With its endless turnpike exits and influx of Greek immigrants during the last century, New Jersey is said to have more diners than any other state in the nation.
And one Garden State couple is on a mission to try them all.
So far, Hillside husband and wife Jon and Karri Ricklin have devoured their way through 199 greasy spoons — one burger deluxe, short stack, souvlaki or scramble at a time.
“We don’t order the same thing every time,” Jon, 65, told The Post. “We like a little variety.”
The couple, who’ve been married for 39 years and cruise around in a Ford Escape, started their project in 2015 back when they dropped into the Livingston Diner while visiting family.
The couple were marveling over the massive, book-like menu, when Karri, a nurse, took a candid snap of her hungry hubby reading the specials.
“I joked, ‘You know what would be really cool? What if we had this exact same snapshot from every diner in New Jersey?’ I was half-kidding,” Jon, who owns a delivery dry-cleaning business, recalled.
They started canvassing Google Maps, New Jersey restaurant Facebook pages and diner blogs to compile the ultimate list in an Excel spreadsheet. It’s organized by county, town and name — and they estimate they still have 220 to go. (Unfortunately, many from the initial list have since closed, particularly during the pandemic.)
“Jersey is not a big state,” said Jon, “but it’s big enough to justify driving two hours each way for a cheeseburger.”
But first, they had to settle on a list of criteria.
“If you ask someone what a diner is you’ll probably get five or six definitions,” Jon said.
“Diner purists say unless it’s a factory-made diner car, it’s not really a diner, and technically, they’re right. But for the purpose of this project, if they [the owners] call it a diner and they serve diner-menu basics like eggs, pancakes, burgers and fries, it’s a diner.”
They’ve also taken the liberty to include classic roadside institutions such as White Manna in Hackensack and White Mana in Jersey City — even though their menus are limited to griddled burgers and fries.
Like any couple, they have their dining quirks. While his more health-conscious partner has an affinity for scrambled eggs and omelets, Jon prefers French toast or pancakes, plus bacon.
“I’m a little sacrilegious – I don’t eat eggs,” Jon said.
Perhaps even more blasphemous, the couple don’t count themselves as fans of the NJ processed-meat favorite known as Taylor ham (if you’re up north) or pork roll (if you’re down south).
“I prefer bacon and sausage,” said John, explaining his predilection probably has to do with the fact that he’s an “adopted Jersey boy” originally from Ardsley, NY.
While the couple is hard-pressed to name a hands-down favorite, it just might be the Dumont Crystal Diner in Dumont, said Jon, thanks to its old-school memorabilia, counter seating and a decadent grilled cheese and bacon. (It might also be the oldest continuously operating diner in NJ, though a few others lay claim to the title.)
While the couple will share photos on Facebook of their visits, they’ve yet to create an Instagram account devoted to their mission — though their two daughters have volunteered for the gig.
And they never review a restaurant, viewing their pastime as more of a celebration than anything else.
“There’s enough reviews out there,” Jon said, noting that he doesn’t have the heart to knock a fellow business owner if they stop in on an off day.
“I can write great ones but then I’d have to write the bad ones and I just don’t like doing that.”
The couple say they plan to downsize soon — and not a moment too soon.
“We’re thinking of possibly relocating to the northern half of Monmouth County, which will make the rest of this project a lot easier,” he said.
“We still have over 200 to get to.”
Here are some of the Ricklins’ favorite diners in New Jersey
Best breakfast
The Bendix Diner in Hasbrouck Heights
“It’s an institution, it’s been there forever,” Jon said. “I got the pancakes, she [Karri] got the French toast.”
Best all-around variety
The Pandora Diner in Springfield Township
“The menu was humongous,” said John. “I got a fancy panini Italian combo.”
Best burgers
Lamp Post Diner in Clementon
They have “very good variations of burger platters,” Jon said.
The Runway Diner in South Hackensack
“The burger was juicy and cooked perfectly medium,” according to Jon.
Best souvlaki
The Budd Lake in Budd Lake
“One of the best ones I’ve ever had,” said Jon. “Everything about it was perfect: the meat was perfect, the pita was perfect. The tzatziki was good.”
Best old school spot
Dumont Crystal Diner
“It’s arguably the oldest existing diner in NJ. Its a tiny place – a lot of memorabilia. The counter with the old stools — it really captures what the traditional diners are.”