Manalapan Luncheonette — Restaurant in Manalapan Township

Great, home cooked food. Ever since I moved to CNJ I have been on a quest for edible, palatable food in the local area, it's not an easy task which is shocking because of its proximity to NYC.

The luncheonette quite simply is good, fresh, grill and specialty "dish" type food at an excellent price. Tony the 2nd generation of ownership and his children give their everything and pour it into the cooking, it's evident the moment you taste your selection. If it isn't top quality or if he can't make it taste good Tony will NOT serve it.

The decor is dated and it does put you back in time about 15 years or so but I find this comforting. I do not come here to admire the walls and floors I come here for simple, well thought out, soulful, quality lunch and breakfast at more than a fair price.

Try the soups. He doesn't realize how good a soup chef he is. Once again nothing fancy and complex; it's good fresh, chicken, beef, chowder, chili, pea and it's evident once you taste it that it is brimming with careful, thoughtful preparation and freshness. I hope they stay open and I do feel he can charge at-least 25% more $ and it will be more...

The phenomenal waitress (regretfully I never got her name) approached our table carrying my MASSIVE Cowboy Jim omelette and said something like, “I hope you’re hungry!” GOOD GRACIOUS! Stuffed with ham, peppers, onions, tomatoes, Swiss and American cheese, this three-egg masterpiece was just delightful. The side order of pork roll was great, as were the home fries (with onions, of course). Coffee? Fantastic. Service? Great, especially considering this ONE PERSON was COOKING AND SERVING ALL BY HERSELF. There were 17 people in the place at the time and no one was kept waiting very long. My only regret? Not being able to sit at the counter with a clear view of the grill (locals had every seat). Keep in mind that this place looks pretty scary from the street. It’s an effective strategy, I’d say, because that keeps the crowds down. Besides, folks that know and love this place likely want to keep it all to themselves…sorry, I should delete this review!🤣 Pro Tip: park around back or on the side, right in front is kinda dicey unless...

My fiancé and I stumbled across this place when we were looking for some lunch one day and we haven’t stopped going since. We rave about it all the time that our families come with us now too!

It’s truly a hidden gem. Food is great & freshly made, daily specials are always delicious, and the best part is it’s priced so well! Make sure to bring cash, it’s cash only no atm. Service is always fantastic too, which is a breath of fresh air. If you love homemade food and cute hole in the wall places - make sure to check it out. We leave full & happy everytime we go.

Recommend everything, but top faves for us: Burgers, fried chicken sandwich, grilled chicken sandwich, steak tip platter, chicken or reg cheesesteak, breakfast...