Franklin D. Roosevelt was busy serving a second term as President of the United States Of America, and the world saw World War II break out in Europe, when The Lighthouse Diner Restaurant of Bayonne, New Jersey first opened its doors to the public. Ever since that historic time, this northern New Jersey diner restaurant has provided great food and friendly service for generations of residents. My friends and entire family have frequented the Broadway located eatery for years, and I’m glad to report the food choice is still fresh, varied, and has never tasted better.
Atmosphere
The restaurant takes up a quarter of the block, and is located on the busy main street of Broadway. The parking lot is small and cramped, but there’s usually plenty of nearby street parking. The inside is divided into three areas – a roomy counter area for quick cups of coffee or breakfast, alongside sits a nicely sized collection of booths, and finally there’s a comfy, and more formal dining area full of tables. You won’t wait long to be seated, and a waitress or waiter arrives soon after to take your order. My favorite design element of the place is the large windows, which overlook the street. Anywhere you’re seated, you’ll still be able to catch an exterior view. It helps the place feel more spacious than it really is, and the windows add a lot of nice natural lighting to the atmosphere.
The décor isn’t anything you haven’t seen before, but it’s highlighted by nice carpeting on the floors, pleasant, if not predictable water colors, landscapes, portraits and other framed pictures on the wall. Floating around are those flat screen TV’s ubiquitous in most restaurants these days. Overall, the place offers a pleasing sense of welcome and warmth to the hungry patron.
Menu: The Eats
A hearty selection of breakfast treats like waffles – including Belgian – pancakes, french toast and much more is available. The bagel corner offers standard bagel delights, along with a Nova Lox Platter. Lunch choices include standard deli sandwiches, wraps in the Lighthouse Specialty Wrappers, and a great selection of gourmet salads. My favorite is the Classic Caesar Salad. It’s generously portioned, and always fresh.
Dinner time offers Italian Classics like veal parmigiana and baked stuffed shells, Seafood Treasures will tempt you with filet of sole and rainbow trout, while the Greek Specialties delight with Greek spinach pies and a really large stuffed Greek chicken gyro. A great offering of authentic European Panini Sandwiches range from BBQ chicken to classic Reuben. For the littlest members of the family, there’s a Kids R Special menu full of burgers, chicken fingers, hot dogs, or turkey sandwiches.
Summary
The Lighthouse Diner Restaurant located at 669 Broadway in Bayonne, NJ, offers delicious food, served up quickly in a bright, and friendly atmosphere. While a lot of the food may be of standard diner fare, it’s fresh, tasty and satisfies with generous portions.
