50/50 Trip in Northern NJ, Sorry No Pics

Hey Everyone,
My wife and I are big fans of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives on the Food Network so everytime a NJ place is featured we get excited. Yesterday on March 29th we decided to go to The Brownstone Diner and Pancake Factory in Jersey City. One would think that with the word Pancake in their name they would be outstanding. However there's also the word Factory which makes one think about mass production and another overrated place with the word Factory in it. Enough from me now and on to the review. We made it there without getting lost, well not too lost (got off one exit too early, Mapquest was right I was wrong.) There were posters and signs about their appearance on the Food Network everywhere and the place was really busy. There was only a short wait thankfully, maybe 10 minutes which wasn't too bad. We both decided to get pancakes, I got chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream and my wife got their "Honkey Tonk" pancakes with peanut butter chips baked in and sliced bananas on top. Their menu offers 31 differnt types of pancakes And the Food Network showed them making homemade batter so we were assuming that they would be spectacular. You know what happens when you assume right? Exactly. We both agreed that the pancakes were a little dry and just average, definitely a big disappointment for us. I don't think we would go out of our way to return to the Brownstone, seeing as how there are probably 800 diners between our house and Jersey City, But thats ok there was more eating in store for us.

The next stop was Boulevard Drinks at 48 Journal Saquare also in Jersey City. This place is tiny but cranks out a huge volume of hot dogs. A little side note is that the parking in the area is awful. There were no open spots and the meter maids were out in full force. We ended up parking in a garage ($4.00 for up to an hour, we were gone 10 minutes). The alley connecting the garage to Journal Square put us out right next to the store which was great. The dog which was a Sabrett (not sure of the size) was expertly grilled and the bun was soft and fresh. The chili was wonderfully flavorful with just the right amount of spice. I could see the ground up chili pepers in the mixture. Definitely worth a return visit, only next time I'll get more than one dog. One for two stops, we're batting .500

The next stop was a bonus stop. We were on Routes 1 & 9 heading towards Route 3 when I saw the Jersey City White Manna Diner. My wife quickly pulled in and waited in the car while I ran in to get a cheeseburger to go. I've eaten at the White Mana in Hackensack which is much smaller inside, but also much better. I believe they were once owned by the same guy but now have different owners. Anyway the burger was small and the roll was big?!?! There was too much bread, the meat got lost in it. Another disappointment and another not returning. Ok one for three still batting .333 (Ok Ok I'll stop the baseball references, I'm not even a fan).

Last stop of the day was one of my favorites. The place that got me started with my obsession with hot dogs. Big Daddy's Dogs, 62A Main St, Little Falls. A little shop with what I think are great dogs and toppings, although I do agree the dogs area little small. They use Sabrett natural casings and mine was cooked perfectly, it had a nice snap, and was heated all the way through. I hzaven't been there in several years but it hadn't really changed. The hot sauces were still on the wall, the Stewart's Root Beer barrel soda fountain was still there and Brent the owner was behind the counter slinging dogs. I had one with chili and slaw. The chili is good although not as spicy as Boulevard Drinks, but thats probably because of all the hot sauces available to sample. The cole slaw is homemade and very good, crisp, creamy but not too much dressing. I also had a Stewarts root beer in a frosted mug which is always good. All in all a great dog and it brought my eating average up to two out of four.

On a side note, yesterday was my birthday so my wife oblieged and we drove all around the state eating. Someone said that since I was turning 29 on the 29th it was lucky so I bought $29.00 worth of scratch off lottery tickets and won NOTHING!! Oh well atleast I was full.

Dave

Dave ,
Happy Bithday buddy !!!!!!
Great trip report .
I'm also a fan of the diner tv show but have heard mixed reviews on a lot of the places they show , so I'm not surprised in your opinion of the pancake place.

Nothing like a stewarts Root Beer with a dog . I will try to have a six pack for you on the Jersey Dog Tour this year if you will be coming along . ( Date is Sept 20th )

Benzee

Al's Diner..Communipaw Avenue, Jersey City..Been there for like 50 years....

Benzee,
Thanks for the Birthday wishes, yes Laura and I hope to join you on the tour this year. We did like Moustache Bill's Diner on Long Beach Island which was featured on the NJ Diner episode of Diners Drive ins and Dives.

Dave

Dry pancakes !! I hate them dry.....makes it even worse when you expect so much more, due to all the hype....

Happy B-day for being 29 on the 29th !
I like your numbers much better than mine ! I'll be 49 , not 29 .....
(I feel and act 29, though)

Grew up in neighboring Union City in the 50's...wow,so much has changed...say,Happy Birthday, and thanks for the report!

Cool way to spend a birthday. Nice report, thanks. Oh, happy belated B-day.

You have to try White Manna-in Hackensack to compare them to White Manna in Jersey City--Hackensack is the best>

MikeZ,
I completely agree. I ate at the White Manna in Hackensack back in February and they were 100 times better.

Dave