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Empire Diner (Brooklawn)

February 9, 2020January 27, 2020 Hollie

Empire Diner (Brooklawn, NJ)

Recently I went to the Empire Diner in Brooklawn, NJ. The Empire Diner is the newly managed Brooklawn Diner. The Brooklawn Diner wasn’t great and truthfully I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back! Since it was a new owner and new management, I decided to give it a shot. The same owners that own the Piston Diner in South Jersey, also now own the Empire Diner.

Empire Diner Atmosphere: A

The Empire Diner looks like it was built in a diner factory. It’s bright, shiny, and metallic. It stands out on the traffic circle in Brooklawn. The inside of the Empire Diner is bright and shiny with bright lights. There are plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar. Anything you picture in a stereotypical diner, the Empire Diner has.

Empire Diner Coffee: B

The Empire Diner coffee was hot and fresh. It wasn’t anything unique, but it wasn’t bad.

Empire Diner Food: B

The Empire Diner menu has everything you picture in a diner. There is all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals which is always a plus.

One thing that did stand out to me was the lack of specials. There were about five on the whiteboard in the front. If you wanted to view them, you had to go back up and look. Many diners have a page of specials.

I opted to order the broiled pork chops, which came with the salad bar, soup, two sides, pork chops, and pudding.

The salad bar was the best part of the meal. The salad bar at the Empire Diner has all of the regular greens, regular toppings including onions, olives, and tomatoes. They also had beets (which if you know me, know that I love beets), and a couple of different coleslaws. The salad bar was the best part.

I ordered the tomato bisque, which was nothing unique. It wasn’t amazing but nothing to write home about.

My pork chops were disappointing. I was looking forward to pork chops and they were thin. I was expecting thicker and more full. I probably wouldn’t order them again.

My baked potato was massive and my carrots were coated in sugar. Both sides were fun but easy to make at home.

Empire Diner Service: A

The waitress at the Empire Diner was great. She refilled our drinks often and always made sure we had what we needed.

Empire Diner Dessert: A

I opted for bread pudding and took it home. They put it in a little to go cup. The bread pudding was good; it had far more bread than pudding, which is my favorite.

Empire Diner Cost: $

For all of the food, it was $18. It was a lot of food, but the quality of the food was low.

Empire Diner Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back?

I liked the Empire Diner and it’s a step up from the previous Brooklawn Diner. Do I think the Empire Diner is the best ever? No, but it’s a stereotypical diner with large portions.

Atmosphere: A

Coffee: B

Food: B

Service: A

Dessert: A

Cost: $8-20

Overall: B

You can see all 286 Diner reviews here.

Questions for you:

What’s your favorite salad bar topping?

Do you like bread pudding? Rice pudding?

The Point Diner (Somers Point)

December 7, 2019November 16, 2019 Hollie

The Point Diner (Somers Point, NJ)
Recently I was in Somers Point and wanted to go to a new diner. I’ve been to the Windjammer several times and decided to switch it up and go to the Point Diner. This Point Diner isn’t to be confused with the Point Diner in Fairview or the Point 40 Diner in Monroeville.

When I got to the Point Diner on a Sunday for lunch, it wasn’t too crowded. That as surprising because usually, lunchtime on a Sunday morning is the most crowded time for diners.

The Point Diner Atmosphere: B
The exterior of the Point Diner is a retro, shiny, and a stereotypical diner. The Point Diner looks like it’s been around for quite some time.

The interior of the Point Diner has plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar. There appears to be a giant room in the back with the ability to host parties.

The Point Diner Coffee: A
The Point Diner coffee was brewed hot and fresh and the waitress refilled it often. I couldn’t have asked for better coffee.

The Point Diner Food: C
The Point Diner menu has everything you expect in a diner menu and nothing more. There aren’t many healthy options, but there are plenty of omelets, wraps, and dinner options.

I was craving pork chops, so I decided to order those. The pork chops came with two sides and soup or salad.

I chose a salad and beets as my side. The salad was bland and I was thankful I didn’t order it as my entree. The beets were from a can but fine.

When the pork chops came out, I was excited because it was a large portion. Sadly, they were dry and not as good as I hoped.

The Point Diner Service: B
The waitress at the Point Diner was friendly, but the food took a while to come out. You would have thought the diner was jampacked full of people.

The Point Diner Cost: $
For my pork chops and coffee, the cost was $18.

Overall Thoughts/Would I come back to the Point Diner?
I didn’t dislike the Point Diner, but there are a lot of other options that I like better. The food was decent, but it was nothing unique or unusual. Somers Point and Ocean City are both nice spots if you are looking for a pleasant shore getaway and a diner along the way.

Atmosphere: B
Coffee: A
Food: C
Service: B
Cost: $8-16
Overall: B

You can see all 269 Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:
Do you like pork chops?
Have you thrown a party or gathering at a restaurant? What was it for?

Diners

Alps Diner (Wayne)

November 9, 2019October 23, 2019 Hollie

Alps Diner (Wayne, NJ)

After hiking with my good friend Shawn, we decided to stop at the Alps Diner in Wayne, NJ. Hard to believe Shawn is one of my closest friends, but we have yet to go to a diner together. I guess she was initiated.

Alps Diner Atmosphere: A
The Alps Diner sticks out in Wayne, NJ. The exterior is metallic, shiny, and the Alps Diner is abnormally tall. It’s hard to miss when driving by. Of all of the diners on NJ-23, the Alps Diner stands out the most.

The interior of the Alps Diner is like a blast from the past. There are plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar.

Alps Diner Coffee: C

The Alps Diner coffee was okay but nothing to write home about. I was slightly disappointed that it was lukewarm.

Alps Diner Food: C

Known for their good food, the Alps Diner menu has every option you can imagine on a diner menu. I wasn’t sure what I was in the mood for. There is all-day breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was between the pork chops and a gyro, so I decided to order the pork chops. The pork chops came with a salad, side, and potato. I ordered the greek salad and a side of corn.

The Greek salad was the best part of the meal. The dressing was tasty and the salad tasted fresh.

Sadly, both the pork chops were thin and tasted as if they had been reheated. I was disappointed with my meal. Was it edible? Yes, was it bland and boring? Yes.

Alps Diner Cost: $
For my coffee and pork chop meal, it was $19.

Alps Diner Service: A
Our waitress at the Alps Diner was great and the food came out fast. I couldn’t have asked for better service.

Alps Diner Overall Thoughts:
The Alps Diner was one of the most stereotypical diners out there. There was nothing unusual or unique, and the food was clearly frozen and reheated. If you are looking for a retro, stereotypical diner, Alps Diner is it. It’s right in the middle as far as diners go. Nothing terrible but nothing great either.

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

You can see all 268 Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:
Do you like pork chops?
What is your favorite type of potato: mashed, sweet, french fries, baked? I’m a sweet potato fan myself.

Diners

Toms River Diner

October 5, 2019September 25, 2019 Hollie

Toms River Diner (Toms River)

Last week, Cyd from New Jersey Isn’t Boring and I went to the Toms River Diner. The Toms River diner recently reopened after a two-year hiatus. The same owners also own the “Holiday City Diner,” which is one I haven’t been to yet.

Atmosphere: A
The Toms River Diner sticks out on the main road. The exterior of the Toms River Diner is cobblestone. The interior has been redone and is modern.

Coffee: A
The coffee at the Toms River Diner was brewed hot and fresh and the waitress kept it refilled.

Food: B
The Toms River Diner menu has everything a diner typically has. There are all the breakfast favorites, including omelets, waffles, and pancakes.

There was page of lunch specials on the Toms River Diner menu. I was hoping to find a special that spoke to me but decided to order the pork chops.

I decided to upgrade my salad to a side Greek Salad and I’m glad I did. The small Greek salad had everything, including anchovies. Sometimes I can’t even find a dinner size greek salad with anchovies.

The pork chops themselves were presented well, but they were dry. I was kind of bummed and hoping for better pork chops. The mashed potatoes and corn were bland and nothing to write home about.

Service: A
The waitress at the Toms River Diner was friendly and our food came out fast. I have no complaints.

Cost: $
For my pork chops, Greek salad, and coffee, it was $20.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I liked the Toms River Diner and it was a fun stop on the New Jersey Shore.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: A
Food: B
Service: A
Cost: $10-15

Overall: A

You can see all 263 diner reviews here.

Questions for you:
Do you like pork chops?
Where is the best corn you’ve had?

Diners

Shorty’s Place (Watertown, NY)

September 15, 2019September 3, 2019 Hollie

Shorty’s Place (Watertown, NJ)

I’ve been to Shorty’s Place on my way to college in Potsdam, NY. That was roughly between 2008-2010 and before I documented diners.

Atmosphere: A
Shorty’s Place Diner stands out. While you can’t see it from Route 81, when you drive by you are drawn to the retro diner. Even though Shorty’s Place doesn’t have diner in the name, it’s a diner.

The inside of Shorty’s Place is a stereotypical diner. There is a checkerboard floor, with plenty of red booths, tables, and a full-length bar.

Coffee: A
The Shorty’s Place Coffee was brewed hot and fresh. One of my favorite diner features is when a diner has a personalized mug, and Shorty’s Place has just that.

Food: B
The menu at Shorty’s Place has everything a no-frills diner typically has. There are plenty of all-day breakfast options, sandwiches for lunch, and several dinner options too.

I heard the cinnamon rolls at Shorty’s Place were good, so I decided to order one as an appetizer. The cinnamon roll was grilled, and the frosting was melted. It tasted delicious. There weren’t a lot of crunchy or crusty parts, which is always nice.

For my entree, I ordered the pork chops, cajun style. My pork chops were a little dry, but they weren’t bad. They were thick, which I can appreciate.

I chose home fries, which was cubed. I guess I was feeling both breakfast and dinner. The home fries were good and better than most.

Service: B
Our waitress at Shorty’s Place was friendly but it took a while for the food to come out.

Cost: $
For my coffee, cinnamon roll, and meal, at Shorty’s Place, the cost was $18.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come back?

I enjoyed Shorty’s Place, and I would go back if I’m in the area again. It was fun to visit somewhere I went during college, and before documenting diners. It’s a good stop if you find yourself in the area.

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

You can see all diner reviews here.

Questions for you:
What’s somewhere you went to during college?

Tag: pork chops