These Are Some Of The Best Diners In New Jersey

Did you know New Jersey is believed to have more diners per capita than any other state in the nation? This is why the Garden State has long been known as the "diner capital of the world." Of course, to understand what this means, one must first understand exactly what qualifies an eatery as a diner. Before the American diner became so iconic, many early diners were essentially train cars, and their streamlined appearances developed to match their metallic frames. Today, a diner is something that typically serves American fare, is often open 24/7, is reasonably priced, and offers a combination of booth and counter seating. But not every diner in New Jersey is the same. Some are impressive enough that it's worth making an effort to visit them at least once.

With hundreds of diners within the small state's borders, it can be challenging to figure out which ones to visit. As a long-time New Jersey transplant who lived half of her life here, I've visited dozens of diners. In fact, a long time ago, I made it my mission to visit as many diners as possible. I may have reached well over a hundred by now (although I lost count a long time ago). I even worked in a few of these joints, getting first-hand experience on what makes a diner great, which I can now share with you. Ready to see which options should be on your bucket list? Here are some of the best diners in New Jersey worth visiting.

On a busy street corner in the upscale town of Mullica Hill, you'll find the Harrison House Diner. A local favorite, the diner boasts a 4.1 rating on Google with 2,351 reviews. It's one of the most amazing breakfast spots and also serves great coffee, making it an ideal diner to start your busy day at. One pleased Google reviewer said, "Great food with great customer service [...] The banana French toast is a must try." Another five-star Google review said, "Charming environment, authentically pleasant staff, and piping hot, comforting, tasty food."

On the breakfast menu, you'll find an array of omelets, skillets, and traditional classics like egg platters and homemade creamed chipped beef. Of course, there are hot cakes, bakery treats, and plenty of piping hot coffee to wash it down with. For lunch and dinner, you can choose appetizers like buffalo wings, chicken fingers, chili nachos, Cajun fries, or crabmeat stuffed mushrooms. Then you can follow that up with a main course containing your choice of various salads, burgers, sandwiches, clubs, wraps, paninis, hot dogs, tacos, or standard diner meals.

www.harrisonhousenj.com
(856) 478-6077
98 N. Main Street, Mullica Hill, New Jersey

Just outside the Southern New Jersey Shore, you'll find the busy town of Cape May Courthouse, containing a central hub for the local government, the county's technical school, and an array of places to eat. Among those is the Court House Diner Family Restaurant, which boasts a 4.3 rating on Google with 1,954 reviews. Small and unassuming, with an actual payphone in the lobby, this diner is located off a busy intersection downtown and provides that classic diner experience. One positive Google review said, "The food was very good and came out quickly. The prices are reasonable and you get a decent amount of food with your order."

A singular menu offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner options throughout the day, with an expansive list of options for the first meal of your morning. Chef's breakfast specials include things like a Greek benny, poached eggs over corned beef, a veggie lover's bowl, or a meat lover's bowl. Other dishes include oatmeal, egg sandwiches, omelets, pancakes, French toast, and Belgian waffles. For lunch, start with nachos, cheesesteak egg rolls, or coconut fried shrimp. It also serves disco fries — a local specialty in New Jersey. Pair your appetizer with a main meal ranging from a heaping Greek salad to a roast turkey dinner and beyond. You definitely won't want to miss the chicken croquettes.

www.thecourthousediner.com
(609) 465-8008
218 N Main Street, Cape May Court House, New Jersey

Heading into the expansive Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, you'll find Hammonton and the Silver Coin Diner. Uniquely authentic, with an all-metal exterior reminiscent of the old rail cars, the Silver Coin Diner has a 4.5 rating with 2,701 reviews on Google, where an enthusiastic customer says, "If you enjoy an old-school classic diner, this is your spot!" It also has a rave review on the New Jersey Isn't Boring website, saying, "It's a great diner which definitely has its regulars. They have a very diverse menu and an extensive cocktails list. Definitely worth a visit!"

Browsing the menu will show you options like Disco fries, boneless wings, potato skins, and beer-battered onion rings. Alongside those, you can opt for a salad, burger, sandwich, wrap, club, Philly cheesesteak, or the affordable old-style comfort of a blue-plate special. Of course, it wouldn't be a diner without an ample array of breakfast options. Waffles are a classic diner food, and they're on the menu along with hot cakes, French toast, cereals, bagels, and breakfast sandwiches to start your day with.

www.silvercoindiner.net
(609) 561-6974
20 S White Horse Pike, Hammonton, New Jersey

Heading to the bustling but quaint town of Woodbury Heights, we have The Hollywood Diner and Bar, which (unlike many of the dry options on this list) serves alcoholic beverages alongside its diner classics. This eatery is best described as a traditional New Jersey diner meets a standard sports bar, with a 4.2 rating out of 2,688 reviews on Google, where one reviewer described it, saying, "the menu is exactly what you'd expect from a classic NJ diner, but the atmosphere has a more modern, upbeat vibe." Another said they loved the atmosphere, adding, "Staff was great and food was great, too. I love a beautiful and clean restroom, so that was great as well."

Although it has a full diner menu, the specials are where The Hollywood Diner and Bar really shine. Brunch specials include $12 cocktails, cannoli French toast, and a Tex-Mex skillet. Lunch specials include a drunken parm sandwich, gyro panini, or turkey gobbler. Finally, dinner specials include the Greek chicken, shrimp fried rice, chicken pesto, or blackened pork chops, among others.

www.thehollywooddiner.com
(856) 251-0011
940 Mantua Pike, Woodbury Heights, New Jersey

The Colonial Diner in Woodbury offers a slightly more upscale diner experience in a very clean, comfortable, and inviting atmosphere. Even the exterior is less boisterous than vintage diners, featuring a clean black and white tie-styled motif. It comes highly rated, too, with a 4.4 rating and 3,628 reviews on Google, where one reviewer called it "a classic New Jersey diner experience that deserves to be experienced." Others enjoy the large portions and the nice presentation.

The Colonial Diner offers a standard large breakfast menu with all the favorites like eggs, pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, and omelets. For supper, it has an impressive amount of delicious pasta and entrée options that really provide a lot to choose from. But what really sets The Colonial Diner apart is the wide range of vegan options it offers — there are entire menu sections for vegan entrées, vegan appetizers, vegan breakfasts, vegan desserts, and a vegan retail market. If you eat a plant-based diet and want to experience the unique New Jersey diner experience, this is the place to do it!

www.thecolonialdiner.com
(856) 848-6732
924 N Broad Street, Woodbury, New Jersey

The Dynasty Diner in Tuckerton sits in a town where the ocean meets the Pine Barrens. Like the town it resides in, the Dynasty Diner offers the best of both worlds — a vintage-styled but simple exterior featuring ample parking with a slightly more upscale, modern interior. With a 4.3 rating and 1,204 Google reviews, this diner also serves alcohol but is reportedly very family-friendly. A Google review happily says, "The food was excellent, with generous servings, and the sweet potato fries [were] the best I've ever had." Others praise the waitstaff and the relaxed atmosphere, with no hurry to finish your meal.

It wouldn't be a diner without a full, expansive breakfast menu filled with American staples, but the Dynasty Diner also offers a massive lunch and dinner menu that includes both Italian favorites like eggplant parmigiana and Greek specialties like chicken souvlaki. A generous seafood menu provides options like broiled twin lobster tails, mussels, and homemade crab cakes. For dessert, try the homemade cheesecake or indulge in an ice cream sundae.

www.dynastydiner.com
(609) 296-7227
117 E Main Street, Tuckerton, New Jersey

Looking for a cozy, bright place to have some chit-chat with friends or family? The Chit Chat Diner in West Orange is open 24/7 for all your conversation needs, making it perfect for shift workers or anyone out late. With a 4.4 Google rating and 5,025 reviews, the adorable, bright interior is absolutely unforgettable, and so is the fantastic food. The 94.3 The Point website named this the "best 24-hour restaurant in New Jersey for late-night dining." A Google review corroborates this title by saying that the Chit Chat is "the best diner we have found in New Jersey. It is 100% worth the trip even if you don't live nearby."

One of the things that sets this menu apart from other diners is that it offers what it calls "coffee drinks with a little something extra." These are specialty coffee drinks that range from a Nutella blended coffee to a boozy coffee milkshake and beyond. If you're aiming to be more health-conscious, there's a section of healthy morning starters like Greek yogurt, a quinoa breakfast bowl, or a morning fruit bowl. There's also a special late-night menu and a full dessert menu filled with delicious treats.

www.chitchatdiner.com/west-orange.php
(973) 736-1989
410 Eagle Rock Ave, West Orange, New Jersey

Jackson Hole Diner in Englewood has a flashy exterior you can't miss, outfitted with old-fashioned neon signs that brightly light up in the evening hours. With 1,756 reviews and a 4.3 rating on Google, the diner features a cozy interior that looks like you took a step back in time from the long counter to the cozy booths. Reviewers note that it serves perfectly sized burgers and is kept spotlessly clean, with one review on Google saying, "They keep it veryyy clean and their collection of retro memorabilia is so much fun."

There's a full range of diner classics on the menu, but (as you might have guessed) Jackson Hole Diner is best known for its delicious seven-ounce burgers. Each burger can be made with your choice of beef, turkey, or veggie burgers, and every platter comes with steak fries, lettuce, and tomato. You can choose from a standard American Beef Burger, California burger, western burger, baldouni burger, Mexican burger, and more. If burgers aren't your thing, you could also opt for vegetarian meals, sandwiches, wraps, breakfast, or Mexican food.

www.jacksonholediner.com
(201) 871-7444
362 Grand Avenue, Englewood, New Jersey

The Maurice River Diner is off the beaten path a bit in a small riverside town in Southern New Jersey, but it's well worth discovering for the quaint atmosphere, generous servings, and fantastic food. With a 4.5 rating on Google from 2,532 reviews, this isn't a place to be missed, with delicious food served in generous portions. In fact, Cat County 107.3 called the diner's cannoli French toast the "best diner breakfast in South Jersey."

One of the first things you'll notice about the menu is what an extensive appetizer selection it has. Choose from mozzarella mezzaluna, a meatball boat, or mussels marinara. Nothing there tickling your fancy? Consider the sweet potato fries, spanakopita, Italian bruschetta, or fried calamari — and this is still only a sampling of offerings. Aside from appetizers, the Maurice River Diner also offers homemade soups, paninis, salads, sandwiches, wraps, pita melts, dinner specials, and much more. You can guarantee that there's something on the menu for everyone in your party!

www.themauriceriverdiner.com
(856) 327-4433
3830 NJ-47, Port Elizabeth, New Jersey

Tops Diner is located in East Newark, not far from the Passaic River. With a 4.6 rating on Google and 16,197 reviews, it's the best-rated option on our list of top New Jersey diners, and with a clean environment, friendly service, and great food, it's no wonder why. NJ Monthly Magazine says that "with its friendly staff and delicious food, Tops is definitely a destination diner." This praise is echoed in a Google review, saying, "Tops is the best diner I have ever eaten at [...] the atmosphere is great and the food is amazing."

The menu at Tops Diner has it all, including a full bakeshop menu, a wine and beer menu, and a barista bar. The bakeshop menu is impressive, featuring several cheesecake and pie options, as well as beignets, banana pudding, and tiramisu. The barista bar offers everything from Cuban coffee to a salted brown butter latte, among other things. For food, you can opt for a Shanghai steak bowl, meatloaf, jambalaya, fried jumbo shrimp, and your choice of several pasta dishes. Of course, it also has all the standard diner options on top of this.

www.thetopsdiner.com
(973) 481-0490
500 Passaic Avenue, Harrison, New Jersey