I last ate here four years ago. It was an experience so unbelievably awful that if I outlined what happened here, people would accuse me of slander. So I will leave it at that. I actually never planned on ever visiting the Reo Diner in Woodbridge ever again. A few of my friends (the “hockey guys” as I call them, since we have played and coached together for many years) joke around about this place from time to time. A few weeks ago, we were in the area buying equipment at Hockey Monkey. Lo and behold, a Facebook alert came up on Jake’s phone saying we had all eaten at the Reo Diner exactly four years ago that day. You know what that meant…we had to eat there again.

When we arrived, I noticed the place had been heavily renovated, at least on the outside. It looked rather nice. The interior had a classic diner feel and was clean despite being an old building. I was in the mood for breakfast, and went with the chocolate chip pancakes and a side of bacon. My stomach felt too acidic for coffee, and the little kid in me emerged ordering a chocolate milk. Meanwhile, Jake had chicken fingers and fries, and Ben had something called the “Fat Linda”—a behemoth sandwich that exists simply because it can. Take a cheesesteak and throw on some mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, French fries, and marinara sauce. No complaints from either of them, and after stealing a few fries, they were good and crispy.

My pancakes were extremely well-made. They managed to be crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle, and have an airy consistency overall. When it comes to being called “chocolate chip pancakes”, these were the real deal. So many diners are taking the cheap way out. Regular pancakes with a sprinkle of chips are not chocolate chip pancakes. These had an ample amount throughout, almost in every bite. A side of crispy bacon rounded out the meal.

I was very pleased, especially since I had reservations of ever coming back. I’m sorry that I cannot say what happened here all those years ago. I do not like being cryptic, but it is likely the particular server involved is long-gone and I do not wish to sound off on a business due to this one event so long ago (and aside from that, I thought the food on those first visits was sub-par). The Reo Diner gets a 3.5 out of 5 stars rating from me. Woodbridge is not a place I find myself in often anymore, but I would eat here again.

The Reo Diner is located at 392 Amboy Avenue in Woodbridge, New Jersey.