Bendix Diner
Diner · Hasbrouck Heights
464 NJ-17, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604
Highlights
Classic diner with counter seating, friendly staff, and comfort classics
Classic diner with counter seating, friendly staff, and comfort classics
"A mid-century-style diner in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey that was described in one passage as a “40-year-old restaurant” but is also noted to have originally opened in 1947, with the Diakakis family taking over in 1985. The co-owner and longtime operator, John Diakakis — who is legally blind — says the building “was very, very old,” and that he had been trying to update the fire suppression systems since 2020 but that would’ve required extensive construction for an old building that was “almost at this point, falling apart at the seams.” He sums up the struggle succinctly: “It was just an uphill battle.” After coping with his mother’s death in fall 2024 and pressure from the city over outdated systems, he slimmed the menu to simpler items like sandwiches and salads (which didn’t go over well with a crowd used to diner pancakes, burgers, and French toast), then reverted to cooking with the out-of-code system until the health department forced a closure in January. The space also drew attention from location scouts in the summer of 2024 and appears in a Levi’s commercial titled “Refrigerator,” in which Beyoncé pulls out a very cold denim shirt from an iced-tea/condiment fridge; Diakakis recalls tight security during filming, noting “If she had to worry about me taking pictures, she never would have had a picture taken.” The diner has been used in films including Jersey Girl, Boys on the Side, and The Many Saints of Newark. Co-ownership with two siblings — one of whom Diakakis says was causing issues while he was caring for his mother — has complicated matters, and he is looking to sell amid “lowball” offers; NorthJersey.com reports that it’s listed for $2.5 million. On his personal plans he says, “If it was just my inheritance and my property,” he would want to keep the place going, but “as much as my family owned it, I just always felt like I wanted to go in there and make my living and take care of my children. I’ve always been approachable with the public because it is a unique situation that I’m totally blind and am waiting on people.” He adds that “I think we’re just going to hang in there and not make any kind of crazy decisions,” and that he hopes to find work somewhere warmer and continue in the restaurant atmosphere he loves: “That would be my ultimate goal.”" - Nadia Chaudhury
"Bendix Diner, built by the Master Diner Company of Pequannock, opened in 1947, is located in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. It is constructed of stainless steel and has been featured in six movies and numerous TV commercials, including one starring Ray Charles. It sits in a triangular parking lot penned in with idle trucks, with a neon coffee cup on the top boasting 'Good Coffee.' The short stack came with real butter, tasted of buttermilk, and were fluffier than previous examples. The patty melt was miraculous, with good ground beef cooked to medium over flame, smoky taste, and caramelized onions on rye toast. The homemade hash was good but not quite up to Miss America’s. Our waiter was blind and turned out to be the owner, whose three sons and mother are also involved in the operation." - Robert Sietsema
"A stainless-steel, no-frills classic sitting literally in the middle of a highway, this 1947 diner is cinematic in appearance and atmosphere—leather seats, glass ketchup bottles, and warm staff—and has become a trucker and traveler favorite. The Trucker’s Special (three pancakes, two eggs, four strips of bacon) typifies the generous, comforting plates served amid a storied, film-and-commercial-friendly backdrop." - Eater Staff
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