True Triple-D'ers demand more. We don't hunt down triple-d restaurants like the lion hunts down one antelope from a whole herd just just to come away with something mediocre. We want to be blown away in culinary delight.
The relative mediocrity of this diner didn't stop them from marketing the he** out of the fact that they had a visit from Guy Fiere. They had huge signs all over the place. The menu looked like an advertisement for the Food Network more than a menu.
One consolation for me is that I have not lived anywhere near New Jersey in a long time. So, any indulgence in Jersey comfort food is a good one. There are diners in the rest of the country but, they are not the same. I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it has to do with the atmosphere or what they represent to me.
I have a lot of memories from the misspent part of my youth rolling into diners after having rolled out of a bar late at night. Many diners are open all night because they cater to shift workers and drunk college students. If you want scrambled eggs and toast at 3am then go to a diner. They're open and that request would not be anything out of the ordinary. It's also an interesting mix of people there in the early hours of the morning. It is not quiet at all because not everyone lives a 9 to 5 life.
I don't think that I've had more than two drinks in a row at a bar in the past 15 years that I can remember. I certainly have not hung around long enough to see it close for the night.I had a soup and sandwich while I was there. The navy bean soup was good. No complaints. The roast beef sandwich was just what I expected it to be. It was very good but, just like every other diner in the state.
I'm giving this a two on the Triple-D scale because it was not a disaster, just hum drum. If I was starving and close by then I'd stop in but, I would not make another trip out of my way.
Hightstown Diner
151 Mercer St.
Hightstown, NJ 08520
(609) 443-4600
