Step ‘back in time’ at New Jersey’s oldest operating diner

Going to a diner is a New Jersey tradition.

There's nothing quite like going to your favorite little spot, feeling the vinyl or pleather booth stick to your legs and digging into a mammoth-sized menu.

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Diners are just a way of life in the Garden State and new diners are still popping up every day!

In Toms River on Route 37, the Bandwagon Diner is preparing to reopen in the near future.

No word on an exact open date, but I for one can't wait to give it a try.

That being said, no diner in Jersey would be where it is today without the very first diner ever in the Garden State.

Before the flashy neon lights, massive steel entryways, and sometimes slick and stylish interiors the very first diner in Jersey was, and still is, pretty modest.

That's right, you can still visit the oldest diner in Jersey.

Jersey's oldest diner is coming up on its 100th birthday and has been open according to some folks since about 1925.

Don't let the age fool you, Jersey's first and oldest diner is still whipping up big juicy burgers, larger-than-life omelets, and hot fresh coffee.

So What's The Very First And Oldest Diner In New Jersey?

For a heads up, Jersey's oldest diner isn't the oldest in the country, just the state.

The oldest diner in America is in Rhode Island, it's called the White Horse Tavern and it opened in the mid-1600s.

However, Jersey's oldest diner is coming up on its 100th birthday, and when you walk inside it has that classic diner vibe.

According to Only In Your State you'll have to head up to 45 W. Madison Avenue in Dumont and visit the legendary Dumont Crystal Diner.

Just because the diner is the oldest operating in Jersey doesn't mean it can't learn some new tricks though.

Recently the Dumont Crystal has ventured into the catering business and can provide party trays for your get-togethers.