Advertisements

Tag Archives: greek

Bridge-Way Diner (Old Bridge)

November 17, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , 1 Comment
Bridge-Way Diner (Old Bridge)

Recently I went to the Bridge-Way Diner and restaurant in Old Bridge, NJ. I was in the area and wanted to miss the traffic, so I begged, Jess, to meet up with me.  After a confusing few turns, I made it into the parking lot.  Bridge-Way Diner Old Bridge NJ

Atmosphere: B
The atmosphere of the Bridge-Way diner is typical of many NJ diners. The outside is a typical building with a giant metallic sign. Something comical to me is there is no “Bridge-Way” sign on the front of the building. I feel like most restaurants have that.

Anyway, the inside has a full bar and plenty of booths and tables. What I do appreciate is you walk next to the dessert case, and there is a full salad bar.  Not many diners have either!

Coffee: A
The coffee was brewed hot and fresh, and the waitress refilled it often. She also included an overflowing amount of whipped cream, which in my book is A++.

Bridge-Way Diner Old Bridge NJ

Food: A
It took both us a long time to order because we had no idea what we wanted. There were so many options.  I knew I wanted the salad bar so I decided to order off the specials menu. I haven’t ordered a lot of chicken specials at diners, so I opted for the greek chicken that came with 3 chicken breasts topped with olives, feta, and spinach.  It also came with the salad bar, soup, potatoes, a side, and dessert. Oh. My. Word.

For my soup, I chose the seafood bisque. It was good and had a slight kick to it. It was one of the better seafood bisques I’ve had, and there was plenty of crab.

Bridge-Way Diner Old Bridge NJ

The salad bar was my favorite because they had a well-stocked salad bar with dressed salad, three bean salad, beets, grape leaves, and even bread. As far as restaurants go, it’s one of the better salad bars I’ve been too.

Bridge-Way Diner Old Bridge NJ

My chicken was delicious, and I’ve never had a Greek chicken special, so I don’t have anything to compare it too.  The chicken was cooked well, and there was plenty of olives, feta, and spinach.

Bridge-Way Diner Old Bridge NJ

I chose the mixed vegetables and homefries for my sides which were both excellent. By that point, I was pretty much full.

Service: A
The waitress was kind and refilled our beverages often. I always appreciate waitresses and waiters that show their personality and she definitely did.

Dessert: A
Since my meal came with dessert and I’m a cake fiend I decided to get the Bridge-Way cake. It was a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting.  It was definitely good and not too dry.

Bridge-Way Diner Old Bridge NJ

Jess got the seven layer cake which was extremely good. I think next time I go, I’ll get the 7 layer cake. Each layer was filled with mouse frosting. As a frosting fiend, that’s my type of cake.

Price: $
For my entire meal and coffee, it was $17. For the average person that would be 2-3 meals.

Overall Summary/Would I Come Back?
I really liked the Bridge-Way Diner, and it’s definitely one of my more favorite diners in the area. I would come back if I’m in town!

Atmosphere: B
Coffee: A
Food: A
Service: A
Dessert: A
Price: $10-20
Overall: A
You can see all 218 Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:

What is your favorite type of cake?
Do you usually order off the specials? 

Advertisements

Golden Star Diner (Ringoes)

October 27, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments
Golden Star Diner (Ringoes)

A few weeks ago, I went up to the Golden Star Diner in Ringoes.  I haven’t been up that way, but my good friend Eric and I drove up.  It was nice to catch up.  The Golden Star is just under an hour north.

We got there around 5:30, and it wasn’t too crowded.

Golden star ringoes nj

Atmosphere: B
There isn’t anything too unique about the diner. It’s an old building, with outdated furnishings. It does have a cute little outdoor pond, and they were decorated for the outside.

The inside has a bar with plenty of booths and tables. We sat in a peaceful booth which was nice.

Coffee: A
The coffee was brewed hot and fresh, and I have no complaints. The waitress refilled it often.  There wasn’t anything too special about it, but it wasn’t bad.

Golden star diner ringos nj

Food: B
The Golden Star Diner has everything of a typical diner.  There are a lot more breakfast options including several omelets.  There were also several wraps, sandwiches, and Greek specialties.  I decided the Greek Gyro Platter caught my eye and ordered that.

I also added Manhatten clam chowder. The clam chowder was good, and I actually like Manhatten clam chowder more than New England. There were plenty of clams and potatoes.Golden star diner ringos nj

The Greek Gyro platter came with a Greek Gyro and Greek salad.  I was indifferent about it.  I could have used more food, and I hesitate to call it a “platter.”  I don’t know why I think gyros will ever be easy eats but I was able to not be as messy as possible.

Golden star diner ringos nj

Dessert: C
I was still hungry so decided to order bread pudding. The bread pudding was decent, except it was doused with too much cinnamon.  It wasn’t my least favorite but not my favorite either.

Golden star ringoes nj

Service: A
The waitress was friendly and refilled our beverages often.  Our food also came out exceptionally quickly, which is always wonderful when you’re hungry.

Cost: $
For my soup, platter, coffee, and dessert it was $20.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back?
The Golden Star Diner was right in the middle as far as diners go.  It wasn’t especially good or bad. I wouldn’t be opposed to going back, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.

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

You can see all 215 Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:
What is your favorite soup?
What is your favorite type of pudding?

Jacks Diner II (Albany, NY)

September 2, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , , 1 Comment
Jacks Diner II (Albany, NY)

While coming home from Vermont, I stopped in Albany to see one of my friends from college, Justin.

Originally we were going to go to Jacks Diner (I guess the original) but it has an extremely long line. So we drove down to downtown Albany and after walking past multiple crowded restaurants, we stumbled across Jack’s Diner II.

Atmosphere: A
We were shocked because Jack’s Diner II was very quiet and had barely anyone in the diner. It was quiet and a single small room with several booths.  It is located on the main street of Albany.

Jacks Diner II Albany, NY

Coffee: B
The coffee was fresh and hot. The waitress brought plenty of refills and I appreciated that. While they didn’t have whipped cream, it was still good coffee.Jacks Diner II Albany, NY

Food: B
Jack’s Diner II has everything of a typical diner. It isn’t fancy, but Jack’s Diner II has a solid menu of breakfast and lunch options. There aren’t many fancy or healthy options but there are plenty of options to choose from.

Jacks Diner II Albany, NY

I decided to order the Gyro Deluxe which came with a gyro on pita, French fries, and small Greek salad. In all it was a good meal and I have no complaints.

Service: A
The food came out quickly and we had plenty of refills on our drinks. I have no complaints.

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

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I really enjoyed Jack’s Diner II. If I come back to Albany, I would definitely go back.

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

You Can see All Diners I’ve Been too here.

Questions for you:
Do you like gyros?
Are you a Sunday brunch person?

Jackson Hole Diner (Englewood)

July 7, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , 3 Comments
Jackson Hole Diner (Englewood)

Last month, I found myself in Englewood around lunchtime, so I decided to stop at the Jackson Hole Diner. The Jackson Hole actually has a few locations in NYC and one in NJ.

I heard it was a good stop.   I wasn’t starving, but I didn’t want to get stuck in traffic over the George Washington Bridge and be starving.

jackson hole diner englewood nj

Atmosphere: A
The Jackson Hole is a nostalgic diner. The outside is metallic and shiny, and the inside has multiple booths, tables, and a full-length bar. It’s actually much bigger than I thought. I ended up sitting in a back room that I didn’t realize even existed.  To get to the backroom, you cut through the bar.  In the back room, you can see there is actually a downstairs which I think is just a staff room but I’m not sure.

jackson hole diner englewood nj

Coffee: C
The coffee took a long time to come out and I didn’t receive any refills. It was a decent coffee but nothing ordinary. jackson hole englewood nj

Something that did save the Jackson Hole was the orange juice actually had a lot of pulp and looked as if it was fresh squeezed.

jackson hole englewood nj

Food: B
The Jackson Hole has plenty of options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I wasn’t starving and decided to default to a Greek Salad. It was cheap and filling. There was plenty of lettuce and toppings, and I have no complaints. It wasn’t massive but good for what I needed for the day. It could have used more toppings as well as pita bread, but other than that, it was good.

jackson hole englewood nj

Service: D
Our waiter disappeared for long periods of times and we never received refills. I wondered if we were forgotten about because we were in the back corner.

Cost: $$
For the salad and coffee, it was $18 which was a bit pricey for the amount of food.  It was one of the cheaper lunch and dinner options though.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I liked the Jackson Hole and I thought it was decent food. It was right in the middle of diners as they go. I do wonder how the New York Diners compare and I might try and go to one.  If I come back, I’ll make sure it’s when I’m more hungry and want to try something new.

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

You Can See all 195 Diners I’ve Been Here.

Questions for you:

Do you like orange juice or juice with pulp?

What is the worst traffic you’ve ever sat in?

There was once a fire on the Delaware Memorial Bridge, and they forced everyone to exit the turnpike at exit 4.  Every single person was single filed through the toll booth, and it took over 90 minutes to go 10 miles.

Majestic Diner (Ramsey)

June 23, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments
Majestic Diner (Ramsey)

Recently I was in Ramsey, NJ near New York State.  I’ve been to a lot of the diners near the NY border so finding a diner near the top I haven’t been too has been increasingly difficult.  Even though I live nearly 90 miles from Ramsey, I’m actually very familiar with the area now from road races as well as hiking.

Atmosphere: A
The Majestic Diner looks like many North Jersey Diners.  The outside is clean, modern, and open.  When you walk in, you face the bakery and dessert case.

Majestic diner ramsey nj

Coffee: B
I enjoyed the personalized coffee mug.  The coffee itself wasn’t the best or worst.  It tasted decent.  I do wish I could have more refills.

Majestic diner ramsey nj

Food: A
The Majestic Diner has a lot more upscale options.  While they do have “traditional” diner items, they all have an upscale feel to it. Due to traffic, I got up much later than I wanted so I arrived hungry.  I ordered the Mezze platter which came out quickly.  It had plenty of grape leaves, olives, pita, and hummus.  i ate it all embarssingly fast.

Majestic diner ramsey nj

There are breakfast options like chicken and waffles and dinner options like fish tacos.

Majestic diner ramsey nj

I’ve had a craving for fish tacos lately, so I decided to order those.  It came out with a side salad, which I had hoped would come out beforehand but came with the meal. The tacos themselves were good. They were a lot spicier than I anticipated but I enjoyed them. They satisfied the random taco craving I was having!

Majestic diner ramsey nj

Service: C
Even though it was quiet that particular evening, the service was slow. The food came out quickly, but I could barely understand what our waiter was saying. The manager did seem nice though!

Cost: $$
The Majestic Diner is more expensive than most diners because it is a more upscale restaurant. The cost of my meal was about $20.
The quality of food is good, and I think it’s worth it.

Overall Summary/Would I come Back?
I liked the Majestic Diner and thought it was a good diner. They have a look of unique and upscale “diner: items that I would like to try.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Service: C
Price: $15-25
Overall: B

You Can See all 194 NJ Diners I’ve Been too Here.

Questions for you:
Do you like fish tacos?
Where has been your favorite taco?

Dynasty Diner (Tuckerton)

May 19, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , ,
Dynasty Diner (Tuckerton)

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.

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.

Dynasty Diner tuckerton nj

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.

Dynasty Diner tuckerton nj

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.

Dynasty Diner tuckerton nj

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?

Franklin Park Diner (Kendall Park)

April 28, 2018 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , 3 Comments
Franklin Park Diner (Kendall Park)

Recently I went to the Franklin Park Diner in Kendall Park, NJ.  I’ve wanted to go for a few months now, but it never works out.  When I found myself in central Jersey a few weeks ago, it seemed like the perfect time.

Franklin park diner kendall park nj

Atmosphere: B
The Franklin Park Diner is small but cute.  It has an exterior sign marked: diner.  The inside is open, and you can see the entire kitchen from the booths and tables.  There aren’t many diners like that anymore, so I appreciate it!

Franklin park diner kendall park nj

Coffee: A
The coffee was brewed hot and fresh each time, and I have no complaints.

Franklin park diner kendall park nj

Food: A
The Franklin Park Diner has most anything you could picture in a diner.  There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.  There were several dinner specials, but nothing spoke to me.   I decided to order a simple beef gyro.  It came with french fries, and a small side greek salad.  I liked the beef gyro, and I have no complaints.

Franklin park diner kendall park nj

Service: A
The waitress was very attentive, funny, and friendly.  My food also came out in a blink of an eye.  I couldn’t have asked for better dinner service.

Price:
For my gyro and coffee, the cost was $10 which is hard to beat.

Overall thoughts/Would I Come Back?
I liked the Franklin Park Diner and would definitely come back.  I enjoyed how open the entire diner is and the ability to watch your food being made.

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

You can see all 182 Diner Reviews here.

Questions for you: Have you ever been to a restaurant you can watch the food being made?

%d bloggers like this: