Apparently, I’ve spent a lot of time outside of NYC judging by the last post and now this! But I would be remiss if I did not write about one of neighboring New Jersey’s fine culinary traditions that in some ways bests NYC - the diner.
New Jersey’s diner culture is well-known and well-documented, but to be honest, I had never really tried it myself. Unclear why - I do love diners and the simplicity and volume of the food they serve.
On a fall car trip to Washington, D.C., we decided to visit one of these NJ treasures and searched for “best NJ diners” that were in close proximity to the NJ Turnpike. I settled on Tops Diner, both because of its excellent reviews and how close to was to both the highway and NYC generally.
Boy oh boy, was Tops definitely the right choice. Despite a packed crowd on an early Saturday morning, we were immediately able to snag seats at a counter near the front. We had great service, and had really great (though unhealthy) breakfast.
Pictured above was my main course - the oreo pancakes, which had large chunks of oreos, a thin but fluffy consistency, and were so tasty on their own that I did not need any of the massive dishes of syrup and butter that they gave me.
That being said, I couldn’t resist eating some of the whipped cream that they served from their amazing whipped cream machine that was across from the counter where we were sitting and seemed like the hardest working part of the kitchen.
All in all, Tops was everything a diner should be - great service, fast turnaround of food, massive portions, and yet clean and flavorful. We’ll definitely be return visitors.
500 Passaic Avenue
Harrison/East Newark, New Jersey
Accessible via car or maybe a 10 - 15 minute walk from the NJ Transit Newark-Broad Street stop