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Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory
Categories: Restaurants Diners Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Diners, Breakfast & Brunch
426 Jersey AveJersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 433-0471
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 6 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
304 reviews for Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory
Review Highlights
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"I highly recommend the corned beef hash." In 16 reviews -
"Honky Tonk Pancakes - My favorite so far." In 10 reviews -
"...corned beef hash as seen on diners drive ins and dives." In 9 reviews
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304 reviews in English
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Review from Claudia Z.
Orange, CA
I was in Easton, PA for work, and drove all the way to Jersey City to try them out, all because of Triple D (addicted to that show). The menu is huge, and since I'm in Jersey almost never, I wanted to try everything. Finally settled on the corned beef hash, clam basket, and an espresso shake. No I didn't get pancakes... pancakes just does not hold up to Hawaii's Boots and Kimos, so I forgo pancakes at any establishment to save myself the disappointment. But the corned beef has was phenominal! I can't even describe it, so delicious! And even a side order is a huge serving, I can do a face plant in there and die happy.
Plenty of parking, comfortable booths, plenty of TVs, friendly service, overall win! -
Review from Tab B.
Jersey City, NJ
5/22/2012
My out of town friends LOVE the Brownstone Diner.
One of the best things about the Diner is the large and vast menu, which has pretty much every option you can think of at a diner. Their claim to fame is pancakes with... anything baked into them. Strawberry pancakes, banana pancakes, sausage pancakes bacon pancakes, etc. You think of it, they got it. But mostly standard diner fare.
Service is okay. Been there when the service is fantastic, been there other days when flagging down a server is impossible.
Maybe it's just a New York thing, but I expect diners to be open 24/7. Or at least late night. It seems the Brownstone closes around 10. -
Review from Yasmin B.
Hamden, CT
5/1/2012
I went here after a friend of mine kept recommending I go, with pics to match, I braved traffic in Midtown to get to Jersey and fell in love as soon as we sat down! The place is comfy and cute and everyone smiles! The booths are huge and you can actually sit in them and not feel like a pearl in a very small oyster :D
We all ordered pancakes...I was so hungry and the menu was so big I started to shake and just stuck with the first page....OMG so much to choose from. I ordered a side of fries, which our awesome waitress brought right over because she could see I was hungry. Even those were good!
The pancakes were light and fluffy and too much for one or even two sittings. I have to say the waitress did warn me, but I like to eat and I thought she was exagerating. I had the banana/walnut pancakes and just finished eating them today (took three days). My kids had the chocolate chip (silver dollar pancakes) and the peanut butter/chocolcate pancakes and they're still eating them. I love the food! (Did I say that already?)
After stuffing myself into a coma, I looked behind me and the owner was making sure that all of the tables had salt, pepper, ketchup and napkins.....he was standing with his staff making sure everyone was taking care of the little things that can quickly aggravate a customer. He even caught my eye as I was looking around and looked like he wanted to JUMP over the tables to help me. I didn't need anything but a bed...I was fine. I love this place! (Did I say that already?)
My mom even called her sisters to tell them where we ate and what we had. YUMMMM (Did I say that already?) Definitely worth the trekk and the toll to Joisy, plus you can get cheaper gas than in NY....I love this place (Did I say that already?)
Oh!! And our bill for 4 breakfast feasts that lasted three days.....$36! If you calculate the per day bill for all of our meals we paid three dollars a day.....and it was soooo good! (Did I say that already?) -
Review from Mooie G.
Manhattan, NY
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Very very good pancakes. I mean, delicious. If the parking lot is full just park around the block or so, usually there's street parking.
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Review from Tiffany L.
Jersey City, NJ
4/24/2012
I went here, and I didn't get pancakes. Gasp.
I really wanted pancakes, that was the whole point, but it was later in the night and my slightly wine-buzzed clouded mind just gravitated towards Disco Fries. It literally stared at me on the menu. Now I was in a dilemma. I couldn't have both disco fries and pancakes, that's just gross. Cheese and gravy beat out flour and sugar, especially since I haven't had Disco Fries in four long, long years (California doesn't believe in them).
The disco fries were amazing! My chicken soup was average, and my grilled cheese was awesome, even though it had too much tomato. Hubby loved and devoured his buffalo chicken wrap. The 4 stars are for the disco fries, and the banana cream pie. The banana cream pie was, without a doubt, the best "diner pie" I've ever had. Service was friendly and efficient, plus since it's so close to home, I'm sure I'll be trying the pancakes very soon. -
Review from c j.
Manhattan, NY
5/23/2012
The pancakes are generally good, but the other food is just not up to par. On our last visit, nothing was fresh, proteins were way overcooked, soup wasn't hot, and there were flies inside the restaurant...in colder months like this one, that usually means maggots somewhere. It made us nervous. The place was nearly empty but it took an eternity to get our food, and then it was just so disappointing. The people who run it are very nice, but waitresses should not text on the job. Was that why it took so long to get served?
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Review from David K.
THIS DINER IS NOT A DIVE, BUT WORTH THE DRIVE!
It's hard to believe that it's been 4 years since its showcasing on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It's even harder to believe that this past Friday was the first time that we watched that episode. By the time that 7 and 1/2 minute segment was over, both my wife and I had our tongues hanging out of mouths. I'm not sure if I hit my head, but for some reason my brunch plans for Sunday were now replaced with pure desire to see if this place lived up to all the hype. I bookmarked the restaurant and within minutes I received a compliment from fellow NJ Elite Gina L. who told me that her husband had just seen this very place featured on the same and that they were convinced to go there ASAP too. I knew that this place was a real deal and it would be every bit as good as Guy Fieri made it seem to be.
Then I realized that if a single viewing of this Food Network program could convince both me and a fellow Elite to go, then surely others would be lining up in droves too. I looked to Yelp for some advice without fail two NJ Elites (Steve B. and Mitchell M.) both recommended that we should get in there before 10am or we would be dealing with long lines and no parking spaces in their lot. We entered the lot at 10am sharp and swooped in to grab the only available parking space. My heart sank when we got inside and saw people standing around the doorway. I imagined that despite all of my planning that we would now be forced to endure some ridiculous wait. However, Lady Luck was must have been smiling down on us because the host informed us that the wait as only 10-15 minutes long. Score!
They were not joking! This place really does have 31 different kinds of pancakes on their menu. I suppose they could call themselves the Baskin-Robbins of the Pancake world, but why would they? This place has been making a name for itself for over 40 years. Anyway, as this place is a diner the menu is an extensive array of dishes spanning breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Call us crazy, but at 10am we were focused on breakfast. I decided to get the Irish Benedict (Poached eggs & corned beef hash drizzled with hollandaise sauce on an english muffin) while my wife ordered the Jack Combo (Silver dollars, 3 eggs and 1 turkey sausage). We could not have ordered better as these choices allowed us to sample from a variety of different offerings without over-ordering beyond the large servings which the Brownstone is known to provide.
For the Irish Benedict, the poached eggs are served on top a layer of corned beef hash which covers both halves of an english muffin. The hash tasted as though it was made fresh for my order and was truly the best that I have ever had. I worked my way through my plate from left to right clearing down cross-sections of the eggs, hash, and muffin in one slice and trying my best to have room for the homefries. The Jack Combo was another winner as my wife got to have some morning eggs, a delicious link of turkey sausage (I ended up eating half of it, so I should know), and a full stack of their silver dollar pancakes. The pancakes were every bit as good as they were described to be on TV. They were light and fluffy and they had a unique flavor that you won't find on the shelf in your local supermarket. After finishing my plate and barely making a dent in the full stack, we called it quits.
It's a shame that the Pancake House located in my town doesn't come close to measuring up against the Brownstone Diner. This place was worth every word of it's hype. It wasn't until we got to the counter to pay our check and we told the owner that we had seen his place featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives that we learned that the episode that we just watched was actually 4 years old and that the influx of people that we were seeing (by the time we left, the line was now arching out the door) was typical for a normal weekend. In 4 years time I've seen restaurants lose steam and start to go downhill, but this place seems unchanged from their resolve to make great food. We'll definitely be coming back soon as this place is our new favorite place to do breakfast!
Watch the episode here:
http://www.brownstoned...Listed in: 5 Stars, As Seen on TV
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Review from Stephanie Y.
Jersey City, NJ
4/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Well hello old friend, it's been awhile. I used to come here every now and then when I first moved to Jersey when restaurants were even fewer and more far between. There menu has 1000 items to choose from which for indecisive people like me makes it impossible to get in and get out since it takes me forever to choose.
I came here post run and tennis late breakfast/lunch with the man and boy did we work up a hunger and thankfully this place delivered. I went with an omelet for $8 and it was GINORMOUS and so friggin' tasty. I believe I went with the Newport involving ham, onion, peppers a whole mess of cheese with a meat sauce (on the side). The meat sauce was like sloppy joe style crumbled beef sauce that was really tasty but just way too much for me so I was stoked I went with it on the side. My man went with pigs in a blanket, sweet pancakes wrapped around a salty, savory maple pork sausage. Holy moly it was amazing.
This place is not for the faint at heart or stomach. Be ready to eat and eat well at this greasy spoon. Service was fast and efficient and up to diner satisfaction. I will come again soon when I'm in need for a hearty meal. -
Review from Lovet O.
Service is becoming terrible and the food is so-so. I have been to Brownstone Diner three times since my last review and I'm noticing a decline in service and quality.
"Mister" and I were overlooked when were waiting to be seated, the server did not pay attention to detail when it came to our order, we experienced "false advertising". "Chicken in a Basket" my a**. It was more like fries in a basket with a hint of chicken. And the chicken was dry and tough too.
I don't know about this place anymore.Listed in: Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives and…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/16/2012
So far I have no complaints with Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory. Food is delicous and the… Read more »
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Review from Crystine W.
New York, NY
Note that this review is based on dinner and other non-breakfast items only. I think to be fair to them, I really should review them based on their pancakes since that is what they are famous for, but we went for dinner and we didn't try 'em.
I ordered their Caesar salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing and then I also shared a fisherman's platter that contained fried scallops, fried cod fillet, and fried shrimp over a mountain of French fries. Complete overload on the fries, fried scallops were a bit burnt, but fried cod fillet and fried shrimp were perfectly crispy.
Ordered pizza fries for our shared appetizer. This is my first time trying pizza fries so I don't really have anywhere else to compare it against, but they were okay, not too greasy and the fries were still crispy despite being dunked with ragu sauce and cheese. I don't think I'll be ordering pizza fries again just because this doesn't seem to be the type of taste I really fancy.
Our server was super-duper nice, easygoing and attentive. She made sure waters were filled before we asked, and the food was brought out in a timely manner as well. I'll definitely be returning to sample their famous pancakes.
Good location and they have a private parking lot as well. Not very busy during a weekday dinner. -
Review from Foodie G.
Manhattan, NY
I have a hard time to decide what I should get from the menu.
Pancakes are light and soft!
Lots of parking space -
Review from Jimmy S.
Staten Island, NY
Updated - 4/30/2012
I came back to try the waffles and I think they were better than the pancakes! WOW this place is great... I'm coming back real soon to try their dinner specials which are all huge portions... You better get down here and try this place!!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/16/2012
I also saw this on tv Diner's Drive In's And Dives and just had to give it a shot... First off, the… Read more »
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Review from Brett B.
Jersey City, NJ
3/23/2012
Tough to give rating here as I don't try a lot of items. To sum it up:
Pancakes - 5
Disco Fries using Mozz cheese instead - 5
Corned Beef Hash - 4
Steak and Eggs - 0 - had to throw out the steak, I would not feed it to my dog -
Review from Alden C.
Jersey City, NJ
3/21/2012
...not just a breakfast establishment!
Yes it's a diner, so the portions are HUGE, but the quality of the food rivals some of the better restaurants I've been too.
based on other reviews, it's already a given to come here for the pancakes/breakfast, but definitely consider it for dinner as well...you wont regret it! -
Review from Jennifer L.
Bergen County, NJ
3/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
The boy and I came here for breakfast last weekend and proceeded to be serious fat asses.
I went with the 3 eggs over, canadian bacon, hash brown, and toast. He did one of the breakfast sampler things.... eggs, bacon, hash browns, silver dollar pancakes. And then we ordered a side of corned beef hash (we didn't really get any corned beef on St. Pats and were in the mood lol).
All of the food was pretty tasty. Corned beef hash was addicting. Silver dollar pancakes were fluffy and yummy, and I'm not usually a huge pancake person. Eggs were perfectly cooked to order, and I'm picky!! Had tried their pancake rollups once and was NOT a fan. Too much going on all in one bite! Coffee was just meh.
The craziness and cult following of this place though still amazes me though. But the owners are friendly and you gotta love a cute old Greek man manning the register. :) -
Review from Astra G.
3/8/2012
So i've been here many times and yes the food is great (though one time I got a really mediocre chicken bruschetta sandwich), and the servers are nice...but no one ever mentions the booze!
For a diner/restaurant their drink menu is extensive. Not only do they have many drinks but the prices are great. There is also a very long list of just coffee related drinks... Most, if not all, of the drinks are $5-$6. I always come here to pre-game. Too bad they close at 11. -
Review from Jason L.
Gaithersburg, MD
3/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hmm, can't say I share the same excitement as some other reviewers about this place. Some thoughts:
Pros:
-Huge menu. If you can't find whatever you are looking for then you are either from another planet or you can't read
-Despite how busy this place is they move tables pretty fast. Were seated after about a 10 minute wait on a busy Sunday morning
-Food comes out pretty fast and really hot
-Quaint little diner with comfortable homelike feeling
Cons:
-Pork sausage and turkey sausage were blah. You have to do better than that to impress a Southerner who had pork sausage mixed in his baby formula at 4 months of age
-The pancakes are good but not a world changing experience. I had the Silver Dollar pancakes which were fluffy and piping hot. They have a fairly extensive pancake list so you pancake fans will be overjoyed
-Service is spotty. Luckily we didn't need much. Rarely saw our waitress
I have a feeling there are better items to be found on their menu than what I got so I may come back one day. Definitely much better than the chains so head here for some good diner food. -
Review from John M.
Jersey City, NJ
4/17/2012
This place is a classic Jersey diner. They have everything and the kitchen sink on the menu. All their breakfast combo meals are bomb. The T-Ham, egg and cheese sandwich is bomb. The cinnamon raisin French Toast is bomb. My and my girl rode our bikes there this weekend, after a hard fought tennis match. I had the pigs-in-a-blanket, which is f'ing outrageous. Three giant sausage links wrapped in three giant pancakes, drenched in butter and syrup. This is the best diner in the area. Just don't try to go there for breakfast on weekends, unless you want to wait forever to eat.
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Review from Chris M.
3/4/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Belgian waffle, gyro, turkey burger, silver dollar pancakes, chicken francese? No matter what you're in the mood for this place has got it. It's fast, cheap and owned by the nicest family. I've been going for years and it's consistently delish!
As the other reviews stated, be sure and get there early for breakfast on the weekend, especially Sunday when lines are out the door.
The Brownstone is the quintessential Greek diner. Love it! -
Review from wenting x.
Jersey City, NJ
3/4/2012
this is one solid diner to get brunch, lunch, dinner...great food, huge portions, and all at a reasonable price.
I got their specialty pancakes with bacon with a side of beef sausage and corned beef hash. my bf got the surf and turf --fried cod, steak, eggs, and grits.
both our meals came out on huge plates and we were left feeling very satisfied. i thought the pancakes were very good, the beef sausage was awesome and veryvery tender, and my corned beef hash was absolutely spectacular.
only complaints were that the steak could use some salt and the eggs were a bit over cooked. other than that, i will happily return in the future. -
Review from Euripides K.
ASTORIA, NY
4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
The pancakes here are the best. If you come, order the pancakes, especially if they have chocolate chips in them. Everything else on the menu is good, especially by east coast greasy spoon standards, but don't bother and just get pancakes.
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Review from Sheba K.
Jersey City, NJ
4/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
The pancakes here are yumm. After eating here, I feel like I should throw out the frozen pancakes that are nesting in my freezer. The ambience of the diner is pretty nice. It took a while for our food to come out. Service was ok. The other dishes we ordered were ok- nothing special about them. It's a good place for breakfast/brunch.
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Review from Carissa L.
Astoria, NY
2/6/2012
Between the stories I've heard about my friends going here, and me finally having my own experience for breakfast, my conclusion is this:
There is SO MUCH GOOD happening here.
How could there be anything wrong with a place that offers a giant pancake filled with eggs, home fries, and sausage? There couldn't be. This dish is the 'itis' waiting to happen...but so worth it.
I got an omelet with tomatoes and American cheese, and it was pretty good. The toast was perfect and the home fries were some of the best I've ever had. I'm a huge stickler for home fries as they're one of my favorite foods, so this is a serious assessment. They had a sort of buttery taste to them and yet they were so simply seasoned. Whatever they're doing in that kitchen, they're doing it right.
The waitress was also kind enough to top off my coffee, which I haven't ever experienced in a NY diner. She was attentive and checked in on us even though she was very busy.
I never thought I'd say the sentence "I wish I lived in New Jersey" but yowza! ;) I wish there was a Brownstone Part II in New York! -
Review from Jcfan J.
Jersey City, NJ
5/18/2012
This place is great! I have been here a bunch of times now, and the service is always really good, with friendly waitresses and attentive hosts. The food has never disappointed me. I am trying to go down the list of pancakes in order, but they are so good I end up ordering the same ones more than once, so it's gonna take me forever to try them all! Their salads are really good too. Try it out, you won't be disappointed!
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Review from Sonia M.
3/4/2012 1 photo
Service has always been good when I come here and there food is delicious.
Everyone needs to try there pancakes!!!
There desserts could use some work. I recently ordered a slice of tiramisu and it wasn't good, but our waiter took it off the check even though i didn't ask. -
Review from Jaclyn I.
Hoboken, NJ
4/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Sitting at work eating my leftover mousakka, thinking about the Honky Tonk pancakes I also devoured last night, and had to Yelp. Saw this place on DDD w/Guy Fieri and came here with the BF. "Probably the best pancakes I've ever had" was the verdict on the Honky Tonks. Also had Disco Dancing fries which was your traditional hangover fare - nothing special. But the Mousakka was EXCELLENT. For $13 you get soup, salad, mousakka and dessert. We took the coconut custard home. Cheap but freaking awesome eats, alcohol included. Will be back! But not on the weekends, thanks to the below warnings.
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Review from Jean B.
Mountainside, NJ
3/18/2012
I don't mind waiting almost an hour for a table if you tell me I'm going to wait that long. At least then it's my choice whether to go or stay.
I do mind it when you tell us 25 minutes.
With that said... The most INSANE breakfast menu I've ever seen... in a good way. I am always looking for different pancake varieties and this place had one of the longest pancake lists I've ever seen!
Everything on the menu looked so good, and my crew and I ordered so much food that we had to set our condiments on the ledge behind our booth to make room on the table (they did seat us in a booth that was a little small for 6 people though... and we are not big people)
It was a busy Saturday morning when we came, so I will not dwell too much on the fact that it took the waitress forever to greet us, check on us, and she may have forgotten a few of the sides we had ordered.... but like I said the place was PACKED and we put in possibly the craziest order... and she was super nice and awesome, and she was new so I will not hold it against her
All in all... I will definitely go back and I suggest you check it out... especially if you like pancakes.
Also if you're going in a group, try to carpool. Parking was definitely not the easiest. They had a parking lot, but it felt like the mall parking lot two days before Christmas. -
Review from Davis J.
Hubba Hubba Hubba...I love you Brownstone. Watch the Diner's, Drive-in's and Dives episode on youtube before you go and then try to not order the pancakes.
This place fills up fast and at random times the wait can be down the street so I recommend calling ahead to see how busy they are or how long the wait is. Sometimes you can slip right in (that's what she said...I had to).
My first time I went I had the "Irish Benedict" with a side of grits and a short stack. I loved-loved it. It is basically some really fresh corned beef hash over three english muffins with three poached eggs, smothered in hollandaise sauce. I don't usually ever order corned beef hash but I liked the reviews and pictures I saw on here about it and decided to give it a shot. It topped my list of bests for savory breakfast/brunch ever, even if the hollandaise was from a mix. (and for the record I am a sweet breakfast/brunch person 9 out of 10 times)
Later that week and almost every time after, I have ordered the "pancake combo" which comes with bacon, sausage, two eggs and a short stack that isn't very short. NOTE: request your short stack, however you order, to be "Berry Sour Cakes." Unreal how good they are. It is a three pancake stack blanketed in a warm homemade strawberry compote and dolloped in the middle with some cool sour cream. Yes, sour cream to all the non-believers. It might change your life. As Guy Fieri stated: "This is an adult version of strawberry shortcake!"
And if you must know I am now addicted. -
Review from Melissa B.
Manhattan, NY
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
I feel bad writing two poor reviews in a row, but I have to be honest.
I found this restaurant via the Food Network. They raved about the pancakes.
I ordered banana & walnut pancakes and my boyfriend ordered peanut butter pancakes. Both were classic buttermilk and fluffy- basically what you'd expect. This is 2012, why not offer whole or buck wheat? It's impossible to eat more then half a pancake without feeling like your abusing your body.
The remainder of the menu was your ordinary diner foods. The food here compares to Denny's, IHOP, or Friendly's. It's not high quality, it's quick and cheap.
I won't go back. I can't handle low quality food.. I am a New Yorker, I deserve the best!! -
Review from Melissa R.
Jersey City, NJ
2/23/2012 11 Check-ins Here
I love brownstone! I go here at least once a week!
The best pancakes in my opinion are the berry sour- the sour cream seems weird at first but after one bite you are hooked!
I recently strayed from breakfast and ordered lunch for the first time and that was delicious too! The curly fries are amazing!
The prices are good, and you get a TON of food! I have never even come close to finishing my plate!
My only complaint would be that it gets SUPER crowded brunch time on the weekends and parking can be difficult, but that only means lots of other people love the brownstone too!
One hint: if you are waiting, be sure to wait inside so you can hear the host/hostess call you because they will not come outside to find you and you might miss it! -
Review from Tanya G.
1/23/2012 1 photo
Huge menu, huge portions, huge crowds - the three pillars of a great diner. We came here for brunch on a Sunday morning after a long night of boozing. There were so many people waiting to sit that you could barely open the door, a great sign of good eats to come. The host told us the wait was 20 minutes for our party of 5 and promptly sat us 15 minutes later after exchanging some banter.
We were handed massive, ancient-looking menus that contained hundreds of dining options, from which I tried the following...
Brownstone Fries: Well seasoned curly fries with oozing melted cheese on top, bacon bits and a delicious BBQ ranch sauce all swimming in a pool of cheesy bacony grease. The epitome of hungover food at it's finest.
Pancake Wrap: A specialty of Brownstone's that all of us ordered. It's a massive, fluffy, tender pancake with a bit of a sweetness to it. It's filled and rolled up with different breakfast staples. Two of us ordered the Original which contained scrambled egg, cheese and bacon. The huge scoop of butter and maple syrup were the perfect additions to this beastly large breakfast. Three of us ordered the Country Breakfast Wrap filled with scrambled egg, pork sausage, potatoes and cheese. Here is where they lost a star...my wrap was filled about 2/3 of the way with potatoes, while my friend's had barely a piece of potato in it. The amount of starch in my wrap was so oppressive that I couldn't enjoy my food. I actually ended up switching my wrap with my friend. But, the pancake and sausage were both delicious.
Despite my super starchy wrap, this place was excellent. Service was welcoming, friendly, and constantly refilling our coffees and waters. I will return for more belly-busting diner food. -
Review from Ngoc P.
Jersey City, NJ
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
*Drops menus on table* Says in monotone voice "have a great meal" *dodges eye contact*
Great first impression eh? It's a diner and they're out the door with the line of customers. I don't blame them. Pancakes are out of this world. It's like dense, fluffy, buttery, and light at the same time? I don't get it but I don't argue it either. Stay away from the french toast, it's Brownstone PANCAKE factory. I hear their greek dishes are good too but I always come here for breakfast and their awesome sweet potato fries. Drinks are good, milkshakes too. I recommend going sometime other than the weekend mornings. It can get pretty hectic and it somewhat ruins your brownstone experience. But overall, it's a nice classic diner with awesome fries and pancakes. -
Review from Deborah D.
Jersey City, NJ
12/16/2011 ROTD 2/16/2012
Epic Jersey diner featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives located just a short walk from our condo? We rushed to eat here EARLY on a Saturday morning soon after the episode aired.
It was already pretty crowded, but we were seated right away. Let me just say that the atmosphere is classic diner, right down to the waitresses pouring it on all syrupy thick with their Jersey accents and looooooooove. As a Jersey girl married to a Midwestern guy, I had to laugh. There is nothing so classically Jersey as a diner, and the Brownstone is as classic as it comes.
So the food was fantastic, but every plate was enough food for at least 2 hungry, I mean REALLY HUNGRY people. I ordered the pancake wrap, which is basically a massive burrito made out of buttermilk pancakes, which came with bacon, eggs, and cheese inside. I ate about 1/3 of it and then got too full to move (I'm sub-100 pounds)...and my husband, who had made his enormous omelet disappear swooped in and ate another 1/3. We took the other 1/3 home and I heated it up in the oven and ate it for breakfast the next day. Like I said, epic.
Another visit entailed some dinner after happy hour at the nearby Zeppelin Hall Beer Garden. I got the corned beef hash, eggs, and toast, which was nothing a foodie would write home about, but still comforting and good.
Bottom line - comfort classics, made well and made BIG. Dress in stretchy pants. -
Review from Homer M.
Jersey City, NJ
2/12/2012
Pancakes were good; the options were very diverse and interesting. I had peanut butter and walnut pancakes which were ok, although the portion size was way too big. I also ordered a side of eggs which tasted like they came out of a carton. We ordered some biscuits and gravy which were mediocre at best.
Our server was good and helpful, but the atmosphere reminded me of a classier version of a Denny's...That is NOT a compliment. I would be really hard-pressed to say I would come back here, although the diverse pancake list offers the slightest bit of intrigue. -
Review from Calvin B.
Sunbury, PA
2/29/2012 3 photos
Stopped here while spending a weekend in the city after seeing it on Diners, Drive ins, and Dives. What a great decision!
When we arrived the place was packed. I expected to wait at least 30-45 minutes for a table but luckily we had six in our party and luckily no one else needed a table for six so we got right in! What a perfect way to start the day!
On to the service. Our waitress was great. So nice and friendly and patient! She took our drink orders and was very patient with us as we browsed their Bible sized menu. We finally decided and within 20 minutes our food was at the table.
The food. Everything was excellent. Most of us had a breakfast item of some sort. I personally had the Country pancake wrap and it was huge and delicious. Some of the other items at our table were the chocolate chip pancakes, banana walnut pancakes, and an omelet of some kind. Everyone was very pleased with the items they had ordered. My friend ordered the moussaka which was not featured on the menu but was featured on Triple D and we were very surprised but overly excited when they actually had it. He loved it.
I have nothing bad to say about the Brownstone. I was pleased with every aspect of this meal. I could see wait times being lengthy but if the food is good...who cares? Oh and for 2 people we had an awesome breakfast for 20 bucks. When do you find that in or around the city? Go here, you'll love it! -
Review from Hannah Z.
Manhattan, NY
12/20/2011
I've only had breakfast at Brownstone, but it was awesome. Even though the place is usually packed, they seat you surprisingly fast and the service is quick, too.
There are so many varieties of pancakes and omelets, it's insane. The California omelet (avocado, onion, cheddar cheese, mushrooms, tomato) is excellent, as well as the buttermilk pancakes. A side of bacon gets you a generous amount (unlike most breakfast places), and the corned beef hash is cooked really well.
Best part is, the place isn't expensive at all. And I haven't had a drink here (yet) but I did see a bar on my way out. -
Review from Giselle R.
Jersey City, NJ
Weekday morning and the place is only half full so that means giant booth for me and hubby.
Buttermilk pancakes, turkey sausage, coffee, juice for me.
Short stack,turkey sausage, eggs over, toast etc for hubby.
We could only eat half.
Not that I didn't want to keep eating, they were really fluffy and just plain yummy, but in the god's smiling down on me part of my day not only was I going to be able to enjoy them in the a.m. but I was looking at a repeat for brinner with those leftovers.
Happiness is a belly full of fluffy pancakes, 2x.Listed in: Mama's Lovin' Jersey…, Let's Eat, JC
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/17/2012
We have been here a few times in the past few days when we needed mega diner portions to satisfy the… Read more »
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Review from Michael L.
Herndon, VA
4/2/2012
It was our first meal during our food crawl to NYC. Honky Tonk pancakes and the hash browns were exceptional. Other items on the menu were a little better than IHOP. With a party of 12, we got to taste a good portion of the menu. I think they're better than 3 stars but couldn't give them 4.
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Review from Kristin G.
Union City, NJ
12/1/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I'm not sure I've ever had better plain old buttermilk pancakes. They are obviously my go to. I'm one of those people who goes to a restaurant and orders the same thing, EVERY SINGLE TIME.
So if it's breakfast, I'm getting either egg whites, or once a month, my monthly pancakes....and the ONLY place I will get them from after having the Brownstone's version, is THE BROWNSTONE.
Not only do they treat you like family after just your first time there, but the prices are reasonable and the food is DELICIOUS.
Sure the sausage is a bit big and kind of gross looking, sure your waitress may look like she's not all there, but everyone is kind.
Sure the wait may take you a good 40 minutes but hey, for pancakes like these, I'll wait a full hour!
This place brings in people of all kind and it's no wonder it does, this is a place ANYONE would love. If the crowd is diverse, you know it's good.
My boyfriend gets a new pancake every time and EVERY SINGLE TIME he is astounded that it is amazing.
See you Sunday! -
Review from Anthony F.
Colonia, NJ
3/21/2012 7 Check-ins Here
The pancakes are delicous and all the portions are huge! I can't say enough about this place. Don't even bother looking anyone else in Jersey City if you want breakfast. Also, there is no delivery, but you can pick up, as I do some sunday mornings :)
