Roadside diners are disappearing across America as new gourmet restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and fast food franchises takeover the American landscape. They're a part of American history and rich in culture. In many places...they are a dying breed.
When we hit the road traveling we always make a point to visit these mom & pop diners as much as we can. We know that as time goes on...many more will close their doors and disappear into the sunset.
Recently while on vacation down to Wildwood in New Jersey...we took the time to visit several local area diners and decided to compile our list of the top 7 that we enjoyed.
1.
Vegas Diner - Located at 14th & New Jersey Avenues in Wildwood is our favorite diner with the Star Diner (listed below) coming in a close second. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their food is delicious, affordably priced and we are always served quickly.
2.
Star Diner Cafe - Located at 325 W. Spruce Avenue in North Wildwood, right after you come onto the island via the bridge. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. We love their food and get great service every time we dine there. We vote for the Star as having the best diner-style desserts!
3.
Doo Wop Diner - Located directly on the boardwalk at 4010. They have a reputation of serving the best burgers in the Wildwood area. While we agree their burgers are delicious, we can't say they are the best since we haven't had burgers at every restaurant that makes them on the island. You will find them open for lunch and dinner.
4.
Marvis Diner - Located at 4900 Pacific Ave in Wildwood (Near the intersection of Pacific Ave and E Rio Grande Ave). They serve your classic diner fare and offer great service. While their food is good, it definitely isn't the best when it comes to the others on our list.
5.
Surfside West Diner - Located at 5308 New Jersey Ave in Wildwood (at the corner of New Jersey Ave and W Cresse Ave). This diner serves breakfast only from 6:30 AM until around 1:00 PM. Their breakfasts are delicious and the service is great!
Added to the list June 2017
6.
Pink Cadillac Diner - Located 3801 Atlantic Avenue in Wildwood (sits on the corner). This diner serves your typical classics that you would find at any seaside diner. The staff is friendly, the service is fast and our meals were hot. Are they the best on the entire island? No...but they're not bad at all. We would definitely eat there again.
7.
Rio Grande Diner - is located over on the mainland in Rio Grande, New Jersey. It sits right along Rio Grande Avenue, before you head into Wildwood (the island). Rio Grande Diner is open year-round and offers your classic dinner fare and some seafood dishes. Not the best diner in the area, but not bad at all and their prices are affordable. They have a kid-friendly menu too!
Added in October 2017
8.
Court House Diner Family Restaurant - If you don't mind taking a 10-15 minute drive over to the mainland to Cape May Court House or if you plan on visiting the Cape May County Zoo (the diner is about 4-5 minutes from the zoo), we recommend that you check out the Court House Diner & Family Restaurant. We found their food to be decent and they had a nice children's menu too. Plus, they weren't overly crowded, so we were able to get in and out.
Added in June 2020
9.
Doo Wop Drive-In Restaurant - This restaurant reminds me of a diner and has a menu with some of your favorite comfort foods. It's located in Wildwood Crest and shouldn't be confused with the Doo Wop Diner located on the boardwalk. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with competitive prices. They're family-friendly and a big hit with locals. If you love pancakes...we highly recommend you give them a try!
Note: Years ago there was a diner located in North Wildwood called the Lampost Diner and it was one of our favorites! However, that place closed down several years ago and is currently for sale. We hope someone buys it and reopens it again soon.
Well, there you have it! Our personal list of the top 7 Diners (now 8) in Wildwood, New Jersey.
1 comment:
I like your list of diners and would like to know why the desserts are the best at the Star diner. I like to go to diners because they usually serve large portions at affordable prices.
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