Crystal Lake Diner - Westmont, NJ
Crystal Lake Diner - Westmont, NJ
571 E Cuthbert Blvd
No Known Website
When I was 17, I went to this diner almost every weekend. It was the thing to do. When they raised their prices, I had to break off my 5 year relationship with it, as it was the most expensive diner in the area. I wasn’t going to spend $6.00 for breakfast when I could spend $4.00 or $5.00 elsewhere. Recently, I found out that they were just at the beginning of the price pumping wave. Now all diners are more expensive. I decided to try it again.
Walking in, there’s a lobby with seats on either side and a coat rack. Through another set of doors lies the actual diner. The cash register and hostess are directly to the right, as well as a long dining area to either side with booths. The counter is directly in front. It is mostly colored in drab pink, with mirrors along the back wall. To the left is a doorway that leads to a second room that has green wallpaper and mirrored walls. It holds mostly booths. Beyond that is a third room in drab pink, with a mix of tables and booths. This room is usually closed off at the times I go.
I went around 11:00 pm with a good friend. The hostess seated us in the front booth of the second room. I despise being in the front booth. People stare at you, and you feel like you can’t talk. After about a five minute wait, an old man took our drink orders. I ordered coffee, my friend water. After another five minute wait, he brought my coffee and took our orders. I got two eggs, scrambled, well done, wheat toast, and bacon. My friend got a cinnamon roll. It took a while for us to get our food. I had already finished my first cup of coffee. When our food came, our orders were correct and my coffee was refilled. I mention that they were correct because it sometimes appears to be difficult to make breakfast to my specifications. The food was a little greasier than I was used to, but it was still good. Also, there was a lot on the plate. The waiter brought me coffee one more time, then did not return again. This displeased me greatly, because I wanted more coffee, and it seemed as though the waiter was purposefully disregarding us. Overall, the service was horrible, but the food was good.
However, it was completely different the next time I went (with the same person, mind you). I was seated away from the entrance. I ordered tea and cheesecake, and my friend ordered a cinnamon roll again. The waiter was nice about refills, unlike the last. Also, I got the biggest piece of cheesecake I have ever gotten anywhere. The waiter was courteous, and kept checking on us. This diner seems to be hit-or-miss, depending on the waiter and hostess. The food is decent, and the prices are acceptable for a higher class diner.
TheOneAndOnlySam’s Score: 2.5 Chews
Subjective rating: Average.
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- Casa de Coffee, Pitman, NJ - July 2nd, 2008
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We haven’t eaten here in about a year, but found the waitstaff generally unfriendly. We got the stink eye stare when we asked for a drink refill, then got half the glass spilled on the table when the waitress brought it back. And there was a poor elderly man waiting there for what I can only assume was a blind date. After sitting there for about 30 minutes that we know of, he told the waitress (our same waitress) that he’d be ordering dinner. She loudly ridiculed him by saying, “Ha, she stood ya up, huh?” Poor guy.
We haven’t been back since, and it doesn’t look like we’re missing much!