There is probably no more quintessentially New Jersey dining experience than sitting down at a vintage diner – and the odds are, you probably won’t have to go far to find one! I grew up with three diners in short travel distance of me, and the same applies for many others. Which raises the question – exactly why are there so many diners in New Jersey? The Garden State does have more diners per capita than any other state, and this is partially because we’re the most densely populated and developed state in the country – but that’s not the only reason. There is also a fascinating history that led to New Jersey becoming the diner capital of the world, and it dates back over a century to the golden age of diners. And the wild thing is, some of those original diners are still around today!

Why is New Jersey the diner capital of the world? It's because from the 1920s to the 1980s, diner buildings were largely mass-produced - and up to a third of those diners came from factories in New Jersey.
Jaboyce/Wikipedia
This is why so many diners looked alike - and some, like the Dumont Crystal Diner, are still standing for almost a century.
michaelmvm 2828/Google Local
While originally, the diners were designed after historical railroad dining cars, they eventually evolved to take on standard building designs.
Jeff Prewitt/Google Local

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However, some things stayed the same - like the Art Deco style that was common in most New Jersey diners.
Norman Gray/Google Local
Many of those diners still have a similar style today, although some have gotten a bit more offbeat with the designs.
Ifti Ashraf/Google Local
What also hasn't changed much is the menus! You can still get massive plates of eggs and pork roll for breakfast.
Bigmacthealmanac/Wikipedia
And after a hearty lunch or dinner of American and Italian classics, the odds are your local diner will still have a display case of cakes and pies to drool over.
Vsprexts/Google Local

Did you know about the history of diners in New Jersey? What’s your favorite Garden State diner? Let us know in the comments section! If you want to experience a classic NJ diner that’s still going strong, pay a visit to the Reo Diner in Woodbridge. If you want to see how the NJ diner has evolved over the decades, head to the American Dream mall to visit Around the Clock Diner – the newest diner to open. And if you’re planning a diner road trip, it might be an epic journey – make sure you have all your road trip supplies.

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