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    Garden State Diner

    3.1 (321 reviews)
    ModerateDiners
    Open 5:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Garden State Diner Photos

    GARDEN STATE DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Chicken tenders and fries
    Yixin L.

    A decent spot for diner food. You wait to be seated. The chicken noodle soup was cooked and seasoned well. The french fries were a little dry, but the chicken tenders were cooked well and not overly breaded. Other than the ketchup at the table, you can choose bbq sauce or honey mustard.

    Maria B.

    Not much is open at 4:30 in the morning, at the airport. But when the Garden State Diner opened at 5:00 am it made so many people happy. Their seating for about 60 people was filled within minutes. The decor was all set for Easter and adorable! Our server Yessica was super attentive and provided flavors for my daughter's iced caffe latte. I normally like flavored coffee but their regular was so fresh, hot and perfect. I split a "frequent flyer" sandwich (egg, cheese, bacon) with my hubby and also a corn muffin. I didn't get pictures because I was a bit sleep deprived. But trust me, the prices were great, the food perfect and the service top notch. For an airport diner, this was a pleasant surprise.

    Taylor ham egg and cheese
    Vincent Y.

    Good stop if you are in the Newark airport terminal C. I thought it was super cool that they had a diner. It has a super cool vibe to it like an old school New Jersey Diner. We order ham and cheese croissant and a Taylor ham egg and cheese. They both were good but of course airport prices. Service was quick and easy as we ordered to go.

    Banana & Honey Shake
    Helen C.

    On the scale of normal food options, it's not great, but for an airport option, Garden State Diner is pretty good. Grabbed an early dinner on a Sunday and the place was fairly empty, though it looked like only the tables against the walls had any outlets. Food is expensive as hell as expected with what is effectively a side salad with no protein dropping you $20. I did appreciate that no one rushed us and the food is classic diner; nothing life changing, but sometimes getting exactly what you expect is just what you want. Just got a bunch of food to share and everything is exactly what you would expect. Berry waffle was sweet, light, and paired great with the whipped cream. Greek salad was pretty small for a serving size and lettuce was a little sad, but passable. Fries were also just fine, could be amped up more on the salt and crunch. Now, the rockstar at the table was definitely the Banana & Honey shake. This is made with real banana and tons of honey. Super sweet, but it was actually a great shake, definitely restaurant quality! TLDR: Banana & Honey Shake is a winner, everything else is fine. Pricing is exactly what you'd expect for an airport.

    The Nutella Nut Job Shake
    Roxanne B.

    The bagel with BEC was delicious!!! The Cuban with coleslaw also delicious!!! The fruit parfait I would skip and it's way overpriced. The Nutella shake was good too. The service was below par, once they take your order you never see your waitress again:( They also add on a 3% employee retention to your tab not sure if it's NJ thing or not. Overall I would eat again but get it to go.

    Suzette S.

    Wow! Nostalgic "Happy Day" vibes!! From the decor, Doo wop music , Counter seating And of course milk shakes! Loved the desserts stated "Dish of ice cream" Our Server Eric was friendly, attentive and checked in on us! Thank you Eric! Hubby and I ordered the frequent flyer breakfast sandwich! Hubby ordered coffee , Complimentary refills. I loved my cafe latte! Steady stream of take out orders and dine in customers. Awesome way to start our getaway!

    Garden State Diner yum
    Geneen G.

    The coffee was awesome and the toasted bagel was on point. The gal at the register was friendly and kind which made it THAT much better. Sometimes going out of your Starbucks comfort zone does pay off

    Stephy S.

    Restaurant located in the Newark airport. Opens 5am for those who are there for 7am international flights! Good decent. Prices reasonable. Nice service. There is also a to-go kiosk.

    BLT with fries
    Katy C.

    I stumbled upon the Garden State Diner and decided to stop in for lunch before making my connecting flight back to GRR. I was seated right away and my server was very polite. It was bustling and busy when I was there. I ordered the BLT with fries and it came out quickly. The lettuce and tomato were fresh, and the bacon was crispy. The fries were better than I was expecting - not my personal favorite style (the thicker diner style fries) but they were hot and fresh too. Overall a decent version of a classic diner plate. My total including tip was just over $20, which I thought was pretty reasonable for an airport restaurant. It took a little bit to get my check, but I wasn't in a hurry. You can also get an order to go.

    Turkey melt and fries
    Monyca M.

    My turkey melt was so good!! Fresh and crispy. Fries could be better. But I had the nicest server.

    Patricia Z.

    Cute retro diner in Terminal C at Newark Airport. Service is great. Everyone wss so friendly. Food was delicious. Great way to start the vacation coffee made fresh!

    Pepper Jack Turkey Melt
    Kevin C.

    Looking for a place to eat and this was near our gate. Didn't bother to check Yelp as we saw many patrons, although wish I did as I would've since had second thoughts after the meal. This place is pretty average, and with the expensive prices... below average. Ambiance does give you a bustling diner feel. Service was on the slower end and had to get servers attention more water. Wish they asked when our flight was as we cut it pretty close to boarding time. Also, could not substitute side salad for fries. Frequent Flyer Breakfast Sandwich - 2.5/5 - No frills and made just how it was described. Skimpy on the bacon. Would've been better if it came with atleast one side. Pepper Jack Turkey Melt - 2/5 - Looked generous with the cheese but soon after one bite the sandwich was just OK. Turkey had a fresh taste, pepper jack was extremely mild in both spice and taste. Once I started to eat, the sandwich felt very dry. Needed ranch, ketchup, and hot sauce (lol). Coleslaw was smothered in mayo. Chili Cheese Fries - 3.5/5 - Filled up a whole plate and became a highlight of the meal with lots of cheese and decent chili. Fries were lightly crisp and starchy but went well with the heartiness of the chili.

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    7 months ago

    Super fun and cozy diner. Took my daughter last year and we had great food. Parking can be a little challenging it is well worthwhile

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    Ask the Community - Garden State Diner

    Kind of a stupid question but can you go to this diner if you're not flying out of the airport?

    Yes but only if you can get past security and for that you normally need a boarding pass.

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    Tops Diner

    Tops Diner

    4.4(5.1k reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$
    80 years in business
    Family-owned & operated

    How are they actually so good? We had reservations for 5 in a booth. We ordered a branzino, shrimp…read morescampi, a plate of waffles, chips and guac, steak frites, strip steak, and some refreshing iced teas. I had the strip steak and it was done perfectly. I gave away the bananas. The guac was very flavorful - a tad too sour but still very good. The side of broccoli was done perfectly with a bit of flavor and some crunch. The spinach however was maybe the best I've had. Not sure how they made it so good but wasn't simply with garlic. I had a piece of the branzino and thought it was also tasty with a nice fried crunch. The iced tea was perfectly caffeinated but maybe a tad small. It is supposedly unlimited but I didn't take advantage of that. The restrooms were also clean. I just wish they had some lounge chairs in there. Service was fast and diner style. Get what you need and get out of there. No one was rude, but no one was overly friendly. They all did their job and a 20% tip was automatically included. No concerns but thought it would be worth highlighting.

    My favorite diner in NJ. Used to come here before the renovation and now the food is just as good -…read moreif not better! Place is super trendy inside and great service. Plates are HUGE so come hungry. I've never gotten anything i didn't like - from breakfast to sandwiches to dinner. This most recent time i tried the spicy rigatoni with shrimp. The shrimp was perfectly grilled and the pasta was amazing. Might've been one of the best pasta sauces I've had in a while (i know, i was shocked too!). Perfectly al dente pasta with a hint of Calabrian chili and some delicious vodka sauce. Don't sleep on Tops!

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    Tops Diner
    Tops Diner
    Tops Diner

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    Andros Diner - This is supposed to be the blackened chicken from my quesadilla but not a grain of seasoning in sight and severely over cooked and rubbery

    Andros Diner

    3.3(137 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    you don't come here for the ambiance, you come for the surprisingly delicious pasta. and true NY…read morecheesecake had a quick layover from orlando to tokyo , had to stop in jersey of all places in the middle of the night , and i will surely return if i ever come back to jersey LOL

    Very disappointing service. Unfortunately, our experience at this diner was not a good one. The…read moreserver was rude and seemed completely uninterested in helping us. she barely paid attention to the tables, never checked on us, and made us feel like we weren't even there. I understand she wasn't the one that took our order the one who took our order left for the day so a new server came along and didn't even care. She only had two tables to take care of and couldn't even handle that. We had to wait around just to get any attention, and the overall attitude of the staff made the experience extremely uncomfortable. Good food can only go so far when the customer service is this poor As we had to get up and go pay our bills since the check wasn't brought to the table after paying my Mother still gave a five dollar tip after paying my mom just gave her insight not in a rude way. The young server didn't like that all my mom said was hey next time you should just check on your tables to make sure that we're good giving her a tip since my mom works in the restaurant industry. The young server proceeded to tell my mother then don't come here who says that to a paying customer a as my mom came back in and said you know what I take my tip back young lady proceeds to tell us she has no contact owner. No one has the number to speak to someone higher up. Tell my mom to come later on at night when the tips are distributed. She tried to say that we were rude which that is not true you just didn't like to be called out. I'm a bad job that you were performing this diner used to be a really good diner until they switched the so hopefully whoever the new you sit this young lady down and you talk to her because no customer paying one at that should be treated in any manner the way that we were treated today. Cause that's insane that the worker so-called don't have Management's number,

    Photos
    Andros Diner - Outside

    Outside

    Andros Diner - French toast with bacon  the strawberry rosette

    French toast with bacon the strawberry rosette

    Andros Diner - Chicken parm sandwich

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    Chicken parm sandwich

    Seaport Diner - Biscuit With Gravy & Eggs

    Seaport Diner

    4.1(115 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    Parking free. Food and service is good. Had a Belgian waffle with bacon. Will come againread more

    We had to pull off the road to grab something to eat, and unfortunately, stopping here was a huge…read moremistake. After reading all the positive reviews, we had high hopes; but we quickly realized we should have kept driving. This place was absolutely filthy. The entire restaurant looked grimy and poorly maintained, and the food handling did nothing to make us feel any better. There was a large container of potatoes sitting on a shelf directly above the grill. Seeing food sitting out like that was extremely concerning and immediately made me question the cleanliness and safety of the kitchen. I ordered biscuits and gravy with grits and scrambled eggs, thinking at least the grits would be fresh and hot. My other half ordered the corned beef hash and eggs, which were advertised as homemade. The hash appeared to contain a mixture of fresh and old potatoes. He took his food out and threw it away. I ended up feeling sick for the rest of the day. I obviously cannot say for certain what caused it, but after seeing the condition of the place and how the food was being handled, I wasn't exactly surprised that I felt terrible afterward. Honestly, I am kicking myself for not turning around and leaving the moment we walked in. The reviews gave us completely unrealistic expectations. This was one of those meals where you leave wishing you had just gone hungry instead. If cleanliness and proper food handling matter to you, I would seriously think twice before stopping here. Our experience was awful, and based on what we saw, we will absolutely never be back.

    Photos
    Seaport Diner - Inside

    Inside

    Seaport Diner - Bacon omelette

    Bacon omelette

    Seaport Diner - View from outside before opening

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    View from outside before opening

    The Yard - Newark - Black Joy (Watermelon) Salad

    The Yard - Newark

    4.6(239 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    We had the amazing experience of being in downtown Newark on Juneteenth and upon Yelping, found The…read moreYard and its 4.6 star average. We came for the Oxtail burger but on this day they were only making beef burgers, lamb burgers, and catfish sandwiches. The bonus, however, was the BBQ offerings in the backyard -- Mac n cheese, corn on the cob, fries, and plantains! Between the awesome cheeseburger and lamb burger, I was in seventh heaven. We had a great time sitting on the lawn and celebrating this glorious day with our brothers and sisters.

    I really wanted to support this restaurant, but unfortunately our experience left us feeling…read moreuncomfortable. When we arrived, the owner/chef told us the wait would be about 10-15 minutes. Shortly after, another couple came in and were told about 20 minutes. We were the only two parties waiting. When a table opened, the waitress began seating us, and the chef stopped her and asked the other (AA) couple if they were there first. He then told the gentleman, "I see you with family, and I'm not trying to start any problems." This was said while we were literally being seated, and nothing was said to us. It put us in an awkward and embarrassing position, as we would never intentionally skip ahead of anyone. As a Hispanic couple, the interaction also left us wondering if we were being treated differently, even if that wasn't the intention. Then the drink order added to the frustration. I ordered a hibiscus lemonade and my boyfriend ordered a regular lemonade. The waitress repeated it back incorrectly as strawberry, and I corrected her. About 10 minutes later she brought a strawberry lemonade anyway. When I said that wasn't what I ordered, the chef took the drink and handed it to the other couple who had just ordered a strawberry lemonade , saying it was freshly made and "they didn't want it." That was uncomfortable because I never ordered strawberry to begin with. Overall, the interaction felt dismissive and awkward. Mistakes happen, but the way this was handled -- especially the comments made -- left us feeling unwelcome. I hope this feedback helps improve communication and customer experience moving forward.

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    The Yard - Newark - Jazz band during brunch.

    Jazz band during brunch.

    The Yard - Newark - Live Jazz Brunch every Sunday 12-3pm

    Live Jazz Brunch every Sunday 12-3pm

    The Yard - Newark - Oxtail Burger

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    Oxtail Burger

    Garden State Diner - diners - Updated September 2026

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