Marilyn's Cafe

this was seriously the BEST diner food i've had in Jersey thus far - no lie. i didn't go in with…read morehigh expectations, but i was pleasantly surprised. the staff was also super kind and conversational. we kept getting checked on, and were made to feel important, without it feeling performative. i will be coming back! chill ambiance too!

Great food as usually. We ordered a cheeseburger deluxe. It was cooked perfectly. The fries were…read morehot, the burger was medium! We also ordered an open face turkey dinner. My bother said the turkey was really good and the mash potatoes had nice little chunks of potatoes. My sister in law ordered a vegetable omelette! She said the omelette was very good and the potatoes were delicious. My mom got a bowl of Matzo ball soup and one pancakes. She said it was really good.

The sign needs some TLC!

Chicken and waffles

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Cheeseburger deluxe

Mini Mac Diner

4.4(61 reviews)

1.4 mi

After passing this place many times, today we stopped in for breakfast. So glad we did! The food,…read morevibe and service were all phenomenal! We definitely recommend the corn cakes, but everything we had was excellent.

(!CASH ONLY!) What a special place!!! I want to bring everyone here. The service is so comforting…read moreand sweet. You truly feel at home. The inside has 6 tables and about 5 stools at the counter. They have scrapple! My favorite breakfast meat (more of a mystery meat). I had scrambled eggs and scrapple with rye toast that came with home fries and my husband had eggs, toast, and home fries. We split the FAMOUS corn cakes. They are everything I dreamed they would be and more. Sweet, fluffy, but also melt in your mouth. They're almost better than regular pancakes. So stinkin good. If you forgot cash (like me), there's a ShopRite 4 minutes away that has a WellsFargo atm. Can't wait to go back.

Inside

Western Omelette (special) came with home fries and choice of toast, $9

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This would make a great tshirt!

Pren

4.5(197 reviews)

0.3 mi

I was visiting NJ this past week and my cousin brought me to Pren. We just had coffee but it was…read morethe best cup ever! I had a decaf Americano with hazelnut. Very cute place and the staff was delightful. Highly recommend it.

We had lunch in this homey, charming little restaurant in Chester. The staff couldn't have been…read morenicer- they happily answered our questions about some of the items on the menu. I had the Smashed Sweet Potato Burger which was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had!!! A delicious brioche roll was filled with two patties made from sweet potatoes and spices, covered in pistachios and crispy shallots, then drizzled with honey. Even a non-Vegan will love this. The standard looking French fries were anything but- they were crispy and delicious with just the right amount of sea salt. The chicken tenders were cooked perfectly and seemed freshly made not frozen. Everyone had to have a taste. The dessert was the showstopper- citrus olive oil cake topped with whipped cream and orange zest. The texture was amazing and it was incredibly delicious. My young grandson had a dish of vanilla ice cream, which also looked standard until you tasted it- super creamy with a strong vanilla flavor that was really outstanding. Everyone enjoyed their meal, which was reasonably priced. I honestly can't wait to go there again. Located off the Main Street , it is easy to miss but be sure to seek it out- you won't be disappointed.

Inside

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Note: freshly made items may take longer to prepare

Old Mill Tavern

3.7(176 reviews)

1.1 mi

Food is great, lots of choices. The service is…read moreOUTSTANDING--everyone on the staff is professional, fun, timely. Very comfortable atmosphere. We started going once a week! we especially love Denise.

We went for dinner and the tavern is a small nice restaurant! The tavern was small and packed! It…read morewas pretty loud. Loved the ambiance! I ordered a ribeye cheesesteak with waffle fries. The ribeye steak was a whole slice of meat. It had a decent thickness. The ribeye was soft to the bite. I would have liked the ribeye to be chopped up like a classic cheesesteak. The hoagie roll was soft. The waffle fries were delicious. It had battered to it. It was a great side to the cheesesteak. The cheeseburger was medium rare and was perfectly cooked. The burger was very tasty with a classic side order of tots! Brings back memories of childhood lunches. The French onion soup was to perfection! The provolone cheese was charred perfectly. The cheese charred on the side was delicious. The soup with the French bread was not as salty as your typical French onion soup! Which made it even more enjoyable! They have a decent beer selection on tap! Our food came out quick which was perfect since we were really hungry!

A dozen steamed clams

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Hot Chicken Wings

Granny's Pancake House & Grill

4.3(357 reviews)

25.7 mi

The food is normally cooked just like at home. The girls are right there on the spot to serve you…read moreservice is an excellent ambience laid-back atmosphere relax enjoy your food if you don't like you're at home. I highly recommend Granny's pancake house and grill try it you'll like it.

Wonderful cozy find! Best breakfast-for-dinner ever…read more We stumbled upon this absolute gem on a freezing, rainy evening after an outdoor event, just looking for a warm bite to eat around dinner time. My partner found this spot while searching nearby, and oh how happy I am that he did! I had been craving blueberry pancakes for days and was so excited to have a rare breakfast-for-dinner treat. From the moment we walked in, the warmth of the place completely melted the cold away. We were greeted by a wonderful, incredibly kind waitress, and the atmosphere inside was just so cozy and comforting. There was a lovely mix of people having their supper, including a sweet family of seven eating dinner together at the table next to us. It just had that perfect, welcoming community feel. The menu was seriously impressive. My other half ordered the southern chicken sausage gravy dinner, and it was phenomenal! I got my blueberry pancakes- my absolute favorite - and they completely exceeded expectations. I also tried the lentil soup, which was packed with flavor. Honestly, I don't think you could have a bad meal here if you tried. Our waitress (the same lovely woman who greeted us) chatted with us for a bit and was just so delightful and attentive. I even spotted a rice pudding with strawberries and whipped cream on the dessert menu that looked right up my alley, but between my pancakes and stealing a few delicious bites of the chicken dinner, I was far too full this time around! As we left, I noticed the pretty flowers and the outdoor picnic tables. I'm sure this place absolutely hops on weekend mornings, but it was the perfect rainy evening escape for us. Thank you so much for your incredible hospitality-we are officially adding this to our regular rotation when we are in the area.

Inside: Seating Area

1/2 waffle with fruit whipped cream and vanilla ice cream

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Dirty Jersey Burger

Redwoods Grill & Bar

3.5(313 reviews)

1.0 mi

Redwoods was the caterer for our October 2026 wedding, and we couldn't have been happier! We worked…read morewith Bryan to create a custom menu, and he was communicative, pleasant, accommodating and helpful throughout the whole process. The day-of Redwoods staff at our wedding were lovely, and the food was delicious (our guests still speak about it). They were true professionals, and I felt immediately at ease and knew we were in good hands. My wife is vegan, and they worked hard to create custom vegan options for her and some of our other vegan/vegetarian guests, which was hugely important to us. I can't recommend Redwoods enough!

Had a reservation for 5:15, showed up at 5:16pm. -5:45p, we…read morehad no menus and no server had come by to greet us. Had to ask for menus ourselves. -6pm the front desk was able to flag down a server for us (to recap, this is 45 min later). Had a 2.5 yr old, 1.5 yr old, and a 1 month old with us. We ordered and asked them please to bring the kids orders out as soon as possible since we had been waiting so long already. About 4 people brought out massive trays of food, none of which were for us (they also brought some of them to our table and realized it wasnt for us, it was comical at that point). -6:30pm we asked the front desk to check on at least the kids food, and they finally brought it out. the order was wrong (how do you mess up a kids food order??). Adult food came later, after we had to ask again (at which point we said if it's not made just cancel it). It then appeared. The manager ran away from my cousin when she was trying to tell him how unacceptable this experience was. Although the server and front desk said "did the manager come by? NO? OMG i will get him" at least 3 times, he never returned. He is a coward. The server comped our drinks to say sorry. The whole experience took 2 hours, 1.75 of which was waiting for menus, server, drinks, and food. Never again. The food was good (hence the 2 stars) but not worth the insane experience we had.

Firecracker Chicken Sandwich - not great.

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Lava cake

The Lamplighter Restaurant & Pub

3.5(33 reviews)

0.3 mi

We are infrequent diners at The Lamplighter, but after a couple of "busts" while searching for the…read moreholy grail of prime rib, we (three couples), decided to try The Lamplighter on the recommendation of a local "foodie friend". We were not disappointed. Five of us devoured three king and two queen cuts, together with scrumptious baked potato and brussel sprouts on the side. My king cut came out cooked just right ...on a hot plate (extra points !) and our sixth diner gave a thumbs up to her swordfish ocean dinner. Service was very friendly and prompt..drinks were as to be expected in a good pub. The music was in another room and sounded just fine. We're definitely going to return now that we've found our prime rib mecca and the prices are very reasonable. Even the doggie bags are pretty snazzy. I may have to carve my initials into the back of my favourite chair next time.

the help sucked especially Friday night june11 place was…read morepacked. great band. couldn't get help couldn't get help with a cab car service or anything. phone died. over priced one waitress. horrible night no air conditioning Hope that great band never plays there again

Chicken artichoke special - really good!

Dining area

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Dirty plates.

Missy's Main Street Cafe

4.8(739 reviews)

12.9 mi

If you're a horror or Halloween lover like me, you absolutely HAVE to check this place out. The…read moredecor and ambiance are SO fun -- it's such a vibe from the second you walk in. They have the cutest (and funniest) menu with items named after monsters and horror characters, and the prices are actually very reasonable. I ordered the **Nosferatu** -- a turkey club with sweet potatoes -- and it was DELICIOUS! Great portion, too. It's a smaller place, so definitely expect it to be busy, but we got lucky and grabbed seats at the bar. The staff was super friendly, and even the little touches were adorable -- like the bills being placed inside empty Halloween VHS tapes! I seriously loved EVERYTHING about this place. The food, the atmosphere, the decor, the spooky vibes... all of it. Can't wait to go back!

Awesome local place. Intimate atmosphere. Breakfast was great. Service good. Highly recommended!read more

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Bill's Luncheonette

4.3(122 reviews)

4.6 mi

The food is really good here and it's convenient for the local community and others passing…read morethrough. I can't comment on waitress service as I frequent take out but if you love the food here, that's the reason to return....

Stopped in for breakfast, first time there. Small place but very nice! The food was very good. Best…read morepumpkin pancakes I've had, they like melted in my mouth and the toast was perfectly buttered and home fries crispy. The two waitresses in there were friendly. Will be going back to try lunch!

Bakery display and dining counter

Taylor!!!!

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Fun options

Blue Cafe

4.5(272 reviews)

9.5 mi

For some reason this restaurant popped up on social media today and since my wife and I had the day…read moreoff, we decided to take the short drive here for breakfast. This popular cafe is located right in the heart of Basking Ridge. It's small inside but there's outdoor seating also. We had a half hour wait for a table inside. The place has a very cozy feel to it and everyone we met who worked here was very friendly. I started my meal with a Vanilla Chai Latte and my wife had a Macha Latte. My wife ordered the Blintzes with blueberries and I had the Paris Morning breakfast. We both loved the food! My dish came with 2 potato pancakes, 2 poached eggs, and smoked salmon. Just delicious! A cool bit of trivia is that Paul McCartney and his wife stopped in here a few years ago. We didn't see Paul today, but we did enjoy the experience!

We came on a Saturday around noon so they were packed both outdoor and indoor. There were two seats…read moreat the bar so we decided to go with that because we were both hungry and didn't want to wait for a table to clear up. Glad we didn't because we got great service at the bar and a lot the people in the 2 chair tables were still there enjoying their meals when we were leaving. What we ordered: - Steak and Eggs (Grilled NY strip steak, two sunny side up eggs, breakfast potatoes with Chimichurri sauce) - Eggs Benny (Two poached eggs, thick cut candied applewood bacon on toasted baguette, topped with Hollandaise sauce served with grilled asparagus) - Lemonade The food was very good. I prefer my breakfast potatoes crispy so I didn't finish those but everything else cooked to perfection. This place was on my list for a while now so I'm glad I was able to cross it off and would recommend it!

Although there were many tables, this counter gave us the perfect cafe experience.

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10 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Nick T.

4 years ago

overpriced and mediocre. if you want a glass of water you will need to buy a $5 bottle. I had overcooked eggs Benedict with bland hollandaise sauce. my wife had 2 eggs a side of bacon we shared a side of sausage. $48.50. on a positive note, if you want a laugh, The owner looks like Dog the bounty hunter. read more

Mikunt H.

11 years ago

bring it B*TCH! ;-o \m/ \m/ the owner = Bit*chTit*s, while i'm sorry I missed your A*sS on Friday March the 4th @7pm, hope i'm there next time-remember YOU OPENED THIS DOOR!! ;-} "PIGS - IN - A - BLANKET" read more

Keith I.

9 years ago

This review isnt about the food or the establishment. Its about the owner and her mulletted husband. She is rude, inconsiderate, and selfish. read more

Barb J.

15 years ago

Love this place! Great food, great service. I've never had a bad meal here. Friendly, happy people, really good food.

Karen R.

4 years ago

Friendly & fast service. Awesome breakfast spot. Don't believe the bad reviews. A cute & fun spot.

John B.

9 years ago

Great place for breakfast.... the meat lovers omelet will leave you stuffed. Great local place.

Nermi O.

5 years ago

Very good breakfast place , I am not fan of the biscuit and gravy, the place is cash only also.

NoSoupForYo U.

11 years ago

Overpriced. Overhyped. Did I mention, overpriced? read more

Liz C.

16 years ago

I loved this place! The breakfast was great!

Brandy N.

13 years ago

Best diner in NJ!

Marilyn's Cafe - diners - Updated October 2026

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