With so many people travelling to Freehold in the next few weeks for Christmas shopping at the mall and Christmas Tree Shop, why get sucked in to paying for some expensive, barely edible food? It may a mile or so away, but Tony’s is a neighborhood staple. An institution in business since 1947. Get breakfast on your way in, or lunch on the way home. What can you expect here besides a good meal? How about a step back in time, for starters.

We sat at the counter because they were packed, even on a Monday afternoon. Above our heads on the wall was a display of prices from yesteryear, with a note saying they were for “nostalgic purposes only”, lest you get too excited seeing full meals priced at under $3. The diner itself is tiny, as most were back in the day. There’s chrome both outside and in. Fans of vintage will be impressed just by the look of the place. But how’s the food?

I went with the classic tuna melt, served on an English muffin and topped with Swiss cheese and tomato. I hadn’t ordered one of these in forever, and since they said their tuna was homemade, I gave it a shot. It was very good—not too much mayo. I also got a side of fries, which reminded me of something you would see at a boardwalk, and still with bits of skin on them. He had pancakes and oatmeal, which came as advertised when it said “piping hot”. The pancakes were as light and fluffy as I’ve ever had.

All in all, we had two simple meals and have only been here once, so it’s hard to gauge exactly how good this place is. I will go with 3.5 out of 5 stars for now, but would like to come again and maybe try a sandwich or a breakfast combo. Service was very friendly, which is something you see in all reviews of this place online. Tony’s is both a step back into another world and also a pretty affordable place to grab breakfast or lunch in a very expensive Freehold Borough. The locals love it for a reason.

Tony’s Freehold Grill is located at 59 East Main Street in Freehold, New Jersey.