By Dennis Chu on July 14, 2012 • ( Leave a comment )

MASTORIS DINER

Address: 144 U.S. Highway 30, Bordentown, NJ 08505

Last night I took a trip back down south to get together with my friend Daniel, who I haven’t seen since he graduated from school last year. We decided to head over to the Mastoris Diner to check it out, after a very strong recommendation from my boss, who said it’s a definite place to visit with regards to any diners in New Jersey. While I’m used to places like the Broadway Diner or the New Monmouth Diner, the two of them can’t hold a candle for comparison against the Mastoris Diner.

Let me start off by saying that this place is absolutely huge. There are three separate areas that you can sit in: the dining room, the lounge, or the more traditional diner seating. We opted to head into the diner area, and also because I think that the rest of the place was already packed by the time that we got there. Cracking open the behemoth of a menu would probably be enough to make your head spin in the number of choices they offer. Mind you, these menus are printed on legal sized paper and the font is on the small side, so it really does packed a lot of items in there. I had to really sit and think about what I wanted to get while browsing through their nine pages of food options, not to mention they also had an additional page all just for desserts. I couldn’t make up my mind for five straight minutes.

I ended up going with a Monte Cristo sandwich, while Daniel ordered a full rack of ribs. We also put in an order for a New Jersey diner staple, disco fries, even though they aren’t on the base menu for appetizers. (Secret menu item, perhaps?) Each table also gets served a loaf of Mastoris’s cheese bread and cinnamon bread, both of which were absolutely fantastic. Soft on the inside but full of rich flavor, the bread was a really great way to start off the meal.

My entrée includes a cup of soup, where I went for the Manhattan Clam Chowder. I’ll still always be a fan of New England-style, but this chowder was rich, had a nice blend of spices in it, and was pretty chunky with the clams and vegetables. When we dug into the disco fries, they were just like how I had remembered them: rich, cheesy, delectable, and packed with enough calories to stop your heart! With all of the food that we had before our main courses, we were getting full as it was. And then our real meal arrived.

I had read from reviews just how big the portions were, but I didn’t believe it until I saw it for myself. Sitting in front of me was this huge open-faced Monte Cristo sandwich, packed with probably a half-pound worth of ham and turkey sitting on top of slices of French toast, finished off with a layer of melted Swiss cheese. I could only eat a half of the sandwich before throwing in the towel. The two meats were great, along with the melted Swiss cheese adding in a different layer of flavor. But I have to say that those thicker pieces of French toast really made the sandwich for me.

Not only does this place have three areas to dine-in, but there is also a bakery immediately after you enter into the place. It’s even more tempting as you’re walking out and passing by all of the fantastic looking pastries, cupcakes, cannoli, and breads. I caved in and bought three of the cupcakes to take home for my family to try: Triple Chocolate, Snickers, and Carrot Cake.

The Mastoris Diner really does have the whole package: great food, fantastic portions, and an excellent atmosphere. It truly is a mecca for those in NJ that frequent diners, and should be on your list for a visit at some point.

Here are my rankings for the Mastoris Diner:

Food: 4.5 / 5
They have absolutely huge portions and such a great variety within their menu that it seems like you can’t go wrong.

Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
We only ate inside the diner area, but the other two rooms looked great as well. They are nicely decorated and everything is kept relatively clean. I think the bakery at the front also adds to things as well.

Service: 3.5 / 5
The arrival of food was a little on the slower side, and we kept getting water in these little 8 oz. glasses and kept having to ask for more. After getting another, the old glass didn’t get taken away, and the buildup started to crowd the table, with all the food already on it.

Price: 4.5 / 5
I think that the prices really size well with the portions that they give you. My sandwich was only $10.50 but I felt like they gave me a ton for the price.

Overall: 17 / 20 (85%)