Matthews Diner (Waldwick)

June 30, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: breakfast, diners, food, new jersey, restaurant, review

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Hollie in Diners Tags: burger, diners, food, new jersey, restaurants, review

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.

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).

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.

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?

New Monmouth Diner (Middletown)

June 3, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: breakfast, brunch, Diner, diners, food, new jersey, restaurant, review 6 Comments

As you can see, lately, I’ve been to a lot of diners. Yes, many people think “I only eat at diners”, but the truth is I like most places. Anyway, I’ve been averaging more than usual lately with exploring the state. Recently, I found myself in Middletown before exploring Hartshorne Park. I’ve wanted to try the New Monmouth Diner for a while, and it seemed like a good day for it.

Atmosphere: A
The New Monmouth Diner has everything you expect and more in a diner. The outside is a large, metallic and shiny exterior. The inside is massive with plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar. I enjoyed the several old cars displayed proudly outside. The only diner I’ve been so far with the same idea is the Phily Diner in Runnemede.

Coffee: B
The coffee was brewed hot and fresh. There was nothing unique or exciting about it, but it wasn’t bad either. I have no complaints.

Food: A
The New Monmouth Diner has plenty of options to please everyone. They have everything from breakfast all day, to plenty of lunch specials, and even dinner. It was around lunchtime but I was craving breakfast food. I ordered their lumberjack special which came with pancakes, eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns. To be fair, I feel as though it’s difficult to mess up breakfast but everything I got was great. The pancakes were a nice size, and nothing was overly greasy.

Service: A
The food came out extremely quickly. I was in and out of the entire restaurant within 30 minutes, and the diner had plenty of other customers. The waitress was friendly and kept our beverages refilled.

Cost: $
For my meal and coffee, the cost was $11.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I really enjoyed the New Monmouth Diner. I was pleasantly surprised with everything, and it’s one of my favorite diners I’ve been too recently.

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

See all 190 Diners I’ve Been too here.

Questions for you:

What is your favorite breakfast item?

Do you have a favorite classic old car?

Mine is a 1980 Pontiac Firebird.

Winslow Family Restaurant

May 26, 2018 By Hollie in Uncategorized Tags: Diner, diners, food, new jersey, restaurant, review, salads 2 Comments

The Winslow Family Restaurant is one of my last diners in ~~Gloucester County.~~ ETA: I didn’t realize Winslow was actually in Camden County. Thank you for correcting me!

I met my friend Lisa around dinner time.

Finally hung out with @lisa_smith617 outside of the windy shore. . 🌬We even coordinated with marching white birkenstocks. #twinningiswinning👯

A post shared by Hollie (@fueledbylolz) on May 1, 2018 at 4:53pm PDT

Lisa lives down the shore, so Winslow was a good meeting spot for us. Of course, both of us dealt with traffic but when don’t you in NJ?

Atmosphere: A
The Winslow Family Diner is massive, and I was not expecting that! There isn’t a lot online about the diner, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The outside is large and modern, and the inside has a “diner feel” with plenty of booths, tables, and bakery case in the front. It was quiet when we arrived.

Coffee: A
The coffee was good. It was hot and fresh, and the waitress asked if we wanted refills plenty of times. I have no complaints.

Food: A
The Winslow Restaurant has everything you want or need in a diner. There are plenty of options from breakfast, to lunch, and dinner. Despite the menu not being online, believe me you’ll find everything you want in a diner. With all of the choices, I wasn’t really sure what sounded good. Lisa mentioned a Greek salad, and I hadn’t had one in a while, so I thought, why not!

When the salads came out, they were massive. They were definitely two of the biggest diner salads I’ve seen in a while. I wasn’t complaining though. There were plenty of toppings including anchovies, two types of olives, onions, more cheese than I knew what to do with, and a green lettuce base. In all, it was one of the best diner salads I’ve had!

Service: A
The waitress was kind, refilled our drinks often, and our food came out quickly. It’s hard to complain about that!

Cost: $
For my salad with salmon and coffee, the cost was $16, which wasn’t bad for the size.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I liked the Winslow Family Restaurant, and it’s one of my favorite in the area. I will definitely be back.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: A
Food: A
Service: A
Price: $10-20
Overall: A

You Can See all 187 Diners Here.

Questions for you:
Where is the biggest portions you’ve had?
Is there a lot of traffic where you live?

Dynasty Diner (Tuckerton)

May 19, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: diners, food, greek, new jersey, restaurants, review, salad

Recently, I got dinner with Ariana at the Dynasty Diner. One of my many goals is to go to more shore diners this summer, and when Ariana was in town for the New Jersey Marathon, it worked out. I’ve followed Ariana on the internet for a long time, so it was great to finally connect.

NJ Diner 185 was a hot date at the Dynasty Diner with @runeatwinesleep before she runs for the NJ Marathon on Sunday. So much fun!

A post shared by Hollie (@fueledbylolz) on Apr 27, 2018 at 4:57pm PDT

We arrived around 4:30 for dinner and it wasn’t crowded. The Dynasty Diner was a lot bigger than I anticipated. I hadn’t been to Tuckerton before, but it’s a cute small shore town.

Atmosphere: A
The Dynasty Diner looks like a typical, chrome, shiny diner. The outside was big, shiny, and metallic. If you are looking for a stereotypical NJ diner, the Dynasty Diner meets that.

The inside had a full-length bar, with retro booths, and tables. The Dynasty Diner meets all stereotypes of a NJ Diner.

Coffee: B
The coffee at the Dynasty Diner was good. It was brewed hot and fresh, and I didn’t have any complaints about the coffee. I could have used more refills but other than it was good. The Dynasty Diner serves Lacas coffee, and you are even able to buy it up front if you choose.

Food: B
The Dynasty Diner serves everything a stereotypical diner would serve. It follows the unwritten “diner guidelines.” There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. It also has a page dedicated to Greek specialties. Originally I had planned to get a gyro, but when that wasn’t an option, I ordered the Greek salad on the fly.

When the Greek salad came out, it was massive. The waitress said it was enough to feed four people and she wasn’t joking. Enough to feed four people ended up being me. I liked the Greek salad, however, there were a few things it was missing including anchovies and onions. It had plenty of lettuce but could have used more toppings. The dressing was good, and in all, I enjoyed it.

Service: A
The waitress was friendly, and our food came out extremely fast.

Cost: $
For my salad and coffee, the cost was $13.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I had a great time at the Dynasty Diner, and it is definitely one of my favorite shore diners. I would love to go back sometime!

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

You Can See all 185 Diners Here.

Questions for you:
What are your plans this summer?
What is your favorite salad topping?

Northvale Diner

April 22, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: cake, Diner, diners, food, new jersey, restaurant, review 3 Comments

Recently I found myself in Northern NJ at the Northvale Diner. By that, I mean the Northvale Diner is one of the most Northern diners I’ve been too. The State Line Diner is just as far North but a little further west.

Anyway, I arrived at dinner time, and the Northvale Diner wasn’t crowded. I was excited because I was hungry.

Atmosphere: A
The Northvale Diner is a typical Nj diner. You walk into the building next to a giant dessert case. Immediately I saw the red velvet mini cakes which called my name.

The diner itself has plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar. It’s modern, clean, and open. It’s a nice clean restaurant, and you don’t feel like you’re sitting on top of anyone.

Coffee: A
The coffee is Lacas Coffee from South Jersey! I was surprised because Lacas is brewed over 100 miles away, but I didn’t complain. The coffee itself was good, and the waiter brought plenty of refills.

Food: A
The Northvale Diner has a lot more unique and upscale options than many diners. There are salmon burgers, goat cheese salads, and many other modern and upscale options.

For an appetizer, I ordered one of my favorite appetizers: The Mezze platter. It came with four types of hummus, pita bread, olives, and grape leaves. I thought it could use a bit more pita bread but other than that it was good. The sundried tomato hummus was my favorite!

I decided to order the tuna burger which came with sweet potato fries. I don’t know the last time I ate a tuna burger! The tuna burger was cooked perfectly. I appreciated how crispy the fries were too.

Dessert: A
After walking in next to the dessert case, the red velvet cake caught my eye. I ordered the red velvet cake with vanilla ice cream. As most people know, red velvet cake is my favorite, and I have high expectations for it!

The red velvet cake was delicious, and the frosting was thick but still sugary. One of my favorite cakes so far! I appreciated how much frosting was on the cake.

Service: A
The waiter was friendly, and the food came out quickly. I have no complaints there.

Cost: $
For my burger, coffee, appetizer, and dessert, the cost was $30.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I liked the Northvale Diner, and it was one of my favorite diners so far. If I’m up in the area again, I’ll be back!

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: A
Food: A
Dessert: A
Service: A
Overall: A
Price: $15-20

You can see all of the diners I’ve been too here.

Questions for you:

What is your favorite appetizer?

Have you ever had a tuna burger?

Nevada Diner (Bloomfield)

March 24, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: diners, food, new jersey, Prime Rib, restaurant, review

I’ve been looking forward to going to the Nevada Diner for a while. I went to the State line Diner a few years ago, which has remained in my top 10 favorite diners.

I arrived to the Nevada Diner around dinner time and it wasn’t too crowded.

Atmosphere: A

The Nevada Diner is very clean, modern, and bright. I’m not 100% why it was named the “Nevada Diner”, as it doesn’t have a big Nevada theme. Never the less, the exterior and interior are clean.

Image via Nevada Diner website

Coffee: A

The coffee was brewed hot and fresh each time. The waitress refilled my beverage multiple times, and the mug was large. One of my favorite diner coffees so far.

Food: A

The menu at the Nevada Diner is large and they have everything you want in a diner. They also have a lot of vegan and vegetarian options, and entire juice bar. I don’t know if I’ve seen a juice bar at a diner before.

For an appetizer, I ordered the mezze platter. It came with two types of hummus, pita, olives, and dolmades. It was one of the best Mediterranean platters and I took some home because it was so filling.

I decided to order the prime rib off their specials menu. It came with a salad, two vegetables, and dessert.

The prime rib was one of the best prime ribs I’ve had at a restaurant. It was tender and juicy without being drenched in sauce.

Both my broccoli and asparagus were cooked well too.

Dessert: A
I wasn’t hungry for dessert but I can’t turn down free bread pudding. I liked the bread pudding but I was hoping it would be more bread like. In all I have no complaints.

Service: A
Our waitress was both friendly and funny and it’s hard to beat that. I always like when a server shows their personality. The food came out quickly as well.

Cost: $$
For my coffee, prime rib special, and Mezze platter the cost was $40 which wasn’t bad considering it was two full meals.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I liked the Nevada Diner, and I can’t wait to go back. I had no issues, and it’s a great stop.

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

See all 170+ Diners I’ve Been here.

Questions for you:
Do you like prime rib?
What is your favorite dessert?

FueledByLOLZ

Running and Laughing through the Garden State

Tag Archives: diners

Matthews Diner (Waldwick)