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    Don's Diner

    3.1 (97 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    DON'S DINER ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Molded cake
    Maya W.

    Eat at your own risk!!! My uncle stopped in yesterday and included cake in his order. Among 3 of the slices 1 was was covered in mold. I don't know about you but, this is completely unacceptable for me. We ended up tossing all the cakes because we didn't want to risk it. If you dare too, my best advise is to check all your food before leaving.

    The front counter and entry way of Don's Diner in Irvington, NJ
    Dash N.

    This place has always been on my list to dine. Yes, the service is a hit or miss. However, if you get a good server who takes pride in his/her hospitality and putting their guest first; you are in for a treat. This Diamond in the rough is earning back my business since post pandemic. If in the area, give them a try. It's a cozy spot that welcomes all and the place is pretty simple, not flashy. They also have an all you can eat self-serve buffet Friday -Sunday. You can call them directly for more details.

    Strawberry cheesecake
    Shareen H.

    I have been to Don's Diner several times before the pandemic and always enjoyed the food. I go on the weekend for the take out buffet. Post pandemic you were able to serve yourself. Now they have workers that prepare the plates for you. I like that idea and they have mask on. I took a star away because I feel like they should have gloves on as well. Their fingers have to touch the inside of the plate to pick it up. All the food was hot and looked delicious. I am thankful that I knew exactly what I wanted and didn't go hungry because you can fill your plate pretty quickly. The servers did exactly as I requested not wanting large pieces or potions. Great service. My daughter didn't like her oxtails and said the sweet potato's are under cooked. Everything else was good. All was good on my plate except the Turkey wing was super dry. I added a slice of strawberry cheesecake. Total bill....$42.00. That's really pricy for a togo plate but it's $10.15 per pound. I do have specific things I love to eat from Don's Diner so will return in the future but will not try anything new I haven't had before.

    Kevin W.

    This place is no joke if you're dying for some serious soul food action. I was kind of in the area and I read about the epic soul food buffet so I gave it a whirl on a Sunday afternoon. In aggregate the food was pretty darn tasty, although I did feel dizzy after eating what felt like an uncanny amount of sodium and grease. My favorite buffet items were the wings, fried fish, baby back ribs, string beans and another type of cajun spiced fish that escapes me. The banana pudding was also killer. You know it's good when I ate to the point I wanted to literally fall asleep on my chair (which I nearly did) and ended up passing out when I got home from a food coma. I really enjoyed the friendly atmosphere, though I also came in right around the time when many were coming after church so the whole vibe was a bit more formal than I anticipated. However, the folks here were super friendly and very helpful with recommendations. I had a great time overall. It's also nice they have a fairly big parking lot, though it definitely gets super packed there so be warned. Overall it's a solid place for soul food but you'll likely end up passing out like me after the meal.

    Great burger! The sauce on the burger was awesome. We all did the specials. An interesting twist on sauerkraut.
    Dean L.

    Went for Brunch Sunday, missed our appetizer, but the owner was extremely apologetic. Picked up the cost of our beverages. The Benedict was awesome. Lori had the truffled eggs and they were the bomb. I would highly recommend that dish. A little slow with coffee and drinks but a must visit.

    Tossed salad with: LFox lettuce Olives Cherry tomatoes Cucumbers Radish Green peppers Carrots Onions
    Jenny F.

    Ill will NEVERRRRR eat at Dons Diner Again!! If there was a such thing a 0 starz.. This would be it but we gonna go with 1 by default. I asked my waitress for Hot water cuz the silverware looked dingy. She caught and attitude and said I just washed them. Seriously??? Food was trash except the Catfish and the salad. But how u mess up salad even though she could've told me it came with olives and cherry tomatoes, I hate them both anywho. I asked for fried cabbage cuz it came with it. It was xtra for Mac n cheese.. Cabbage was not fried.. It was nasty, soggy, watery, Mac n Cheese was dry and bland. Environment was so ghetto and my server was sooo unprofessional it was a shame. Service absolutely terrible not to mention my drink spilled all over me. My bill came out to be $20 all together. The lady had nerve to say u can leave a tip.. But I only gave her $3 cuz I don't just not tip right. But really felt like giving her nothing. By the time I made it to the hair Salon... I notice I was charged twice. Of $20.05 so basically $40.10. On Tuesday. I call the restaurant to let them know I was charged twice. The waitress that served me had the nerve to catch and attitude and said "I dont know how I swiped once.. Had another attitude and hung up on me. By now I called my bank to request a whole refund.. Tell my why this morning at 501am I was charged "AGAIN" $23.05.. I will never ever eat there again.

    Oxtails

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    13 years ago

    This diner has a great selection of food and very friendly staff. The food is also pretty inexpensive.

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

    I've been going to Don's Diner since 95 that should tell you how the food taste. Come one come all and enjoy this good food with us.

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    9 years ago

    Decent place for late night food. Cashier was friendly. Food was pretty much what I expected. Overall good experience.

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    15 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Soul food buffet was cold and not very tasteful. I've tried the takeout for sandwiches and burgers, those were all good.

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    Is the buffet any day or particular days?

    Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

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    Peniel Shalom

    Peniel Shalom

    3.8
    (8 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    Hooray! A Brazilian lancheonette and quilo restaurant!…read more Outside of Hillside and Newark, you'd be hard pressed to find many Brazilian restaurants in the area, perhaps which is why this location is so close to Hillside and Newark! Located in uptown Elizabeth, you'll find that finding a parking spot can sometimes be an absolute nightmare. On my first trip, I ordered off their set menu for their picanha. They have daily specials on a blackboard as well as a quilo buffet filled with delicious fresh homemade options. The picanha was cooked well, of good quality, and was a good portion for the "1/2 lunch portion" for $12 and came with rice, beans, and a side salad. They also make fresh bread and salgadinhos, such as coxinhas, empadaos, pasteis, and kibbeh. On several trips since then, I've gone for the buffet, which offers a variety of typical Brazilian dishes, such as vaca frita, feijao tropeiro, farofa, linguini, fried fish, and more. The buffet goes for $8/ pound or $13 for all you can eat, which is a steal! The owner was very friendly and I'd gladly return again if I'm in the area and craving Brazilian food.

    I stopped for lunch and the owner called my boss saying the truck was stopping in front of the…read moreplace! I was generating profit for him and he was talking badly about me as if I wasn't a customer. When we're working we don't have time to look for places to eat lunch, so regardless of whether I was on my way, I'm a customer like everyone else!

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    Peniel Shalom
    Peniel Shalom
    Peniel Shalom

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    Don's Diner - diners - Updated August 2026

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