so, vicki and i went out to eat last night. we decided to go to the berlin diner because we had not been there in awhile. when we got there, we were surprised to find they were closed. i walked up to the door to see if there was an explanation, but there was not. we thought it odd and drove around to the white horse pike side. we then saw a sign stating it was for sale as a diner/restaurant. it is sad to see this because they had a good menu selection. vicki and i can only hope that whoever purchases it has as good a menu offering.

Posted by Mike at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So, just because I haven't posted about a diner in a while doesn't mean that we haven't been going to them. In fact, now that I live by myself and my rent has therefore increased, I may only be able to eat out at diners from now on. And then only rarely.

We have mostly been going to diners that we've already written about. However, this past weekend we found ourselves near Allentown, PA, and very hungry. So we stopped at the City View Diner.

The City View Diner is kind of on a hill, but what it mostly seems to overlook is a small village of shopping centers and malls that surround it. There wasn't much of a "view." But I like the design of the building, with the bulging out glass sides. It reminded me of some '50s era vision of the future, like an old-school Disney Tomorrowland.

We are supposed to be focusing on Jersey diners here at Pop5, but personally I don't think there is anything wrong with us expanding our focus every once in a while. We have been to an awesome diner in PA that serves double-decker grilled cheese sandwiches and malt sundaes, a diner in upstate New York where we eavesdropped on sorority girls from the nearby college at 2am, and a "diner" (which hardly deserved the name) in North Carolina where we almost died from starvation before finally getting served. How can we neglect these?

The City View Diner is just as pretty on the inside as on the outside, and they have the huge menu you would expect at a diner.

They even had a salad bar, and what's more, it was a good salad bar with romaine lettuce and not crappy iceburg.

Mike was happy with the menu, because you could get a tuna sandwich on a pita with pierogies instead of chips or fries.

I think he was expecting a tuna salad, but the sandwich was hot, with no mayo, and I think some celery mixed in. This he deemed just okay, but the pierogies were excellent.

I ordered egg salad. I am very picky about egg salad, but I started ordering it at the Phily Diner, and I like the way they make it there. So then I started thinking I could order it anywhere. But unfortunately, no.

We had already scoped out the dessert we wanted to try before we ordered our lunch; it was a combination cake/cheesecake, like at Ponzio's.

This one wasn't as good as Ponzio's, in my opinion, because there was much less frosting, and the chocolate cake was very dark and rich, and I prefer the lighter cake at Ponzio's. The cheesecake part was fabulous, however, very light and fluffy. Yum!

So is you ever find yourself hungry near Allentown, stop in at the City View Diner. Not for the view, but for the pierogies and the cheesecake.

Posted by Victoria at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Club Diner is perhaps the most successful in the diners-we-tried-just-for-this-website category, because we have been back four or five times since we first went there in November. There are a few reasons for this: it is close, the food is good, and the decline we are starting to feel about the Phily Diner.

I like this picture, even though it is overexposed.

When we went to the Club Diner in November, they were undergoing renovations on the left wing, and I was a little apprehensive about it, because that is where they seated us. They only had these temporary folding tables and chairs, and to tell you the truth, I was not at all sure that this place was going to prove to be any good. Fortunately I was mistaken.

You can see Zac and Mike's reflections in the middle pane of the glass here - I think mine is to the left, holding up the camera.

Since it was November, the Club Diner (and almost every other diner) was offering Pumpkin Pancakes, and that's what Zac (Mike's brother) ordered. I may be mistaken, but I think these are not actually made with pumpkin, but are just spiced like pumpkin pie, with cinnamon and ginger, etc. Let me know if I am mistaken. Zac is a big fan of the pumpkin pie, and he was also a big fan of the pumpkin pancakes. There was lamenting all around that these were only available for a limited time each year.

Club Diner, renovations complete.

Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera inside for this first expedition, so I don't have any pictures of these mythic pancakes, nor of the chicken caesar wrap, french fries, milkshake, and omelet that Mike and I got, but all of these got the thumbs up. I recall (with the help of my notes) that the service was slow, which might have been due to the renovations.

We started going back to the Club a few months ago, and this time I brought my camera inside. The renovated dining area looks beautiful. I ordered the vodka penne, and Mike got the chicken caesar salad in a tortilla shell. My penne was preceded by a house salad, which was the only disappointing part of the meal - way too much iceburg lettuce and not much else. I also didn't really like their Thousand Island dressing. I think it is homemade, but still it's kind of surprising, since I've never had a problem with that kind of dressing before. I had much better luck later with the Honey Mustard.

Notice the also excellent (according to Mike) banana bread in the background. I don't like banana bread.

Here's the tortilla shell salad, again looking kind of bland in the picture. Maybe I should try taking the picture from above next time.

And here's the vodka penne, which I really enjoyed.

The Club Diner is located just down the Black Horse Pike from the Phily Diner, in Bellmawr. It has the feel of a local favorite; whenever I have been there, it seems that the place is full of regulars. I'm glad their renovations are finished, because the diner's architecture is very striking. I don't know any history about the place, but I will try to find out. It also has a cool sign...

..that lights up all fiery at night. Yay, Club Diner!

The sign alternates flames, and I got this picture with film, so I am glad it turned out lit up. I was trying to time it right. Yay me!

The Club Diner gets

Posted by Victoria at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

When I posted about the Crystal Lake Diner, I mentioned that they had once delivered me the best cheese omelet I have ever had. This was not that omelet, but it was pretty good:

It was a little overcooked (in other words, tough), but there was a good egg to cheese ratio, and it was folded nicely. The Perfect Cheese Omelet was perfectly cooked - not burnt, but not underdone in the center. It was folded like an origami in thin layers, and it seemed like there was cheese in every layer. Perfecto! Apparently almost everyone everywhere overcooks eggs, and the best way to make them is over very low heat for a very long time. I have heard of recipes to make scrambled eggs that use the lowest heat possible and cook for 30 minutes. This is supposed to make them so tender, they melt in your mouth, but I have never had them this way. Have you heard about this, Rob?

More 28mm/2.8 lens photos here.

Posted by Victoria at 8:35 AM | Permalink

So we went to the Palace Diner on Saturday, where we were greeted with the following on the door:

That's right, people. New Jersey is now a non-smoking state. I had forgotten that this non-smoking thing had passed, back in February, and it went into effect this week. This has proved to be a seachange in the way diners work here. Now there are no smoking sections anywhere. This doesn't really affect me and Mike alone, like we were on Saturday, but I foresee it having a grave effect on our late-night hangouts.

I'm posting some pictures here of our lunch, since I haven't posted any photos from the Palace Diner yet. These were taken with my manual Canon AE1; hence the low light and shallow depth of field. For some reason, I feel more comfortable taking diner pictures with it than my huge 20D. I just ordered another manual lens, a 28mm, so maybe the food pictures will be easier to take. Mike laughs at me now when I take them, because I have to back away from the plates to get any focus.

This is a representative photo - I said the Palace had big drinks, and this is the proof. That's my ice tea glass next to Mike's milkshake glass, and my water glass for a comparison.

I usually get a little salad here, because they are good. This one wasn't so great as usual. Mike took this picture.

This is my usual grilled cheese, with the Perfect Diner Fry almost covering it. Also note the honey mustard, which I was introduced to some years ago by our friend Steve. Good french fries plus honey mustard equals yum!

This is Mike's taco salad, looking a little washed out for true appreciation of its goodness.

I also got back some pictures from Ponzio's...ah, the joys of waiting for film.

UPDATE: Also, something is up at the Phily Diner. The last few desserts we have gotten there have been horrible. Also they recently got a liquor license, and now there is a sign announcing the arrival of a "sports bar"...??? This sounds bad. Mike says we may have to take away one of their cups in the near future, so stay tuned...

Posted by Victoria at 7:38 PM | Permalink

Another diner that I barely know anything about (other than that I have been there once) is the Red Lion Diner. I think I will have to make Mike go back there, too, since I hardly remember anything about it. Again, feel free to fill in information in the comments section.

My ignorance about the Red Lion Diner is so great that I don't even know for sure where it is or how to get there. It is close to Medford, because the one time I did go was with Mike and his parents when they lived in Medford. Which explains why we don't usually go there now, because it is not exactly in the neighborhood.

I don't remember much about my one dining experience there either. The service was good, I remember. I think I got breakfast. The food was good, too. Basically the only reason we don't go more often is because it is so far away.

As you can see, they decorate with the lion motif in mind.

I do know that Mike's family prefers it to the Medport, which was closer to their house, so I'm going to give it based on that and my one barely-remembered experience. Maybe we will stop there on our way to the shore sometime this summer.

Posted by Victoria at 6:02 PM | Permalink

The Medport Diner is located in Medford, NJ. I'm not quite sure why the "port" had to replace the "ford," messing with the diner name conventions.

As you can see, the Medport looks like it has been around for a while, although I am not quite up on all of its history. I have only been there once. Even though Mike used to live in Medford, the Medport was never one of his favorites. I remember I had a grilled cheese sandwich (my standby), and I forget what Mike had. We didn't get any desserts. I remember it as being ok, and so I really don't know what Mike has against it.

I think Rob is a better judge of the Medport, since I think he has probably been there more than Mike or I, so post in the comments, Rob, since we aren't doing it justice.

Since I feel like I may not have enough information to judge the Medport on, I am going to give it . Maybe I can get Mike to go back and do a re-evaluation soon...

Posted by Victoria at 6:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

We started the Diner Project with the diners we visited most often. Now we are down to the bottom of the barrel - these next few we have only visited once or twice, and it has often been a while since we have last been to them. Next, we will have to start on the diners that we have only visited for the explicit purpose of putting them on this site.

The Cherry Hill Coach Diner is located (tah-dah!) in Cherry Hill, at that circle on Route 38 - does that circle have a name?

I have only been to the Cherry Hill Coach Diner once before, and it was years ago. To give things a proper perspective, it was four-Rama-girlfriends ago. It was before they gave it such a diner-y facelift. It was kind of a dump when we went.

We went late at night, and I forget what I ordered. It came with french fries, so it was probably grilled cheese, a standard favorite of mine. I remember I was disappointed, particularly in the french fries. Everyone else seemed to be okay with it.

Apparently Rama and Mike (at least) have been there since then, and Mike says it was okay. So, I will give the Coach a compromise to make up for the fact that I may not have had all the facts. Pop5'ers, feel free to comment - and maybe I will be able to update on the Coach in the future.

Posted by Victoria at 8:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

i went to visit my parents in ohio three weeks ago. while there, they took me to the expressway diner. while it has been open a little over a year, it is definitely old school in heart and style. the food, service, and decor were all excellent. the prices were, too. skip and barb (friends of the family), frequent the diner and highly recommend it. i had the banana walnut pancakes and can honestly say i enjoyed them a great deal. they were very tasty and not heavy like regular pancakes. i was able to eat them all and not feel stuffed. my parents and zac (my brother) enjoyed their entrees as well.

i want to thank skip and barb for the photo of the diner and taking me there. i am definitely going back again, when i visit my parents. hopefully, the weather will be nicer so i can take more photos for the site.
the expressway diner gets five coffee cups.

Posted by Mike at 11:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Just some quick updates on diners we have already reviewed:

• Buddy was disappointed in the Palace Diner the other night. He said the omelet was undercooked, the home fries were overcooked, and the teenagers surrounding us were annoying as hell. I guess that last part is not the diner's fault, but apparently in the post-late movie ("Underworld II," which there is no reason to see if you don't plan on drooling over Kate Beckinsale (*cough*mike*cough*)) hours, the place becomes a haven for the annoying and youthful. And in the smoking section, no less! Ruining their youthful lungs!
• My roommate informs me that Olga's Diner does serve something excellent: milkshakes.
• Mike heard from a reliable source that Mastori's Diner has gone downhill in recent years (probably since the death of the owner, which was noted on the placemat). If that is downhill, I wonder what uphill was like?
• Rob says that no place, NO PLACE, makes scrapple the way they do at the Sage. "When I asked for it extra-crispy, I got extra-crispy," he enthused. Those days are past, my friend. We continue to find the Stratford Diner the most amenable to late night outings. Although their night cook doesn't do omelets well, either. Get your eggs scrambled instead.

Posted by Victoria at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Once upon a time, we used to go to the Sage almost every Friday night.

The Sage was the preferred after-work hangout, for those who got off of work late on Friday. The rest of us with day jobs would meet up with them there. I have been there so many times, it is impossible to even estimate. We were there so often that the hostesses and waitstaff had a collective nickname for us.

Alas, this story has a sad ending. Rama started dating one of the waitresses there, and a few months ago their relationship ended on less than the best of terms. He seems to think that the rest of us can continue frequenting the place, but considering how well known we were as a crowd, and Rob's experience running in there once, most of us would rather pass. Besides (getting to the actual review part), the Sage is an okay diner in every way, but not a fantastic one. Everything there was ok, but nothing was outstanding. Although I seem to remember having a really good piece of chocolate cake there once.

The moral of this story is now the banner of the site: Keep Rama away from the waitresses. Pop5 has been trying to figure out recently which restaurants and diners have waitresses that are too pretty and that we want to continue to be able to go to in the future, as there is considerable reluctance to bring Rama to those ones when he returns to Jersey. We fear another seduction-->heartbreak-->unofficial ban from the restaurant scenario.

As a side note, I have been refusing to factor the prettiness of the waitresses into our coffee cups rating system, despite Mike and Buddy's arguments that this is relevant information. The Sage Diner, which we will probably never set foot in again, gets

Posted by Victoria at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

One of the unexpected side benefits of our Diner Project is that it is a great conversation starter, and these conversations never fail to give us some good diner suggestions. Everyone in South Jersey has a favorite diner to recommend. So it was one of these conversations on Christmas that led Mike and I to Mastori's Diner in Bordentown.

[Mike took those two.]

Mastori's is huge; it is less of a diner and more of a diner complex. There were two non-smoking rooms, a smoking section (with the traditional diner counter and booths), a bar (with the appropriate dim lighting and wood paneling), a banquet room, and an entrance room that serves also as a bakery counter. There was also a fleet of catering delivery trucks out front. There might even be more to it, but that was all I saw. We went on Tuesday, at prime lunchtime, and I have never seen a diner's waiting area so crowded in my life. Even so, they said it would only take 15 minutes to seat us. While we waited, I took pictures with my old-school camera. I am getting much better at this manual focusing thing.

It wasn't that long until they seated us on the patio. The good thing about that is there was lots of light for pictures! Usually it is hard to get interior shots without a flash.

The first thing they do at Mastori's is bring you cheese bread, we were told. When I heard this, I thought it was a savory cheese bread. But I was mistaken; it is a sweet cheese bread.

They also bring cinnamon bread. Mike liked both of these a lot. I am not normally a big fan, but I tasted these and they were pretty good.

In the bottom of that picture, you can see the top of the Best Diner Salad ever. Mike and I both ordered lunch specials: for $9.99, you get a soup or salad, entree, vegetable, beverage, and dessert from the tray. We both got the salad, and it was great. Large (for a house salad), with romaine and greens, no iceberg in sight. It was decorated with purple cabbage, sliced radishes, baby tomatoes, and slices of carrot. Yum.

For entrees and vegetables, Mike got the lemon chicken with string beans, and I got the ultimate nachos with french fries. Readers of this site will understand my unusual pairing since we have to test the french fries. This understanding apparently did not extend to the elderly lady sitting across from us who I heard comment derogatorily on my choice.

[Mike took the nachos picture.]

I am glad I got those fries too, because it overturns an assumption I made right here on this site. Mastori's serves steak fries as their normal french fry! Golden, perfectly cooked steak fries! Click here for my definition of the perfect fry. Mastori's gets top fry props.

Mike and I didn't care for the dessert tray selections, so we ordered from the regular dessert menu. Mike got a piece of cannoli pie - he wanted to try the cream cheese pound cake, but they didn't sell it in slices. I tried the oreo cheesecake, a favorite of mine. This one didn't mix up the cookie and cheesecake, but kept in layers, resembling the cookie.

At first, I was a little disappointed with the waitress, because she was kind of snappy with us. But she was very busy, and after we commiserated with her about not being able to go to the bathroom since 7am, she became much nicer. She even fixed the bill for us, so we only paid the difference for our non-tray desserts, instead of full price.

Before we even finished our meals, we knew that Mastori's was another five cup diner. They are not technically open 24 hours a day (they close between 1am and 4am), but Mike said "that's close enough."

Mastori's gets

Posted by Victoria at 11:05 PM | Permalink

Weber's is one of the first diners I went to on a regular basis after I moved to South Jersey. It is on the White Horse Pike in Audubon.

Weber's is the sad story of a diner on the decline. It used to be a pretty good diner, but I think that has changed since the death of the owner a few years ago. Now whenever I go there, it isn't quite as good as it used to be. Also, it used to be open 24 hours a day, and I don't think that's the case anymore. I remember waiting there after I got off work to get a ride home at 2 in the morning. I used to get the hot chocolate, and it was good. I haven't had it in a while, so I don't know if that went downhill, too.

I like the picture above - I hope you can see how they decorated the windows. I took the picture around Halloween.

So, anyway, Weber's still has a decent menu. They have added some things that I hear are good - notably the panini sandwiches. The fries were always just ok, and the desserts were pretty sucky. The service is always very nice and competent. And the food is usually ok, but is missing that extra push that would make it really good. I brought Mike here a few times (including one of the most notable yucky meals, where everyting we both ordered just wasn't any good). Now, we usually go to the Crystal Lake Diner instead.

Sorry, Weber's Diner. You used to be pretty decent, and I hope to see you that way again someday. For now, you only get

Posted by Victoria at 9:56 AM | Permalink

Ponzio's (on Route 70 in Cherry Hill) tries to straddle the fine line between restaurant and diner.

The menu is a diner menu, with diner prices. But there is a hostess stand when you come in where you have to put your name on the list. Instead of "smoking" and "non-smoking," they have divided up the place into rooms with names, like the "Terrace Room" and the "Garden Room." They serve liquor, and even have a small bar/club type area, where you can wait to be seated. Wait! To be seated! Clearly we are one step up from diner here.

But I think we still have to consider Ponzio's a diner - maybe a diner with delusions of grandeur. The food is good. The waitstaff has been nice, if maybe a little scatterbrained. I recall a few order mix-ups on more than one occasion. They are also not open 24 hours, and the staff can get a little hover-y when it gets close to quitting time. One of the best reasons to go to Ponzio's is the desserts. They have an in-house bakery, and its menu is extensive and delectable. I think the first thing I ever ate from Ponzio's was before I ever stepped foot in the place. Buddy had some leftover cake from a party that he had gotten there. It was a chocolate layer cake, and between the layers was layers of cheesecake. CHEESECAKE!! If you have ever been to a diner with me, you know that I am something of a cheesecake fanatic. There was also frosting on this cake. FROSTING!! I am also a frosting fanatic.

We have only been to Ponzio's a handful of times. Mike and I started out going to dinner there, but he prefers some of the other diners better. We also hung out there a few times in the late night. But in general, it is not in heavy rotation. I like the place, though, so I will give it

One of those cups is for the cheesecake cake alone.

Posted by Victoria at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Palace Diner is also located in Berlin, at the Route 73 circle. In the neighborhood is a Walmart, a Saladworks, a Taco Bell, a Subway, a Burger King, and a McDonald's. But you are a fool if you eat at any of these places, when the perfect Diner Fry is within your reach.

I used to live not too far away from the Palace Diner, and my roommate and I used to go there a lot. We called it the "alternate alternate diner," to distinguish it from the diner (Magnolia), and the alternate diner (Starview). The nickname has become so ingrained in my head that most of the time I forget what its real name is.

As I mentioned in another entry, the Palace Diner wins the award for best fries in a diner, according to my criteria. They also have decent house salads, grilled cheese sandwiches, honey mustard chicken croissant sandwiches (according to my roommate), taco salads (according to Mike), and milkshakes. I don't think I've ever had a dessert other than a milkshake there, so I don't have any input there. Their large drinks are HUGE. Along with the Starview, they also have a liquor license, kind of rare for a diner. The service is really friendly, except for one waiter who always used to wait on us, and he was a little too friendly.

Since I moved, we rarely go to the Palace Diner. I took Mike there for the first time a few weeks ago, and he liked it a lot, too.

The Palace Diner gets

Posted by Victoria at 7:10 PM | Permalink

We go to the Crystal Lake Diner a lot, because it is very conveniently located. It is on Cuthbert Road in Westmont. I think we have probably been there at least a million times.

The Crystal Lake Diner is not a great diner, but it is not a bad diner either. When we are hungry and looking to go someplace not too far away, it is high on the list of possibilities. I think they served me the best cheese omelet I have ever had, but that was only out of the many I've ordered. I've been ordering them ever since trying to recapture it - maybe they have fired the omelet cook. The fries are nondescript, and none of the desserts are any good. They serve good pancakes and waffles, a decent salad, and a pretty good milkshake. The service is very friendly and prompt. They are open 24 hours, although we tend to eat there around lunch or dinner time, and it's not really a hangout spot for us.

In short, the Crystal Lake Diner is a perfectly good enough diner. You might want to visit to see if you can get the perfect cheese omelet. Those are pretty rare.

The Crystal Lake Diner gets

Posted by Victoria at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Phily Diner is the uber-diner, the ur-diner, the quintessential diner. It is the only diner, so far, that we have awarded five stars.

I don't know what is up with the (mis)spelling of their name. I can only speculate that there exists somewhere else (probably actually in Philadelphia) a "Philly Diner," and so they were forced to leave off an "l." This does not detract from its diner goodness.

The Phily Diner is located in Barrington. I think we have only been going there for a year, maybe two tops, but we have been there countless times. They have a full-size convertible in the waiting area - I think they are trying for a nostalgic, 50s diner feel. We have had countless meals here, and there are a few special shout-outs that I have to extend. First, it is open 24 hours, and they have large booths in the smoking section, so it has provided us with late-night comfort seating. Second, the challah bread French toast is particularly good. Third, all of their desserts (and we have tried plenty) are delicious - I can especially recommend the chocolate-coated cheesecake (kind of a Magic Shell effect), the tiramisu, the fudge cake (three layers of thick, thick frosting that I think end up equalling more frosting than cake per slice), and HUGE sundaes. Seriously. Do not order these sundaes unless you are really hungry.

Also, you may think that we just pull these coffee cup ratings out of thin air, but we do have a scientific system in place to compare these diners. One of the criteria that we judge on is the quality of the french fries. Now, I happen to not be a big fan of the Phily Diner fry. They are sometimes oddly crispy, and when we went there recently, they were rocking more of a shoestring cut, which I am fundamentally opposed to. So you can get an idea of what I look for in a fry, I offer this description of the Perfect Fry (TM): chunky cut - the chunkier the better. I love wedges and waffle and steak fries, although none of these are usually served as diner french fries, although they may have them available as a separate item. The Perfect Fry should be golden brown, lightly crispy on the outside, and meltingly warm and tender on the inside. There are many accompaniments to the Perfect Fry: I enjoy ketchup, salt and vinegar, honey mustard sauce, and (when I was in the Netherlands) mayonnaise, which is not at all the same as mayonnaise here, and is an accepted Fry condiment.

I know I may encounter some disagreement from you crispy shoestring lovers out there, so feel free to comment away. In any case, this is why diners are so superior to fast food outlets. In most cases, the fries just can't compare. In my opinion, Wendy's is the best of a feeble, feeble bunch. As to diners, the Palace Diner has the best fries I have ever tasted, but we haven't gotten there yet...

As I mentioned before, the Phily Diner gets

Posted by Victoria at 9:24 PM | Permalink

Yesterday, continuing with the Halloween theme, we watched three scary movies. The first was "Wallace and Gromit's Curse of the Were-Rabbit," which was very cute and recommended for all ages. There was almost a horror-film-worthy bloodbath in the theater, because Buddy was getting pissed off at all of the seven-year-olds giving away plot points.

Then we watched "Carrie," which Mike and I had never seen, and which I don't think I ever need to see again. Stupid Brian de Palma. Stupid John Travolta. Stupid seventies hair.

And finally, we watched "Rock and Roll High School," which counts as a horror movie because of freaky-looking Joey Ramone and the attempts to set him up as a rockin' sex symbol. I don't think that would have worked even if they borrowed de Palma's patented X-TREME soft focus effect.

Also, we went to the Stratford Diner, where I am pleased to report that their desserts were excellent. Cheesecake (me), cherry pie a la mode (Rob), and coconut custard pie (Mike) were all happily consumed. Ever the rebel, Buddy got a cheeseburger. Keeping seventh-graders in line is hard work.

Posted by Victoria at 1:06 PM | Permalink

Where the hell is the Starview Diner? It's on the White Horse Pike in...Magnolia? Voorhees?

It's too bad that I didn't take a picture at night, because at night the neon lights up all newborn baby blue and pink.

There are two stages to my experience with the Starview Diner. When we used to live out that way, my roommate and I would go there fairly regularly. They have pretty decent food, and the service is nice. Also, not that I've ever taken advantage of it, but the Starview Diner is one of the few diners that has a liquor license. But when we moved out of the neighborhood, we stopped going there.

They are also open 24 hours, which leads into the second phase of my Starview Diner experience. About a year ago, I went there a few times with the pop5 crew late at night, and it was totally different. The food was still good, and the service was still friendly, but the atmosphere was troubling. I think the pop5 guys almost got into a rumble not once but twice - in both cases, some other gentlemen were "looking at them funny." Needless to say, we don't go back there anymore.

Also, what's up with all of the American flags in front of these diners? I seem to remember that these all popped up overnight after 9/11. Does anyone else remember this?

Anyway, the Starview Diner gets

Posted by Victoria at 8:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

One of our favorite diners is the Berlin Diner.

It is located in Berlin, NJ (of course). It used to be a very broken-down looking, railroad car diner, but they renovated it about five years ago. Mike and I actually ate there once before the renovations, and I remember I was a little afraid to go there. I also remember it was just after we had seen Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace, because I was thinking about Ewan MacGregor. Yum.

I remember the food was ok, but it was much better after the renovations.

The Berlin Diner has a big menu; we are partial to the quesadillas, which come with peppers, onions, and tomatoes, for an appetizer. I think their fries are ok, although I don't often get them. Their desserts are pretty good, too. I don't think they are open 24 hours, though. But the service has always been friendly and quick.

The neon around the clock says "Berlin...Time to Eat." Another interesting fact about the Berlin Diner: apparently part of the Kevin Smith movie "Jersey Girl" was filmed there. The front counter is plastered with pictures of Ben Affleck. There aren't any of Kevin Smith or JLo, though...

The Berlin Diner gets

Posted by Victoria at 9:20 PM | Permalink

We went to the Crossroads Diner when we were up at the Delaware Water Gap.

(Mike took all the pictures for this one. The black and white ones he took on his camera, and the color ones he took on my camera.)

We stopped at this diner on the way home. It was the middle of the afternoon, and I think they had maybe one other table there. I think it was an old railroad-car style diner originally, but they did have an added-on, fancier section in the back. We stayed up in the front, though.

The Crossroads Diner is not open 24-hours a day. The menu seemed more like a luncheonette than a real diner. We liked the food we got, but the desserts didn't look so good.

The service was really nice - this was the first diner we took pictures of, and Mike told the waitress how we were going to put them up on a website. She seemed a little confused that anyone would want to make a website about diners, but she was very nice and let us take pictures, and told us about the history of the place.

We recommend the place, especially for lunch, if you are ever in the area. It gets

Posted by Victoria at 12:56 PM | Permalink

The Country Club Diner is located in Voorhees. Although it is conveniently located near the Ritz (the best movie theater in South Jersey), we almost never go there.

(What's up with that guy on the sign??)

I have only been to the Country Club Diner twice. The first time was mid-afternoon. My friend and I ordered mozzarella sticks, and they came with some kind of cold, ketchup-like substance as a sauce, instead of the tomato sauce I was expecting. That was gross.

The next time I went must have been after a movie at the Ritz. The Country Club Diner closes (a bad sign I should have mentioned earlier), I think at midnight, and by 10:30pm, the waitress was hovering over our table, trying to get us to leave so they could close up. Now, the whole point of going to a diner is to hang out, talk, and socialize. Eating is almost secondary. So diners that crowd me definitely get a negative vote.

On the other hand, Mike has been there more recently, and says they have a great coconut cream pie. So I guess they get

Posted by Victoria at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Magnolia Diner is located in (guess!) Magnolia, NJ. It doesn't look much like the other diners, what with the absence of shiny and neon. It looks like it might have been a Moose Lodge or VFW hall at one point, but ever since I have been here, it has been a diner.

For a while when I used to have to work on weekends, I met my mom here for breakfast Saturday mornings before work. They have good food, and it's inexpensive, even by diner standards. I have only been back a few times in recent years, including once with Mike when no one ever came to wait on us after we were seated, and we got up and left. But that was an isolated incident in overall good memories.

The Magnolia Diner is also the only diner so far that asked me what I was doing there taking pictures. A young manager came out after I'd only taken two, and asked me why I was there. I smiled brightly, and answered that I was a student and I was doing a project about diners, two statements that are true separately, but somehow less than true when combined. He seemed a little unsure how to respond. I then added, "Don't worry, I don't plan on selling them," but even when I said it, I wondered if maybe he wasn't more concerned that I might be the harbinger of a law suit.

Rating:

Posted by Victoria at 8:08 PM | Permalink

We are starting to go to the Stratford Diner more now, because it is in a convenient location. Also, it is open 24 hours, like all good diners should be. In fact, we were there this weekend, sitting in a corner booth and talking politics, as usual. I think this weekend makes the third time I have been there.

The reason we didn't go to it before is that, until recently, there was no Stratford Diner. I think it has been there less than a year. I'm pretty sure it used to be a Denny's, and there used to be a Ponderosa next to it. Then both went under around the same time - the Ponderosa is now a Burger King.

So far I have liked everything I've had there, but I will say this: if you order salad, get the dressing on the side. Also, Mike says their fries suck. I don't think we've had dessert there yet, so we're not qualified to judge on that. Guess we'll have to go back.

The service has been very prompt and friendly every time we went. They also have some old-school arcade games in the lobby that have received quite a few quarters from the pop5 crew. All in all, I think I can give it

Posted by Victoria at 8:17 PM | Permalink

The Marlton Diner is also in Marlton - big surprise, I know. It is open 24 hours, but they serve a limited menu late-nights, I think after 11pm. They are a fairly recent diner, and have only been around a few years. I think before that the space was a chain restaurant - Ponderosa? Ground Round? Something like that. As you can see, they spruced it up with shiny, diner-appropriate architecture.

The good thing about the Marlton Diner is that they have very large booths in the smoking section, which is oh so necessary when three of the "Population Five" are smokers. [Yes, Rob, you count!] This means we can all fit into one booth instead of having to split up when we saunter in for a late-night snack.

Familiarity: I guess I've been there more than twenty times.
Rating: It's a nice place to hang out late at night. The waitstaff doesn't crowd you and try to get you to leave. The food is pretty good - I've never gone out of my way to go there, but I'm never sorry I've gone.

Posted by Victoria at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Olga's Diner is something of a landmark. It is located in Marlton, NJ, and if you are asking for directions in its vicinity, they will usually start with, "Well, you know where Olga's Diner is?" It has been around for as long as anyone can remember. Rumor has it that it is up for sale now, for $10 million. You wouldn't think it from looking at it, would you? Location, location.

Despite its history, Olga's is a pretty crappy place to eat. I think it is open 24 hours, at least - we used to go there late nights after getting out of work. I can't remember having one thing there that was decent. Apparently it used to be good, but has been declining for years.

Still, I will be sad to see it go.

Familiarity: I guess I've there between 10 and 20 times.
Rating: , just for sentimental value.

Coffee cups ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5: 5 is "excellent," and 1 is "you call this a diner!?!" Mike did the coffee cup illustrations, and I can safely say that any illustrations you see on this site will be his. I don't think the rest of us can draw - I know I can't.

Posted by Victoria at 6:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

They say New Jersey has more than 7,000 diners. It is known as the Diner Capital of the World. So what is the Diner Project? We visit as many of them as humanly possible, and report back the results.

Now, not every restaurant with the word "diner" on the sign really deserves the title. For our money, a diner must:

* not be part of a chain.
* be open 24 hours a day (and serve breakfast 24 hours a day).
* be reasonably priced, have a wide selection, and have decent food.

Let the culinary tour begin.

Posted by Victoria at 6:26 PM | Permalink