to decide what I wanted.  I randomly decided to order the St. Louis Burger. I had no idea why or even what it came with.  Honestly, I just did it by name and hmm: I’ve never been to St. Loius.  It was topped with cheese, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese.  It also came with “cajun” fries which to be honest were just curly fries.red bank diner nj

The burger was delicious and while the “cajun fries” were good curly fries, I didn’t taste much of the flavor I anticipated.

Service: A
The server was great.  As I mentioned, he always kept my beverages (water and coffee) filled, and there was never a moment that I felt as if I needed anything.  Not only that, but my food came out quickly.  I could not have asked for a better experience.

Cost: $
For my coffee and meal, the cost was $12.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I enjoyed the Red Bank Diner and had a great experience.  It’s a nice local diner on the main street and I have no complaints!

Atmosphere: B
Coffee: A
Food: B
Service: B
Cost: $8-12
Overall: B

See all 191 Diners I’ve been too here.

Questions for you:
Is there is a signature meal for your area?
Do you like burgers?

%d bloggers like this: