I have posted twice before about the Whitehouse Diner:
https://dan-matyola.squarespace.com/lbdinerdan/the-abandoned-whitehouse-diner
https://dan-matyola.squarespace.com/lbdinerdan/business-opportunity
Unfortunately, it has deteriorated rapidly over the last 2 years, and is now derelict:
This weekend I had lunch at 25 Burgers in Branchburg. It is a friendly local place, run by Luis Sabatini. The menu does indeed feature 25 burgers, each in either the 5 oz of the 7 oz size. There is the usual burgers, cheese burgers and bacon burgers, plus more exotic varieties, such as a Hawaiian Burger with ham and pineapple, and the Trenton Burger, with pork roll. There are also hot dogs and chicken burgers. The cheeseburger I sampled was first class, but the onion rings were a special treat. The burger comes with a drink with refills, and the prices are very reasonable. In addition, there is a children's and senior's special for only $5. A fun spot with good food at good prices.
This is a guest post, from my good friend Russ Muter, formerly of New Jersey and now retired and living in Virginia:
[At the end of June] we spent a week in Yellowstone and ran across a diner. The diner itself was located inside the Yellowstone Grocery next to the Lake Lodge.
The actual structure was one of the earlier buildings in the Park, going back to 1907. It of course has been renovated and updated over time, the latest just a few years ago. The attached pictures were taken from inside the store looking at the diner.
The Tick Tock Diner continues to thrive because of its location across the street from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, at the corner of 8th Avenue and 34th Street in midtown Manhattan.
The Four Star Diner is located at Central Avenue and 32nd Street in Union City, New Jersey. It is a classic older diner in an urban setting.
This image come courtesy of E. David Smith, an attorney with offices on Lexington Avenue in New York City. Thanks, David!
I passed the Branchburg Diner recently, and, to my surprise, the name and the sign had changed.
The sign now says "25 Burgers." I don't know if that means they are selling burgers for $0.25, or if it means they are selling 25 different kinds of burgers. I had neither the time nor the inclination to stop and find out.
There are several diners in New Jersey called The Red Oak. This one is located at 2191 Fletcher Avenue in Fort Lee.
This is another image submitted by my friend, Laura Mann.
Here is another contribution from my friend, Laura Mann.
This is the Franklin Diner, on Route 23 in Franklin, Sussex County, New Jersey. Unfortunately, like many diners in our area, it has gone out of business, but it stands yet, as a landmark and as a reminder of the good old days, when diners ruled the roads and highways of Jersey for hungry travelers and folks on their way to work.
The Vernon Diner -- Pancake House is located at 85 State Rt 94 in Vernon, NJ, the location of the former McAfee Diner. It is a family oriented diner, specializing in 20 kinds of pancakes.
The images here are from Laura Mann, a lawyer in West Milford, New, NJ who is a friend and a fellow diner enthusiast. More of her diner photos will be added at a later date. Thanks for your interest and contributions, Laura!
Good News and Bad News!
The Good News: I drove by the old Branchburg Diner, justg west of my home, recently, and got a pleasant surprise. The sign above the diner has been repaired. It no longer says "ANCHBURG DINER," But now has the full and correct name "BRANCHBURG DINER," and it is freshly and brightly painted. The Bad News: There is no sign of the diner reopening. The small attached building continues to operate as the Royal Bar and Grill. Last Sunday, the parking lot was full of motorcycles and a few large tractor trailers. At least the old diner unit is still there, and in good shape, at least compared to the skeleton of the Whitehouse diner up the road.
The Phillipsburg Diner is a classic Greek diner located at 1102 US Highway 22, just north of I-78 exit 3 in Warren County, New Jersey, just a few miles from the Pennsylvania border.
The service is very friendly, and the prices quite reasonable. Great potato pancakes. Another red diner; that has always been a popular color, probably because it attracts the attention of those driving by on the highway.
The Key City is a classic diner, open 24 hours a day, and serving good food with quick service. It appears to be popular with many locals.
The diner is in Warren County, New Jersey, less than two miles from the Delaware River and the Pennsylvania border. Located at 985 US Highway 22 in Phillipsburg, it is about 2 miles north of Exit 3 off I-78, the last exit in New Jersey when heading West, or the first heading East.
The Somerville Diner is located on U S Highway 206 North, just south of the Somerville Circle. It has been at this location for decades, but the name has changed from time to time. Previously, it was The Minuteman and New York, New York, as well as a pancake house.
One of the biggest diners in Central Jersey is the Clinton Station Diner, just off I-78 at Exit 13, west of Clinton in Hunterdon County. The gem of this facility is a 1927 Blue Comet observation railroad car, named Biela, still in excellent condition and in use for regular dining as well as parties. In the main room, model trains on the ceiling and a large fish tank add to the experience and make this a great place for families with kids. There is a quieter room with a working fireplace. Something for everyone is the theme. The diner is open 24 hours a day, and features many specials,including a 50 pound burger call the Mount Olympus. There is also an in-house bakery and a bar.
The old Whitehouse Diner ( /dinerdan/the-abandoned-whitehouse-diner ) is "available" ! What are the chances that it will be restored and reopened for business? Not very likely.
Although the location is a good one, on a major highway in the heart of Hunterdon County, NJ, the facility appears to be beyond repair, as these images show. In addition, Loukas' Last Aamerican Diner (/dinerdan/loukas-last-american-diner ) is just a few miles to the east on the same side of the highway. Little Genie's Weenies ( /dinerdan/genies-weenies ) and the old Branchburg Diner, now a small bar (/dinerdan/the-branchburg-diner ) are even closer, also in the eastbound lanes of US 22. Just a few miles to the west, also on US 22, are the Readington Diner ( /dinerdan/the-readington-diner ) and the Spinning Wheel Diner (/dinerdan/spinning-wheel-diner ). The massive Clinton Station Diner (/dinerdan/the-railroad-dining-car-diner ) is only about 12 miles west, just off I-78 and US 22. So, this corridor is well served with diners, making it unlikely a new owner would use this site for a new or rehabilitated diner. Still, it would be nice to see an old classic like the Whitehouse Diner brought back to life.
Most folks probably don't consider the famous Café du Monde in New Orleans to be a diner, but I contend that it really it is.
Located in the French Market District (not the French Quarter), on the Mississippi riverside, Café du Monde is open 24 hours a day, except for Christmas Day and hurricane days. (Katrina shut it down for weeks.) It is busiest at breakfast time, and serves breakfast all day long. It is famous for its coffee. Sounds like a diner to me! Their signature coffee is cafe au lait: "The Café Du Monde Coffee and Chicory is traditionally served Au Lait, mixed half and half with hot milk." (New Orleans in the the only place I drink coffee with chickory; heck, when in Rome . . .). The original French Market stand was opened for business in 1862 -- when Lincoln lived in the White House. Now, that is history and tradition! Over the past 35 years, they opened 7 other locations, and two gift shops, all in the greater New Orleans area. Along with cafe au lait, they specialize in Beignets. "Beignets were also brought to Louisiana by the Acadians. These were fried fritters, sometimes filled with fruit. Today, the beignet is a square piece of dough, fried and covered with powdered sugar. They are served in orders of three." "Coffee is strong at the Cafe du Monde