Berlin Diner

So Inviting

Chris has been wanting to go to this diner for at least a month, but it's always been just a little too far away to justify after a long day of work. However, last Friday we decided to take an impromptu trip to Atlantic City to celebrate our both being 21-ness, and thus, the opportunity presented itself. At 117 S. White Horse Pike, is the Courier Post's [One of] The Best of South Jersey Berlin Diner.


The layout is strange with the door/host/cashier desk (one and the same) acting almost like an apex to two wings (a left and a right) where booths and tables are. The left side, where we were seated, also has a breakfast bar.

Where's the Veggie Patty?

This menu is full of specials (you get the sense that this is a local favorite) w/ an impressive Early Bird Special that includes a full page of 9.99 meals (entree, two sides, housecake, etc.) This is also why, I assume, that the place was packed at 5:30 PM.


I ordered a veggie burger with some swiss (I think) cheese and mushrooms. I tried to find it on the menu online to reference it, but it must be relatively new burger, because it's not on the menu. It was fine, but fell short of delicious. The bread was dense, and a little crusty, like it had been out for a while. My veggie patty was average, and tasted very similar to the type of veggie meat concoction that Subway uses in its veggie patty subs. My fries were yummy and crispy, so I ate the majority of them. Overall, I enjoyed the service and attention that the waitress paid us more than I really cared for the food. Chris, who tried my slaw for me, said that it was one of the wateriest slaws he ever tried. Wah-wah.

Some Creaminess Would Add Stability

I ended up getting a proper PM meal instead of greasy eggs and sausage and chose my first wrap of this adventure. I was torn between the chicken ceasar and the buffalo chicken, but after a few minutes of self reflection I decided on the latter. The wrap came with french fries, slaw, and a pickle. Sadly for the wrap it was very one dimensional. The actual buffalo sauce that they used was good that it had decent heat and flavor to it, but that's where the train stopped. The next step to making buffalo chicken delicious is adding a creamy element. The two best that I've experienced have been a melted blue cheese or ranch dressing. I've had both in wraps, on pizzas, and as sauces for dipping buffalo chicken wings into. Without the added dimension, the buffalo sauce isn't much of a sauce and instead just spicy, oily, water. So the obvious folly was that the sandwich was completely devoid of creamy goodness, but on a positive note, the fresh grilled chicken was accompanied with fresh tomato and lettuce. It made the wrap more watery, but it lent some acidity and crispiness.

Shiny

The sides fell on the boring side of the excite-o-meter. The french fries were actually cooked nicely with a crunchy exterior and light interior, but I gave them demerits when they also tasted like they had been under a heat lamp for the better part of the hour. The slaw was watered down and had almost no substance to it whatsoever. Sadly, the pickle was drabber than most pickles I've ever seen. I had such high hopes for this place since I pass it every single day. It's very appealing with its bright lights and shiny exterior, but just like the Berlin Diner's food the restaurant lacks substance.

Additional Notes: The Berlin Diner is very shiny and seems to be a popular spot for locals. The average age of everyone else was somewhere in the range of forty to fifty. They must be doing something right for what appears to be customer loyalty. Prices are definitely reasonable. This is not a 24/7 deal and is open until 10pm Sunday through Thursday and 11pm Friday and Saturday.

Want

Red Oak Diner & Bakery

The number of diners in NJ is staggering. It's one thing that is unique to the state and makes me proud to call it home. Chi and I were riding home from our practice studio Saturday evening and thought it would not be prudent to continue to eat at the Hillsborough Star Diner all the time (even though it's definitely good enough to go back to). Our solution was to plug in restaurants near our location traveling down Route 206. Half way down the list, and only five miles down the road was the Red Oak Diner and Bakery. It was old-school from its stone exterior to its small parking lot and it looked as if it would suit us nicely. As we got closer we started to get our doubts. "Is it closed?" I asked. We got out of the car and upon making it through the door we were greeted by a larger man that I can only assume was the owner. From there, what appeared to be a high school girl took over and seated us promptly (of course she would have, though, since no one else was in the diner). We were both impressed with the waitress' work ethic and attentiveness. Throughout the meal she refilled water, coffee, brought us our check at an appropriate time, and refilled what seemed to be every ketchup bottle in the diner without being told to do so.

I ordered an omelet this time (I know, crazy). It was the Western Omelet and, oh my god, it was by far the fluffiest, tenderest, most wholesome omelet I've ever ingested. It was packed with diced ham, green pepper, and onion. It was as thick as George Costanza's wallet and if they added one more morsel, the omelet would have been impossible to fold. Everything about this omelet was fresh and I'm looking forward to revisiting Red Oak just to try their other options. My home-fries were almost cooked to order. They were nice and crispy on one side, but the rest of the potatoes were plain and uninspiring. The last aspect of my meal, the toast had its ups and downs. The toast was heavily buttered (it's like they all know what I want now a days), but was prepared much too early so as by the time they buttered it the toast was no longer hot and the butter could not melt. Other than that it tasted like the same wheat toast you would get at most other diners. Their coffee did not shine in any way and tasted a little watered down. What can a guy expect ordering it at almost 8:00pm? As far as prices go, Red Oak was able to keep my omelet at $6.75, and I'm becoming convinced that an omelet under $7.00 is becoming a rarity. Kudos.

Sleepy is the word I would use to describe this place. I like to think that all places that seem too quiet always have some sort of deep secret about them- and this one may be an epic power struggle of an extended family over this established eatery. Although...more likely it could just be the economy that has reduced this place to what it is now. Delicious but...dreary.


Below is a panoramic view of the restaurant from our seat.

But as you can see- everything was clean and polished- including all of the stainless steel hardware. (Yes, you do have the clean/polish stainless steel for it to look good). On the television was a Chrysler vintage car auction which kept us entertained as for the majority of our meal we were the only ones in the restaurant. Our waitress along with someone who I can only assume was the cook kept themselves busy to the point of almost being frantic- as if they expected a huge rush all of the sudden. However, we ate from around 8:00 to 9:00 and according to the business card, they're only open until 10 pm. Note that later when we paid and left, we talked to the stationary (also sleepy) partiarch who didn't seem to know what time the place would be open until and said "11-ish". Hmm...

I decided to change it up and order their Montgomery burger (only $6.99!) with the veggie burger substitute.Coming out hot and not overdone like most, with melted sauteed mushrooms and mozzarella cheese on a sesame bun, it was, by far, the best veggie burger I've had at a restaurant for a long time. Seriously delicious asnd satisfying without being too oily or crispy as many places faced the unfamiliarity of cooking a Boca or a Morning Star will end up just grilling the hell out of it. Unfortunately the fries were very unoriginal with a medium cut, and no special seasonings. Chris actually commented that they were reminiscent of the ones in the upstairs eatery at our old Student Union at George Washington University. Didn't try the slaw, but the meal came with one and with a pickle.


Additional info: Hours are a bit sketchy- but their business card says 6am- 10pm daily. Also does take out diners and special occasion catering. Accepts all major credit cards and you pay at the front. The register has acquired a pretty impressive collection of international money, which really makes you wonder what this diner was like in its prime. Come visit, and maybe we can save this place!