Bergen County couple wants to visit every diner in New Jersey
Four Seasons Diner in Toms River is stop number 247 for this New Jersey couple. They have about 165 to go.
The couple has visited every diner in Bergen, Passaic, Morris and Sussex counties.Among their favorites are the Dumont Crystal Diner in Dumont, Colonial Diner in Lyndhurst, Pandora Diner in Springfield, Lamp Post Diner in Clementon, and the Broad Street Diner in Keyport.Since starting their project, the Ricklins have been written about in People Magazine and the New York Post, dined with Gov. Phil Murphy and first lady Tammy Murphy, and were featured on ABC.
Ten years ago, Hillsdale couple Jon and Karri Ricklin had an idea: They wanted to visit every diner in New Jersey.
One decade and more than 280 diners later, they are on their way.
Let’s get to know the Ricklins, who are doing their part to support small business in the Garden State, one bite at a time.
How did they start?
The Ricklins’ journey began in 2015, when the couple was visiting a family member at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (St. Barnabas Hospital) in Livingston. The closest place to grab a bite to eat afterward was the Livingston Diner.
“We’ve always been foodies,” Jon Ricklin told the Asbury Park Press in 2023. “We would go to restaurants every weekend … mostly in [North Jersey]. But for whatever reason [that day at the diner], my wife snapped a picture of me holding the menu.”
Karri now takes a photo of Jon with the menu at each diner they visit, and they document the project on their Instagram page, NJ Diner Journey. Nearly 4,000 people follow along, and their undetaking has grown so much that Jon manages the project via Excel spreadsheet.
As for how they classify what makes a diner a diner and worthy of a visit, “if a place calls itself a diner, or makes diner food, I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt,” Jon said.
How many diners have they visited?
As of press time, the Ricklins have visited 285 diners, eating at two or three each month.
“We’ve done all of Bergen County, all of Passaic County, all of Morris County, all of Sussex,” Jon said, adding that the majority of diners they have yet to visit are in the southern part of the state.
Some diners earn repeat visits.
“If it’s a new owner or a new name, it becomes a new diner,” he said, adding that since they started, at least 40 diners have closed or changed ownership.
Among their favorites are Dumont Crystal Diner in Dumont, Colonial Diner in Lyndhurst, Pandora Diner in Springfield, Lamp Post Diner in Clementon, Broad Street Diner in Keyport and the Americana Diner in Shrewsbury. Some of Jon’s favorite dishes include the souvlaki platter at Budd Lake Diner, the Cuban panini at Johnny’s Diner in Linden, the cheeseburger platter at Runway Diner in South Hackensack, and the chili dog at Johnny Prince’s Bayway Diner in Linedn.
If the couple has a meal they don’t enjoy, they don’t share any negative comments on social media; they simply snap their signature photo and move on. Jon owns a dry cleaning delivery business and knows the impact bad reviews can have on a small business.
“The last thing I want to do is see a bad review after I bust my rear end,” he said. “People have bad days.”
Attracting national attention
Since starting their project, the Ricklins have been written about in People Magazine and the New York Post, dined with Gov. Phil Murphy and first lady Tammy Murphy, and were featured on ABC, the “Tamron Hall” show, and the “Today” show with Al Roker.
For the latter, they dined with Roker at the Mark Twain Diner & Restaurant in Union.
“Everybody would be fortunate if they could have an epic quest that they were on,” Roker said. “What is your epic quest?”
“Our quest is to eat at every diner in the state of New Jersey, and it’s turning out to be a bigger quest than we probably originally anticipated,” Jon said with a laugh.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to her weekly newsletter.
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