Every small town has something that its residents identify with. When you venture outside the borders of Middletown, NJ and somehow cross paths with another Middletown resident, you know exactly what you both identify with: The Middletown Diner.

The Middletown Diner, as it’s most often called but officially known as the New Monmouth Diner, is great for reasons that go beyond the kitchen. The diner is hometown pride, it’s hometown community, and of all it’s hometown nostalgia manifested into a single building right off of Highway 35. The people of Middletown have been coming to the diner for decades to eat, to laugh, and to come together as a community. Whether you go to Middletown North or South, Mater Dei or CBA, Brookdale or out abroad, chances are you’ll be at the diner and share a table with some friends and rivals.

I’ve been going to the diner for longer than I can remember. My earliest memory of it is going with my family when I was in preschool. I got pancakes for dinner and my grandpa bought me an oversized cookie. I’ve become so habituated to the smell of coffee and burgers that I can’t smell either without thinking of the diner.

But why specifically is the diner so great?

The portions are huge

I’ve been going to this diner my whole life, and never have I seen another restaurant serve portions that match the size of the New Monmouth Diner’s. Personally, I usually get a bleu cheese burger when I go, and I’m lucky if I finish half. But it’s not just the main dish that makes the dish gargantuan. The chefs back in the kitchen overflow the dish with fries and whatever pleases you.

It’s also pretty cheap

As a broke college kid (and previously a broke high school kid), another reason why the diner is my heaven on earth is that the food is so damn cheap. $5 for a large stack of pancakes? Sign me up.

The atmosphere

The New Monmouth Diner previously looked like any generic American diner. After the remodeling, however, it now has a 1950’s theme. The entire restaurant is filled with 50’s memorabilia. Frank Sinatra greets you at the door and you can sit by Marilyn Monroe as you eat. They have a working jukebox and half of an actual 1957 Chevy hanging above the entrance. Only the coolest cats come to the Middletown Diner.

The fundraisers

The diner is also no stranger to giving back to its community. I went to St. Mary’s School growing up, and the diner was no stranger to giving proceeds to help the school. I remember walking inside and seeing the entire diner packed with St. Mary’s students showing up to eat good food and support the school.

Maybe I'm biased, maybe it is the best place in the world. Either way, if you happen to be in Middletown, NJ, you should stop on by. If you're from Middletown, well, you know why the diner is the best.