Route 18


Average Overall Rating:

(3 out of 5)

Average Coffee Refill Rating:

(3 out of 5)

(3 out of 5)

Review by: Someonewhoknows on 1/12/2009

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I am suprised at the last comment! My family has been going to this diner forever. The new owners changed the concept and made it a more upscaled diner. When they first reopened there were a few bumps, but they worked them out. I think the service is great, the food is very good and the hostesses and management are wonderful. I recieved a coffee pot on my table, as did everyone else, with the cream I needed. I was in control of my own refills. The food came out hot and my omelette was huge!!!! Pancakes are awesome too!

Award Nomination: Best Breakfast Ever

Review #15871Review by: family guy on 1/12/2009

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management as well as food leaves alot to be desired....used to be a quality establishment....much confusion between management and personnel...family confort level and atmosphere have diminished

Award Nomination: Worst Service

Review #15870Review by: chefjayman on 12/7/2008

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This place has great omlettes. My mom is a coffee snob and she said the coffee is pretty good. My dad is usually not too happy with tea at most places. He said the tea is served in clean glass serving pots. This is important to him so the tea doesn't taste like coffee. I really like the pancakes.

Award Nomination: Best Breakfast Ever

Review #15567Review by: MrBreakfast.com Visitor on 9/8/2008

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I thought I was goig to a good diner to eat at cause of the look of it on the outside and inside. But that's all it was just a good looking place , the service was so so the food took too long to get out. when I went to complain about my fried calamari that it was still raw I was told that's how it's cooked .I decided to give it a second chance and that too was a mistake on my hand that will be the very last time they will see my face

Award Nomination: Biggest Ripoff

Review #14801Review by: skyomansky on 4/24/2008

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I'm so surprised by some of the other comments. This is my favorite breakfast restaurant, DINER, in New Jersey. I've yet to find anything else that comes close. I have never been dissatisfied. The New York Omellette is the best omellette I've EVER had, including in the city of New York. I've lived in Chicago also and this place trumps my favorite breakfast joint in that swanky town as well.

Listen up, home childs -- I come from a long line of breakfast restauranteurs. My grand-daddy was the king of eating out, and I can tell you that Colonial Diner, it's new ownership, and overrall stellar provided experience, is among the best in the heavens. The coffee -- awesome and delectable -- the waitresses -- hot and super-friendly, even flirtable, I'll add with an air of distinction. The home fries -- fantastic. The salad - soup bar -- out of this world -- fresh baked bread on the premises --

One closing remark -- if you are a strict diner - biner boo-boo head -- then go to one of those hole in the wall places and keep your head in the sand -- but, if you love great fresh food for very decent prices -- you won't find anything that compares to the high quality of Colonial! Bing, bang, boom -- "Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it!" JHO


Award Nomination: Best Breakfast Ever

Review #13465Review by: MrBreakfast.com Visitor on 3/30/2008

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WHERE ARE THE OLD OWNER?

THIS NEW OWNER HAS DESTROYED THE MEANING OF A FAMILY RESTAURANT.

HE SHOULD STUDY THE MEANING OF THE WORD DINER.

WWW.DINERCITY.COM

HOPE THIS HELPS THEM.

I THINK THEY FORGOT THEIR ROOTS.



Award Nomination: Biggest Ripoff

Review #13179Review by: hepcat123 on 5/2/2007

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the newly re-vamped colonial diner leaves a lot to be desired - they seem to have a waitress/hostess issue - our waitress wrote nothing down, and then forgot our coffee and screwed up my order - how do you forget coffe at breakfast time?
same issues as the poster below- waited too long for simple breakfast order, by the time we found the waitress, no point in the coffee, we had already finished our meals. and the food is uneven - my breakfast was good, but the potato pancakes were god-awful.
won't go back, I'll just go to the Seville if I want to go to a diner close by.

Award Nomination: Biggest Ripoff

Review #10280Review by: suebush17 on 4/12/2007

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my comment is that the new colonial diner should just keep it simple - the old colonial was GREAT - your basic diner with quick good diner service. the new colonial should revamp again it's thinking. one cold evening i went in for a hot bowl of soup and was told i couldn't have it...WHAT???? I CAN'T HAVE A BOWL OF SOUP AT A DINER? the waitress was embarassed to even say it - she said i had to order the potato/soup/salad bar - i said i don't want the potato/soup/salad bar i want one bowl of soup - i knew i wasn't getting anywhere - so i relented and ordered the bloody bar for a ridiculous amount of money for a freaking bowl of soup! so i think that colonial should keep the more upscale diner experience w/the skylark diner (awesome) and remain what they always were - a DINER! KEEP IT SIMPLE (stupid)! Also if i want a grilled cheese sandwich with big thick bread i would order it that way - i just wanted a SIMPLE grilled cheese sandwich on 2 slices of regular flat bread. KEEP IT SIMPLE COLONIAL :)

Review #10143Review by: JSimon on 3/29/2007

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The manager KEVIN is such a jerk! I called to complain about my service and he just HUNG UP on me!

Now after KEVIN was so rude to me you couldn't pay me to go back!

Award Nomination: Hugest Dump

Review #10015Review by: bjkimmelblatt on 3/11/2007

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The Colonial Diner was just enlarged and re-modeled in early March 2007.

Its new ownership ha kept the word 'diner' on the exterior but it is anything but. The menu is not the typical expansive menu you find in a diner. And the food leaves a lot to be desired.

I ordered an open turkey sandwich on March 10. I wanted to order a typical turkey platter with turkey, stuffing, and some veggies but that was not on the menu. The gravy they made and put on the turkey was extremely spicy. The vegetables were sauteed in a very spicy manner. The cranberry sauce tasted spicy,too, but perhaps that was because is was placed atop the spiced gravy. The end result was that I went away with a burning tongue. Now, an open turkey sandwich is supposed to be a mild dish, not a spicy dish with exotic flavoring.

One member of our party ordered his meal with an ingredient omitted (I think he's allergic to onions) but the dish came with onions anyway. The waitress did not deliver the meals to the table, so it took ten minutes to find her. The replacement meal never arrived in the next thirty minutes. It took another ten minutes to find the waitress to tell her to just give us the bill. She said she'd take the rejected meal off the check. She then proceeded to take orders at two other tables before giving us the check. The rejected meal was still on the check. It took another ten minutes to find her even though I waved the check in the air to every busboy, waiter, and manager who walked by. Once the waitress took the check back, she then proceeded to handle other patrons and it wasn't until we walked over to confront her that she told us our check was up at the cashier.

So, that was just one waitress.

And I've already criticized the cooking style that the management has laid down to the kitchen staff and the limited menu.

Now the acoustics. The Colonial Diner's website says it the restaurant was redecorated with 1940s Hollywood style. I can't see how. The tile flooring looks like that in a mens room. There is no carpeting and no curtains, no soft materials to absorb sounds and muffle the tremendous din in the place. I could not hear the person sitting across from me at the table. And the tables! In an attempt to jam as many people into the place, there are booths that can sit eight. A trip to the salad bar or to the restrooms is akin to climbing Everest.

Oh, the salad bar is not your typical diner salad bar and has very few offerings in comparison.

And the restrooms are not marked from the restaurant's dining area.

Some of these problems will be alleviated with experience, although you'd think that new owners the Americana Group would already have such experience. The menu, limited by comparison to true diners, is another story. And they're stuck with the bad acoustics and elephantine booths for the long-term.

If you want to go to a real diner in East Brunswick, NJ, go to the Seville on Route 18 southbound. If you want an upscale diner whose relatively limited menu is decided upscale and European in style and whose decor and ambiance are top-notch, go to Pierres in South Brunswick.

Award Nomination: Hugest Dump

Review #9844Review by: MrBreakfast.com Visitor on 6/15/2006

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RE: Review #2868

East Brunswick is not in South Jersey, you must have this confused with another diner.

I'm here almost every week. I love it! Get the cheese fries!

Award Nomination: Most Comfortable

Review #7764Review by: jennyspanks on 6/11/2006

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Great tasting food,everything is fresh to order,nothing is frozen or sits around.The old owner may not be there but his brother still helps run the joint.Will definetley go back.Also,I heard its getting a cool remodel.

Award Nomination: Most Comfortable

Review #7724Review by: MrBreakfast.com Visitor on 4/25/2006

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This used to be the best diner around and had a very loyal following. It's gone downhill in the past couple of years since the old owner left. The menu, food, service... it's just not what it used to be.

Review #7350Review by: MrBreakfast.com Visitor on 11/28/2005

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Worst diner, with the worst service and management ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Award Nomination: Worst Service

Review #6324Review by: jetny on 1/26/2004

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used to be a hangout for all kinds of freaks. however south jersey has succesfully turned more american, and more redneck. chances are, you may get in a fight here and have someone chase you home in a pickup truck. carjackers from philly also get new merchandise in the parking lot.

Award Nomination: Best Breakfast Ever

Review #2868Review by: MrBreakfast.com Visitor on 1/5/2003

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good food great service... management could be more friendly

Award Nomination: Best Breakfast Ever

Review #1164Review by: deb1262 on 9/13/2002

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fabulous food

Review #326


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Reviews submitted here are meant to pertain to breakfast only. While Mr Breakfast cannot vouch for the validity of each restaurant review, he feels pretty good vouching for the excellent character of the residents of East Brunswick, New Jersey - who are primarily responsible for the review(s) you see above for Colonial Diner.