New Jersey’s most beloved mom-and-pop diner has been feeding generations of hungry locals since 1942 — and it just keeps getting better. 🍳
From a humble roadside grill on Passaic Avenue to a $10 million landmark that Time Out magazine once dubbed the best diner in America, Tops Diner in East Newark, New Jersey, is the kind of place that makes you believe in the magic of family-owned restaurants.
It’s a rare treasure in today’s dining world: a multigenerational, family-owned diner that has somehow managed to honor its roots while boldly evolving with the times. 🏆
How Tops Diner won East Newark’s hearts
The story of Tops Diner begins long before its current form — all the way back to 1938, when a man named Jess P. Persson operated Tops Grill at the very same location on Passaic Avenue where the diner proudly stands today…