Now, this is not about what the best Diner in New Jersey story, there are so many diners I have been to over the years in Jersey it is really hard to pick just one. Not to mention every NJ Diner is the best depending on who you talk to anyway. But I will admit there are one maybe two I would never set foot into ever again and luckily they are long gone.
The New Jersey Diner is a special and sacred place, you can go to everyday sit at the counter and get your coffee and read your paper or nowadays look at your phone. You can get anything from a English muffin to Steak and Eggs at anytime of the day. Cheeseburgers, Cheese Fries and Gravy (Called either Guido or Disco Fries its mozzarella cheese steak fries and brown gravy)
You can either go by yourself or a group of friends, now in the 70s 80s and 90s many Jersey Diners were 24 hours. The last time I was back there well not so many, in fact many of my favorite spots were closed by 11pm. In a way I get it times change, even some areas change as well and either are just not safe as they were or those people that would be up at 12 or 1 in the morning just don’t want a Pepper’s and Egg sandwich or Cheeseburger and fries.
The Jersey Diner was a place to take a chick out to dinner, snack, or breakfast just to be alone with. Sure it’s nothing fancy but it’s not about that it’s all about togetherness sitting across from one another laughing joking just a place to go for an hour. Hell, you might even run into some friends tell them to sit and spend an extra hour.
I know when I was a teenager there would be like 10 to 15 of us and take up three tables play the music on the table jukebox 3 plays for a quarter. Ok so maybe at times we were told to settle down and turn the music down but hey we were a group of kids aged 16 to 19 what do you think right?
Sometimes on the way home from work you wanted to wind down get something to eat and relax a bit before you went home (That was me I worked the night shift at Newark Airport and got out at 4 am and I was just hungry or needed a good cup of coffee.
The Diner Employees
They are the unsung heroes of the story, first off when it’s busy they are non-stop taking orders. being nice getting to food for two other tables while getting your glass of water or adding to your order while you grab her as she is passing by with a tray of pot roast and turkey dinners for the table next to you.
My aunt was a waitress of 40 years, 30 years at Don’s 21 in Newark on rt 21 then another 10 years at a few other places after Dons closed. So I would see her after her shifts at home. Her long shifts actually some days a good 10 to 12 hour shifts. Her good tip days and her bad tip days, but she got up everyday cooked cleaned then off to work.
Then not to mention you have to deal with asshole customers, either the pain in the ass kids like us. The creepy guys that always hit on them, the Diner Manager who thinks you are not fast enough. An well not to mention sometimes you get awesome co-workers or the ones who stab you in the back to get the better section.
Then of course you got the kitchen staff which just spends 10 to 15 hour shifts making everything under the sun and not even leaving the kitchen maybe for a bathroom break or smoke break. Putting up with customer complaints about their food, re making what they just made. Being put under pressure to crank out the food as fast as he possibly can.
If there is something a pain in the ass to make, well he’s gotta do it he can’t say no. Well, he can but that is not a good career choice. But I do know of a few cooks that would say they were outta something just so they didn’t have to make it in a way I can’t blame them but it is what it is. It’s just like Mcdonalds and the always-broken Ice Cream Machine.
In the End…
Nothing stays the same everything changes at some point. Now more and more people are going Vegan or just want healthier options. So they go to other places like First Watch or whatever hip and cool trending places are one people’s radar for the month.
Now you have a Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Einstein Bros Bagels on almost every corner. And gas stations like Speedway, Race Trac and WAWA with huge menus where you can get coffee and a nice Bagel Sandwich for about the same price you would pay at the diner without having to leave a tip. While getting gas so now you are killing two birds with one stone.
With there still be diners? Yes… Will there still be a huge selection of diners in a few blocks radius? No… And that is sad and you wanna know why?
When you walk into a Jersey Diner or any other diner, you are making a connection to your server, the cashier, the people behind the counter. You are sitting down and sharing at least a good half hour to an hour with them. On slow night you are laughing and joking while getting to know each other. And that is something.
Too many places now just grab your money say thanks have a good day then next. Hell I pumped gas for a few years and I loved my customers sadly I feel that the people to people interaction we once had is just fading away kinda say really but it is what it is.
I still love my Jersey Diners and love my Jersey Diner Food and my Jersey Diner People !
New Jersey Pizza Shirts and other Accessories
” Dear Other States Your Pizza Sucks Sincerely Jersey” We all know who has the best pizza and that is us the great garden state hell we got the best tomatoes to make the sauce…
$19.90
