I'LL HAVE WHAT THEY'RE HAVING
It's no surprise that the diner capital of the world is also the diner scene capital of the world. Here's where you can slide into a booth and order coffee in the same place as the most iconic on-screen meal moments ever.
Written by Elisa Roland
It's no surprise that the diner capital of the world is also the diner scene capital of the world. Here's where you can slide into a booth and order coffee in the same place as the most iconic on-screen meal moments ever.
Written by Elisa Roland
The first prefabricated diner opened in 1912 at a busy trolley station in what is now Union City. Since then, the chrome boxes with their railroad-car looks and shimmery siding have become synonymous with New Jersey. Although quick and affordable eateries can be found all over the country, nowhere are they more prevalent than in the Garden State, which has more than 500 sprinkled across its many parkways.
Today, the humble Jersey diner, where you can order anything from pancakes to pierogies, has become the setting for many moments in our lives. It’s the go-to spot after winning (or losing) the ballgame, or celebrating after closing night of the big school play. It’s the place for holiday brunches and family dinners when you’re just too tired to cook. And it’s the perfect place for catching up over a cup of joe with a friend. The diner is America’s kitchen table.
It's no surprise, then, that New Jersey diners make an ideal backdrop for movies and television shows; we see ourselves reflected in their iconic vinyl booths. Take the pivotal scene in the 1998 film Chasing Amy: When Kevin Smith’s character delivers a heartfelt monologue to Ben Affleck that coins the movie’s title, it happens in a vinyl booth at Sunny Side Diner in Belford, N.J. (formerly the Marina Diner). Whether characters flip through songs on table jukeboxes, or sip vanilla milkshakes on a countertop stool, there’s something about a scene in a Jersey diner we can all identify with, like the smell of bacon sizzling on a griddle.
With the state’s film production industry booming—more than $800 million in 2024, and it’s only growing with the construction of three new mega movie studios—we can expect Jersey diners to continue to thrive as a quintessential American film location.
There are many almost-famous diners across the state, but these three are SOCKO!’s favorites. Meet ya there for coffee?
Today, the humble Jersey diner, where you can order anything from pancakes to pierogies, has become the setting for many moments in our lives. It’s the go-to spot after winning (or losing) the ballgame, or celebrating after closing night of the big school play. It’s the place for holiday brunches and family dinners when you’re just too tired to cook. And it’s the perfect place for catching up over a cup of joe with a friend. The diner is America’s kitchen table.
It's no surprise, then, that New Jersey diners make an ideal backdrop for movies and television shows; we see ourselves reflected in their iconic vinyl booths. Take the pivotal scene in the 1998 film Chasing Amy: When Kevin Smith’s character delivers a heartfelt monologue to Ben Affleck that coins the movie’s title, it happens in a vinyl booth at Sunny Side Diner in Belford, N.J. (formerly the Marina Diner). Whether characters flip through songs on table jukeboxes, or sip vanilla milkshakes on a countertop stool, there’s something about a scene in a Jersey diner we can all identify with, like the smell of bacon sizzling on a griddle.
With the state’s film production industry booming—more than $800 million in 2024, and it’s only growing with the construction of three new mega movie studios—we can expect Jersey diners to continue to thrive as a quintessential American film location.
There are many almost-famous diners across the state, but these three are SOCKO!’s favorites. Meet ya there for coffee?
Blairstown Diner
Where: 53 Route 94, Blairstown
Claim to fame: The original Friday the 13th was filmed here back in September 1979. You can check out memorabilia from the movie around the diner any day of the week, or visit on an actual Friday the 13th when the scary is amped up.
“We have visitors every day who ask about the movie. And not just from the United States, but from around the world!” says owner Mike Runsey.
What to order: “Our burgers and pancakes,” suggests Runsey. “I think they are the best, but all of our entrées are oversized. Nobody goes home hungry.”
Extra sauce: “The diner was built in 1949,” Runsey says. “And (spoiler alert!) it’s the only Friday the 13th movie where Jason isn’t the villain, his mother is.”
Where: 53 Route 94, Blairstown
Claim to fame: The original Friday the 13th was filmed here back in September 1979. You can check out memorabilia from the movie around the diner any day of the week, or visit on an actual Friday the 13th when the scary is amped up.
“We have visitors every day who ask about the movie. And not just from the United States, but from around the world!” says owner Mike Runsey.
What to order: “Our burgers and pancakes,” suggests Runsey. “I think they are the best, but all of our entrées are oversized. Nobody goes home hungry.”
Extra sauce: “The diner was built in 1949,” Runsey says. “And (spoiler alert!) it’s the only Friday the 13th movie where Jason isn’t the villain, his mother is.”
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Holsten’s Ice Cream Parlor
Where: 1063 Broad St., Bloomfield
Claim to fame: You may get whacked if you don't stop in for ice cream at Holsten’s and check out the booth where Tony Soprano may or may not have had his last meal (onion rings!). “We have multiple Sopranos fans coming in per day,” says owner Stephanie Sauka. “We get the ‘So what do you think happened when it all went black?’ question quite a bit.”
What to order: Stephanie recommends “the homemade ice cream! We make all of it downstairs. There’s a flavor to suit everyone and anyone! For food, our burgers and fries are the most popular. Also, the onion rings are a big hit since Tony had some on the show.”
Celebrity visitors: “We’ve had quite a few,” Sauka says. “We try to not make a huge deal about it, though. Michael Gandolfini, son of the late James, stops in when he's in town. Multiple Sopranos cast members pop in, like Frank Vincent, Federico Castelluccio, and Vincent Curatola. David Chase will show up every now and then. We’ve also seen Joe Pesci, Frankie Faison, Pete Davidson, Kenan Thompson, and Alec Baldwin…to name a few.”
Tony sat here: When James Gandolfini passed away in 2013, then-owner Ron Stark put up a “reserved” sign at the famous booth to honor the beloved actor. He ended up leaving the sign there for two weeks, as the booth unexpectedly became a way for fans to remember The Sopranos star by leaving notes and cards at the table. Everything left there was given to Gandolfini’s son, Michael.
Where: 1063 Broad St., Bloomfield
Claim to fame: You may get whacked if you don't stop in for ice cream at Holsten’s and check out the booth where Tony Soprano may or may not have had his last meal (onion rings!). “We have multiple Sopranos fans coming in per day,” says owner Stephanie Sauka. “We get the ‘So what do you think happened when it all went black?’ question quite a bit.”
What to order: Stephanie recommends “the homemade ice cream! We make all of it downstairs. There’s a flavor to suit everyone and anyone! For food, our burgers and fries are the most popular. Also, the onion rings are a big hit since Tony had some on the show.”
Celebrity visitors: “We’ve had quite a few,” Sauka says. “We try to not make a huge deal about it, though. Michael Gandolfini, son of the late James, stops in when he's in town. Multiple Sopranos cast members pop in, like Frank Vincent, Federico Castelluccio, and Vincent Curatola. David Chase will show up every now and then. We’ve also seen Joe Pesci, Frankie Faison, Pete Davidson, Kenan Thompson, and Alec Baldwin…to name a few.”
Tony sat here: When James Gandolfini passed away in 2013, then-owner Ron Stark put up a “reserved” sign at the famous booth to honor the beloved actor. He ended up leaving the sign there for two weeks, as the booth unexpectedly became a way for fans to remember The Sopranos star by leaving notes and cards at the table. Everything left there was given to Gandolfini’s son, Michael.
The New Berlin Diner
Where: 17 S. White Horse Pike, Berlin
Claim to fame: The 2004 movie Jersey Girl, with Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, and Liv Tyler, may not have won any awards, but this South Jersey 1950’s classic diner has. While there are no longer any employees here from the original filming, the booth and table and the outside scenery are still the same as in the film. “We get asked about Jersey Girl at least once a week—‘Wasn’t a movie filmed here?’ ‘Where did J.Lo and Ben Affleck sit?’” says owner Manny Konstantinides.
What to order: “Chicken Parmesan is a favorite,” he says.
Celebrity visitors: “Ron Jaworski, an ABC Action News weather anchor, several New Jersey political leaders, Louis Greenwald, and Paul Moriarity, to name a few.”
Where: 17 S. White Horse Pike, Berlin
Claim to fame: The 2004 movie Jersey Girl, with Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, and Liv Tyler, may not have won any awards, but this South Jersey 1950’s classic diner has. While there are no longer any employees here from the original filming, the booth and table and the outside scenery are still the same as in the film. “We get asked about Jersey Girl at least once a week—‘Wasn’t a movie filmed here?’ ‘Where did J.Lo and Ben Affleck sit?’” says owner Manny Konstantinides.
What to order: “Chicken Parmesan is a favorite,” he says.
Celebrity visitors: “Ron Jaworski, an ABC Action News weather anchor, several New Jersey political leaders, Louis Greenwald, and Paul Moriarity, to name a few.”
Gone But Not Forgotten
As anyone who lives in New Jersey knows, things are always changing. Some of the most notable Jersey diners now exist only on-screen (but their bacon grease lives on in our hearts forever):
As anyone who lives in New Jersey knows, things are always changing. Some of the most notable Jersey diners now exist only on-screen (but their bacon grease lives on in our hearts forever):
The Silver Dollar Diner/Rosie’s Diner
Although no longer on Route 46 in Little Ferry (it’s currently being restored in Alabama for the fourth time), the Silver Dollar Diner will live on forever in commercial heaven as Rosie’s Diner, where Rosie the waitress made the line “Bounty, The Quicker Picker-Upper” famous in numerous commercials filmed there from the 1970s onward.
Although no longer on Route 46 in Little Ferry (it’s currently being restored in Alabama for the fourth time), the Silver Dollar Diner will live on forever in commercial heaven as Rosie’s Diner, where Rosie the waitress made the line “Bounty, The Quicker Picker-Upper” famous in numerous commercials filmed there from the 1970s onward.
The Raritan Diner
Once located in South Amboy, the Raritan Diner was a filming location for Woody Allen’s 1985 film The Purple Rose of Cairo.. Actress Mia Farrow took center stage as a waitress working in the diner during the Great Depression.
Once located in South Amboy, the Raritan Diner was a filming location for Woody Allen’s 1985 film The Purple Rose of Cairo.. Actress Mia Farrow took center stage as a waitress working in the diner during the Great Depression.
Tom’s Diner
This Ledgewood diner was torn down in 2021, but not before Cyndi Lauper danced her way through its red booths in her 1984 music video for Time After Time.
This Ledgewood diner was torn down in 2021, but not before Cyndi Lauper danced her way through its red booths in her 1984 music video for Time After Time.
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This story appeared in the inaugural issue of Socko! Magazine [May, 2026]. Click here to subscribe
