When you live in New Jersey for the greater majority of your life, eating at a diner becomes a somewhat standard practice. There really isn’t anything kitsch or unusual about it to you. However, diners really aren’t common elsewhere in the country. In fact only a few states have multiple diners and New Jersey is for all intents and purposes the diner capitol. So, if your ever in South Jersey here are some diner’s to check out.
Olga’s Diner
If you have been in and around the southern New Jersey area, chances are you have driven past Olga’s Diner. The Diner is located right on the Marlton circle, in Marlton, New Jersey. For some reason New Jersey diners are often located on circles, but that mystery is for another day. Olga’s Diner is popular and the food for the most part is passable, but that also depends on who you ask. The big draw of Olga’s is the bakery. The deserts are pretty tasty and the cheesecake is out of this world. Olga’s is very old though and it really shows on the interior. Rumor has it that Olga’s is for sale, so who knows how long it will be open.
The Philly Diner
Despite what it’s name might indicate to you, The Philly Diner is located in New Jersey. The Philly Diner is right on the Black Horse Pike In Runemede, New Jersey. The Philly Diner for some reason is really popular over night. Go there on any given night and the place is packed. The food is good and the baked goods are delicious. It’s pretty busy though so it’s not for the impatient types who can’t wait to be served or seated.
Ponzio’s Diner
Ponzio’s is a good diner that also has great baked goods. Ponzio’s is located right on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey so it is pretty busy, but the building is large enough to accommodate the crowd. Ponzio’s has good soup and cake. The food is all pretty good, but the buzz if you ask around relates to soup and cake. Overall, this diner is worth a visit.
Palace Diner
This Dinner is located on Route 73 in Berlin, New Jersey. I have never really eaten anything bad at the Palace Diner, everything is pretty good. Some special notice does go to certain Palace entrees though. I knew one girl who so loved Palace Diner’s Chicken Parm that she wanted to have it at her wedding! It is pretty darn good. The burgers and fries are great there as well, because they always taste fresh. if you are in the area definitely give Palace a try.
The Crystal Lake Diner
This Diner holds a special place in my heart, because my Pop Pop who passed in 1997 ate lunch there everyday. In fact he was such a presence there, that some of the staff showed up for his funeral. The Crystal Lake Diner is a typical diner, with typical diner food. The notable things on their menu would be their grilled cheese sandwich and any breakfast items. They make really good breakfast food. The Crystal Lake Diner is located in Westmont, New Jersey on Cuthbert Road.
The Medport Diner
The Medport Diner is on Route 70 in Medford, New Jersey. It looks pretty old and run of the mill, but the food is pretty good. The soup is popular and they have good appetizers. As with most other diners, the Medport has a pretty good deserts. If you are ever up that far on Route 70 it’s worth a try.
Geets Diner
Geets Diner is located in Williamstown, New Jersey on the Black Horse Pike. I have never been a big fan of Geets myself, but the place is always packed. Personally, I have found the food there to be passable. They do have good deserts though.
Peter’s Diner
Peter’s or Pete’s is a newer diner on the Black Horse Pike in Williamstown, New Jersey. I really enjoy Pete’s every time I go there. The service is not always the greatest, but the food is always really good. I love their Chicken Parm Sandwich and their Omelets are also delicious. If your down that far on the Black horse Pike you should definitely check out Peter’s Diner.
Of course there are a dozen other diners in and around South Jersey, but I only reviewed the Diners I was most familiar with. There are a couple of things that make a diner good. They should be open 24 hours, have a bakery, make a decent milk shake and they should have a menu that takes a good fifteen minutes to read.
