Northvale Diner

April 22, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: cake, Diner, diners, food, new jersey, restaurant, review Leave a comment

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?

Talk of the Towne Diner

April 14, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: coffee, Diner, food, new jersey, restaurant 1 Comment

After the Adrenaline 5k, I headed down to Virginia. I knew I needed to get food for the drive and took it as the perfect chance to further my dinering.

I found a diner in Salem County, the “Talk of the Towne Diner.” When I stopped around lunchtime on a Saturday, it wasn’t too crowded, and I was quickly seated. Since I had just raced, I was hungry.

Atmosphere: B
The Talk of the Towne looks like many South Jersey Diners with a cobblestone exterior and multiple rooms. Inside there are plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar.

There was also a full salad bar as well as a “hot foods breakfast bar” which looked like it might be for a catering event or party.

Coffee: A
The Talk of the Towne Diner served the local Lacas coffee which is one of my favorite coffees. The waitress brought plenty of refills, and I had no complaints. It was one of the better coffees I have had in a while.

Food: A
The Talke of the Town has everything a diner usually has. There are plenty of breakfast options, as well as a full salad bar, lunch, and dinner options. There aren’t too many unique options at the Talk of the Town Diner, but there also isn’t anything it’s missing either.

I opted for one of their skillets which came with eggs, potatoes, sausage, and vegetables. When the skillet came out, it was sizzling and hot, it actually reminded me of something I would get a Mexican restaurant.

I also decided to get a cinnamon bun which was great.

The Talk of the Towne was definitely one of the most surprising diners, food wise. It was much better than I anticipated and I was very pleased.

Service: A
The waitress was extremely friendly, and the food came out within 15 minutes. To be honest, I could not have asked for a more pleasant experience.

Cost:
For more meal, cinnamon bun, and coffee, the cost was $20.

Overall thoughts/would I come back:
I liked the Talk of the Towne Diner and would go back again. It’s a great stop if you are near the Delaware Memorial Bridge and need a quick bite to eat or break from the roads.

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

See all diner reviews here.

Questions for you:
What is your favorite post-race food?
Do you like cinnamon buns? Where is your favorite?

Pat’s Original Diner (Trenton)

April 7, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: brunch, Diner, food, French Toast, new jersey, restaurant, review 1 Comment

Recently, I rounded out Mercer County by going to my last diner (as of now) in the County. Even though Mercer County is one of the smaller counties, it is the first county I’ve completed.

I arrived on a Sunday around brunch time, and it wasn’t overly crowded. I was hungry and happy to quickly get a table.

Atmosphere: C
The diner looks like a local favorite. The outside is plenty of windows. It’s reasonably big with plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar. The booths are cramped, and I felt like I was sharing my meal with everyone. The inside could use an update and several of the booths had rips and tears in them.

Coffee: A
The coffee took a while to get to us but once it did; it was one of the better coffees I’ve had. The whipped cream was also homemade which made a huge difference.

Food: B
Pat’s Original Diner has many different options for breakfast, to lunch, and dinner. They don’t have a lot of healthy choices so if you’re looking for that, this might not be your stop.

I have been twice now, and the second time I decided to order the French toast and Taylor ham. The French toast had cinnamon baked in which I definitely appreciated. It was light and fluffy. The scrambled eggs and Taylor ham were both good.

Service: C
The waitress was nice, but she didn’t come around much. I could have used a lot more water and refills.

Cost: $
For the coffee, French toast, eggs, and Taylor ham the cost was $10.

Overall/Summary:
In all, Pats Original Diner started off rough, but it did get better. The homemade whipped cream in the coffee definitely boosted it up.

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

Questions for you:
Do you like French toast?
What is your favorite brunch item?

Scotchwood Diner (Scotch Plains)

March 31, 2018 By Hollie in Uncategorized Tags: dessert, Diner, food, new jersey, restaurant, review, salad

Recently I went up to Scotch Plains and met NJ Isn’t Boring at another diner. I’ve heard the Scotchwood Diner is good so when she suggested it, I agreed!

Atmosphere: A
The outside of the Scotchwood Diner is exactly what you picture in a diner. It’s a giant metallic chrome building. The inside has plenty of booths, tables, a giant dessert case, and bar. If you’re looking for stereotypical diner then the Scotchwood Diner is ideal.

Coffee: A
The coffee was brewed hot and fresh each time. There was nothing special or extraordinary about the coffee but it was good.

Food: A
The Scotchwood Diner has everything you would want in a diner. Breakfast is all day and there are plenty of lunch and dinner options too. It has at least a dozen pages of food. I’ve been eating out a lot lately so wanted a healthy salad.

I ordered a Greek salad with chicken which was presented beautifully. Usually when I go to a diner with Cyd and get a salad, they have an awesome presentation.

Service: A
The waitress was extremely friendly and refilled our beverages often. She was one of the best waitresses I’ve had in a while.

Dessert: B
Cyd’s meal came with dessert and as the waitress was explaining the options, I thought the bread pudding sounded great. With the exception of cake, bread pudding is my favorite dessert!

So much for my decision of eating healthy. The bread pudding was good, and there was less bread than pudding. Personally, I prefer more bread. It was good and I would order it again.

Cost: $$
For my coffee, salad, and dessert the cost was $22 which was a bit pricer.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I liked the Scotchwood Diner and I would definitely go back. They have a lot of options I want to try.

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

Questions for you:
Do you like bread pudding?
What is a healthy food you enjoy?

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?

Versailles Diner (Fairfield)

March 17, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: breakfast, chicken and waffles, Diner, food, restaurant, review, waffles

Recently I went to the Versailles Diner in Fairfield, NJ. I saw a few diners along the way, and the Versaille Diner looked like a good choice. When I arrived around the lunchtime, it wasn’t too crowded.

Atmosphere: B
It appears, they are doing modifications to the Versailles Diner, and while I was there, there was a lot of construction. I sat next to the window and watched the construction workers do their thing.

The inside definitely needed a facelift. It’s clean, it is updated and could use to be brightened. The space itself is large and has plenty of tables, booths, and a full-length bar. I look forward to seeing what their renovations bring.

Coffee: C
The coffee was bland and disappointing. It was hot, but it wasn’t great. In fact, I only drank one cup.

Food: C
The Versailles Diner has every option a typical diner serves. The menu has several pages, with multiple sandwiches, dinner, and of course breakfast options.

Since it was still breakfast time, I ordered chicken and waffles. After living in the south, I do have higher expectations for chicken and waffles. When it came out, I was disappointed. It was just a piece of fried, reheated, a piece of chicken, on a waffle. There was nothing special or unique, and I could have made the exact same thing at my house. In fact, they didn’t bother to give a container of syrup but just “to go containers”. I definitely prefer John’s City Diner in Birmingham.

It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t something I would order again.

Service: A
Our waitress was friendly and refilled our beverages often. The food also came out in the blink of an eye and I believe we were in and out within 40 minutes.

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

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I appreciated the service of the Versaille Diner, but the food left a lot to be desired. Next time I go, I will definitely order something else.

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

See all NJ 175 Diners I’ve Been Here.

Closeby Diners I’ve been: Six Brothers Diner, Americana

Questions for you:
What is a special dish from your area?
Have you ever been to a restaurant in the midst of construction?

Nick’s Diner II (Surprise, AZ)

March 11, 2018 By Hollie in Diners Tags: cinnamon bun, Diner, food, phoenix, restaurant, review 2 Comments

While in Phoenix, I wanted to go to a new diner. I had been to the with Matt and Adam a few years ago, but we stayed on the opposite side of town towards Phoenix. Surprise is located near Luke Air Force Base and relatively close to the White Tank Mountains.

My brother, Husband, and I arrived on a Sunday, and they were packed. We waited about 20 minutes for a table. It was one of the busiest diners I have ever been too, but we got a table much quicker than anticipated.

Atmosphere: B
Nicks 2 is located in an outdoor shopping mall near a movie theater. Despite being packed, we were never sat on top of anyone which was nice. The inside has plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar. It looks like a modern restaurant versus a diner. There is a giant chalkboard with specials, and it’s written on their menu too.

Coffee: A
The coffee was brewed fresh and hot every time. I appreciated the table also had plenty of creamers including small packages of hazelnut and vanilla. Not many diners have flavored creamers, and I definitely value when they do.

Food: A
Everything at Nicks 2 Diner looked good. Nicks 2 has plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. Since we were there on Sunday, they have a cinnamon bun special. Little did I know, how massive that “special” was. When it came out, it was enough for the entire table. It’s not your average cinnamon bun.

If you ever go to Nicks 2, go on a Sunday and treat yourself to the cinnamon bun.

Not only was it massive, but it was one of the best cinnamon buns I’ve had.

coffee mug for comparison

For my meal, I ordered another special that included bacon, hashbrowns, and eggs. Between that and the cinnamon bun, it was enough food. Everything was cooked well, and I have no complaints.

Service: A
Despite being busy, the waitress always made sure we had plenty of refills. After ordering, it didn’t take long for the food to come out either. I think we waited longer to be seated than for the food to come out.

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

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I liked Nicks 2 a lot, and went back once while we were out in Phoenix. It’s a good diner, and I hope to go back again.

Atmosphere: B
Coffee: A
Food: A
Service: A
Cost: $6-12
Overall: A

Questions for you:
Do you like cinnamon rolls?
What is the longest you’ve waited before being seated?

FueledByLOLZ

Running and Laughing through the Garden State

Tag Archives: restaurant

Northvale Diner

Talk of the Towne Diner

Pat’s Original Diner (Trenton)

Scotchwood Diner (Scotch Plains)

Nevada Diner (Bloomfield)

See all 170+ Diners I’ve Been here.

Versailles Diner (Fairfield)

Nick’s Diner II (Surprise, AZ)

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