The Pine Hill

The Pine Hill Diner
Pine Hill, NJ
June 21, 2012

By Mandy

Menu: 10       Pricing: 6
Food: 5          Coffee: 5
Service: 11     Decor: 8
Bathrooms: 7
Overall: 7.5




“I’m sorry honey, but I’m going to have to ask you to put your purse on the seat next to you. I’m from the South and that’s bad luck.”

Not verbatim, but this is essentially what our waitress told us shortly after seating us in a comfortable corner booth (“Get comfy, act like you love each other now”). Superstition will tell us that a woman who leaves her bag on the ground will never have money in her wallet. We learn something new every day, and sometimes it happens in a diner.

A tour of the menu proved to take longer than in most diners. It hit all of the diner must-haves, had a complete coffee bar and drink section, and a full page for desserts. And desserts, as it is, is what our eyes were set on. Some ordered milkshakes (“Pick one I like too, so I can enjoy the leftovers after I make it”) and despite putting too little peppermint in the peppermint shake (“the pump wasn’t working, I didn’t want to overpower it for you, next time I’ll add more”) she was humble enough to admit her mistake. 

Luckily, to her credit, the Reese’s peanut butter shake was delightful. However, the chocolate cake (“Ah you’re a girl after mine own heart”) was unusual- unusual in the kind of way that does not leave you wanting more. It did not have a strong chocolate taste, and the icing was somewhat gelatinous. However, the cannoli was rich, as a cannoli should be, and the milk-free smoothie was equally delicious.

The coffee was not extraordinary in any way, good or bad, which is sometimes the best you can ask from a diner. The bathrooms were clean and nicely decorated, though they had a hot smell, best compared to a boardwalk bathroom. The diner itself was a throwback to the 50’s, when diners were edged with neon lights from outside. This alone had us excited for an experience that ultimately did not disappoint. Despite the odd tasting cake, it’s a diner I will certainly revisit for, if nothing else, the service alone.