About 10-15 years ago we came to this diner regularly. After not being here for a few years, this place has terribly fallen into disrepair. The staff was very nice but the place was nasty and so was the food. As thin as the burger was, to get it half raw when asking for well done is just poor service. Disco fries were inedible because the gravy was so bad. Menus are filthy, seats are almost all ripped and ceiling is falling in. Sad to see a place we used to enjoy so much reduced to this. read more

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I want to give this place 5 stars, if it was possible to review an establishment from 12 AM-5 AM... Every other hour of the day ONE STAR. So, wait, does that garnish the Pilgrim 3 stars or 2? WHATEVER, it sucks. SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS. I mean, really, I live literally less than a mile away - smack between The Pilgrim and Famous Rays, holy shit, my two most hated places in the world...... good lord! No, it actually isn't horrendous - and the food really isn't terrible - and the service is somewhat willing to cater to your drunken antics - at about 2:30 in the morning... every other hour, pfffft, forget it, they look at you like you have 5 heads. Literally. Are you ineligible for a social security check? Yeah, they hate you. Most recently, went at around 8 am with 5 friends, waitress stared us down, clearly she thought we were just low-life local kids who would not leave a tip and were just there because we were still drunk from the night before... while the latter part might have been (ok, most definitely was) true, we are not scumbags and we do not NOT tip.. especially at diners, I have a tendency to want to give at least a 25-30% tip, if not better, IF the service is decent enough to put up with a little bit of post-debauchery shenanigans. This lady could not have looked more appalled by us - it was so uncomfortable and awkward. We all place orders for standard breakfast items... about 3 minutes after we order, no exaggeration, ALL of our food is up and placed in front of us, clearly it was sitting under a heat lamp and was gnarly... I am not kidding. At least make it seem like the food was NOT already prepared. My benedict was warm on the top, mushy and cool on the inside. The hollandaise was clearly from a can or a packet.. it was an absolute disgrace. The food of my companions was no better - pancakes that looked at least a few hours old, an omelet that looked like it was made by one of those infomercial easy-omelet-foldy things... YUCK. Food has consistently been good late at night, however. Fresh coffee, somewhat fresh juice, HOT eggs, fresh pancakes, even the benedict you order at around 2 AM can not even compare to shlop served only hours later... my bennies have always at least been edible during these late hours. So yeah, take it for what it's worth, I do not believe the late-night drunken munchies is a coincidence, I truly believe the staff during these hours... somewhat gives a damn, while those working the other shifts could care less. read more

** DO NOT EAT HERE ** Unless of course you enjoy staring at gaping holes in tattered seats, the grumpiest nastiest staff, disintegrating table tops, beautifully chipped plates, partially washed glasses and random surprise hard bits in your food. :) Let me just start this off by saying I have been a pilgrim diner lover for years, but had not been here in I guess at least six months. What a surprise we got this morning when we attended for breakfast. At first, upon walking in, I did notice the vestibule lacked the usual potted plants, cigarette machine and friendly up-to-date holiday charm. I noticed that all this but it didn't tip me off in any particular way, until I sat down and started looking around. That's when I noticed just how downhill this place has truly traveled. The seats are ripped open and no there is not even the saving grace of duct tape to cover them. Also the table has been so over cleaned and not polished or cared for, so that the table top is literally worn away and getting worse. It's generally very crumby, dusty and dirty in here. The China is chipped in not just one spot, but many. And don't worry, all the plates match (they're all chipped, or they were at our table). The best part was my drink. Not sure why but as I was sipping, I turned the glass around in my hand and noticed some sort of mucous-like gunk on the glass (yes, on the inside of it). How did they know I would enjoy some leftover, partially cleaned dairy product with my tomato juice !? Yum ! Also my fiancé, who wanted to get up and leave upon arrival (but I was sick and needed to eat something asap so we stayed) found something hard in his omelette and stopped eating after the third bite. Not sure what that surprising hard bit was, but we did not order that specialty today. ;) Photos attached of this appalling establishment. WHERE IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ! read more

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No. No, no! No, no, NO! While it may be true that the 24 hour diner is NJ's state flower, as prevalent as grey hair at an AARP convention, this does NOT in fact mean they are all created equal. Pilgrim Diner is a mess. The decor is falling apart; banquettes with the upholstery shredded and the fill behind it crumbling on the floor. Tables are often not prepared for guests until after they sit down, the carpet in places is worn beyond the ability to determine what the original colour might have been. The food matches the decor - lacklustre at best. The burgers are unseasoned, grey slabs, served well done regardless of what was desired. Fries are often a limp and likewise unseasoned. Breakfast items that should be a no brainer are inconsistent and, yup - you guessed it - unseasoned. Eggs run the gamut from half raw to rubber, toast from dripping with butter to only an artistically placed molecule or two, pancakes from underdone to grainy and dry. In fact, the only things coming to the table with a quantifiable amount of salt are the various sauces and gravies such as what joins the fries, turkey dinner, meatloaf, etc., one after another capable of giving anyone an immediate blood pressure spike. The service, on the whole, is friendly. They are appropriately apologetic of the kitchen's shortcomings, and do try to impart their good intentions and feelings to their guests. Yet it is simply not enough to save the day. In the final analysis, Pilgrim Diner is more dying greasy spoon than 24 hour destination. read more

Looked forward to their pot roast special. Instead I was served well done eye round, even the waitress asked me if it was pot roast. Supposed to come with red cabbage but had to ask for it. No bread until I requested it. Too many other diners in are. Will not return. read more

**RUN AWAY** Used to come here all the time with my husband. Clearly that was a LONG time ago. How do you mess up eggs? Never had a Spanish omlett with (what?) LARGE CHUNKS celery and carrots in it? It looked like they just took left over beef stew and threw it on top of an egg. I would rather eat the scraps of food that were stuck between the seat and window, and believe me, there were many. This place sadly needs management change or a blow torch. Won't be back. read more

The Pilgrim Diner - Spanish or Beef stew omlette?? - Diners Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

Do I think Pilgrim Diner is the best diner in the area? No, but it's close to home, open 24 hours, serves alcohol and does breakfast pretty well. Omelets are tight, hash browns are crispy, but what sucks is that I've never had good bacon at the Pilgrim. That hurts. Cheese steak is solid. I was pretty excited to finally find a Jersey place that doesn't automatically put peppers on a cheese steak. Buffalo chicken wrap was good but ask them to hold the blue cheese crumbles--the dressing is more than enough...unless blue cheese is your thing. Solid diner. And who doesn't love a good diner, right? read more

OMG. If I could give this place no stars, I would. I'm not sure where other people are eating, but I went here for dinner with a group of people last weekend (for the first time) and it was AWFUL. We arrived early and were seated right away. Our waitress was terrible. I think she must have suffered from narcolepsy because she kept falling asleep while leaning up against the wall. Since the menu is so big, we asked her what was good, and for ordering suggestions, but she said she didn't know. She couldn't get our drink order right (2 diet cokes,2 iced teas), forgot to bring the chili app that one of us ordered. When it finally came, our companion said it tasted like Hormel from a can. Our dinners were unimpressive :tough steak, and a dry chicken dish. We asked our waitress what they had for dessert and she told us that she didn't know, we coud check the cases up front on our way out. Talk about not feeling welcome! For some reason, it also bothered me that they have a cigarette machine in their lobby. One of my kids thought it was an old video game. read more

I've been here twice, once for breakfast, once for lunch. I'm not the unforgiving sort, and my husband is in the business, so I know that anyplace can have an off day. This place, however, ought to be shut down posthaste. Nastiest waitresses on the planet. The hostess/cashier ignores you when you arrive, and can barely be bothered to take your money at the end. The food is meh-average. That, coupled with truly atrocious service, will keep me from going back. read more

I'm actually really shocked by the previous reviews. This is your classic NJ diner, not Ruth Chris lol. Been coming here since before I can remember for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and late night snacks. Always have great food and have never been disappointed. Staff can be a little abrupt some times but nothing that would keep me away. Wraps are awesome, fries are always a win, and when in doubt get the tuna melt. read more

Had dinner here, and I deeply regret it. Soup - "Manhattan Clam Chowder": no discernible clams, consistency and taste of Campbells soup just reheated. I ate a bit because, dammit, I was hungry. Salad - Romaine, canned beans and beets, underripe cherry tomatoes, pre-shredded cheddar cheese, dry cucumbers, bottled dressing. Broiled Boston Scrod - Luckily fresh fish isn't canned, so this actually had to *gasp* be prepared on-site. Good fish, lemon-butter sauce was passable. Baked Potato - How can you screw up a baked potato? Nothing extraordinary, nothing horrible, just a whole lot of *meh*. Carrots - Okay, they're not even trying to cover up the fact that they are serving frozen/canned/pre-made food on this one. Really? Crinkle-cut carrots, boiled or steamed until completely devoid of flavor? You could at least TRY to make them look homemade. Service was okay, not super-friendly, not grouchy. So if you want the same food you can pick up at a supermarket but served to you at marked-up prices, this is the place. read more

Four Stars based on the fact that this is a diner, and I don't expect the same that I would get from a restaurant. Although the sign says Pilgrim Diner & Restaurant, it is really a diner, but one of the best I've been to. I stopped in last night and had a Porterhouse steak at 2am. For only $20, it came with a pretty nice side salad, soup (try getting soup at 2am at any other diner), and a nice plate of disco fries on the side. The steak was cooked perfectly. Wasn't overcooked in the slightest. I was greeted warmly by the manager, and got excellent service from my server. And, I had a birch beer with my steak. This is the quintessential upscale diner. read more

Ok, so this place is not trying to impress anyone with their decor but it feels like a good ole NJ diner to me. Of course some things could be updated, but I wasn't there for ambiance; I was there for eating diner food. From reading previous reviews, I took some of your advice and went with classic diner fare. I ordered the reuben sandwich with corned beef and extra cole slaw in place of french fries. It was VERY tasty. My boyfriend ordered the french dip sandwich which was pretty good, it had nice, rare, roast beef, thinly sliced but the roll could have been better and I thought the au jus was a tad too salty. His came with waffles fries, which I see why people rave about those! I also treated myself to a slice of coconut pie, which my waitress told me that it was fresh and highly recommended. It was perfect; like a coconut flan on a delicate crust. I can't say this is my favorite diner of all time, but I'm glad I live close by and I could see coming back here again when craving classic diner food. read more

Yikes. A restaurant must really be doing something wrong for me to give a 1 star rating. My friends and I decided to visit the Pilgrim Diner tonight to enjoy some food after watching a movie. However, we didn't end up enjoying anything. THE PROS Well ouch, there's not much to say here. The man who brings out the water at the beginning of the meal is one of the lone bright spots of the experience. Although we only saw him for about five seconds, he warmly greeted us and that is a plus. I would say the only reason this restaurant deserves the 1 star (the restaurant itself doesn't deserve any) is because of him. THE CONS Oh boy. To start off, the decor is clearly outdated. The seats are falling apart, one of my friends spotted out a fly, and the ambiance was overall downright depressing. The ordering of food ended up being a complete mess. One of my friends ordered an omelet and ended up getting a salad (thankfully they switched it). In the midst of that confusion, the waitress just put down my plate of food in the front of the table (I'm in the inner booth so I can't reach it from my position) without handing it to me. Furthermore, one of my other friends inquired about the chili when we first ordered and never received anything when the food came. He had to remind the waitress about the order (it was clear that she forgot about it) and ended up receiving the food once half our group finished eating already. I ordered the P. Diddy wrap (grilled chicken, egg, bacon, avocado) and it was just really bland and forgettable. There were no redeeming qualities about the food that would warrant a visit back. The biggest issue of the night was the staff behind the cash register. Clearly, the blonde haired woman working the cash register did not want to be there. When my friends and I approached the counter to pay off the check, I knew by her facial expressions that this would get ugly. Being a party of 5, I can understand that it can be frustrating to separate out the checks. However, this woman was aggressive and rude to us. The first thing she said in a harsh and rude manner after we asked if we could tell her what each of us got was, "You better just get your money and figure out the check for yourselves, I'm not going to figure out the tax." Now my problem with this is: 1) It was not like there was a line of people waiting to cash out their checks. It's 10:30 pm. 2) The math isn't hard to figure out, you have a calculator right in front of you. 3) You didn't have to give us that attitude and be rude about it. Listen, it's not my business if you don't like your job, just don't lash out your frustration on the customers. FURTHERMORE, there was an argument afterwards about the check on the cost of pita, since the check stated that my friends ordered extra. After an exchange of words between my friends and the woman, she ended up yelling loudly for the waitress to clarify the check. The dialogue included: Woman behind the cash register: "Did they have 3 orders of pita?" Waitress: "They had 2 full orders of pita" Woman behind the cash register: "See, that's what I've been trying to tell them.." No. Ladies and gentlemen, that is enough. FINAL THOUGHTS Forgettable food, a lousy environment, and an aggressive woman behind the counter really ruined the experience. For the life of me, I cannot recommend this place to my friends or any other diner lover. Is this place better during the day? It's possible. Will I come back to find out? I wouldn't count on it. If you are looking for a nice diner experience, look elsewhere. You won't find it here. P.S. I believe this photo below pretty much sums up the experience we had at the Pilgrim Diner. read more

The Pilgrim Diner - I would hate to see how they pack their soups. - Diners Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

First and last time. Order lamb leg roasted came out sliced under cooked with a patterns of green color all over ( assuming was frosting for years) tasted nothing like lamb, got chicken with mushroom. Everything come under cooked. I tried the lemon meringue pie it was like a rock. read more

Service mediocre, hostess lady is the grouchiest of all, food is, well, typical diner, so so, get the eggs with toast, very exciting

I would never go to the Pilgrim Diner for anything on the menu alone. It has typical diner food. I always order breakfast, no matter what time it is. The food doesn't drive me here, though. It's the atmosphere and the experience that brings me back time and again. Sure, the waitresses are fantastically eccentric and on occasion down right miserable, but that's what I love about the place. I usually only go after midnight with a group of buddies and just hang out. As I'm sitting around, I'm always bound to have more friends walk in and we all reconnect about our nights and our best experiences at the Diner. The food is nothing to rave about, and neither is the staff, but it brings back great memories and that's why I love it. read more

Overall, this is a good diner. My husband and I have been here a few times for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I happen to like the Matzah Ball Soup. Service, food, and price are consistently good. read more

Staff friendly. Portions good. Quality So so. if you eat here stick to basic burgers, wraps, etc. Cook did not know how to prepare fancier items on the menu. Stuffed fish dinners are nothing but breaded fillings. Diner needs renovating. Seats uncomfortable. read more

Pretty Decent, having traveled a ridiculous 12 hours just to get from Los Angeles to Newark Airport. Had a beef gyro, which was pretty good, i would recommend it. It's a diner, what do you expect. Also came with a greek salad. Only thing that sucked is that you had to add your own tsaziki sauce, but that's expected. split pea soup is good. only thing was that service was slow. and that their execuse was that there was a huge party in the back. so who gives a f**k if there's a big party. it's important to get food out to you other customers too. and no BS on the fact that your low on servers. it's a diner...nothing special here. read more

Ordered Manhattan clam chowder and shrimp cocktail. The soup was pretty good but shrimp cocktail is awful. There are only 4 peeled shrimp and I can taste they are frozen. The cocktail source is awful too. read more

The Pilgrim Diner - Diners Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

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The Pilgrim Diner is out of business to us. We were regular long term customers. Now, we have not been back in almost a year over an incident where we were seated next to loud, disgusting, foul-mouthed, drunken teenagers/twenty-somethings, We we related this issue to the management on the way out, and we were told that the little piggies were also customers who needed a place infect. The manager said they were afraid of being sued by the piggies parents if they were not served. We will not go back... read more

Perfect take out diner food! Do NOT order dessert. It is by far the most grotesque nasty tasteless disgusting cakes pies bread pudding and even rice pudding. DISASTER - deft not their strong points so stay away!!! But other then that great spot for great jersey diner food on the go! Take out is great! read more

As NJ is the diner capitol of the world, I have visited many throughout -- and can honestly say that the food here is the best in my opinion. Breakfast is my favorite -- phenomenal omelettes, great home fries (and I never eat the home fries at diners), and even the coffee is really good (have never gotten a cup a the end of a pot). Not as overwhelmingly large as some other diners, which is also nice. Have had some dinner food, but for typical diner food -- grilled cheese sandwiches, etc. -- can't beat this diner! read more

I woud marry pilgrim dinner if I could. Karen is my favorite waitress I've ever had in my life from anywhere. The place always has seating available. They offer the best chocolate milkshakes and chicken fingers I have ever had. Nothing but great food, service, furniture, and vibes from this joint! read more

Open late like a diner should be, (other very local diners are not). I ordered food to pick up and once I got there it became clear that the order was never put in the kitchen. So after some obvious scrambling and panicked lies about the status of our order, they pulled it together and made a pretty tasty bunch of food. read more

We first went to the Pilgrim Diner back when we lived in Essex County, but hadn't been there in years. Since, it went under new management, and the diner as it is today is far better than it was in the past. We like the service (wait staff will usually be nice to guests, when the guests are courteous, as well), and the food was excellent. I love halibut and have never had grilled halibut as good as here. Their drinks (martinis) were nicely made and a perfect size. This has become our go-to place. read more

I think you guys are all crazy! This was a great Diner! Very iconic. The food was good and very inexpensive. I would buy Two eggs over easy with Earl grey tea and the check would only be 6$..Try getting a 6$ check at Chit Chat Diner..Yes, it was in need of repair but they had been there for I'd say over 40 years..Have you ever RUN a business? Do you know how expensive it is? Let alone the taxes! The owner as well as the staff were all very very sweet and attentive. I will miss this place.I only WISH that there won't be 1 million dollar condos there next year.. read more

New Jersey is pretty famous for its diners, so it might seem like a fool's errand to pick a favorite. But I can say, without a doubt, that the Pilgrim is my favorite diner not only in New Jersey, but in the whole entire world. It's sort of like falling in love. The Pilgrim Diner is open 24/7 and serves great diner food. It's cheap. It's consistent. It's always open. Want some pancakes at 2:00am? Pilgrim. A French dip for breakfast? Pilgrim. Not much else to say. It's not perfect, but it's perfect. read more

The only reason I'm giving this two stars is because our waiter was nice. Interior of diner is dirty gross and looks unsanitary around food. Tables are worn menus are old and dirty. Food is decent nothing great. This place used to be nice. I'll never go back.. read more

The Jets Burger. Great fries. Great onion rings. Interesting blend of vegetables with mozzarella cheese. Not a fan of the cole slaw or I would have given 5 stars. Didn't try the desserts but they looked great. Great for a late night diner fix! read more

The Pilgrim Diner - The Jets!!! - Diners Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

Excellent breakfast food, if a bit pricey for a diner. The servers are very nice, but none would win a footrace. Go when you crave breakfast food, are flush with cash, and don't mind waiting a bit. read more

The Pilgrim Diner - Diners Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

I went here for breakfast this morning. My Silver $ Pancakes were great. Staff were great. It was dead as it was at 10 on a Monday morning. Will be back. read more

The Pilgrim Diner - My Silver $ Pancakes - Diners Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

So....This was the first time I've visited The Pilgrim and stopped in at 2am with a to go order this evening. I'm a bartender so I really appreciate a great attitude and a smile from a fellow restaurant worker. Karen K had both of these! She was quick to answer my questions about the menu (I have food allergies) and very polite and cheerful. (It's 2am on a Thursday, mind you.) She's a gem. I would absolutely come back just based on her sweet and good natured disposition. It helps that the food was very good, too! The hostess, however, was clearly one one the most miserable people I've ever met. Quite unfortunate. read more

I can't even think of a way that this place could be better. Great service, clean, friendly oh and totally delicous. I would suggest getting a take out box at the begining of the meal because the portions are enormous. Great variety in the menu- quite excellent. WIll be going there, and the gym- frequently. ;) read more

Horrible Horrible Horrible Service Went there with boyfriend & we were seeated immediatly but it was over 15mins & no one came to intro themself as waiter or take atleast drink order. Beint that it was 1am & bf had work in am and things hadnt even gotten started we left. We made eye contact with host several times and he never came over nor sent the waiter over. When we left they didnt even ask us (the host & bar tender) why we were leaving or if everything was ok read more

Again when I order a take our breakfast there is consistently something missing. One would assume that if you order eggs oven medium breakfast with bacon you come home and see bacon. This is not the case. Every time something is missing or incorrect from a toasted bagel with cream cheese when a plain bagel with butter on the side is asked for and when a short stack of pancakes is requested a full stack is given.And that charge of $3.75 for that incorrect bagel with cream cheese???? Very soon this place with its stained dilapidated seats and tables needs to become history. read more

It is disgusting !! Don't even waste your time . Even if your desperate do NOT go . Ordered a sirloin steak and it was a HUGE hamburger read more

The Pilgrim Diner - Diners Near Me - Cedar Grove, New Jersey

Well... *slump* While the service was prompt, the food was just not good. It was what you're given when mom's in a mood and breakfast suffers for it. "You kids shut up and eat!" We've all been there. I ordered a very typical "diner breakfast" of eggs over easy, bacon, homefries, and toast. It arrived almost immediately...as in, I hadn't even had time to situate myself with my coat and purse or even add cream to my coffee, before my plate arrived. Awesome, right? Not exactly. As a former server, I knew immediately why it came so fast: it was all pre-made in the kitchen, minus the eggs. Well, that's okay in some instances, but not with breakfast. Breakfast should be hot, sizzling, aromatic, comforting; that's why we go out to eat! This was none of the above. The plate was pretty, yes. But tepid. The toast was stale and cool enough that none of the butter melted. The eggs were very underdone...wet and watery. The bacon was barely warm and stiff, with, somehow, no flavor. The homefries, that I most looked forward to, were, without a doubt, old. They tasted like "refrigerator"...you know what I mean. They were dry and the golden crust turned out to be surface burn from the hot griddle they smashed them on, to warm them up. Also, no flavor. I mean, NO FLAVOR. Salt did little. They were thick, pasty, drab, blah...but as pretty as can be. (Like most women) Super disappointing. I was so disappointed that I left 3/4 of my plate uneaten, pushed to outer corner of the table, with a crumpled napkin on top. This is the International Waiter Distress Signal for UNHAPPY GUEST. The waitress shuffled by, saw it, shrugged and kept walking. (Why, yes, there was a problem...aren't you going to ask me why I left almost my entire meal?...no? Ok.) The busboy hurried past, quickly turned around and grabbed my plate, tossed it in his tub and wiped my table with such lightening speed that my hair rustled in his back-breeze. Before I had time to say thank you, he left and then suddenly he was back with a fresh glass of water that he hurriedly plunked on the table, smiled brightly at me and said, "Yes? Ok?" I opened my mouth to answer but he vanished again. He was a quick little blur that I'm not sure I even witnessed. But there is a glass of water so maybe I really did see him...he's doing his job, and very well. I decided I was still hungry, so I ordered a short stack, knowing those are made fresh. (Or, they should be.) Now, this segment of my order took a little while to arrive, which pleased me. It SHOULD have taken a little while! They arrived hot, steaming, fluffy, and golden. Very pretty. Plenty of butter and served with Smuckers syrup cups, these did not disappoint. Eating these confirmed that I WAS in a New Jersey diner and not in a state correctional facility. That other plate should've been served with a tin cup and a parole officer. The waitress returned, refilled my cup and wordlessly shuffled away again with a heavy sigh. Her disappointment with life was tangible and I suddenly began inexplicably hating my own life. I found myself missing my happy busboy! I needed a Prozac after that last visit. So, 2 stars for the great pancakes, hot coffee and the Amazing Disappearing Smiling Busboy. The rest of it was...hopefully going toward Time Served. read more

the worst effin diner i ever had the misfortune of going into, every chair had multiple rips in the fabic, the rug was beyond disgusting so so dirty omg i thoyght i was going to be sick, thank god nobody came over to give us a menu, because it made it very easy for us to get up and run for our lives. i suggest that the owner of the pilgrim diner get out of the busy because you sir or mame are not very clean people and by no means should you have a diner. shame shame on you and really what the hell are you thinking that you should open the doors to that pig pen ! read more