I’m not familiar with this chain. Their locations seem most concentrated in the Southeast. Scheduled to open in East Brunswick in mid March. Penetrating NJ may prove to be a challenge.
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I think calling themselves a “Diner” is a misnomer.
Any place that doesn’t open until 7AM and closes at 8:30 PM (!) is not a diner. It also has a pretty small menu for a diner.
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My only experience with them is that I handled insurance claims at two locations in Florida a couple of years ago.
Both locations were packed when I went but didn’t eat.
Food looked good from what I saw, but it will be a tough market to break into
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When we first moved to Monmouth County from Essex County we were astonished to find that there were places here that called themselves “Diners” in spite of the fact that:
They had NO parking lot
They were not open 7x24x365
That’s not a diner, that’s a weak luncheonette.
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I don’t think any of the diners around here (Manalapan) are open 24/7. Some are open until 2 or 3.
The menu for the Metro is small enough that they could be making it all in house. When I see a diner with a 15 page menu I immediately think ‘frozen food’. Nobody could make all that stuff in a diner size kitchen - or keep all the ingredients fresh on hand. I’m ordering the beef tips over mash.
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Interesting… There’s one in Florida near my folks and they love it. I’ve only been once, but the food was fresh and as good as any of our good diners!
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I don’t recall too many diners down in college there. I used to go to Dennys. I could walk there from campus and not get arrested. I’m not a diner guy. For late night food I’m into windmill, TB, fat sandwiches, which are gone from Rutgers unfortunately. I am not sure how this place will do in the land of diners. Time will tell 
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My wife knows a few people who have eaten at them in other states, and they really like them. I will give it a shot. I think they may have a liquor license.
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Just ate at one for breakfast this past weekend in FL. Solid, but not something to drive out of the way for.
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Not many diners are open 24/7 in my area of Monmouth County, though many do remain open 365 days (with limited holiday hours). So I can excuse a place calling itself a diner and not being open all night. However, to call it quits before 10 PM with that label is laughable. I get a kick out of Toast in Red Bank calling itself a “City Diner” and is only open from 7:30 AM until 3 PM. I went there once and got in at 2:30 (not knowing their closing time) and they refused to serve me. Then again, with two eggs running 10 bucks, it is just as well I didn’t get in.
My go-to the New Monmouth Diner is open until midnight on weeknights and 2 AM on Fridays and Saturdays. That gets the job done as far as this area goes. South Amboy’s Ocean Bay Diner is 24/7 as is the Town and Country Diner in Keyport. However, they never seem to have any cars (at any time, day or night) so I wonder how they stay open.
East Brunswick is a pretty buzzing area. It deserves a 24/7 diner…or a 24/7 Halal Guys. There is nothing better than wiping out a container of chicken rice doused in white and hot sauces after a few rounds.
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Park Place Diner in Matawan/Aberdeen opens at 6AM and closes 1AM five days a week and 3AM Friday and Saturday. I think that’s as close to 24 hours as anyone around here gets.
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Closed after one year in business.
I was skeptical about the location. Not easy to get in and out of.
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Well, first, everyone in NJ already has a favorite diner. Second, with the Hong Kong Market closed, the major non-restaurant business in that plaza was gone. (Harbor Freight never looked as busy as HKM.) And yes, it is tough to get in and out of. First of all, from whichever direction you are coming, you’ll need to make a U-turn at some point, and second, it is very difficult just to get out of the lot onto Route 18.
(If I’m going to that plaza and want a lot of food, I might as well go to Teppanyaki Grill.)
