Friday, January 20, 2012

Bethlehem Diner Allentown, PA


Bethlehem Diner
1881 Catasauqua Road
Allentown, PA
I was cautiously optimistic one evening looking for food up in the Lehigh Valley and took a drive over to check this place out. When I walked in however I was greeted by friendly staff who sat me right down and served me right away. Being cautious of course I ordered a hamburger deluxe and when it came out was very good, the fries nice and crispy and I got all the sides I needed to top the burger. Overall it was a good experience.

Sherbans Diner South Plainfield, NJ


Sherbans Diner
222 Front St
South Plainfield, NJ
Status: Blacklisted
We were out exploring Central Jersey one afternoon and decided on stopping here for lunch. When we walked in the server seemed a little crabby as if we had bothered her from something and sat us in a place far from where we asked to sit. The inside was dimly lit and I noticed several stains in the carpet and dirt on some of the walls. Ordering took slow (and it was after the lunch rush so there was not much of a crowd) and when it came the chicken fingers deluxe I ordered tasted a little off. It wasn't real chicken tenders but that processed stuff I absolutely HATE! In fact I recall having to cut out veins in it. The fries were very bland tasting and had no flavor. My tag team partner had gotten a cheeseburger deluxe and judging by the way he looked he didn't like it that much. Even the "dire emergency only" foods sucked so I wouldn't recommend this dive at all!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Parkway Diner Elmwood Park, NJ


Parkway Diner
260 US Highway RT46 East
Elmwood Park, NJ
Status: Blacklisted
Date 2008

Another disappointment on RT46. (Like most diners on this Godforsaken highway) My tag team partner and I visited the Parkway Diner back in early 2008. It was a typical weekend day, come lunchtime we had to decide what we wanted to do for food. So the Parkway Diner it was. We both had Cheeseburger Deluxes and we were both dissappointed. The burgers had very little taste and the fries were overdone. The waitress then kept trying to push us to get desert earning this diner a blacklisted status not to mention a reduced tip.

Village Pizza Ridgefield Park, NJ


UPDATE: As of 2013 this establishment CLOSED its doors.

Village Pizza
9 Mount Vernon St
Ridgefield Park, NJ
Status: Blacklisted
Date Blacklisted 7/2011

Village Pizza opened in 2011 and one day in July of 2011 we decided to give it a try. Village Pizza was dissappointing to say the very least. The Pizza wasnt very good, not much in the way of taste at all and it was overdone. So were the garlic knots. They were as hard as rocks. My tag team partner ordered baked ziti. The sauce was more a white sauce than a marinara and there were onions on the ziti as well. I dont think these people know how to make Italian food. Needless to say this place is BLACKLISTED. The only thing I might do since its close to the tracks where we hang out is buy a slice and a soda if I REALLY have to use the bathroom!!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Italian Connection/aka Bonga Pizza - Dumont, NJ


Italian Connection
55 West Shore Ave
Dumont, NJ
Status: Approved

The Italian Connection, aka Bonga Pizza is a great place for Italian food. From Italian Combo heroes, to Baked, Lasagna, to Veal and everything in between, They knock it out of the ballpark EVERY time. Food portions are ALWAYS generous, heck their pizzas are so big, I cant eat more than two slices!! They are like the size of a full size wheel cover from the 1970's. Full size heroes are so big you have to wrap up half and take em' home. Thats why we call it Bonga pizza!! Good food, generous portions and at a great price. Italian Connection is rated two forks up and a belch!!

Hearth Family Resturaunt - Lebanon, PA




Hearth Family Resturaunt
2550 Cumberland St (PA RT422)
Lebanon, Pa
Status: BLACKLISTED
Date Blacklisted 6/12/2011

We were out on a fantrip to the Harrisburg Line and Middle Division. Well, noontime came around and we needed some food. We decided to give the Hearth Family Resturaunt a try, BIG MISTAKE. The food was not that great and to top it off, both the employees and patrons of this establishment treated us as if we came from outer space or something. It was like there was the good ol fashioned needle scratch and everything came to a halt when we walked in the door. They were just plain rude. The waitress was just unfriendly and the other patrons stared at us till we left. Bad service, lackluster food and bad clientele=BLACKLISTED!! Stay away from this place. I am surprised no one tried to kill us and nothing clawed its way out of our stomachs like the creature from spaceballs. There will be NO re-evaluation if this establishment!


Ten 45 Grille/Diner - Ramsey, NJ


Ten 45 Grille (Formerly the Tiffany Diner)
1045 RT17S
Ramsey, NJ
Status: BLACKLISTED
Date Blacklisted 12/25/2011

This diner is one that I normally blacklist on sight alone. Its just cheesey looking as hell. But here I was, looking for food on Christmas night. After checking some of the usual haunts, I found myself driving down RT17 looking for someplace that was open....ANYPLACE that was open. The Ten 45 was the only place I could find after twenty minutes of driving. This place was certainly gaudy and I had some reservations but my stomach was growling. The first thing I noticed was this place had changed hands. I remembered that it was once the Tiffany Diner. I guess too many people had blacklisted it as the Tiffany so they either changed the name or sold it to new owners. The change was not for the better. The place had certainly gone downhill. The inner doors had been removed so when the outer doors were opened, the cold winter air rushed into the dining area. There were numerous stains on the ceiling from roof leaks. The decor seemed dated and worn. The hostess wasnt the friendliest, I placed my order. A cheeseburger deluxe, medium well and pancakes and bacon for my mother. Add to that two slices of layer cake for desert. I should have known it was going to turn out bad when the hostess asked if I wanted lettuce and tomato with my cheeseburger deluxe. After all Lettuce and tomato is generally standard with a cheeseburger deluxe!!! After waiting what seemed forever. I got my order and drove home. The cheeseburger wasnt the greatest, the fries were horrible. I got indigestion soon after eating. The lettuce was not fresh, the tomato looked rotten. I threw them out. There was no mystery slaw, but judging how bad the lettuce and tomato was, that was probably for the best. There was plenty of pancakes but they also werent the best. We got NO condiments at all. No ketchup, No salt, No syrup, No butter. Talk about CHEAP!!! Then came the desert. The layer cake was what I would call a lying queen slice. Geez, could they spare it??? It was paper thin. Literally a slice less than an inch thick!!! To top it off, it was STALE and tasteless. What a disappointment!! Needless to say, the Ten 45 is BLACKLISTED!! I would have been better off microwaving a TV dinner!! I should have listened to my gut and tried somewhere else!!! There shall be no re-evaluation of this establishment!!!

Heritage Diner - Hackensack, NJ


The Heritage Diner: River St. Hackensack, NJ
This diner is the inspiration for me to start critiquing diners across NJ, NY and PA. Here friends and myself have suffered some of the worst service at a diner. Just ordering something like a hamburger deluxe was a big production. Some of the waitresses were very rude towards patrons and I recall just being yelled at for my order. When the order came the burger tasted very bland and even though I asked for a well done it had pink in the middle. The french fries some were undercooked and others over cooked. Just about the only thing that was edible was the pickle! I also recall there were stains in the rugs and the restrooms were atrocious looking with toilet paper all over the floor, I may have ate there twice and that was it I said it was blacklisted!

Tick Tock Diner - Clifton, NJ

The Tick Tock Diner, Route 46 West: Clifton, NJ
I must say this is one of the absolute best diners to go to in NJ. Even though it's constantly packed they make room for you and manage to find a seat! From burgers to chicken fingers to steaks all the food is good on the menu. I haven't had a bad experience in there, the staff is friendly and quick I might add too! Definitely APPROVED!

Summerdale Diner - Enola, PA


The Summerdale Diner: Route 11&15 Enola, PA.
Back in 2009 I was in there with a friend for dinner and had gotten a NY Strip steak with rice and a baked potato. The service wasn't too bad but the place featured plastic drinking glasses (a sign of cheapness) but I had thought nothing of it at the time. The service wasn't the fastest for how empty the place was and I wasn't to thrilled with it either. When the food came the steak itself tasted a little bland. I like my steaks well done but a good diner would still leave some juice for flavoring. The corn tasted like it was microwave and hardly had any flavor either. The most odious of all when I walked into the restroom one of the cooks came out of the stall and just walked out with OUT washing his hands!! I was so appalled I walked out looked at my friend and said "we're out of here". So we paid and that was it, for a health code violation from the COOK.... BLACKLISTED!