diner are a staple of Jersey life and a nostalgic reminder of your past should you ever result . These shrines to all things greasy and delicious help as havens for late - night post - bar gatherings and breakfast for the weary and too lazy to cook . Nothing is more Jersey than a diner ( except maybe the Shore and pizza ) .
So why all the diner love ? In 1910 , Jerry O’Mahony purchased a lunch wagon and set up store in Bayonne . Business was so in force that he bought several more , finally manufacturing stationary lunch cable car . Today , the Garden State has the prestigious laurels of being “ the diner upper-case letter of the world , " with more than literally anywhere else . But even so , the statewide diner passionateness makes sense – where else can you order a spinach omelette and volaille piccata at the same clock time ? In honor of all the joy they ’ve brought us , we deliver , in no special ordination , the best diner in New Jersey .
The Summit Diner
The Summit proudly carries the title of being Jersey ’s oldest dinner party , dating back to 1929 . It was ramp up by the aforementioned Jerry O’Mahony , which means eating here will give you that onetime - school , vintage diner - car dining experience . There are no actual menus ( just a board on the wall ) , no site , and no cite cards swallow . Just grab a booth and parliamentary law from the listing of omelet , home Fry , meatball parm sandwiches , cobb salad , and Greek Graeco-Roman spanakopita , and you ’ll truly sense like you ’re teleport back in time .
The Pop Shop
The Pop Shop take care as though it ’s been around for decade – with its burnished bubble - gum people of color , old - fashioned juke box , and 1940s soda ash fountain – but it ’s really only been open for 10 year . Do n’t let its lack of street cred deter you , though . The Pop Shop boasts over 30 different variety of grilled high mallow – none of which resemble the form your mom tamp down you for lunch in the fourth course . Selections let in the Lobster with lobster ( duh ) , brie , and garlic garlic sauce serve on sourdough , and the must - try Sunset with grill prawn , pepper diddlysquat , avocado , tomato , and tomatillo on sourdough . Or gluten - loose loot , should your heart trust it . It ’s also vegetarian friendly , volunteer tofu Buffalo wing and scamper .
Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory
Do n’t let the unassuming exterior motley fool you – this family discharge business is truly a bastion of all thing pancake . Peanut butter and jelly , coconut , and even MEAT flannel-cake ( ham , bacon , and pork sausage ) make the menu , but the best one is the Honky - Tonk , filled with peanut butter chips and bananas . Brownstone blend in so far as to even serve pancakewraps , including the Muscle Man with turkey sausage balloon , egg White , and cheddar cheese cheese . you’re able to get the regular diner fare as well , but break down to what amount to pancake heaven and order an omelet is not wise .
Ponzio’s
evaluate by its stone front and reddish brown booths , menage run Ponzio ’s is likely a distinctive suburban buffet car , but do n’t write it off so quickly . Have you ever experienced the wonderment of eggplant kid ? Or Philly cheesesteak egg rolls ? If not , you have n’t sincerely lived . Ponzio ’s holds the differentiation of being the oldest eating house in Cherry Hill , and in addition to the aforementioned delights , its Snickers bar will at once perk you up , even on your worst days . The unspoiled part , though ? Ponzio ’s offer ahoagie salad . It does not get any more Jersey than that .
Americana
The Americana is a buffet car for the mod age , place itself apart from the rest with locoweed - fed squawk , locally grown food for thought , fresh - squeezed vegetable and fruit drinks , and a definitely more upscale environment . A fancy dining car is somewhat oxymoronic and may notseemappealing , but once you ’ve try the lavender martini and chicken Milanese you ’ll be sold . Plus , the the kitschy , retro ‘ 50 - dash décor that verges on Disneyworld - esque for certain balances thing out .
White Mana
Purchased from the 1939 World ’s Fair , the White Mana is an real historical landmark . If you ’re from Jersey , you ’ve had at a cheeseburger here at least once in your spirit – if you ’re smart , you ’ve been back more times than you’re able to numerate . It ’s less diner and more burger joint , but it has all the devising of a traditional diner – open 24/7 , offering ( in addition to its delicious cheeseburger ) Allium cepa anchor ring , milkshakes , and mozzarella sticks around the clock . The food is flashy , good , and perfectly greasy .
White Rose Diner (aka White Rose System)
If you do n’t know what apork rollis , it ’s clear you ’re not from here . Made of cured and smoked pork product somewhat similar to bologna or Canadian bacon , pork roll holds almost divinity - corresponding condition in the Garden State ( there ’s even aPork Roll Festival ) . It ’s typically served with cheeseflower and fry egg on a roll ( sometimes a bagel ) and you’re able to find it all over Jersey , at bagel shop and diner likewise – but the White Rose Diner in Linden has some of the expert in the whole res publica . It ’s about as insouciant as you could get , so do n’t bear anything fancier than a low-spirited counterpunch stool and a good pork gyre .
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The Pop Shop I Courtesy of Lisa Pagano
Summit Diner
The Pop Shop I Courtesy of Lisa Pagano
Ponzio’s Diner-Bakery-Bar
White Mana Diner
