New Jersey - Favorite Restaurants?

[sharonW]

Oh, the stuffed french toast is amazing!

Is this like Disneys Tonga Toast???

 

[janey99]

Wow -

I can't believe how many Wayne girls are on here - what a trip down memory lane!

I grew up in Wayne too, and some favorites were the Old Barn for ice cream (dad - why can't I carve MY name in a table?!), Dan's Steakhouse with the butcher shop underneath, Bradlees Pizza and Preakness Diner.

I don't remember any Italian restaurant in the Wayne Hills Mall and I worked there for years in the book store and Mirielle Boutique. I *do* remember an Italian restaurant in that little strip of shopping center where the appliance store and the bicycle store were - it was the first place I had chicken Francaise!

Loved Rutt's Hut too - my dad is from Clifton.

Now I'm in Somerset County and we love Thai Thai in Millington, Hacienda in Stirling and Miraku Sushi in Basking Ridge.

Now I'm hungry!

Jane

 

[shelly3girls]

Is this like Disneys Tonga Toast???

I think it is much better. It is not deep fried so it is much less greasy. I did not like all the grease of the Tonga Toast that early in the morning.

 

[barbeml]

Are you talking about Pithari which is relatively new - a couple of years old? I love that place. However, I know a lot of people who hate it. There's also 7 Hills of Istanbul which is really good.

That name doesn't ring a bell. It is a small family-owned place. Blue & white decor, tables with wooden chairs very close together. They proudly say everything is imported from Greece. It was mobbed when I was there and all of the food was outstanding.

 

[ProudMomTo3Boys]

I'm not sure - someone else mentioned it, I can't think of any that was in there at the moment. I do remember a yogurt place being in there at one time though. When I think of restaurants right there, I always think I-Hop or China Paradise. I still go there for Burlington.

I remember Meyer Bros. And it is so funny to hear someone here say 'Willy P'. Did you ever go to Big Jim's in Haledon, too?

This is interesting: One day last week, I had on the People's Court waiting for the news to come on. A guy on that show was suing Calico Kitchen for getting sick there!

I used to go to Big Jims all the time in High School, went to the all girls school up the street.

 

[DisneyGirl421]

Reading some of these restaurants makes me miss home! I live in Toms River, but I my grandparents have a house in Avalon, so I spent (and still spend) many weekends there during the summer!

My favs:
Via Mare in Avalon. AMAZING Italian food. I have been coming here for dinner almost every summer since I've been born, and my grandparents know the owners pretty well. Guila (the owner)'s risotto is amazing, and the filet mignon is to die for!
Luigi's Pizza in Point Pleasant Beach. The best pizza in NJ. Seriously.
Tifany's in Toms River Amazing baby-back ribs.
Ciao Baby in Brick. Great Italian food!
Shogun in Toms River. Great hibachi. I normally go for the lunch special with my friends.
PJ Lee's in Brick. amazing Mongolian Barbeque, all you can eat too!
Craig's in Brick. Great American pub-like restaurant His burgers are amazing.
Cool Beans Coffee House in Toms River. great local hangout, and their grilled sandwiches are delicious!
Silverton Diner in Toms River, and Ocean Queen Diner in Brick. Oh how I love diners.

I also second (or third?) Uncle Bill's Pancake House. I've only been to the one in Avalon, but it's a Sunday tradition during the summer to go have pancakes here after church!

And for the BEST ice cream on the shore, Springer's Home-made Ice Cream in Stone Harbor. I've been coming here since before I was born, and don't intend to stop anytime soon!

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

I love love love Blu in Montclair -- it is my favorite nice grown up restaurant. The chef also owns Next Door (which is right next door) they have great casual food.

For wonderful chinese food we love Chendu 1 in Cedar Grove. The food is Sichuan so it can be spicy (if you order the sichuan stuff) but it is excellent. We love to go with a big group so we can order lots of different stuff.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Wow -

I can't believe how many Wayne girls are on here - what a trip down memory lane!

I grew up in Wayne too, and some favorites were the Old Barn for ice cream (dad - why can't I carve MY name in a table?!), Dan's Steakhouse with the butcher shop underneath, Bradlees Pizza and Preakness Diner.

I don't remember any Italian restaurant in the Wayne Hills Mall and I worked there for years in the book store and Mirielle Boutique. I *do* remember an Italian restaurant in that little strip of shopping center where the appliance store and the bicycle store were - it was the first place I had chicken Francaise!

Loved Rutt's Hut too - my dad is from Clifton.

Now I'm in Somerset County and we love Thai Thai in Millington, Hacienda in Stirling and Miraku Sushi in Basking Ridge.

Now I'm hungry!

Jane

The Old Barn? I'm familiar with the Red Barn (I think that was it) in Pompton Lakes. Great cherry vanilla ice cream! It was actually white with red cherries! Not pink ice cream like everywhere else. Have to agree...Dan's Steakhouse was really good!

Wayne Hils Mall...what was the major store that was there? The place where I worked a couple Christmas seasons but can't remember the name of it? It wasn't Meyer Bros. was it?

 

[Pin Wizard]

No, I don't think I ever went to Big Jim's.

Awww, Calico Kitchen - we went there for breakfast the day after DH and I got married. We went with our best man and matron of honor. Then that was the last place we went out to before our DD was born. But Calico Kitchen is no longer there.

I doubt many will miss Calico Kitchen. We used to eat there almost every day when I went to the nearby hairdressing school.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I'm not sure - someone else mentioned it, I can't think of any that was in there at the moment. I do remember a yogurt place being in there at one time though. When I think of restaurants right there, I always think I-Hop or China Paradise. I still go there for Burlington.

I remember Meyer Bros. And it is so funny to hear someone here say 'Willy P'. Did you ever go to Big Jim's in Haledon, too?

This is interesting: One day last week, I had on the People's Court waiting for the news to come on. A guy on that show was suing Calico Kitchen for getting sick there!

Wasn't TCBY at Wayne Hills Mall?

China Paradise! That was one of our favorite places.

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

Some others I remembered -

The Windmill - Cheese Fries all the way baby!!!
Max's - Long Branch - We saw Bon Jovi in there one day!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Was FM Station on 23? I remember a bar there (before it turned into a Parking lot) but I remember it as Mother's.

Mother's, The Getaway, and Ashley's in Clifton were our hangouts.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Wanted to let everyone know I passed where "Mother's" used to be today & it's now a parking lot called "Mother's Parking"

Does anyone remember the name of the hot dog place that used to be in Fort Lee? I think they were fried hot dogs

 

[Pin Wizard]

OMG, blast from the past - Spindletop! No, it's been about 10 different things since it was Spindletop. That was my brother's hangout when he was in high school. The Wayne Manor is gone too. They tore it down completely and put up a BMW dealership.

Thanks! Our family had many dinners at the Spindletop. Couldn't skip the cherry cheesecake either!

The Wayne Manor is gone? Drat! Another missing. That was where we had our Senior class get together.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I love th Pompton Queen. We go there often for dinner on a Friday night. When my Dad was in the hospital last spring, we snuck him in cheese fries with gravy from there.

They just totally re-did the place - it looks GREAT!

If it were french fries and gravy, it would remind me of my sister! That was one of her favorites, and she introduced me to them. She also worked at the Pompton Queen for years. Eventually she went back to school and worked in an office, but she quit and went back to waitressing since she made more money at that!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Me too! But I need the Disco fries for extra added artery clogging.
I also hung out at Milk Barn & The Wayne Hills Mall! ( I can't remember that restaurant in there though)
So many people know Pompton Queen - and it does look great now. Spindletop, Mother's, lol, funny to see that here.

We used to hang at Brother Bruno's. I went there last year and not the same owners anymore.

Does anyone remember 'The Lantern' on 46? And Teddy's texas weiners? I remember Libby's.

I went to Lobster Shanty as a kid when my DGPs lived in Tom's River.


When we lived out west, we missed diner and 'hole in the wall' type places. I've been making up for it ever since!


EDT- I forgot to ask what kind of 'shady' stuff goes on at Franklin Steakhouse?

Yes! And the huge lantern outside with the flickering flame!

 

[bballmom56]

Wayne Hils Mall...what was the major store that was there? The place where I worked a couple Christmas seasons but can't remember the name of it? It wasn't Meyer Bros. was it?

Yep, Meyer Bros. was the main store there. I worked there from 74-76.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Wow -

I can't believe how many Wayne girls are on here - what a trip down memory lane!

I grew up in Wayne too, and some favorites were the Old Barn for ice cream (dad - why can't I carve MY name in a table?!), Dan's Steakhouse with the butcher shop underneath, Bradlees Pizza and Preakness Diner.

I don't remember any Italian restaurant in the Wayne Hills Mall and I worked there for years in the book store and Mirielle Boutique. I *do* remember an Italian restaurant in that little strip of shopping center where the appliance store and the bicycle store were - it was the first place I had chicken Francaise!

Loved Rutt's Hut too - my dad is from Clifton.

Now I'm in Somerset County and we love Thai Thai in Millington, Hacienda in Stirling and Miraku Sushi in Basking Ridge.

Now I'm hungry!

Jane

The Preakness Diner! Almost forgot that one. And the Oakland Diner. Used to stop in there for breakfast when I worked at Stage Hairdressers in the Oakland mall. WOW! That's way back!

Oh...I don't remember an italian restaurant at Wayne Hills mall either. However, that McDonald's was where I trained for my first job.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Wanted to let everyone know I passed where "Mother's" used to be today & it's now a parking lot called "Mother's Parking"

Does anyone remember the name of the hot dog place that used to be in Fort Lee? I think they were fried hot dogs

Mother's Parking? No way!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Yep, Meyer Bros. was the main store there. I worked there from 74-76.

That was just a bit before my time.