Ritz Diner

Sincerely, maybe a place that deserves renew on all aspects. I know diners concept is a cultural American style, but, is very old fashioned, ruined over the time and the servers are not happy about you. The food, I can say is good, but, not the best I ever had. If you really are on the town and spending some money, you can try, but, don’t tell that I advise you.

My mother and I visited this diner a few years ago and it was great. We visited this past week and will not go again. Dirty, fish sandwich was disgusting. Frozen fish is better than their fish. A waitress was putting items on a shelf and her hair was hanging down touching the bread.

This is a classic New Jersey diner. I’ve been going here since I was a child 60 years ago. When it was called the colony diner. For my family it’s best known for its matzoh ball soup and potato pancakes. I also loved their black-and-white baked cookies. I’ve had many breakfast there as well as food as well prepared and quite delicious. I highly recommend this place.

A wonderful place to eat and experience a true American diner! Clean and friendly. They also have the best pastries!

Food is average. Some Gluten Free menu items. A good baked goods selection for eating in or take out. Menu has choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack. Daily specials. The place could use some updating.

Sunday morning, rainy day...and my thoughts go to Ritz Diner in Livingstone. Easy access location, lovely warm staff and owner, and pleasant atmosphere. The blound waitress went above and beyond to accomodate my order, and the Eggs Bennedict with a bed of ham became Eggs Fiorentine with a bed of healthier sauted spinach. A black coffee got along nicely. What else should I ask for in this relaxed lazy weekend morning? My experience to Ritz Diner is wonderful ANY TIME I have a chance to get there. Delicious food, lovely staff, resonable prices.That's why I want to give credit where credit is due.

They do a good job here. The French toast and reuban were good. The German pancake was novel and good in a diffrent way. Gyro was standard

I’ve been going here for years, but unfortunately today was the last. Another victim of “Shrinkflation.” I’ve been ordering the same salad from here, today it was chopped up so much you could’ve sucked it thru a straw. Why? Very simple, you’re getting less and paying more. By chopping it up so finely you’re getting less product. And it wasn’t just mine, other customers where saying the same thing. The burger that came out was an embarrassment. Unfortunately The Ritz will go on “that” list.

So the problem with my review is I always order the Marion Salad for lunch. Last time I went with a friend and the place was really crowded for a Tuesday lunch. My friend mentioned this to the waitress who said, "Marion Salad." Now my friend didn't order a Marion salad and liked her meal but after that we saw at least half the orders were Marion Salads. Service is fine. Ambiance? It's a traditional diner. I am sure the other food is good but try the Marion salad.

Wow the reviews are terrible. Why? I haven't been here since I was a child and honestly it was a great brunch! Marion the owner is a sweetheart and our service was awesome! Couldn't have been nicer. They have plenty of tables and booths. Everyone enjoyed! Tried the Marion salad (excellent!!) and The Ritz chicken sandwich. SO good. Classic diner and for all those who had an awful experience, go back and give them a shot to make it right. :)

I came here today for the first time and it was a pretty solid standard New Jersey diner. Service was pretty fair and around 2 PM. The place was hopping. Obviously they do very well here I had a burger that was a regular diner burger that suited my needs

Good food Menu is good - lot of items Brunch dishes were great Good staff Old diner Not a pleasant experience with cashier/owner

The Ritz is good. Yeah, it's average food. It's a diner. Yes, the workers are disgruntled. It's a diner in New Jersey. People have super high expectations for certain places. You have to know what to order. Can't go wrong with a sandwich or burger or diner classics like disco fries. I wouldn't get dinner entrees here except for the pierogis which are very good. Diners are usually not a 5 star experience. You go there when you need food, don't want to cook, but also don't want to spend a fortune. The Ritz does the job.

I am working in Livingston and I really wanted a soup and grilled cheese because I am not feeling well. I checked Yelp and saw Ritz's Diner and I thought perfect. Read some negative reviews saying how rude they are but decided to call anyway. I called to ask what soup they had. "Hello. Do you have any soup?" Old woman answered the phone and said very rudely, "Why wouldn't we have soup? We always have soup...". She just lost a customer without me even entering the diner. So rude. Just to be clear, I WILL NEVER GOT TO RITZ DINER in Livinston!! No stars!!

I had not been to this diner for awhile, but I remember their salmon burger. For $3 more the deluxe includes french fries and lettuce and tomatoes. I asked for crispy fries, but I also got crispy salmon burger. The tomatoe slices were soggy. My friend had fresh grilled chicken slices over salad. We both a beverage. With tax and tip it came out to $50. Lunch is not cheap. The waiter seemed new, but did his job well. I have dined in this diner since 1968 when it was the Heritage Diner. The crowd for lunch today smaller than in the past. Maybe people are away for summer vacation.

My husband and I had lunch here today. we've been going here on and off for many years. The food is consistently good and always freshly prepared. The biggest issue is it's really not handicapped accessible. Theres a ramp? But the bathrooms are the size of airline stalls. Very small and extremely dated. Note to management: Gut the restrooms and update them. You'll have more tables filled than orders being taken out.

Adequate. When you enter and look at the menu, you take a step back in time into what seems like a New Jersey diner in the 1960s. Unfortunately, the food isn't as good as it was then. The service was adequate. They add 4% to the check for credit card payments. The cashier charged us the credit card amount, despite the fact that we paid with cash.

Really Ritz !? Totally frustrating and disappointing - ugh again ! Livingston deserves better ! 100% Once again we ordered pick up and when we got home our order was incomplete. (Not an issue bc we are all human and make mistakes) However - when we called to nicely explain that we received an incomplete/wrong order and can't eat the meal without the missing ingredients - Ritz's response was not an apology or a quick fix, but instead they asked us "to mention our issue next time we come in"... ?! I'm sorry, but how is that helpful when we can't eat the meal we just bought?! Thanks Ritz - but we don't want tonight's dinner another time. - most restaurants will offer reasonable options such as fixing an incorrect order ASAP, making another order, or giving reimbursement - but not The Ritz ! Do yourself a favor - spend your $$$ at the 10000 other places in Jersey where the owners aren't rude and do appreciate your money, time and the years you spend at their restaurants.

I LOVE the Ritz. It's the classic diner, I go there all the time for their customized omelettes and homefries. They also have the best corned beef hash I have ever had and massive delicious pancakes. The portions are huge and the food is always delicious. The waiters and waitresses are always the nicest and in the 15 years I've been going there we have never had bad service. No matter how crowded, The Ritz service is always super fast. It is the classic Jersey diner vibe, if you're an out of towner looking for an authentic Jersey diner experience, this is definitely the place for you!

I have not gone to this diner since the son of my friend worked there. He was in unpaid training one summer and left after one week because he said the kitchen was not clean and people were preparing salads without gloves on. Today I went to keep my friend company. The salad I ordered was really mediocre. I don't know how this place stays in business.

Just an update from my last review from over 10 years ago. Virtually same review, HOWEVER, I can't believe they didn't use any PPP money (pandemic assistance) to renovate this extremely dated restaurant. Hard to still call if a diner since it closes at 9pm. Food is still good - but a touch pricey. There is a stale smell in there so we only do takeout now and then. After sitting in there , i want to wash my clothes and shower - similar to what we do after hibachi. But Ritz smell is worse. And the bathrooms are dingy and not updated since the early 80s at best. Again, food to go is still quite good. Just warning on the Great grandma smell inside. They might as well put plastic slip covers on the booths.

Food is way over priced for what you get... Came in recently asked for a booth and there were two of us ..The place was crawling with empty tables and asked the Gray haired lady in the front for a booth and she made a face... Not a very good way to do business ..There are many other choices in Livingston to spend your hard earned money...Frankly I was a littleFrankly I was a little bit insulted... Only I didn't want to cause a scene so I just shut up... Not happy

We really liked the place. The food was very delicious, the place was very clean, the service was super nice and I liked celebrating my birthday breakfast with a very nice celebration by the restaurant.

OUTDOOR DINING REVIEW: This is my second time going out to eat since restaurants have allowed outdoor dining, but not my first time at the Ritz. It get s a 4-star rating from me for its breakfast served amidst the current public health situation. I can't speak to the rest of the menu because I only go here with my breakfast buddy early mornings. I think the last time I got something in the PM hours was maybe twenty years ago in high school - those canton wings something or other. Takeaway - Breakfast is the reason to go to Ritz Diner. The diner has set up a giant patio tent on one side of the property, with about maybe about 12 reasonably-spaced out tables (some seat 2, some can seat 4). So when going there, there is now only one entrance to park on the property because the outdoor eating patio area blocks off the normally one-way entrance where you would drive up. My friend and I went to the Ritz this morning for breakfast. We walked up to the tent and took a seat at one of the tables after one of the servers said we could sit wherever we'd like. There were two people working the tables outside, and a person manning the register inside (you still pay inside at the register, or at least we did, if you're using a card not cash). My friend would attest that Ritz never fails with breakfast, and the home fries are the best. I was happy with what I ordered, which was a lox and onion omelette, no home fries but rye toast with butter, and a side of sausage. It's my thing right now. Overall, we had a good outdoor dining breakfast experience at Ritz Diner.

Truly a terrible diner. Fries were cold, condiment packets were old and glue-like. The sandwich was inedible. Waitress was clueless and slow, owner offered no help. Don't go

my friend became violently ill with salmonella from an omelet from the ritz diner disgusting.

It has been a while. But I have been dining at the Ritz off and on for over 30 years. We found ourselves in the area and decided to drop in. The first thing we noted were the prices. Holy mackerel. Very high for a diner. There were quite a few entrees priced in the upper 20's to low 30's. Plus, even with that pricing sides such as veggies and potatoes are extra. Basic items like sandwiches average around $15., burgers around $12. and fries are not included. The Ritz kind of specializes in Jewish fare so my wife and I each ordered a bowl of matzah ball soup which was pretty decent. Tasty well made ball along with egg noodles in a light, clear chicken broth. Given the prices we decided to split a corned beef Reuben. The corned beef was delicious. Seemed to be house made. Way better than the pre packaged stuff most diners offer and kinda worth the $16. price tag. The service was a bit inattentive. The decor is dated and a bit run down, but that's ok. It adds some character. I wouldn't go out of my way but if I find myself in the neighborhood I would drop in again for sure.

I love this spot for breakfast and lunch. Much better than Livingston diner and not as Gimmicky as chit chat diner (if you are familiar with the area - you'd understand). Love these potatoes that is served in the morning f- never change the recipe please!!!

Awful experience last night. Waiter had an attitude and made a lot of mistakes, with no apologies. Mess of dishes left on our table the entire dinner. Rude staff. They weren't busy at all due to the holiday, so no excuse for poor service and bad attitudes.

I'm sorry that I forgot to take photos but I have to give a shout out to the Ritz Diner. I was about to go to a deli across the way but a friend mentioned how good it is, and I hadn't been there since college. I never saw it on a menu so ordered the beef flanken pot (with matzoh balls, noodles and carrots in broth), not realizing it was meant to be shared - probably enough for three people. They so nicely packed up the leftovers, putting the broth in one container, and the rest in another. Absolutely delicious and the best matzoh balls I've had in a long time. Great and friendly service too, and love that they allow substantial time between the appetizer and dinner. I must say, everything that I saw being brought to other tables had an enticing aroma as well.

It's probably the worst diner food I had in many years. I ordered a pastrami sandwich on white. The meat was dried, chewy and no flavor. The chicken pot pie was put together with leftovers chicken meat. The only thing that was good was the home fries. The bill was over $100 for 4 people, we didn't even have alcohol .

When they say they close at 8, they mean they lock the doors and go home at 8, and if you come in at 720 looking for dinner, they will make you feel WILDLY uncomfortable the whole time you are there. Lady at the register was unpleasant when we walked in, but we sat anyway, since we figured we had enough time. 40 minutes did not seem unreasonable but boy were we wrong. We were one of 2 tables occupied, but food took a while, and then while we were eating, we heard the woman at the register speaking about us, saying she didn't understand why we'd sit down since she told us they close at 8, never nice to hear yourself being talked about while you're just trying to eat a sandwich. We ended up feeling so uncomfortable and so pressured to get out of there that we only ate half of our meals and packed the rest up to go so we could get the heck out. Our waitress was nice, pretty sure she could sense the tension and was trying to compensate. It's a shame that the atmosphere here is so weird and hostile, because the food was delicious.

This diner is so good. I love it because it has traditional diner foods & also a lot of desserts. I had the avocado toast special that comes with eggs and home fries. The home fries were amazing. Next time I'm coming back for the potato latkes. It was a really clean diner and the food & service was great.

The Ritz wanted me to pay $3 more for an oml that is already overpriced. the waitress charged me per item for an omelette with onions cheese, peppers and mushrooms, instead of charging me for a farmer's omelette that has all theses items sans cheese. The manager was extremely rude to me to correct the situation. it is not the first time I have encountered such rude behavour at the Ritz. Customer service is extremely lacking at the Ritz. I will not be returning for quite a while. I must also add, I felt the degradation was racial.

Very overpriced, ordinary food. $24 for a salad, plus a 3.9% surcharge for using a credit card.

Love the matzah ball soup and the blackened salmon. Minus one star for terrible customer service, very cold hostess always! I've also heard waiters fighting in the back which wasn't the most pleasant experience. But overall this place is a Livingston staple!

The food used to be delicious.. they gave overly generous portions , the desserts were fantastic ... since Covid they have slowly been deteriorating... the food is less than mediochre , the portions have been drastically reduced , but the prices have all gone up ... last week i had the turkey dinner .. as take out ... the stuffing was awful .. the mashed potatoes were pastey , the vegetables were watery , and the gravy was yellow gelatinous muck ! It used to be like Thanksgiving ! , now it's like a TV Dinner .... Tonight i tried them again .. i had grilled cheese on rye with tomato, it doesn't come with a side of fries , so you have to buy an entire order of fries , which is now half the size as it used to be , but more money ! The rye bread was the smallest size rye bread i ever saw .. it was greasy , and the fries weren't crisp , they were chewy and not hot , just warm .. a very disappointing meal ! Again , i have had this there before and it used to be delicious... they usually have delicious generous size desserts ... i got the cherry crumb cake to go .. it used to be bulging out of the to go container... tonight i could have fit a second piece in there , so i said to the cashier, who has been there for a long time , that the piece is half the size it used to be ... and at first she said nothing .. no response .. so i asked her why it got so small , she shrugged and said she doesn't know ... she should have said , let me get you a proper size piece, she didn't want to be bothered .. i paid and left , and i will NEVER go there again ... so sad

Ritz is the best, everything is delicious, when I am sick, I want Matzo Ball soup. Everything is made fresh

Came here on a recent stint of Triple D locations in New Jersey. Wasn't sure what the place was known for off the bat but read it was apple pie, so had to improvise for my breakfast. I passed on the Corned Beef and hash after seeing some yelp photos so decided the German Apple Pancake would be the closest bet. It did not disappoint. This open faced creation was enormous. I could only get through half of it, so definitely something you could split unless you have the inability to share. I also had a side of the pork roll. I don't know why, but always something I have to get while I am in New Jersey. Nice fresh sizzle to it, overall the breakfast was more than filling, and not my typical diner experience. Coffee was decent. Wait staff was fine as well.

I come to visit New Jersey every other month and I always make sure I stop by the Ritz Diner. Im never disappointed and I always make sure I bring a babka back for my Mom. It's her absolute favorite.

Out of all the diners in Livingston, despite this place having a very cute old fashion diner décor- that's the only thing really good about this place, this is one of the worst diners. I remember coming here often when I was in high school after track meetings because this place is open late, but when it comes to food, it's subpar and a tad bit pricier than other diners - given the food portions are huge and you can definitely share between two people LOL. I guess when it comes to just having a decent meal, this place does a decent job but if you're looking for a gourmet brunch, this is not the place for you. The servers are sweet and attentive but the cleanliness is not there. Overall, not bad but I've definitely experienced better.

Love the ritz. Always great food and great service. And the best matzah Brie ever. Go and enjoy.

Agree with all the other 1 star waitress never brought coffee until the food arrived, never came to ask if everything was good,Home fries burnt and Taylor ham tasted like the grill was never cleaned it tasted like pancakes.Complained to cashier figuring she was in charge and I was told I guess we are busy ...Service was reflected on her tip and she was lucky she got that....Try other options.

I don't know what's happened to this place. It used to be my favorite in the area. Went there for breakfast at 9:00 this morning for the first time since March of 2020. I asked for one scrambled egg with bacon and rye toast. What I got was minced bacon, scrambled with an egg. The home fries were half-burnt, and had no onions in them (which always set them apart). The coffee, while good, was lukewarm. We were waiting for the check, and both waitresses were chatting behind the counter. We practically had to do jumping jacks to get someone's attention. So disappointing.

This spot is open with an outdoor seating area in the parking lot they are also doing to go and delivery. I don't get all the negative reviews, just seems like people complaining about nothing. Our service was awesome, everyone was super sweet and they even let us bring the pup to sit outdoors. Food was great typical diner food I asked if I should get the eggs Benedict or the chicken wrap and our server suggested the eggs benny. It was great! My friend got the farmers omelette and she was surprised by all the fresh veggies that were in it! Normally people skimp on the veggies but not here! Support this place during these tough times! Nice people and good food! The decor is so adorable and reminded me of the diner from Saved By the Bell! So cute. Definitely gonna visit again next time I'm passing through! Thank you Ritz!

First of all, this restaurant DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF ITS CUSTOMERS. I have autoimmune disorder aka if I get COVID, I am dead. I was told when I ordered they have curbside pick up. So I parked and called saying I was outside in my car. 10 minutes pass, I call again, they tell me to go inside and pick up the food. OK red flag already. This restaurant allows people without masks inside their restaurant. Their employees do not know the term social distance and even after I waited 10 minutes in the parking lot for my food that was supposedly ready, a waiter that didn't know how to properly wear a mask kept on touching a whole bunch of bags without any gloves until he found mine. I asked to him to maintain distance and he still tried to hand it to me even as I was backing up until I forcefully told him to stop moving and maintain distance. And those other customers, including one without the masks were crowding around the register The same register had employees chatting including one NOT WEARING A MASK. Now the register is right at the exit door so they were crowding the exit door, no social distancing whatsoever. I got my food and ran for my life out of there. I nearly cried in the car when I finally got out out of fear and rage at how irresponsible this restaurant was. I lost someone to COVID and was directly told by my doctor if I get COVID I will die. I stay isolated, and never go into anywhere because of the fact I am high risk. This was the first time since the outbreak that I went inside of a shop and that's only because I was lied about this restaurant having curbside pick up. Basically, if I get COVID and die from it, it will be because the owner of the Ritz Diner cares more about keeping her fancy Mercedes than the safety of her customers. I will be reporting the Ritz Diner to the local department of health and telling them exactly what I am saying now. This restaurant doesn't follow any basic guidelines to keep people safe. THEY DESERVED TO BE SHUT DOWN!

Went to the Ritz Diner for lunch on Saturday June 25, 2022. I got food poisoning most likely from a wilted spring salad with rotten cherry tomatoes which came with my lunch special. Diarrhea did not stop until about 6 pm at which time I went to my local CVS and got a strong probiotic supplement. This diner has a lot of nerve serving rotten food! I'm done with this place! It's filthy!

Got to love the Ritz Diner. If you are in Livingston this is the diner for you!!! We love the Marion salad (It is named after the owner Marion). I like to get it without the mushrooms and they don't mind customizing. Don't leave without two black and white cookies to go. The Blintzes are very good and also the pancakes are fantastic. The tent is set up and they do not rush you when eating outside. I can't wait to go back next time I am in town.

No disrespect to Guy Fieri but HARD PASS. Retro decor and 10 page menus don't make up for the inability to serve a decent meal. Hotel restaurant was closed for construction so front desk recommended Ritz Diner - local Diner and a recommendation, how could you go wrong with that combo, right? Wait Staff was great but after seeing the sticky, outdated, overwhelming, and schizophrenic menu, I explained to my waitress that I had been in meetings all day and was looking for a recommendation for dinner. She was unable and after stumbling said that everything was good. Thanks....zero help. Another waitress stepped in to provide some clarity and told me to get the German Apple Pancake; when I asked what would be a good side with that, she said "I dunno...coffee?". The meal was such a disaster that I asked for a bowl of soup. Even that was tragic. Take a Pic with their sign but DON'T EAT THERE

The woman that answers the phone is beyond nasty and disrespectful when she talks to you. This place likes to make up their mind when they deliver and they also like to change the minimum tip for delivery. Food is overpriced and the taste is average.

It was so bad I wish I could give it a 0 but I can't so I'll give it a 1. I decided to give this place a second chance after a first bad encounter with the food there but dear god it was a mistake. To start of, there were crumbs of food in my cup of water and the Reuben that I ordered wasn't even a sandwich like it was listed as. It was a big blob of burnt bread, meat, and extra greasy cheese. I had to dab it with a napkin before I decided to take a bite. The other member of my dinner party got a chicken sandwich that was drier than the Saharan desert and had absolutely no seasoning on it at all. Just the lovely flavor of smoke. Definitely am not coming back here in the future, so disappointed in the quality of this meal.

Marion salad is phenomenal. Always cooked perfectly and the home made dressing is sooooo good. Go to salad every week. Take out is good always quick

So disappointing. The Matzoh Balls remind me of a very mushy. watery Cream of Wheat tasteless with a pasty texture made into a disintegrating ball. The soup is good.

We ordered takeout to support our locals. My husband ordered baked scrod with a baked potato and house salad. I got chicken Francese with a baked potato. Everything was tasty, warm and delicious. My disappointment was the matzo ball soup. The liquid was closer to diluted broth with more water than broth. No vegetables, no taste or flavor. Everything else, really good.

This was a good place for some time but now, a shell of a restaurant. With COVID effecting the economy, every restaurant should be striving to impress those who come out. They need to work harder. This place acts like they are doing you a favor. Closing at 8pm on a Friday when everyone else is still running, staring like you should be there, and collecting your plate before you finish to bum rush you out the door. Screw that, 100's of food options in the area. Let the manager know it's time to step up or shut down.

Waitress to customer who couldn't eat her soup as it was too salty: sometimes that happens, tell the cashier as you pay. Cashier: Our soups aren't salty as she begrudgingly gives a credit. Better luck to other customers..... Oh and the Rugelach wasn't good either

The food was good, but the service was not the best. The pancakes I got were a good size and the atmosphere is comfortable but nothing extraordinary. The table settings and menus come across very cheap. The thing that really threw me off was a salad that was given to us as a starter, in a dog bowl... which is very weird. The com

The service has finally hit an all new low. Never again shall we go to This overrated snob fest