It may sound funny, but when I was a kid growing up in New York City, diners were kind of a mystery to me. I lived not too far from one, but my traditional-minded parents always insisted Chinese food was the best food and that's what we mostly ate when we went out (occasional trips to White Castles or McDonalds aside). When I moved to New Jersey, I started visiting diners mainly out of curiosity and quickly became a fan of trying out new ones whenever I had the chance. My latest exploration into the world of diners is the Mark Twain Diner Restaurant. The irony here is I've passed this diner dozens of times over the years, but I never stopped because it was usually between errands or trips to the gym and I was never hungry when I would whoosh by it at 40 mph. So, this past weekend I mad eit a point to go there for breakfast and try it out. Laid out in a very similar fashion to most diners in the area, you enter and are greeted by a cashier table and a display case full of insanely good looking cakes and pastries including carrot cake, sugar-free cheesecake, red velvet and more. This leads to an area with small seats and a counter to sit at. Towards the back is a larger seating area for bigger parties. It is in this back area that my girlfriend and I were promptly seated. I won't call the demeanor of the proprietors particularly friendly, but I wouldn't call it *unfriendly* either. I guess I'm spoiled from the smiles and attention I'm used to seeing and getting at Vicki's in Westfield. Still, our waiter seemed quite earnest in his desire to make our experience a good one - though he also seemed very nervous and we did our best ot make sure he knew we were cool with his service. We both ordered omelets. I had a "custom" one with egg whites, mushrooms and swiss cheese. My girlfriend had the Spanish omelet. We were both delighted to see that you could have home fries *or* grits with your omelet (we both opted for grits). We also ordered a side of sausage links which were served piping hot! Our food came extraordinarily fast. It wasn't just us, every table was served very quickly and I was quite impressed. The omelets were well cooked. I was very happy. The sauce on the Spanish omelet was fantastic. The grits were perfectly cooked and the addition of a bit of butter and salt made them perfect. I even thought the coffee was above average for diner coffee. The best part was how reasonable the price was. Our entire meal came out to under $30 (tax included). Mind you, we walked out with leftovers! As we left the diner, I saw the thing that sent this into four star territory for me from "3-3.5 stars" - mints. I know this seems silly, but bear with me. See, when I first started going to diners years ago, most of them always offered some type of treat at the cashier. In most cases it was some type of mint, generally the white ones with some type of jelly inside (which I love). However, over the years most diners have stopped doing this, much to my dismay. Mark Twain *still does this*! I couldn't believe it and quickly scooped up a spoonful to devour with glee. If you're in the area, Mark Twain is definitely worth a visit. Good service, good food and fair prices (and mints!). What more could you want? read more

I've always wanted to try this place but it was still burned down when I moved to NJ last year. Fortunately, it reopened. The diner's interior is trendy but casual; paintings of Mark Twain also grace the walls. The booth seats are long and pretty comfy but there are regular tables as well if you prefer those. Gyro Breakfast ($9.99): Tasty and savory. It comes with five or so medium length gyro patties, three eggs your way, your choice of potatoes, and your choice of regular toast, pancakes, or French toast. The gyro was not salty or greasy and was served with a small plastic container of tzatziki. The eggs were over easy and perfect. Unfortunately, the cook added hash browns instead of the home fries I wanted. Oh well. Still, it was a nice golden brown, but just a little on the bland side. Other items ordered were the Philly Cheesesteak ($8.99) and the Lamb over Orzo ($11.99, one of the lunch specials). The Philly cheesesteak was large and came with plenty of fries, while the lamb and orzo were said to be really tender and buttery soft, respectively. The cheesesteak comes with soup and a side (fries, cole slaw, pasta), while the special also comes with soup and your choice of dessert. Service was spot on during my lunch here. By the way, Dana (sp?) is awesome! She took care of my group and always checked up on us. In fact, everyone here is friendly. I arrived exactly at noon but was seated almost immediately. I wouldn't mind coming back here for all day breakfast or for any of their other items. Of all the diners I've been to in Union, Mark Twain is the better option. Huck Finn is great in its own right, but I felt more comfortable here. read more

Mark Twain Diner Restaurant - Philly Cheesesteak and fries ($8.99) with pasta salad in the background. - Diners Near Me - Union, New Jersey

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Best diner in union county no doubt. Everyone says Tropicana but NO. Mark Twain has significantly higher quality food and service. The bar wings are incredible, pastrami is amazing. Pretty much everything I've had here was amazing. read more

What an upgrade! Awesome renovation! I honestly thought that I was eating at a drug rehab the last few times I was in there. I am one to reach out to those who are looking to change their life, but sometimes I need to be a customer. The staff was shabby and not very personable. The service was 1st class today! The atmosphere was unbelievable! I'll be a regular! read more

Mark Twain Diner Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Union, New Jersey

Your usual Jersey diner.. have been going to this place for the past 18 years. Staff is friendly and diner is clean. They had the place redone a few years back and it looks very updated. The food is regular diner food, nothing out of the ordinary. I usually go for their cheesesteak, which I recommend. My boyfriend had their gyro platter which was good and I had their eggs Benedict. Overall, good place to grab a quick bite. Will be returning and recommending. read more

Mark Twain Diner Restaurant - Eggs Benedict - Diners Near Me - Union, New Jersey

The food is excellent. There are so many options. The male bartender is amazing. He needs a raise!!! Idk his supervisor BUT i know he was good friendly and an excellent waiter that my table of guest were pleased with our meals and service. read more

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Went today. 8/25 around 2:30 pm for lunch. Been here before. Waitress was great. The music though is too loud. Hard to hear your companions talking. Volume that high raises the volume of people's voices as well. Food was satisfsctory. Cashier at front needs some training in customer service skills . She had no interaction with you as you paid and she looked liked she was mad. I even asked her to smile. read more

To be fair, I shot s little high for a diner. One of specials was crab cakes and macaroni and cheese. It he Mac n cheese was ok but the crab cakes... . The service was excellent! Our server was super sweet, informative and suggestive (as requested). My dinner came with chicken n rice soup--- also wasn't all that great. I heard they had recent renovations - it is a very nice looking diner. Looked pretty clean and that dessert case looked like heaven. I want to give it another chance so I'll be updating this review. read more

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I've been to this diner many times over the many years I have visited Union and this most recent time was after their renovation. We had burgers and soup. All of the food was fresh and well seasoned. The service was excellent. As diners go, this one is one I will return to. read more

went here with some family for lunch. It's a classic diner where you would expect a good ruben, soup & malts. Huge portions, take the teens! had the grilled chicken & portabello panini, it was a sandwich & a half! plus a half plate of yummy fries. pasta salad is a miss, why waste your calories anyway. the egg cream was okay, a bit thin for my taste, prefer richer & creamier. they have a big room in the back good for large groups. Good service & the manager (owner?) was very nice, taking our picture without being asked. read more

Came here for girls brunch good food, good drink and delicious coffee ! I had the scrambled eggs with Canadian bacon and hash browns! it hit the spot ! read more

Where do I start? We were in Union NJ visiting family. This was our first time at Mark Twain Diner but not for the family that live in the area. When we first walked in with a very large party I was highly impressed because we didn't have a long wait. We were seated immediately just at two different tables and two different waiters. Once seated our waiter came over asked us if we would like separate checks we said yes and informed him on how to divide them. He then proceed to take our drink order. That went okay a little confusing but nothing we couldn't deal with we realized we were a large party. While talking we realized we hadn't had our order taken. Mind you they have an extensive menu anything you name you can probably find on this menu. We asked the hostess to let the waiter know we are ready. Our waiter came over but her was a little overwhelmed with taking the order so they send a second waiter to help. After taking our order a man came over very release stating that he was the manager and that they could not do separate checks. We explained to him that we did ask for separate checks it was offered to us and we feel like it should be accommodated since we were given an option. He told us no I'm not doing it I don't care what you were told. FIGURE IT OUT. At this point our orders were in but some people in our family cancel the order because he was so very rude. We were informed that this is how it is and he didn't mean any harm. Well we felt disrespected and I asked the same manager can I have the owner name so I can write a letter. I was told NO this is a family own business and I am not giving you the information. I found out at the end the owner was sitting at the bar watching the whole thing unfold. The food came out and the majority of the orders were wrong, over cooked and they really wasn't accommodating. At the end the manager realized he was rude and tried to offer my husband dessert and conversation but by then he was done with the whole experience. Nevertheless, I will never step foot in this establishment again. I don't like the way they treated our waiter. At the end they did not add gratuity I believe because they didn't like him and wanted him to get nothing but we took care of him anyway. We noticed the owner and manger yelling at our waiter near the kitchen. Union NJ you can have this place. I would starve first. Note* when reading my other review I always try to find the good but this place could have been good if it was better managed. Sorry not sorry read more

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I went to Mark Twain diner just once before it was renovated and recently noticed that they finally opened up so I decided to stop by for dinner. First off, the place looks much better! I feel like it provides the perfect setting for any occasion - dinner with your family, your friends, or your significant other. The whole place just looks really modern and very chill. Also, I thought it was pretty funny that they had Mark Twain selfies everywhere, same face just different color shirt haha. Along with the renovations, they also changed the complimentary bread basket that doesn't taste that good. Advise to management - please use another softer type of bread! But yeah, as for my order, I saw they had pollo a la plancha and decided to try it. The chicken and the green sauce were pretty good but the black beans need some work though and the tortillas were kind of dry. But overall I like the renovation and the diner itself. Definitely coming back and trying the club sandwiches. read more

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A good, solid diner. Perfect for those times when you just finished a movie, and want to have a greasy meal and time to digest the entertainment. I really liked the disco fries and the service was really good. I'd totally come here again. read more

Mark Twain Diner Restaurant - There are a lot or Sam Clemenses around here. - Diners Near Me - Union, New Jersey

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This is the most pathetic cheesesteak I have ever seen in my life. I took a bite of one half and noticed there was barely any meat on it. The other half barely had any too. They actually charged 14 bucks for this on Doordash and I'm still STARVING. I also said no peppers and mushrooms but they put them on anyway. Lol. Wow.... read more

Mark Twain Diner Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Union, New Jersey

The food here was tasty - a little slow on the service end, but when I received the platter - I could see why! For around 10 bucks I had enough food to last me two days. It's a great thing I hadn't eaten all day! Awesome portions... can't believe there isn't a review for this place yet. Get the gyro platter, you won't regret it. read more

Mark Twain Diner Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Union, New Jersey

My mom and I love visiting new diners whenever we go out and since we were in the area, we wanted to try this one, and we loved it! Such a big menu and this was the first diner I've seen that has alcoholic beverages too, definitely recommend read more

The food is great especially the pork chops special with mushrooms and sausage and onions with home made mashed potatoes Great and fresh desserts.The service is excellent Ralph the server is great read more

Is the best diner,good service and good food!!!i always have the Cuban panini you get soup and pasta salad!!!

Love this diner! The surrounding area is not really short of great diners, but with that being said, this one is a particular favorite of mine. Its a spacious diner with cute decor - lots of Mark Twain quotes hung up. I like quotes, so its a particularly fun activity for me to sit around hangry and read them. As for the food, my friend and I both tried the "Appetizer Pasta" which is basically a pasta, with any sauce you want, baked in a soup crock with extra cheese on top and served with ridiculously tasty garlic bread. Whoever decided a little pasta before the meal is a thing should be applauded. As for the rest of the meal, they basically have normal diner fare. Prices are low, menu is huge. Come hungry, leave happy. read more

Mark Twain Diner Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Union, New Jersey

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Came here twice in one week with My Cousin! I've enjoyed everything I've ordered so far. Buffalo Wings were delish, Cali Bacon Cheeseburger and the Southwestern Quesadilla oh and their strawberry cheesecake read more

When i go it's usually good but i did a to go order today and was super disappointed. I ordered a bagel with lox and an egg over easy and a large orange juice. I paid about 14 dollars or so which would have been fine if my large juice didn't turn out to be a small cup, which cost almost 4 dollars. When i opened up my box to eat my bagel they gave me 2 eggs which looked to be just thrown on the bagel with my lox. It looked so messy and as if no love was put in it. Also who puts 2 eggs on 1 bagel? Like i said it just looked super messy. When i got there they weren't even busy either so i just don't understand why my sandwich was just thrown together so carelessly. I hope in the future they do a better job on there to go orders. read more

I have been to this diner several times. This is your typical jersey diner but the food is very good. I love getting their chicken noodle soups and will often pick one up when I get sick. The burgers here are good as well. I have surprisingly never had breakfast here but I always see lots of cars in the parking lot when I pass by during the morning. Its a nice location and very respectful staff. I recommend. read more

Usually like the place considering every waiter is helpful but this in particular day we get a Jasmine who came to our table with instant attitude. After ordering coffee. I asked if I can make my own panini and it was clear she didn't like that idea. I ordered a ham and fried eggplant panini with cheese. Rolled her eyes and took my friends order. A plain ham and cheese panini came out. She didn't come to the table to check on us the only time she did was to drop a Togo box. The fact that the panini wasn't touched and she had no care. 15$ panini. Thank jasmin for terrible service. read more

Just your average diner- nothing really to write home about. Interior I believe has been recently renovated. Service was great, food was average. For breakfast, I would say pass on the home fries as they are totally bland- not worth it. Pancakes and omelets are good though, and the omelets come with a side of fries and your choice of pancakes, french toast, or regular toast. read more

If I could give this establishment 0 stars, I would. I ordered the tuna club, which I order at every diner I've gone to. When I told the waitress, she sent over the manager. The manager asked me what was wrong, and I explained it had a very sour taste. He asked me if he could get me anything else. I first said no its ok since my family was almost done and I didn't want to eat alone. He said are you sure? I said ok I will take chicken fingers since my wife had them and they were good. I had one chicken finger then decided to get them to go. The waitress brought the check and the box. We look at the check and the manager charged us for the chicken fingers. I thought it was weird and I spoke to the waitress. My feeling was that both the tuna and chicken fingers should be off the check. I spoke to the waitress and she said the manager TASTED it and it was fine. Why in the world are you tasting food off a customer's plate? That is GROSS. YOU SIR ARE DISGUSTING!! He refused to remove the chicken fingers and said I wasted an order and that he tasted my tuna and it was fine. Go here with this warning.....this manager eats your food if you complain. read more

Is this the same diner that the owner of Lord West Harvey Weinstein used to go?? Just curious... I'm watching the story and looked it up. I feel if he went all the time it must be good. read more

This place is a normal diner. The service is average. I like the look of the building much better since the remodel. The prices are what you would expect from a diner. I haven't tried anything other than the basics there, but if you're looking for a place that's open late and you don't want fast food, then check out this place. read more

Never been here before the customer service was very good. For a Sunday morning they seat you very fast. Little bit of a wait for the food to come to the table. But was very good and cooked as I ordered. It will be my favorite dinner for now on. read more

Mark Twain Diner Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Union, New Jersey

Food is average, nothing special. The place looks really nice now after having renovations.

Please support your local business! I got a delicious veggie burger yesterday. Christina that works here is very friendly. They have a big menu with many options. They need our support more than ever so spread the word. Thanks Mark Twain Diner. read more

Not great. Not terrible. Price was reasonable. Service was good. Food came out so quick you know it wasn't made to order fresh. Fries were sitting to long and cooked in old oil you could taste it. I did buy a giant cookie at the bakery counter that was delicious. I also liked that they had ginger ale on their soda tap. Like I said it wasn't great but wasn't terrible. read more

Wife and I ate at Mark Twain Diner last evening. I ordered 1 Maid Rite and wife ordered a Classic Rueben. Maid Rite was ok, but the Rueben was horrible. Half of the "meat" was fat & gristle (sp) -- in fact, when we removed the fat, it measured between 3 inches and 4 inches square (I kid you not). When pointed out to waiter, he said he was sorry, and wondered if we would like to have the "Chef" make another 1/2 a rueben. We were sooo turned off that we respectfully said "no thank you". We each had a small drinks (no refills), and paid the $21.13 bill. It was a memorible LAST patronage of Mark Twain Dinnete read more

Great diner if you passing by and don't want to be disappointed, they have very good service and the employees are always nice and welcoming, they have many options to choose from. Don't forget to try their sundaes and deserts read more

This is my local diner, I've been here many times. Now came back for the grand re opening post renovation! Place looks great, previously a typical 80's era Jersey diner, now modern and bright - they also have a dedicated bar area with an afternoon and late night happy hour! Food was great, my fiance had the grilled tuna special - perfectly cooked ( it's such a finicky fish to cook ) We also had pork chops, salads, soup, the yummy pasta salad has not changed and of course desserts! Everything was great. The wait staff was attentive, but still working out some kinks with the new opening, not a problem floor managers were on point! Congrats Mark Twain on the renovation! My family and I are happy to see you back in business. read more

This restaurant is great,great service,great food and great managers and service employees nothing wrong to say about this m diner highly recommend read more

stopped here today, july 7, 2020, for breakfast around 9:45 am. Outdoor dining OK. Not crowded, waited 15 minutes before we were greeted by a waitor/waitress. Ordered food came out lukewarm to cold. Asked for second cup of coffee, which came out as we were leaving. If this is considered acceptable by management, we will not be dining there again. read more

Very nice diner, very clean and awesome menu. Portion size is enough for two people, and their desserts are to die for. I recommend this diner to everybody visiting Union New Jersey. read more

Our waitress was awesome ! Very attentive , made sure to bring our order correctly and was always checking on us to see if we needed anything else. We stopped in late at night and were pleasantly surprised that the place had good food. We had a very yummy milk shake, napoleon French toast and both were amazingly good. Saw lots of other dishes that other customer ordered and everything looked tempting. We will definitely be back next time we are in the area. read more

Mark Twain Diner Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Union, New Jersey

When I want good diner food, this is where I go. I grew up in Union and don't live nearby and I miss this diner! They have an extensive menu of breakfast foods, wraps and sandwiches, as well as larger dinner platters. Their food always comes out super hot, and if there's ever an issue with your order, they're quick to correct it. Most recently I had the Bruschetta salad and it was exactly what I wanted. They had no issue replacing the romaine lettuce with arugula for me and the salad was massive when they brought it out - so much grilled chicken on top of a mound of arugula. It also came with three pieces of garlic bread, which was warm and toasty. I always look forward to my visits to Union because I know I'll try to make this place a stop. read more