Paradise Pup. Great hamburgers, the best really, and triple layer fries to die for. On a diet? Try the grilled chicken; it is moist and flavorful. Open til 5 pm only. If you come at lunch, there will be a wait, even after a blizzard; lines are longish, but fast moving. Your best bet is to fax in the order ahead and come pick it up. Don’t expect to sit down inside, I have closets bigger than their indoor seating area.
Saky’s is one restaurant that has never, ever disappointed us. It’s a sushi place in a triple wide trailer by the back gate of the fort and you’d never go there if somebody else hadn’t told you it was good. You’ll have to wait but it’s totally worth it. Plus, the service is friendly, although it’s a crapshoot whether you get the nephew raised in America or the nephew raised in Japan to communicate with.
Al-Amir is where I learned to like Middle Eastern food. Excellent service, even though they all seem to be high school kids. The food is good, fresh, and fast. Sometimes they run out of labneh, though.
The Thai Lotus is probably my real favorite, although I haven’t gone there in a long time. Sometimes it takes awhile to get your food, but when it does they’re so sorry they bring you out extra food to try for free! Huge menu of awesome food and the best Sunday lunch buffet you’ve ever seen in your whole life. If I ate there all the time, though, I mean… did you know a cup of Mussaman curry is 19 freaking points?!
Um… is that Bahn Thai on 13th St. in Deep Doo Doo, Massachussets or Deep Doo Doo, Vermont?
Sorry, that would be the original Deep Doo-Doo, Florida, founded by General Edmund “Doo-doo” Gaines. Once known as Doo-town, currently Gainesville.
In this neck of the woods (Greater Madison WI Area) I’ve found Vin Santo’s in Middelton is the best Italian I’ve had in a long time. Laz Bistro in Stoughton has amazing food and the menu is always changing. The BBQ is really great, but there is such a variety of food you can’t classify it as a certain type of restaurant.
The ‘Tick Tock’ is very good as diners go. Still, business must be off a little now that a ‘TGI Fridays’ has opened up 1/4 mile further down Rt3.
If you are willing to stop 2-3 exits closer to the Meadowlands, you can dine at Paisanos Restaurant. (Look for the church on the hill & park. Its across the street. Make sure to ask for the garlic bread; yes its that good.)
Also, I remember ‘Memphis Pig-Out’ being having great ribs. (Atlantic Highlands)
Hey, thanks for the tip. We have no car, so maybe we’ll take the train to Delawanna.
Whereabouts in Jersey are you? I’m relatively new to Jersey (4.5 years), so I’m grateful for diner suggestions. I think anyone who hates on Jersey should go to a real Jersey diner. Also, if you ever find yourself down the (north) shore, the All Seasons in Eatontown is pretty good. Or if ever in JC, the VIP Diner by Journal Square.
Funny story: I was in my favorite Greek restaurant in NW Indiana (what they would call a diner in Jersey, except that the ones in Indiana actually have Greek items on the menu like Avgolemono, Saganaki, Dolomades, and Spanakopita), Round the Clock in Valparaiso. Well their placemat had a list of resaurants that were owned by the same extended family (or so I assumed). This included a few other "Round the Clock"s a couple of "Christo’s"s (most in NW Indiana, a couple in IL), AND The All Seasons Diner in Eatontown, NJ!
(Oh, and the Christo’s in Knox, IN (Pop: 3721) is fantastic.)
SPAIN: Cranston, RI: best spanish food ever-try the paella-wonderful. and the lentil soup was so delicious, I had to have an extra cup!
PEPE’S PIZZA" Wooster St., new haven CT: best pizza in the world-try the clam pizza-wonderful!
El GAUCHO STEAKHOUSE (las Vegas, NV)-in the TROPICANA HOTEL; best steak you ever tasted!
MOTHER INDIA (Waltham, MA) excellent Indian food-frsh and made of the best ingredients.
Alas, my favorite seafood joint is gonzo (RITCY’s, moody st. Waltham): now its a mediocre italian restaurant.
‘Memphis Pig-Out’ is very good, I think the original “Big Ed’s” in OldBridge on Rt 34 is even better and has great Catfish and Chicken. If you really like Ribs, make the trip to Big Ed’s for the Ribtoberfest.
I am very close to the ‘All Seasons Diner’, a few miles away. It is good, the ‘Americana’ is a little better. The Monmouth Mall is basically our mall.
I have never been to Journal Square. If I even end up there, I will look for the VIP.
Jim
Anne Gunn’s out in the Chesterfield valley. Yum. I also keep getting my family gift certificates there, just as an excuse to visit their Smokehouse Market. Alas, my family haven’t taken the hint and reciprocated. 
Quite possibly the best meal I ever had was while traveling in Seattle, at a little bistro (Figaro Bistro, maybe?) a few blocks from the Space Needle. Best herb-baked chicken, ever.
Havana Cafe, Las Vegas Blvd. Best Cuban food in the West.
Garcias Taqueria, Sunnyvale.
We really don’t go out to dinner much, but when we do, it’s pretty local, and pretty downscale.
My favorite is Brandt’s Little Cafe on Northwest Highway. It’s just burgers, steaks, stuff like that, and it’s really, really small.
For pizza out, I’d say Oak Alley.
For hot dogs or gyros and stuff like that there, Chiggy’s or Frankly Yours.
But I really, really, really love Lone Star Steakhouse. I could eat there twice a day every day with no problem. Too expensive, though.
Oh - there’s one other place, Jimmy’s Charhouse out at Randall Road and I-90 that I had the BEST shrimp De Jonghe at. But that place is expensive too.
I know - I’m a barbarian.
Boy, am I boring. My favorites are repeats from this thread. First is Sweetwater, which is one of the Great American Restaurants (the brewpub above). My favorite bread in the world - little doughballs that remind me of DD munchkins (but not sweet, just nicely dough-y).
I also miss the Chart House in Boston. I used to love their Mud Pie.
And my other miss is Sweet Tomatoes. Loved it when I lived in FL.
Susan
Hey Purplkid_Caterer, you are from Akron, and you don’t even mention Swenson’s OR Luigi’s. Shame on you. Mmmm galleyboy.
Yeah, well, it’s like 8 inches tall. Last time I was there three of us split one.
My South Florida favorites:
Imlee (South Miami) - Ten little tables of Indian perfection parked in a strip mall, and the prices will only make you hesitate once. Maybe twice. But if I was poor as dirt I’d save my pennies just to eat here once in awhile.
Argentango (Hollywood) - Monster skirt steak, provenzal fries and one of the omnipresent pots of chimichurri and I am a happy man.
Le Tub (Hollywood) - The essence of what caz restaurants down here used to be when I was a kid. Great burgers, beer in plastic cups, boats pulling up, seagulls trying to steal your fries, and waitresses ignoring your pleas for assistance. To chill here on a nice spring day is a week’s worth of relaxation anywhere else. Don’t ever go at night.
Hiro’s Yakko-San (N. Miami Beach) - Japanese tapas place, open until the wee hours. Popular with local restaurant staff drinking after work. Late 70’s Pizza Hut brick decor, cheap beer and some seriously badass cookery.
Ernesto’s 24 Hour Taco Shop (Fort Lauderdale) - Finding yourself too far north of Hiro’s after a night down in Miami, you may stumble upon Ernesto’s. Don’t be afraid, my child. Ignore that Denny’s across the street and venture into a world where bleary-eyed indifferent Puerto Ricans serve you freshly deep fried tacos at any hour of any day. Try a combo plate. The food isn’t actually that bad.
Maple Valley, you say? I’ll have to get there sometime.
Just Googled it. Not that far away. Hmmmmmmmmmm 
I like Italianissimo in West Caldwell NJ for the fabulous sandwiches and The Delphi in Manahattan for truly great Greek meals.
I love this little dive sports bar back home called the Locker Room. It’s covered in St. Louis sports memorabilia and it’s the place to go to watch games. It’s great bar food. They have these deep fried cheddar cheese balls that are to die for. I’m sure it will end up being a haunt of mine when I hit 21.
I’ve only been to this place once, but there is a place here in Columbia called Flat Branch. It’s a brewery/restuarant. I’m pretty sure they only sell their beer plus booze. But the food was awesome and it was a neat place. Another place I’ll hit up after I’m 21 to try out their sampler platter of beers.
Big Eds does have good ribs, but the never-ending-ribs platter makes ordering anything adventurous seem like I’m not being careful with money. The Beatles motiff is Very neat.
btw- Is ‘Stuff Yer Face’ still on Easton Ave in New Brunswick? I’ve had some good times there.
I also forgot to mention “Water Lillies” across from the train station in Summit. The ‘shrimp water lillies’ is amazing.
As for Jersey City, there used to be a really nice restaurant on Newark Ave called “Puccini’s”. Yes, its more of a banquet hall now, but show up one of these days for lunch & you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Also in Belleville…same thing…awesome restaurant that mostly does weddings now but Amazing food (expensive though). Nanina’s In The Park…