Local Eats: Barnegat Diner

Where it is: 849 W. Bay Ave., Barnegat.

The scene: Every Jersey town needs a diner. Barnegat’s sometimes gets overlooked, maybe because it’s a storefront place stuck in with consignment shops and pizza joints in the Gunning River Mall.

But inside, it’s all classic diner: mirrored surfaces, “hon” heavy waitstaff and a giant menu of all the essentials.

Booths line the restaurant's and fill the main section of the building, and a separate split level has extra seating and can serve as a banquet room.

The eats: I’m a breakfast person when it comes to diners, whatever the hour, and I nearly always turn to the French toast when I’m here. Like a lot of the offerings, it’s unfussy and straight-up good.

And though a lot of people pull a face when I say it, I love -- love -- corned beef hash. It’s not bad at the Barnegat Diner, and it’s delivered in quantities.

If you’re not there for breakfast, try the reuben, one of the club sandwiches or the Greek salad. And there are pages of other options, too. This is one of the few diners where I'd actually order seafood off the menu. 

The coffee tastier and stronger here than the usual diner fare, a major plus. Also great: The prices are low. You expect diner fare to be cheap, but it's not always the case. Here, $6 will get one person a plateful.