When people ask me to name my favorite New Jersey diner, I smile and reply that “it’s not a fair question.” It’s a legit curiosity that frequently comes up with audiences throughout the state as I do talks on my book, The History of Diners in New Jersey. There are plenty of “favorite” diners to enjoy, such as the Broad Street Diner in Keyport or Mustache Bill’s Diner on Long Beach Island, and new ones yet to be discovered, so there’s no need to pick just one. But I explain to people that the one diner most near and dear to my heart is the Tick Tock Diner, located on the westbound side of Route 3, in my hometown of Clifton.
Back in the early 1970s, on Saturday nights, my buddies and I were fond of dropping in at the Tick Tock after 1 a.m. to grab a bite to eat. Sure, we were hungry, but for us the main attraction was to see who else would be in the joint at that time of the night. It was a most entertaining assortment of characters: hippies, truck drivers, businessmen, Jersey girls, tourist, cops, politicians, formally dressed members of wedding parties, musicians, young and old lovers, and all sorts of wayfaring strangers.
This is the roadside human drama that defines Garden State diners. They’re part of our culture, part of our DNA. We drive fast, we eat fast, and there’s always plenty to talk about. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, what you look like, or what time you show up—everyone always has a seat at a Jersey diner. As Pennsylvania diner historian Randy Garbin once told me: “diners are a haven for humanity. A meal at a diner can be 45 minutes of your life that you’ll never forget.”
These days I’m not much of a late-shift rambler. I’m usually in and out of diners well before the respectable hour of 11 p.m.
Recommended dishes at the Tick Tock? For supper, the Nicoise salmon salad is a delicious choice at the top of my list. The salmon is broiled to perfection. For lunch, the hot open turkey sandwich is a dependable classic and the best around. The lentil soup is a treat. What about breakfast? You’ll never go wrong with two eggs over easy, accompanied by well-done hash and home fries. The coffee is good, consistent and mellow. Dessert? Allow me to suggest the regal lemon merengue pie.
Friends and family members who join me for a meal at the Tick Tock bring their own culinary perspectives and appetites and make winning choices. Greek salad with spinach wraps, chocolate/banana crepes, veggie burgers with red onion and humus, and beef patty melts all have received rave reviews. And customers seem to thrive on the Tick Tock disco fries.
There have been three distinct iterations of the Tick Tock, all at the same location on Route 3. The original Tick Tock was a stainless steel Silk City diner car, built by the Paterson Vehicle Company of Paterson, and installed in 1952. Business flourished at the diner and in 1956 Silk City installed a modular dining room extension to keep up with demand.
In early April 1977, a second Tick Tock was unveiled: a boxy structure with large windows, carriage lamps and seating for more than 200 people, built by the Musi Dining Car Company Inc. of Carteret. The late Nick Ramoundos—the original owner—decided it was time to retire the old Silk City car in favor of a larger, more modern diner, in order to seize the opportunity to attract more customers, due to the opening of the Meadowlands sports complex. It was, no doubt, the correct business move at the time. But Ramoundos, like most other Tick Tock faithful, felt sad to say goodbye to the old diner car.
The third and current Tick Tock, built by Kullman Industries Inc. at its factory in Avenel (and manufactured in seven sections), opened on June 1, 1994. (The Musi-built Tick Tock was transported to Mays Landing on Route 40, and became the Mays Landing Diner.)
The current diner features decorative neon lights, glass bricks, a crimson facade, and stainless steel, all of which radiate a retro/contemporary charm. It also retains the classic neon rooftop sign, crowned with the Eat Heavy clock. The avuncular, animated Ramoundos, a larger-than-life figure, coined the expression “Eat Heavy” to greet his customers. This was his friendly way of saying come in, sit down, relax and enjoy a good meal. It was as much about the spirit of the moment as the good food itself. During its lifespan of 64 years, the Tick Tock has come to symbolize all that was and is in the mythic Jersey diner saga.
“Eat Heavy” my friends. My devotion to the Tick Tock is eternal. And one of these nights, if there is a harmonic convergence of the moon, stars, comets, galaxies and earth-bound situations, maybe, just maybe, you might see me stumble through the Tick Tock’s vestibule doors at 1:05 a.m.
Tick Tock Diner
281 Allwood Rd. (and Route 3 westbound)
Clifton
973-777-0511
Michael Gabriele is the author of The History of Diners in New Jersey, published by The History Press.
rst brick-and-mortar outlet in Hoboken in 2010 and proudly celebrated its grand reopening there on October 14, at which time it unveiled refreshed new flooring, artwork, and interior design. Among the sustainable, 20-seat outlet’s signature Mexican taqueria-inspired dishes are its Pescado Taco, featuring crispy catfish, red cabbage, pico de gallo, tartar, and chipotle salsa in a flour tortilla, Al Pastor Taco, made with marinated pork, onion, cilantro, pineapple, and fresh green salsa in a stone-ground warm corn tortilla, and Pollo Burrito, made with red rice, black beans, crema, grilled chicken, lime-pickled onion, and roasted red salsa in a flour tortilla. Following this site and other locations in Morristown and Princeton, opened in 2013 and 2014 respectively, cofounders Jason Scott and Chris Viola look forward to opening another location in King of Prussia, PA in late 2016. “We’re dedicated to providing our loyal local customers with an authentic experience and anticipate that our renovations will allow the community to continue to enjoy the high quality food and service they’ve grown to love for many years to come,” shared Scott, The Taco Truck’s CEO.
Which brings us to Newark. Before the Industrial Revolution, when Newark became one of the largest beer brewing centers in the country, the area had been renowned for its orchards and world class cider. Dubbed the “Champagne of Ciders,” it was often passed off as such by unscrupulous merchants. The heart of Newark’s cider juggernaut was the Harrison apple. Like the area orchards themselves, it all but disappeared. It also became Charles Rosen’s inspiration to revive the glory days of Jersey cider. Following a suggestion from Newark Sustainability Officer Stephanie Greenwood, Rosen employed an apple detective—who knew that was a thing?—and tracked down some trees in Virginia that were being cultivated with cuttings taken from perhaps the last known Harrison apple tree.
Totally unique to the area, the BYOB Butcher Burgers offers top-notch burgers, specialty sandwiches, salads, and tempting sides. Sodas, specialty milk shakes, and desserts to delight your sweet tooth.
You can get creative with Butcher Burgers’ build-a-burger concept, which allows diners to select a patty, toppings, cheese, and bread type. There are limitless options that will turn you into a regular, so get ready to try out your culinary imagination again and again.
Meatless choices are also available, including the portabella burger, veggie burger and items like fish tacos. If you prefer to go light, consider a salad. There are classics like classic cobb, Caesar, and the Wedge. A specialty, their Frisée includes poached egg and duck-apple brandy sausage with apple cider vinaigrette.
