How one photo started couple's mission to visit every diner in their state
Hillsdale, New Jersey, residents Jon and Karri Ricklin traveled almost two hours on Saturday, Feb. 25, to have a burger at the Horizon Diner in Manahawkin.
Yes, they are aware there are diners in their county — they've been to all of them.
In fact, they know where the diners are in every county of the Garden State, and they plan to visit each one.
The Horizon Diner was the 199th diner they have eaten at in eight years. If Jon's calculations are correct, they have about 220 or so to go.
It all started in 2015, when the couple was visiting a family member being treated at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. The closest place to grab a bite to eat afterward was the Livingston Diner.
“We’ve always been foodies," Jon Ricklin said. "We would go to restaurants every weekend … mostly in [North Jersey]. But for whatever reason [that day at the diner], my wife snapped a picture of me holding the menu.
“I thought about how it would be really cool to visit every diner in the state, [considering] New Jersey is the diner state. … And [although] my wife looked at me like I was crazy, she thought it would be fun.”
This picture became a building block for the near decade-long restaurant tour, where they have taken similar photos at every diner.
At first, they were progressing slowly, visiting a few a year. It wasn't until they saw plenty of diners on a road trip through Cape May County that they decided to start keeping track.
From that point on, Ricklin was hooked. He began compiling lists based on New Jersey diner lore and online resources. He even got into the weeds of what is really considered a "true" diner.
“I made spreadsheets where all the diners were [based on] very loose criteria," Ricklin said " … If a place calls itself a diner, or makes diner food, I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. Purists – and there’s a lot of them – believe a diner can only be a pre-manufactured spot that’s been placed somewhere, not a store front.
“When you get into the diner business, it could be as big of a war as pork roll versus Taylor Ham,” he said.
Speaking of age-old local battles, the Westchester County, New York, native has never felt more like a Jersey boy.
“We’ve been to a lot of places in Jersey that we never would have,” said Ricklin, who moved to New Jersey when he married Karri years ago. “It’s really gotten me into the Jersey state of mind.”
And while visiting every diner in New Jersey may seem like the Ricklins’ mission on the surface, it’s actually to bring attention to the establishments — before it’s too late.
When they started their journey, there were nearly 450 diners on Jon's original list. Now, after a steady decline of about five a year, there are about 420.
“The list is getting a lot smaller because a lot of places have closed, or places that I’ve visited don’t exist anymore,” he said. “It’s a tough business to begin with, and a lot of those that used to be open 24 hours can’t because it’s hard to get staff.
“The pandemic killed the food business in general, but diners are usually mom and pop operations which are sometimes immigrant-owned. … [Some] ended up struggling and not making it.”
Ricklin has been a small businessman for nearly 25 years, after leaving his job as a hospital administrator for New York City's Rikers Island to open a delivery dry cleaning business in Bergen County. It’s also why he never writes reviews, and says “it’s impossible to pick favorites.”
“The last thing I want to do is see a bad review after I bust my rear end,” he said. “People have bad days.”
If he did have to pick favorites however, he named some of the diners in his top 10, including the Dumont Crystal Diner, for being a “really cool, tiny place, with nice memorabilia all over the walls."
He also enjoyed the Colonial Diner in Lyndhurst; Pandora Diner in Springfield; Lamp Post Diner in Clementon; Broad Street Diner in Keyport; and the Americana Diner in Shrewsbury.
Roadside Diner in Wall is an “old school, cute little place” that is “definitely stuck in time” but has great food, he added.
He had nothing but positive things to say about the Horizon Diner in Manahawkin.
“You want to support your local businesses …," he said. "Anything you can do to support a small business in your area, I’m for it."
Gabriela L. Laracca joined the Paste BN NETWORK New Jersey in 2021 and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to glaracca@gannett.com.