

Address and Contact Information
Address: 1388 NJ-72, Manahawkin, NJ 08050
Phone: (609) 978-9897
Website: http://stafforddiner.com/
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Reviews
All four of us are vegetarian (meaning no meat, but eggs/milk/cheese are okay). We arrived about an hour after opening and the hostess was eating her own breakfast at the bar. We were seated next to the only other person in the restaurant, which was a little off-putting. All of the meals that came with sides had a side of meat. We asked if we could substitute the meat for a vegetarian side of equal or lesser value and the waitress said no. She said it was impossible, but called the hostess over to verify. The hostess confirmed it was impossible because of the “computer code.” She stated any side we received would be up-charged, even if we did not receive the meat. They acted like us asking for a substitution was unheard of and a ludicrous request. We ended up ordering the meat & brought it home to our dogs.
I am pregnant and specifically asked for my fried eggs to be done through, and they were over easy. I would have spoken to the waitress about this, but she checked on us once when our drinks were still full and the food had just come out. She didn’t check on us again & everyone needed drink refills before the end of our meal. She wasn’t anywhere to be seen and we couldn’t flag her down.
The “home fries” were a burned, bland mass of potatoes and needed a lot of salt and ketchup to be palatable. My sister’s French toast was tasty, but soggy through. The biscuits were the best part of the meal, but the waitress stated the biscuits are not made in house. While I appreciated the honesty, did raise red flags for me for patrons with allergens.
It’s 2026. Being a vegetarian isn’t uncommon, and restaurants should be able to substitute sides of equal or lesser value, regardless of “computer code.” When the restaurant is empty, water refills and checks should be frequent. It’s not difficult to fry an egg through and not burn the potatoes. Overall, extremely disappointed and won’t be returning.
I recently stopped in for breakfast with my youngest son while looking for a new place to take my family after church. I haven’t been here in about 25 years. The last time I was there I was literally a teenager, so I was actually excited to come back and thought it might become a nice biweekly breakfast spot for us.
The food itself was good and I had no issues with the quality. Our server was kind and the atmosphere felt like a typical diner. The booths are very small, but I remembered that from years ago so that wasn’t surprising.
The problem came when I received the bill. My son ordered French toast from the kids menu and asked for berries and whipped cream on top. At no point were we told there would be extra charges for those items. When the bill came, his breakfast actually cost more than mine, which confused me since it came from the kids menu.
When I asked about it, I was told the berries were a $5 upcharge and the whipped cream was $2.50. The person ringing me up did remove the whipped cream charge after I mentioned that no one told me about it, but the berry charge stayed. What made it more frustrating was that the “berries” were really just a couple small slices of strawberry.
I understand that restaurants charge extra for add-ons, but customers should be told beforehand so they can decide if they want it. The price itself also felt excessive considering I recently bought a whole pound of strawberries at the grocery store for under $2.50.
No one was rude and the food was fine, but transparency about pricing really matters. Because of that experience, I unfortunately won’t be returning. If you do visit, I would recommend asking about any possible up charges before placing your order so there are no surprises when the bill comes. Even something as simple as milk for your tea would be an up charge. You have been warned.
The place was a little crowded but service was fantastic. All the food was excellent tasted delicious. On a rainy day it was what we needed.