Piston Diner

Fantastic diner. Straightforward menu with no misses. Known for their soup but the large portions and excellently fried items (Chicken, fries, etc) make it a true standout. Drive out of my way for their onion rings and red sauce.

I finally did it, I have been driving past this diner for several years when I was up this area for work related trips and have always said I would like to check them out, today was the day. I had hoped to be able to check out a lunch or dinner but since I was in the area for breakfast, I came in and got what was a very good meal. Because my work involves driving a school bus. I was a little bit concerned about having a place to park the bus however I figured that if necessary I could park it up the road and walk back. Fortunately though, there was an abandoned business across the street that I was able to park my bus and two other buses followed my lead and parked theirs in there as well. Prior to entering I did pull the menu up on my telephone just to see what I might want to get and noticed an awful lot of noise in the neighborhood possibly from a train that was running across the road. Fortunately, upon entering the diner I did not hear the outside noise at all so it was not a problem but I would hate to be a resident there that has to deal with that much racket all the time. Upon being seated, I was given ample time to be able to scan the menu to decide what to get and decided on a special since it included the coffee in the price. I usually will not get coffee out because it's not usually as good as mine at home but this was very good. After ordering my meal I noticed a lot of people coming in the place were greeted by the employees like they knew them pretty well. So I'm guessing that it is a good place that locals go back to on a regular basis. I will definitely try to get back up here again if in the area but hopefully it will be a dinner time or at least lunch. The only reason I did not give them a good mark on the atmosphere was because of the train noise that although it was not there when I walked out, there was a lot of other traffic noise that I don't really care to have to listen to but I'm only passing through so I don't have to deal with it regularly.

Piston Diner - Westville - You won't hear "No soup for you!" In this local diner! You will hear "soup flights!". Every soup homemade with passion and flavor! Their potatoe leek is award winning, creamy and delicious. The Pennsylvania Dutch soup was just as good. The fav among our group was the chicken pasta. So many selections! We also hit up some of the comfort food this warm and welcoming diner offers. Tuna melt, chicken wrap, and a carved turkey melt all hot the spot. Every meal comes with a cup of soup so you can taste at least one! Or get the flights they offer to taste them all. Awesome staff and service. #soup #homemade #diner #soupflight #hashtagstevej #foodie #supportlocal #comfortfood

In 2023 we found the Piston Diner on a Los of “You picked them: The 16 absolute best diners in Southern NJ” and we had to stop on our latest trip south. This is definitely a local diner! People are greeted by name and we were warmly welcomed - seated quickly and our waitress was friendly and attentive. The diner is the winner of the 2024 Soup Bowl and they had a “soup flight” on the menu where one can try their many should selections! Lots of fun 🍲 The restaurant is accessible ♿️ and very large and comfortable inside. Varied menu which includes a salad bar, and lots of parking.

Piston Diner was so delicious! My husband surprised me yesterday by bringing me here for the soup flight (soup is my favorite food)! I had the Potato Leek, Chicken Tortellini, and Truffle French Onion soups. My husband had Philly Cheesesteak soup and an appetizer of loaded fries. The soups were so flavorful, and Truffle French Onion is my new favorite soup ever, followed closely by the Potato Leek. The fries were a good portion and extra crispy. We also had a BLT for me and a Patty Melt for my husband. Both came with fries, and we had so much food, we took half of the sandwiches and fries home. We live far away, so my husband suggested I get soup to go! I took my two favorites home, a quart each! Our server was exceptional. She was extremely attentive and efficient. We also had a chance to speak to the owner, Ish. He was so nice and made us feel like family! Come for the soup, but stay for the way the business is run! You will be happy you went!

Really good diner with an array of excellent soups and tasty entrees. The soups are the true star here. If you can't find a soup you like then you got some real problems. Entrees are good but the portion is a bit smaller than other diners but the quality is there. Barb was an excellent server and an asset to this business. Can't wait to go back to try other soups.

I love this diner. The service is always very friendly and the food is better than most diner food in my opinion, but the thing that really sets them apart are the soups. I have been a couple times and they always seem to have 6-10 soups a day. If you like soups and can't decide which one to get, try a soup flight and get 3 different ones. It's always clean inside and the staff make you feel like family. The only downside is the parking lot can be a little tricky to navigate because it's small and a little tight. But don't let that scare you, go get some soup!

TL/DR; Solid diner choice with great food and excellent service. We've been seeing tons of favorable posts about Piston Diner lately, and the flight of soups were particularly appealing. Last night, we were looking in the fridge and freezer, and didn't see anything that looked good for dinner. "How about we try Piston?". She grabbed the keys and headed to the door. 🤣 6 years ago, I used to live literally across the street from them when they were relatively new. At that time, I found the food to be very hit and miss, and the decor was awful, it felt like a high school cafeteria. I know it's changed hands a couple of times, and I was VERY pleasantly surprised last night. Walking in the door, it felt much warmer and welcoming, with natural lighting and much more decorative tables, Service was very quick and friendly. I had the New York Style Panini, corned beef was great, sandwich was pressed perfectly. My girlfriend had the flight of soup and salad bar. The salad bar is modest, but still a good variety of items. Our server was attentive and the manager/owner checked in with us a couple of times. We'll be back, I'm looking forward to sampling their breakfast menu!

My wife and I are regulars and love the place. I'm from New England and have been looking for a stad-out Fried Seafood Platter in the area for years. Looking no more, the Piston's Seafood Platter compares favorably to anything served up north. Fish, scallops, shrimp, crab cake and their salad bar for $25 bucks. EXCEPTIONAL. Our waiter Adam was spot on.

Piston Diner has been where it is for ages. You can see from some of the old reviews that this place used to be a rather leaky piston (engine analogy). New ownership, from what I can tell, has remade it greatly. We were a party of ten, called ahead and were instantly told "yes, this is fine". When we got there, the tables were all set up in the side room for us. Excellent service. A couple of the meals arrived a little late, they ran out of Pepsi partway through, and they were out of their signature soup, but these were not unusual problems overall. Drinks were refilled quite well, good service. The main room includes the dessert tower and the salad bar, no foods on display in our little room, but the place feels surprisingly more like a diner inside than I thought from the outside. Speaking of food... I would say "typical diner". There are some excellent offerings on the menu, but when they come out, you realize the ingredients and preparation are fairly plain. The Philly cheesesteak soup was interesting and I'm glad several of us tried that. The salad bar seems quite small, but you may load your plate with what they have there and I feel like I did fairly well with the limited selection. I was rather jealous of the seafood alfredo, and as I dug into the special Louisiana cajun pasta, I was struck by a few things: * The raw peppers are kinda jarring. Should have been cooked (and probably red, not green, for flavor). * The sauce has not a hint of Cajun in it. Nice and creamy, like an alfredo, but no spice. * The chicken was fairly plain without the sauce. But there was enough sauce. And just about everyone either finished their food or brought home what they couldn't finish. And they honored my coupon. So in the end, all the positives of this place bump it up in my opinion. It's not gourmet, but if you want to visit a Jersey diner or, as a regular, go for some diner food, Piston's worthy.

Piston Diner - Westville - You won't hear "No soup for you!" In this local diner! You will hear "soup flights!". Every soup homemade with passion and flavor! Their potatoe leek is award winning, creamy and delicious. The Pennsylvania Dutch soup was just as good. The fav among our group was the chicken pasta. So many selections! We also hit up some of the comfort food this warm and welcoming diner offers. Tuna melt, chicken wrap, and a carved turkey melt all hot the spot. Every meal comes with a cup of soup so you can taste at least one! Or get the flights they offer to taste them all. Awesome staff and service. #soup #homemade #diner #soupflight #hashtagstevej #foodie #supportlocal #comfortfood

Every Thursday I take my mother out for dinner. A few weeks ago, we found Piston Diner, a little out-of-the-way, in Westville, New Jersey. The staff is fantastic.. . The food is excellent. My mom loved that they have soup flights and she's enjoyed every soup she has tried. Highly recommend going there. Nothing fancy just good food and nice people. Definitely try the carrot cake best I've had.

I truly tried to find something notable to say about the Piston Diner but in all reality there is nothing good to say. When we walked in the entire lobby remakes of bleach. This should have been the red flag to about face and find somewhere else. After perusing the menu we opted for two very simple sandwiches (paninis). His came out over cooked and under seasoned. Mine, wrong. I ordered the turkey panini. On the menu it says turkey, bacon, cheese and honey mustard - what arrived was actually a botched "Rachel" coleslaw, turkey, cheese & Russian dressing. I questioned it and showed the waitress the menu. She returned with turkey,cheese and Russian dressing. At that point I just asked her to remove it from the order I wasn't sending it back again. Mistakes happen and I get that but to mess up a diner staple like a turkey panini. With nothing extra or special about it. Even after I showed her the menu with how it was supposed to be simply is a mistake that shouldn't be made when trying to run a successful diner. Our experience here was less than satisfactory and it's unlikely we will return to give them another try.

Soup flights with a variety of delicious homemade soups. No need to say more. Actually the owner and staff are amazing. You feel welcomed and like family the minute you walk through the door. I don't know why it took me so long to find this hidden gem but I will definitely be supporting this local family business. You feel valued and appreciated as a customer. They take pride in the meals they serve .

This is the second time I ordered a salad. This time I choose a Greek salad. I did request that the grape leaves and the anchovies and the olives be left out. When I got the salad, it did not have pepperoncini peppers on or croutons and I had to ask for the feta cheese because they didn't put it on there. The lettuce look like the lettuce you would use to put on hoagies and the tomatoes look like chopped up bits and pieces that were left over from something else. And to be charged $12.99 for that it was a disgrace. On top of that the silverware was dirty and I had to ask for clean silverware so I'm not going back there anymore. I can honestly tell you if you want a true Greek salad go to Nick's pizzeria in Clayton and you will get a delicious Greek salad for a good price and a lot more than what they gave me.

I have been meaning to provide a post-Covid review of everyone at my church's go-to-diner and today as I shared breakfast with a group of 20 people, I realized today was the day! First the good stuff ... the people who own, manage and work at The Piston Diner all seem to care about everyone who eats here. Friendliness and a desire to "know your story" has been a mark reflective of this diner since it opened. When you take a glance around the walls of this diner you will see accolades from a wide variety of community organizations, and I know that the diner regularly gives back to the church I am part of as well as to other faith-based organizations. The food is TOP NOTCH diner food! There is a classic diner's menu that seems to have everything but the kitchen sink on it and who knows maybe one of their vast options of omelets just might be called that. There breakfasts are great, but the sandwiches will cover two meals in one unless you have a really huge appetite! Freshly made soup is always on the menu and I love soup, so I regularly enjoy many of their offerings. When you watch the interactions with customers it is clear that many are repeat customers ordering up their favorite Piston choices! Now, the bad is just a reality of the times we live in. You might have to wait a little bit longer than you did in 2018 or 2019 to be taken care of. There are signs looking for wait staff, but it seems all restaurants are in the same predicament. Today, we came as a group of 20 (We did make reservations ahead of time.); we were seated right away but understandably the service was a bit slow, but our group understands the times we are in ... however, if you are an inpatient individual who demands immediate service perhaps the comfy feeling of The Piston might not be for you. I just smile when I hear people say 'they are going to the Piston' because I know they will leave happy!

Great throwback diner! Owner is there, hands on, helping out. Their soup flight is an awesome idea- wife was so happy she was chair dancing!!!

I'mi forgot to add something. The booths are very small and tight.. we're not big people but it was uncomfortable. Also the worst toast and butter.

Had lunch in here for the first time the other day. The food was good (we went simple and had a burger ahd grilled cheese), the staff was pleasant, and I will definitely return.

Went to the Piston Diner for the first time and was totally satisfied with the service, quality of food and cost of our meals. Definitely will be dining there again!

The soup flight was worth the trip! The staff was very friendly and accommodating! The chocolate cake was phenomenal!

i went here multiple times before and food was good people were nice. although last time i was there me and my dad got food poisoning from the chicken so i wouldn't recommend it.

Stopped by for a quick breakfast and they didn't disappoint. Scrapple was cooked perfectly and home fries were well cooked and tasty. Really well priced also. Will definitely be coming back again.

Been going to the Piston diner since it was the old Chestnut house back when I was 15. like this was a couple of bucks. Fast Forward 49 yrs and look at this breakfast deal. You're not gonna find this anywhere else. I'm there ,probably once or twice a week. Staff is great. The Owner comes out from the kitchen and says a little old the patron.

I ordered take out. The Staff was very nice, very attentive with updates on my order. I would definitely go back

Adorable. Friendly staff, quick coffee, modified order? No problem. Atmosphere is lovely, NJ diner vibes without harsh lighting or packed seating. Never been there before but it's close to my powerlifting gym so enjoy some hearty eggs and protein and a fast caffeine fix.

A Hidden Gem: Fantastic Food and Heartwarming AtmosphereDuring a recent road trip, my brother and I stumbled upon the Piston Diner, and what a delightful find it was! From the moment we stepped inside, we were greeted with the comforting aroma of home-cooked meals. The food at Piston diner was simply outstanding, some of the best we've had in a long time. Each dish was bursting with flavor and made with obvious care and attention to detail. From classic diner staples to mouthwatering specialties, every bite was a taste of culinary perfection.Our server was exceptional, providing attentive and friendly service throughout our meal. Their warmth and professionalism added to the overall positive experience. It truly felt like dining among friends, thanks to the camaraderie and genuine hospitality present in the atmosphere.One aspect that stood out to us was the unmistakable sense of family at piston diner. From the way the staff interacted with each other to the comforting ambiance, it was evident that this establishment is more than just a place to eat - it's a community hub where patrons are treated like extended family.Furthermore, we were deeply touched by the diner's evident respect and appreciation for the military. It's heartening to see a business that honors those who serve our country, and it speaks volumes about the values upheld at Piston diner.If we lived in the area, Piston diner would undoubtedly become a regular haunt for our family. It's the kind of place where you feel at home from the moment you walk in, and where the combination of delicious food and heartfelt hospitality keeps you coming back for more.In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend Piston diner to anyone passing through or residing in the area. Whether you're craving a hearty meal, a friendly atmosphere, or simply a sense of belonging, this diner exceeds expectations on all fronts.Cheers to Piston diner for an unforgettable dining experience - we'll definitely be back! Side note: there was one employee that was working the front who was an older gentleman that was pretty crabby with the employees for the duration of the time I was there and seemed to effect work place morale negatively.

Best breakfast in years !!! First and foremost the place was clean . My son and I sat at the counter . We both weren't expecting much , since diners in area have been dropping the ball lately . After food arrived , conversation pretty much ceased . Everything was sooooo delicious !! We even got fresh scrapple !!! Wow !!! Mind blowing !!! A dine that actually still cares . Can't wait to go back :-)

This is the worst diner ever I live on the same street and since the old own left this place is the worst every single time I order from them I get it home and they mess the order up without fail they the will put you on hold for an hour then call you back after you hang up and have been sitting there listening to the guy talk about his day on his cell phone o will never order from here again ever!!!

This is a super cute retro feeling diner. The food was great for a diner and they have some interesting items on the menu like chili nachos to mix it up. Quality was good and the presentation was nice. Our waitress Maggie was super sweet and attentive. Loved the blackout cake. Would definitely come here for a quick late night bite!

Breakfast is excellent, eggs are fresh, love the atmosphere, staff is very friendly and efficient!!

As far as diners go this one is excellent. The entire dining area is very clean, seeing thru the double doors into the kitchen when waitresses come in and out the kitchen looks very clean as well. The bathrooms were also clean. 3 important things you hope for anywhere you're going to eat. We found this small diner using the Yelp! app since we aren't familiar with this area and were looking for a place to stop for lunch. Bonus was the 10% off check-in offer! The diner is very kept, the booths were clean and not ripped or worn, you can see the pride in ownership here. The diner is decorated appropriately based on its name with car parts and overall car theme throughout, with pistons decorating the dividing half wall between the center rows of booths, but again everything was clean, not coated in dust, etc. Our waitress was Dawn and she definitely was hard at work. She came to check on us and all was good. The food was delicious. I had the pork roll egg & cheese on a bagel and was able to substitute potatoes and toast for a fruit cup. Hubs had the 3 egg and corned beef hash breakfast with potatoes and toast. We ate well for under $20 after the 10% Yelp! check-in discount, before tip. I highly recommend this diner if you're ever in the general area and looking for somewhere great to eat. Menu options stretched well beyond just breakfast food, the norm for any Jersey diner.

My go to place for food. The owner takes time to recognize customers. The food is really good. Their soups though are great. Never got a bad meal from this place.

Hello Darlings! Greetings once again from South Jersey!! It's been a spell since experiencing some fare in this neck of the woods, but hubby had been wanting to check out a diner he had heard about on the 130 in Westville and after some research here in YelpLand, it turned out to be The Piston. An interesting name for a diner, but feeling adventurous, Your Host and the hubby set out. It's a cute, clean place with some darn good eats. It's all about comfort food here, pretties! Luckily, this was a CM for Your Host, and the sinfulness will be burned off on tomorrow's 10-miler. We decided on their "Mini Meals", which is kind of a misnomer as the portions were quite generous for the price. It was chicken parm for each of us, and it didn't disappoint. It was tasty, crispy and cheesy...just how Your Host likes it. These meals include soup or salad, and dessert (pudding, jello)...scandalous! All told, for two it was just south of $30, which included bevs. The service was very good: friendly with the right amount of attentiveness. Overall, it's a good bang for the buck, and we would definitely come back for another visit. It's a recommended stop if you're in the area. TTFN

Today was the first time trying it out! It was really good. I hope they are successful! The wait was only a few minutes which isn't bad for a Sunday morning. Three of us dined: Me: spicy breakfast burrito, it was good next time I would get it without the spicy action! The spicy was franks red hot. I thought it was seasoning not hot sauce. Came with home fries. Tasty! J: aspen omelet which had bacon, ham, sausage, peppers, onions & cheddar cheese. Side of wheat toast perfectly buttered. It was really good and also came with hash browns. B: had the eggs Benedict very plentiful and yummy! Nice thick Canadian bacon! Came with hash browns. Coffee was excellent. Service was great. For the three of us it was $27. What a steal. We will go back for sure for another meal.

Friendly staff. Quick seating. Great food. Served Hot hot hot. You will not go away hungry!

Very cool little diner tucked away behind residential streets. Atmosphere is very comfortable and welcoming. Service was great; besides our own waitress, any other waitress that walked by us always asked if everything was ok and if we needed anything. Really chill spot for everyone and the food was good also. Will definitely return for future eats.

I have to thank my non-meat eating 17 year old son for this chance meeting I had last night. He was out all afternoon. But when he drove up, of course he hadn't eaten. So I hopped in my car to find him something. A perfect time to stop in Piston Diner. (the options are slim where I live). I was greeted by the hostess, then waitress... Both pleasant ladies... Once I started asking for vegetarian meals, that's when the waitress brought over the owner and head chef. Introduced them to me, and they both started telling me plenty of off menu options. The chef gave me a bowl of bread pudding while I was thinking over what to order... I eventually ordered a penne dish, with spinach, broccoli, peppers, mushroom, onions, and Alfredo sauce... I chose a cabbage soup to go with it. But wound up eating it myself since it had beef in it. Between the four helpful people I met, and the huge menu to choose from with various specials and mini meals, I think I found my new go to spot just outside of my neighborhood.

You can't beat Piston Diner for breakfast, lunch or dinner! The new owner, "D" has brought new life into the place. The food is fresh and you get more than you can eat. The prices are the best around! The dinners are really very good, the chef is amazing! The waitresses are very personable and get the food right out to you. And "D" greets you at the door and makes you feel right at home. If you haven't been here in a while I suggest to go back and try again. And, on top of all this good stuff, it's festive too!!

Well Piston diner reopened after being closed due some altercation involving a front end loader and their outside wall. After the remodel job was complete the doors opened up again in August. Piston Diner from what we saw was clean with great old time pictures from the rat pack to classic cars. A great mural along the wall, showing off the different era's from the early 40's to the late 60's. A Marilyn Monroe room that the owner dedicated in her honor with pictures. What can you say he liked the broad enough to make it into a party room.. OK interior out of the way let's get to the service and food. The service our waitress Gina was on her game, she made sure our beverages were OK, the coffee always hot and fresh. Being this place was busy she had a lot of tables she was working, but she handled herself very well. The food part of it we both had breakfast, both were combination dishes. Myself I had the "Hungry Man " that had 3 eggs any way you want, 3 pancakes, sausage, bacon, ham with a side of toast. My wife went with the " Lumberjack " only difference is hers came with french toast. Nice presentation, every corner of the plate was covered smelling pretty good. From the presentation part to the smell then actually eating part of it , this was just OK. Mediocre at best, your basic diner food tastes . The pancakes , and french toast were just OK, a little bland on the taste side. In all this is not a bad joint to stop and get a quick bite, with a fresh cup of coffee, see Gina, she'll treat you good.

Very solid. Kids chicken fingers meal was very good. Panko type breading on chicken tenders... Definitely not the frozen battered kind. Tons of fries too. I got a cheeseburger wrap and it was fantastic. Everything was clean and fresh. Seemed to have good specials too.

What's not to like about a diner in Jersey breakfast any time of the day. If you order lunch which the place has many great items, soup comes with your lunch. I think the soup flavors change by the days of the week. You will not leave here hungry that is for sure. Service is fast and great food is always hot and tasty. Can't wait to try this place for dinner vey soon.

This restaurant is awesome I've eaten Breakfast , Lunch and Dinner hear and never had a bad meal.

Classic & reliable diner fare with friendly service. TONS of menu options to pick from and not bad for a vegetarian as compared to other places in the area. We came here for lunch ~ you can get a ton of food for your money if you play your cards right. Everything comes with a side of soup. Even the salads! They have daily lunch and dinner specials that allow you to get soup, salad, sides, entree, coffee/tea and dessert for $12-15. No bells and whistles, but no huge disappointments here either. My only complaints are that the garden salad was a bit sparse, and the food took about 10 minutes too long to come out. Comfortable atmosphere with a good amount of regulars coming through.

Fast and friendly service at this quick stop for lunch on our way to Delaware. I always order the turkey club at diners for lunch and dinner, so I've had more than a few. This one was in the top ten (probably the top five) of diner turkey club sandwiches I've had and the fries were good. Not over cooked and not too salty. The kids were happy with their pancakes and cheeseburger. Would stop here again if it wasn't so out of the way off the highway it looked like a quick off the ramp but turned out to be a much longer detour than we had planned.

One of my favorite diners. Great food for the price. Went in at open and didn't feel like an unwanted customer

Stopped in tonight around 7:15. Hadn't been here since first opened. Unfriendly hostess. Unfriendly waitress. We both ordered eggs, wife got the wrong toast. Food was OK. Won't be back. Other local options are better.

The food was great. The servers was awesome. The owner was a hoot. Reunited with my former co workers here. Beth introduce us to this place. Will definitely come back.

Our breakfast was outstanding. What's more amazing is everything he does for our veterans and veteran homeless people. He even closes his restaurant one day of the month to feed the homeless veterans who are escorted by the police. Everyone should support this restaurant. It's beyond your wildest imagination. What's even more amazing, it appears that he migrated from somewhere in the Middle East. Truly the apex of what a citizen should be. Hats off to him.

I've been here twice and it's already one of my favorite places to eat! The food is good, the staff are beyond friendly and courteous! I feel like you're getting more than just a dining experience at piston Diner, you're meeting new people and sharing your life stories!

Great breakfasts. Coffee excellent Good service and friendly owners (who recently changed ownership) but did not skimp on great dishes. Hope to see the new owners make this diner a great place! Also very supportive of local police,fire and church communities!

Been here a few times, always have had great food. Waitresses are very nice and my daughter loves their pancakes!

Yummy and great prices! Super delicious coffee too, cute holiday decorations, cozy place with nice owners too

One word...Awesome! Awesome food! Awesome service! Awesome Owner with his personal & friendly touch. You have to stop in and say Hello!

My favorite diner ever!! Staff is so nice and the food is amazing!! The only diner I trust to make cream chipped beef!!

Here again, at our favorite diner in New Jersey...possibily anywhere!! Owner sat with us and treated us like family. Our food and service was excellent...as always!! Highly recommend this South Jersey gem!!

They're quality has suffered a bit. The burgers used to be fresh --now frozen. The menu is confusing. For example, they have breakfast specials that include orange juice coffee and toast, directly under those specials are other special breakfast choices( honestly, I thought it a continuation of the list above it)which don't include orange juice, coffee and toast. At least, that's what the waitress said. Yet, those items were included in the past. Needless to say, I've moved on.