Great little diner. Food service atmosphere all good. Tucker away in Toms River but worth finding.

Oh man, where do I start. THE FOOD Absolutely like stepping back in time. Everything is delicious, and brings back fond memories of your youth. They have this sandwich they call, The Sloppy Poppy". It is flat out one of the best sandwiches/meals for lunch. Warning, bring your appetite. SERVICE I was born and raised here in New Jersey. My life took me away for a few years. Apparently so did that Jersey Shore connection in a lot of newer businesses, not Poppy's Place. The servers just know how to be welcoming to you. Add the"old school decor from the 50's, It brings (at least to me) me back to the days where you felt the warmth from your family members that you only see around the holidays. I'm getting a little too nostalgic. APPEARANCE (DECOR) Stepping into this restaurant is like stepping back in time. If you grew up with Elvis, Betty Boop, James Dean, The Blues Brothers this is the place for you. Everything including the table and chairs are repetitive of the '50's. A true hidden gem on the Jersey Shore. read more

Service is very good. Friendly and attentive. The place is setup to look retro 50s vibe. OK cool pictures on the wall and collectibles scattered about. Certainly not unique but definitely cool. The bacon is good cooked exactly the way I asked for it. The pancakes are also good. I had iced coffee as well. She lets you put in your own flavored creamer as well read more

Poppy's Place - Crisp bacon some pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

Awesome food! Terrific service!!! The environment has a great feel of an old-time, nostalgic diner! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! read more

Ordered from them and had an issue so I called them to fix it. I Offered to pay whatever any extra charge was and they were extremely rude giving attitude for something I did not even have control over and refused to fix it. Needless to say cancelled the order and will not be ordering from them again. read more

Have you noticed all the good reviews are short and barely creative! That's because they are solicited reviews merely constructed to make you think that these people have some couth some respect for their customers and anything like good food. Well, if that's what you're looking for don't go here. They are completely rude. I too had the eggs over easy with their burnt slices of potato that they call home fries and bread with hardly any butter plus I think they live under a rock because they really don't have a sense of what's going on in the world at all. Not that we discussed the world, but I was trying to tell them how some Colombians think that eggs over easy means fried eggs with no dripping yolk. So they took that statement and accused me of being prejudiced on top, adding insult to injury and then the waitress lied to me and said that she was offended that she was half black. I knew that she was not high class enough to have her DNA turned in to 23 and me. I have and I do have African sub-Saharan blood in me. She was only Italian and a liar at that!! It's unfortunate that we only read the reviews when we find a problem and not before. I just wanted to talk to them and they hung up on me three times. They treat their customers like shit and I saw another guy there that the waitress said I wanna get along with you, but I can't. Referring to the other gentleman who is a high ranking official in town. Well, maybe God will help these people. Once they stop believing that they themselves are god. read more

A hidden gem by chance we stopped here for breakfast it's really like a throwback to a nicer time the waitresses/servers were wonderful it was a place where it seemed everybody knew each other a real nice local establishment the food seems like they had a lot of lunch specials a lot of the local construction workers were there retirees office workers I would highly suggest this place read more

The BEST!! A hole in the wall where the food is good old fashioned luncheonette style that comes out plenty fast. They have grits. I love grits! The pork roll, egg and cheese on a hard roll is monstrous; pour on the ketchup. The ambiance is 50's and 60's but you don't need a poodle skirt or blue suede shoes. The waitstaff is much more than just congenial, they're actually fun to be around. There's plenty of parking so just go and enjoy yourselves, loosen up a little - but be there before three because that's when they lock up for the day. It's the kind of place that gives you hope for mankind. read more

Poppy's Place looks like the TV set for "Happy Days." Everything is red and white with Formica Boomerang vintage Mid-Century design on tables and countertop, and walls covered with Elvis and James Dean posters. All they need are cameos from Richie and The Fonz and the impression would be complete. You don't have to have loved that show to appreciate the effort put in by the folks at Poppy's. It puts Johnnie Rocket's to shame. Service was provided by cast extras who have aged somewhat in the intervening years. Only wish the soda fountain was still working because it is so hard to get a quality Black & White these days. My breakfast sandwich of Sausage, Egg & Cheese on Kaiser, was okay with two Fried Eggs, a slightly over-grilled patty and an overload of White Cheese on a fresh roll. The weak link was the meat, which tasted as it had been frozen, heated, and lost its flavor and zest somewhere along the line. It was an adequate sandwich, but not a memorable one that would bring me back for another. Coffee was fine, if non-descript. Go here for a touch of nostalgia and a decent breakfast, but don't expect any bobbysocks babe to take your breath away. read more

See all

Really cute 50's style breakfast and lunch place. The music and decorations let you know that you've been transported to another time. It's got a counter and plenty of tables. The food is really good. Had the Triple Play for breakfast. It is 2 pancakes, 2 eggs and the meat of your choice with coffee and toast. Of course I'm getting the pork roll. First off the pancakes are huge. Big and thick, they are delicious and filling. The pork roll is nice and thick cut. Everything tasted so good and fresh. Make sure you come hungry for this dish! Everyone here was very nice. The place isn't all that new, so I was surprised nobody had written it up. I hope this convinces some of you to go out and try it. read more

See all

ILL-MANNERED & REMORSELESS!!! I was here with my friend when the waitress spilled chocolate milk all over her daughter & though the waitress was apologetic, the second waitress and the owner were combative. They made no attempt to make things right with my friend or her daughter who was then drenched in chocolate milk. This wasn't a little spill! Imagine getting a full cup of chocolate milk spilled ALL over you and the owner saying "Well, if you can't accept an accident". Really?? The LEAST you could do is offer a free meal! They continued to cause a scene while also angering other customers in the restaurant by yelling at my friend across tables saying how SHE was rude! I have never witnessed a customer being treated in such a disrespectful manner ESPECIALLY by the OWNERS themselves!!! That is not how you treat people, especially babies! They treat you better at McDonald's than this place!!!! Go somewhere else if you wanted to be treated with respect at a place your giving your money to! read more

Poppy's makes you feel like you're part of the family. The food and staff are absolutely amazing. My family loves this restaurant. You won't leave this place still hungry. read more

Great Place I took my wife here on our first date in June 2014 and almost 7 years later it is still our go to place for breakfast every Sunday morning i've never gotten a bad meal here. Staff anD ownership cannot be beat You will never be disappointed highly Recommend read more

I came here with my grandma, aunt, and cousin. The first impression was how cute the decor is! My grandma and aunt RAVED about this place and were dying to take me! So we go, expecting greatness! Our waitress was Diane. She was very nice but couldn't juggle the small amount of tables that she had. I noticed a couple things off the bat that grossed me out a little. 1) They put potato chips with certain dishes: there is a large bag of potato chips near the waitress station where the servers pick up the food .. the waitresses stick their bare hands in the bag and put it on the plate. (and I saw one waitress wipe her nose before she went in to grab the chips) I'm sorry but this is awful- there should be a tong of some sort. 2) I noticed the same situation goes for the toast. The waitresses are grabbing the toast with their bare hands 3) There were flies flying around our food. Another thing is that the service was awful. We waited awhile to even put in our order. The place wasn't busy (3 tables including ourselves) When we gave our order, our soup came out and was Luke warm. We asked to get it heated up and then it was fine (delicious I may add) Next, for our main course. I saw the food sitting there for at least 7 minutes before Diane brought it over to us. My omelette was cold. So was my cousins. I asked to get mine warmed up. My cousin didn't eat hers. Then Diane said she would bring me warm hot toast with my newly heated eggs (it never cAme) We waited to get the check for awhile. Diane came with the check and mentioned something about being out of V8(which none of us ordered) (???) So all in all, food was Good. Not amazing. There definitely could be improvements. Probably would be better if it came out as soon as it was made, as opposed to sitting on the shelf for a period of time. Service is not good. Even if we aren't your table in your section, if you are 1 out of the 3 waitresses standing around and clearly we are sitting here waiting for our food (as the chef is ringing the bell) shouldn't there be some teamwork involved? No one seems to care. Also the staff should definitely work on their cleanliness when it comes to grooming and handling food I.e potato chips and toast! read more

I was very disappointed in my breakfast today . The homefries were very thin, hard and tasteless. The sausage links were not done and had a weird taste. The waitress was very sweet and apologetic and gave us bacon as a replacement. The bacon was not as good as it used to be. It seems like they are using cheaper quality food trying to save money. The toast was hot, which is why i am giving a 2 star instead of a 1 star. The waitress was kind the bus girls were also very sweet but the food is what makes me come back. So sorry. I will not be revisiting this restaurant. Also the orange juice was very tart. Was it bad or just a cheap brand...I'm guessing the latter read more

Very busy spot on a Saturday morning! Still able to get a table right away. Our breakfast sandwiches and home fries were excellent... crispy bacon and home fries! We witnessed a very kind gesture from our waitress to a patron with special needs. We like to support local businesses that care about our community! read more

I can't express how lovely it was to dine in a place where the customers truly come first. Several times the bus boy, I think Matt, or server, Diane, overheard something and answered or brought the item. They are quick with the seating, food, coffee refills, and check. The owner, Tina, stopped by the table and I shared my delight. She told me the story of Poppy and the family lineage/tradition in the restaurant industry and it all made sense. This woman truly cares about her investment! I had a Western Omelet and fried breakfast potatoes with rye toast. My parents both had eggs with bacon, huge portion, and toast. And my son had the most gigantic blueberry pancakes made with fresh blueberries. All was delicious. For a great breakfast place where you really feel that your presence is appreciated, done at Poppy's! read more

Definitely a great place to have Breakfast - Lunch & Dinner I haven't personally had dinner there myself but I'm sure it would be as great as breakfast& or lunch read more

As the previous reviewer noted, it's a nice breakfast and lunch diner. It's like a homemade IHOP restaurant, mom and pop style. The serving is generous and tasty. Free refills for coffee too. Elvis, Sinatra and Betty Boop memorabilia are also artfully displayed throughout the restaurant, from the hot sauce holder to the restroom. Definitely a place to check out if you're craving something that tastes more homemade. read more

The food must be gold because I can't understand how this dump has this many stars. The business owner has zero professionalism, hospitality or couth. She probably doesn't even know what "couth" is that's how ignorant she is. Anyway, read the lower rated reviews people, THEY ARE SPOT ON! This place is like a breakfast biker bar filled with old hoodlums and 6 inches of dust everywhere. The bus girl accidentally spilled a whole glass of chocolate milk all over my friends one year old baby. She was in the high chair drenched in milk. Believe me, I know accidents happen and the bus girl was very apologetic and sincere but the waitress and the owner? Absolutely no regard! I was completely appalled! The waitress came over and said "sorry" and tried to take our order. Your staff spills an entire glass of milk on a BABY and you dismissively give a cold, insincere apology and think we still want to eat here? That is unacceptable on so many levels. I've gotten comped full meals or refunded due to poor food or service at other establishments be it Burger King or a chain restaurant! We expressed our displeasure and the owner charges from across the room screaming "I'll wipe 15% off your bill but that's it!". We declined and said the whole experience was unacceptable and we were leaving. She then continues yelling and riling up her patrons who join in on the screaming and charging literally like a gang. One patron said "don't bring your f'ng baby out then". Repulsive, despicable people. If you have any moral compass... don't support this business! read more

Great food, outstanding service and fun 50s decor. We've enjoyed both breakfast and lunch here several times. Especially enjoy their cheesesteak with the 'works' read more

Poppy's Place - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

See all

I've been here twice now and waited to review until I visited a second time. I work at a doctor office nearby so I have visited on lunch break with several coworkers. We have place our order ahead of time with our arrival time being 12:05 so our food would be ready. Both instances food was ready immediately so there was no wait. My first trip I had a chicken Caesar wrap which was not very good at all. I was unfamiliar with the menu and my wrap came with chips instead of fries which I had not known our version of the menu did not specify this. However, everyone else's meals looked very good which is why I waited. Our most recent trip did not go as smoothly. Parking in the lot is EXTREMELY limited and we ended up having to feed a meter to park on the street. As soon as we stepped inside we were met with a blast of heat- we were later told the AC kicked in the morning. I understand these problems may arise but while the order was called in it would have been helpful to let us know, otherwise we would have waited a different day to come out. This time I got a chicken parm sandwich which was incredibly good, a much better choice than my last wrap. Everyone else was also very satisfied again with their meals. The only complaint around the table was our drinks were served backwards, those who ordered soda got water and vice versa (it was an uneven number exchange) and our drinks were served with no ice. We were told the ice maker was kicked too but every table surrounding us had drinks filled with ice. When our check came the waitress was very kind to write out separate totals for us, however, left us with no grand total and when my co-worker went up to pay it was discovered that every person had a soda charged in with their total (with a majority of us getting waters). The mistake was discovered, but she had already had the cash in hand and apologized for the mistake but said thank you and never returned the money to be re-totaled, ultimately adding more to her own tip. I understand it may have been an "off" day but for the near future I will not be visiting again. read more

Filthy restaurant. They wipe tables with same dirty rag. We left in a hurry.

Wonderful mom and pop place. The decorations are very nostalgic. The waitresses are super friendly and quick to offer meal suggestions. The owner, Tina, personally comes to greet you and show you around. Food portions were on the large size and food was very delicious and affordable. This place is just wonderful and I would definaly recommend and come back. It is just a very well thought out restaurant and the staff and food are top notch. The restrooms are even decorated to continue the overall 1950's theme of the restaurant. read more

I understand the charm of this cute little cafe, but it was really just mediocre overall. The omelets were obviously made with egg beaters because they were so flat and uniform looking. The potatoes were different because they were slices, not wedges or any kind of traditional home fry, but they were so incredibly greasy they really just tasted like oil. The coffee tasted like burnt popcorn and I had it during peak hours so it had to have been fresh. The waitress was very nice but forgot to refill our coffee. The prices are reasonable and the mushrooms were fresh, not canned, so those are a few more positive things. I honestly wouldn't recommend it unless you feel like going to a mom and pop, cheap cafe for nostalgic purposes. It has potential, but real eggs, less greasy home fries, and better quality coffee would all have great effects on this place. read more

Love Tina and the girls! We've never had a bad meal there- but our favorite is an off menu closed face rueben.. yummy!! Great prices, and the decor is adorable.. The staff goes out of Their way to make sure you have all you need. We will always be loyal customers! read more

Weird vibe, waitress was unenthusiastic & rude. Omelette came out cold and waitress didn't ask which toast I wanted, even thought it came with it, and then didn't bring any out with meal. Bacon was microwaved and burnt to crisps. Wanted to try out a new place but def unimpressed and left feeling weird read more

I have driven passed here so many times and kept thinking I really want to stop in some time, especially after reading all the good reviews. Well I finally had a chance to stop in for breakfast. As many have mentioned this is a breakfast and lunch place. Like others also have said I really like the decor from the 50s and some 60s. The chairs at the tables reminded me of the chairs we had when I was growing up in the 60s. Lot of the memorabilia all over the place is stuff from the 50s as is the music they play. Now onto the food. I ordered eggs with bacon which comes with home fries and toast. My over easy eggs were made perfectly. The toast was just as I like it and asked for it. The home fries were thinly sliced instead of chunky. They were cooked just as I like them. Some places under cook them, but here they were just right. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because the bacon to me was overcooked, although there was plenty of it. The service was excellent. My waitress was quick and efficient and made me feel right at home. I would definitely go back again, maybe even try their lunches, but definitely for breakfast. read more

Great food, great small town atmosphere & great service. Have been here numerous occasions & food is always so good. Owner is usually on site & is a sweetheart too! 50's diner style theme. I always go for breakfast, their pancakes are to die for as well as their perfectly cooked, anyway you want them eggs. I usually get the corned beef hash which perfectly crisped on outside. read more

Poppy's Place - 50's throw back diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

Vey nice place and the staff is very friendly. First time here but I would definitely come back here again! Had plenty of seating and not to much of a crowded feeling inside. read more

Poppy's Place - Nice and hot! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey

My wife Michelle and I love coming to this place for breakfast, The Management is great, the waitresses are awesome, and the food is delicious! Great job Poppy's Place.... can't wait to go back again soon. Diane and Sara, two of the waitresses, are the best! When you're at Poppy's Place, you feel like one of the Family sitting at your kitchen table! Love you girls! Tom, Michelle & the Kids read more

The most accurate way to describe this restaurant is "The time machine that leaves your stomach satisfied." You instantly leave the 21st century and go back in time to the late 50's and early 60's. There might be an extended period of time of waiting for the food, but it is well worth it. Definitely a perfect little restaurant for brunch with the family. read more

If I could give the zero stars I would. I went for the first time today and after waiting an hour to be seated with me, my family, my friend, and our children I have had the most horrible experience I have ever had at any restaurant in my entire life. The waitress decided to bring all of the drinks over to the one corner where my 1 year-old baby was seated in her highchair and spilled a full cup of chocolate milk all down her head and body. A good portion of that splashed all over my other daughters clothes as well. Another waitress came over and after I was clearly upset over what had happened she started making excuses, getting defensive and saying "that's my granddaughter." Which is completely irrelevant and does not matter so then I had asked to speak to the manager/owner and I was given a nasty attitude from her as well. Saying to me "well if you can't except accidents I don't know what to tell you "she said the most she can do for me was give me 15% off my bill and she acted as if I had done something wrong. So we had gotten up and left. There was no bill because nothing was even ordered. Then the woman called me rude and said I was being ridiculous. I had to call the cops for her to finally agree to sending the dry cleaning bill for the clothes which I will be doing. If not, I will involve the courts. Don't give your money to these nasty people. They don't deserve it. read more

Poppy's Place - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Toms River, New Jersey