Tom Sawyer Diner — Restaurant in Paramus

On our way home from a late Sunday movie, kids got hungry so I decided to find out what's open in the Paramus area on a Sunday night. GPS popped up the Tom Sawyer diner so that's where we went. When we got there the place was typically slow for 9:30PM on a Sunday night. The server was incredibly polite and very nice. That is the only good thing I could say about the place. Food took forever to come out and we did not order anything fancy (pancakes for one of the kids & mac and cheese for the others). Here is the part that shocked us- They brought (2) orders of mozzarella sticks instead of just the one we ordered and the kids started to dig in. 5 minutes later, a fella from the kitchen came out and explained that the mozzarella sticks was for another table. We replied "ok, we didn't know your waiter just put it here and the kids started eating". He paused for a second and decided to continue by explaining that he needed it back and literally asked us to take 2 mozzarella sticks from the other basket to complete the needed order. I jokingly asked "really?" and he said yes. So I grabbed the (2) sticks with my own hands (a health code violation by the way) and put them in the basket and gave him the basket while visibly showing our surprise and disappointment. We all looked on as he took the basket back to the kitchen as if nothing was wrong. Did I mention health code violation? Strike one.

Strike 2- After waiting longer than it needs to take to get the check, I went to the register and politely asked for the check so I can pay. I automatically gave the cashier my credit card, but before he was getting ready to swipe the card I noticed the bill was almost a $100. When I asked for a detail of the bill he got upset and printed out a copy of items that we never ordered. After pointing out that we never ordered half the items on the bill, he pressed a few buttons and out came a bill that was half the amount. Without even apologizing, he just replied "I thought you were sitting at the other table". I didn't want to leave a tip, but a left one only because I didn't not want the server to be penalized for the shady and poor management of his employer.

I totally would not go here or recommend anyone else does. Food eaters eat at your own risk...

This is my first restaurant review ever. I really felt like I should say something. I have been going to this diner for 6 years on a very regular basis and my fiancé has been going there for over at least 15 years even before it burnt down and was rebuilt. There are 2 brothers who own this place, one is very nice and the other complete opposite... a creep and then some. I went there recently and was directed to a table which was set in the way of waiters and I wouldn't be comfortable, I told the girl that I would wait till she has a table open and she asked me to wait by the bar area. I waited for few minutes and noticed that the girl was seating other people and tables were open, I walked to her and asked if she can seat me, she asked if the "other" person is here and I told her that I will be the one eating and he will join me for coffee only and that I was ready to order. She directed me to a booth. I sat down at a booth and was ready to order, the creep owner walks to me and asks me to go wait at the bar, I told him that I was ready to order and that the "other" person will join me only for coffee.....he still didn't let go and asked me to wait at the bar. I told him that it was not fair what he was doing and this is not the way to treat a customer. He did all of this knowing I am a frequent customer there. Its not that there was a line of people waiting there either, people were coming but there was no wait time and there were other tables available. Now I will never go back there EVER, I live around the area and will tell all our friends never to go back there. There are plenty of great diners around and we went to this one because of loyalty -- I guess the owner has no principals and do not care for...

Nice restaurant in Paramus, just off RT17. The food is pretty good. The prices and portions are too high and too large. The service is fast and friendly.

Pros: Nearby in Paramus Free parking Lots of parking Pretty good food Clean Friendly staff Fast service Indoor seating Restrooms Restrooms are very clean

Cons: Only 1 napkin per person? We had to ask for more napkins. Not sure why they dont give every table a reasonable amount of napkins like say 4 per person or more? Or dare I say it.. a napkin holder with napkins????

Drink selection is very poor. Only pepsi products, no diet root beer. No diet dr pepper. No Joes Tea.

No bags at all for takeout food.

Very expensive for simple food like a burger, fries and drink.

Portions of food are way too big for 1 person, including the burger.

The hamburger bun was a little stale and turning hard on the outside edges.

French fries were bad. Some fries were undercooked and soggy. Some were cooked correctly, but the batter has a bad aftertaste on all the fries. No salt. I think these are frozen fries and not cut fresh. Also the portion of french fries is way too big.

The mediterranean steak was just a large plate of hamburger ground beef with some sauce and mushrooms on top. Way too big. How abouy just using a real steak, like a NY strip steak and not grounding it up into a burger?

Recommendations to the owner: Reduce all portions to 1/4 or 1/2 of what they are now. Reduce prices to 1/2 of what they are now. Cut fresh french fries. Its simple to do, guaranteed better tasting and customers will appreciate it. Get much better hamburger rolls, like a nice glossy soft bun. Make those burgers smaller and better tasting buns.. make sure the buns are always fresh,...