So where to begin …. The staff is very nice and professional. But whomever is cooking has given upFrench toast is very easy to make. This French toast had so many flawsFirstly…. They don’t even try to use brioche or Texas toast thick sliced breadThe bread was thin and dry. They used egg beaters. At least dip the bread “preferably Thick bread”. And let it soak in the beautiful fresh eggs. Then fry it in butter, not margarine but butterTry sprinkling your breakfast delights in a little powdered sugar and grit some strawberry’s or cantaloupe and garnish the plate for gods sake. I had the waffle recently and it was also thrown a a plate with no powder sugar or fruit garnish. The cake display is so sad. Some half cut cakes and pies. I can’t imagine they are fresh.You could have a thriving business and if you added a few special touches and ideas to your menu. It’s sad we have no choices in Hackettstown for a good diner. When ihop is better you know that’s sadContact me I am a professional home chef and would be happy to help your chef out with some great tips and tricks
No seasoning on any food ie... no flavor and I mean not even salt and pepper. The staff admitted that they use NO seasoning when they cook . When I said that figures cause the fries burger and even the vanilla shake had no flavor. The waitress then accuses me of having covid 19 since i cant taste any flavor. She then jumps back from the table where im sitting masked up ready to leave and says stay away I have kids I dont want to catch anything. You,ve got to love the craziness and she working without a mask. Im here vaccinated and boostered as well. Lol never again the low rating is the truth.
Service was great, restaurant was clean, sitting river side was a nice and added to the experience especially because my 2 year old was trying to fish through the glass window. As far as the food it was good and some items on the menu that you wont find everywhere however being knit picky it was nothing to write home about. I have a gold standard in mind when it comes to french toast which I cant get anymore because that restaurant changed owners and methods of cooking. This french toast was meh. It was super crispy which I dont dislike but if youre ganna put a nice crisp on the french toast give me a thicker piece so I still get that fluffy middle. Just my 2 cents but theres no reason this place wouldnt be your favorite... Oh yea and the syrup. It was almost too thick to pour it needs to be warm if thats the syrup youre ganna use
Very friendly staff. Reasonably priced menu. Always had a decent meal. Thanks!
Great location on the river behind the restaurant. Friendly staff that were attentive. Very full menu with just about anything you can think of. Restaurant was clean and not too crowded when we went for dinner. Food came out pretty quickly and everyone enjoyed their meal. Would definitely eat here again and try something else.
I want to start by saying that my little girl loves eating here, and we have enjoyed the meals every time. The last time we came here, (9/22/21) me and my family literally watched our waitress taste two sodas after being asked by a waiter if it was diet or not. She took a sip from both cups and then they were served to customers. I was HORRIFIED given the current state of the world. My mother approach the “manager” who said nothing about this incident and the waitress full out denied tasting the drinks and said that she “smelled” them (which makes zero sense.) There was no apology or acknowledgement of wrongdoing in any way. A roll of the eyes from the waitress was all that we got. Needless to say, we will not be returning.
Good food, but not all on same page when it comes to service.
The food was amazing. However, after I went to wash my hands, there was a toothpaste tube amount of dried cum on the urnal. I have a photo of it if anyone wants to see.
The food was ok the service was good. But, the placed smelled of heavy mold . My sinuses are going crazy. The moldy mildewy smell was really heavy. It made it hard to eat. I wont go back for this reason. Maybe Ill do take out but no I wont dine in again.
One of the great NJ diners. Creative, extensive menu. Delicious food.
Very good quality food much better than typical diner fare. Super friendly staff and attentive service.
The food is pretty good depending on what you get. The grilled cheese and burgers are pretty good, but the eggs and pasta arent. The desserts are great, staff is pretty good, and they deliver, too. Its family owned and a great place for an inexpensive meal.
Went yesterday for late breakfast. First time eating there. Excellent server. She was always on hand and kept the coffee filled. However, my wife’s omelette had egg shells in it at several different spots AND she found a hair in it. Our waitress was great. She replaced it and scratched it from the bill. However, it was hard to take any more bites after that.Probably won’t be back.
Very good breakfast and our server was very nice. You can sit outside by the river.
We had a great experience at the River Star Diner. We were seated immediately. The staff was very friendly & prompt with whatever we needed. The food was very good & they give you large portions so you will never leave hungry. I would definitely recommend giving them a try.
We placed an order to pick up, got halfway home, and got a call that they forgot something so we had to go back and get that, didnt even apologize when we got back. The shake and bacon burger combo was supposed to included cheese for the price but we were charged extra, they also forgot the bacon... The Waffle fries were border line burnt. The paninis are supposed to come with fries, but we didnt get any with our order.. Three other meals we got were great though.
Awesome food. Not to be missed
The service was alright when we initially went in. However, after getting served our desired meals, the waitress did not come back to check up on us as most waiters do. The burgers were fine, but the steak, though asked to be well done, was burnt and the mushroom soup was warm not hot (as though microwaved). So the food was alright, but the service was rather unpleasant. We will not be coming back, next time Ill definitely be more cautious when choosing a place to dine.
We have brunch (omelets, sandwiches, and/or salads) here after church a couple times a month. The portions are plentiful, the food is good diner food, the wait staff is friendly and efficient.
Good food, good service. Hit the spot after 23 miles biking the Columbia Trail
Has a really cool location where you can watch the river from the majority of the seats. Food is pretty good and the staff is always very friendly.
It was terrible. This one female worker was really rude. Some of the food was cold. My family and I went, we were served cold soup. After we were served the worker didn’t come back to ask if we needed anything. We looked for a worker and all of them were sitting down. When addressed the worker got up and was mad. She gave us attitude when we were telling her she didn’t come back and that she didn’t come back and ask if we needed anything else. I do not recommend this place, there are better places, don’t take your chances.
Diners are a NJ staple this one just so happens to be closest to my home. Cant go wrong with the Philly cheese steak and the Ruben is always overstacked.
Friendly, not intrusive service, full menu, food is fresh and tasty. I would recommend it for a quick bite or regular meal. Eggs benedict were great, bistro said fresh and fried calamari appetizer was filling. Overall worth trying.
Ok, so I want to start this by saying I used to love it here. The food was always excellent and they were always delicious. But since covid, they dont care anymore. I door dashed from here tonight and ordered tortellini, for those who dont know door dash makes you choose rice or linguini as an option for some reason, this has never been an issue because I always got tortellini but today I got linguini. No big deal, I looked past it. Until I found black hair in my pasta.. last 3 times I ordered from them I had issues, which I overlooked because they were small and no big deal but its clear that they no longer care about basic requirements and hygiene . So I still think they have good food, but thats if they even get your order right. And depending on if it is hair free. Gunna steer clear until I know things have improved.
Stop in for breakfast. Good food good service
Omelets were a nice big portion. Oreo cheesecake was rich with chocolate. Friendly staff. They are keeping the air moving while under covid so was a little crisp temperature wise.
The River Star Diner has been my favorite place to eat since moving to Hackettstown in 2011. Every year, when asked, it is my only answer to Where do you want to go for your Birthday? This year, I had a party at home and took advantage of their Catering! I was not disappointed! There were 17 family members and myself. I ordered the Chicken Francaise and Penne Vodka. The food was out of this world DELICIOUS! I sent FIVE trays of food home with each branch of my family tree and still had leftovers! I highly recommend The River Star Diner to everyone! Thank you to John and the staff for helping me keep my Birthday tradition going strong!!
Great food, great service
Very good the waiter was very nice and the food was great
We visited them on mothers day. It was clean and they are very quick and friendly over all I would recommend them to my friends and family.
The perfect Diner. Clean space, delicious food, great service. Would definitely come back. Added to our roadtrip places to stop. ❤
Menu is huge, probably about 100 items to choose from. Quality of food was great. The service was prompt and friendly. Price was very reasonable. Highly recommend this place.
An ok place for a quick bite
I randomly stop here to eat something. So delicious burger. Unbelievable. Thank you.
Very good had blintzes and blueberries from Maine.
The staff here is great, very friendly and attentive. I would give them 5 stars, BUT the food is awful, very bland not homemade, its like hospital cafeteria food. The tables in the back with a view of the river would be great if it didnt smell like mildew. If youre looking for disco fries or a grilled cheese by all means go here
Portion sizes of sides like fries and salad are very generous. Great food as well
Great food, service. Huge menu. One of those great finds.
Great friendly service
The food is good but service was not great...need proper training took a long time for her to check on us if we needed anything.
There was nats cooked into my cheese fries here. I don’t recommend at all. The food is very bad as well.
Great food great service. !! Thanks.
I never do this but ordered from here a few times and always a disaster ...ordered a 16 dollar turkey dinner ...got three pieces of turkey...
This was not the best diner that Ive eaten at. That being said the service was wonderful and the food wasnt to bad. I would consider eating there again.
I dont mean to ruin a company with a bad review but these reviews are all lies the 2 times i went here the food was just awful burned, over cooked and somehow NO FLAVOR how do you physically put togethor a meal that has no hint of flavor salt has more flavor than what i ate here????? Im not one to complain but just wow this was horrible as if the food had been microwaved sat for a few days than re heated and given to me just please go anywhere else
Not really happy with how things were handled. Staff was very unattentive.
Excellent food, huge portions and the girls are super attentive. The food was delicious and the prices are low. Definitely a must try now with the outside seating. My only complaint was the food coma after.
Always Great food & Service!
Very good food. Friendly staff. Would recommend for a quick bite to eat
My God daughters love this place.
My mom and family and friends been having dinner for many years nice place to have your breakfast lunch dinner and supper very clean restaurant thank you very much have a nice day
Excellent service
Have been ordering since COVID-19 closures, pick-up or delivery. Relatively quick delivery, but the last couple of times, it seems like the quality has gone downhill. Dont know if they have a new cook or what
It was ok. My fiances food was dreadful and she had to send it back and get something else. This must be a regular occurence because no owner/manager came to talk to us. Be sure to ask your waitress if what you order is actually good or not.
I got a gyro which was terrible and our waitress pretty much forgot about us.
Maybe I’m spoiled, but coming from the city, Diners are a big deal to me. The food was okay. Service was great.
Nice diner. You can see the river while you dine. The food was good.
Visited on a Thursday. Fast and courteous service. The place has a nice feel to it.
I go out of my way to go there
Food and service was very good. But the diner is in need of some updates.
Got the wrong kind of soup they forgot the salad and no gravy with my meat I was a little disappointed
Good food. Excellent table service.
Its always busy, food is always fresh, I used to work there so I know the kitchen is clean as well.. I have been going here for yrs and the owner is very nice the waitresss are very nice an fast... BEST DINER AROUND
They make the perfect silver dollar pancakes.
Because of the coronavirus, this was the first time we dined out in over 4 months. While it was warm out, the tables with umbrellas kept the sun off of us, and the outside tables were placed right near a small river, which gave us a refreshing cool breeze.
Awesome staff!!! Awesome food!!! If you cant find anything to eat in this place, there is a problem!!!!
Ill get the bad things out of the way first. The hot food was very cold by the time it got to me. We had it delivered, but Im only 4 miles away. Our dishes were supposed to come with french fries, a pickle, and Cole slaw. However, our food only came with huge boxes of fries. I ordered a Chicken Caesar Wrap, which was extremely greasy, without a hint of Caesar dressing. It fell apart as soon as I tried to pick it up. Wouldnt order this dish again. The Mozzarella Sticks were cold. The fries were cold. The Gyro Wrap was really good and quite a generous portion. The Turkey Club was pretty good, but a little bland. The Monte Cristo was very good, also a large portion amount. Overall, the food was just okay. If I do go again, Id go when the dining room is open.
Seated then ignored by waitress.
Beautiful sitting outside by water! Food is good.
Excellent service, a very courteous waitress, and very good food.
The best diner on NJ!
Great breakfast spot. Eggs and meats were good. Pancakes unfortunately were flavorless and doughy.We did have a beautiful view of the river so that definitely added to the aesthetics.Our server was great. Everyone is kind and helpful.
Always busy, had to stop in andSee for myself. Food great will defiantly go back.
Lots Of Ties To The Place. Been going as a kid. The staff know my name and are family friends. Nice to everyone in there and meet right at the door. Food is great with a wide selection.
Great breakfast and service
He great food, family of 9 celebrated my 64th birthday there today.
My friends and I came here on Sunday after lunch time. The place was decently crowded but not over packed. We started off with a round of coffee and Waters. Shortly after we ordered our food. Our coffee levels were low at this time. We were looking around for a solid 5 minutes for our waitress but couldnt find her. Eventually we flagged down another waitress and kindly asked for some coffee and she poured us cups. After the first round coffee incident, we had someone come and check on our coffee levels very frequently after that. I ordered blueberry and strawberry pancakes. The fruit was a bit bland in the pancakes, even with butter and syrup. My girlfriend also got a bowl of fresh fruit and was unhappy with the quality of the blueberries. My two other friends were very content with their meals. I would try this place again but maybe skip the fruit when it isnt in season.
Me and my wife just moved to the area. Granted I used to live in an area where there was a diner withing a 5 min driving distance almost every way, we still take the time to stop at new spots to see what stands out. We always see this place busy so we figured it had to be good. Boy, were we wrong. I gave this place 2 stars because they were friendly and efficient with their service. Those are probably the only positives. We went on a Saturday evening. It looked busy but plenty of open seats. We ordered from a pretty extensive menu. My wife got something that cost almost $10 and it was basically some slices of tomatoe on a roll with cheese that was trying to be melted, but wasnt at all and an unusual sauce. Bland and disgusting. She barely ate half. I ordered a Nacho platter to begin. The chips were stale and the chili tasted like it originated from a can with some added beans and chopped meat to give it some consistency. The portion size was good, and I was really hungry so I gave it no complaint. For my meal I had the Reuben. Its a typical dish I order to taste the freshness if the corned beef. Well let me just tell you that the cheese was overly pungent, the sauerkraut was plain, and the corned beef was rubbery and lacked any flavor whatsoever. The best part about the dish was the bread. The fries were plain (unsalted) and they served with thousand island dressing in a cup on the side. We spent a bit over $30 but it was not nearly worth $15. Again, the waitress was great and the service was friendly, but in terms of food, I would have honestly preferred nuggets from McDonalds.
Staff is always timely even when they have a full house. Ive had nothing but enjoyable experiences here and plan to keep visiting. Food is similar to a place in San Francisco I liked.
I like their fries and coffee! The new drive up system sucks. They should have it like a bank, side-by-side. Not behind each other. The employee giving you your order is still confused and have to verify at the window.
Nothing but enjoyable experiences here. This place has a good atmosphere.
Stopped for lunch today. Place was dirty. Waitress kept pushing us to order. I ordered egg salad on white toast. I got chicken salad on white toast with lettuce. We got charged for 2 coffees. I do not drink coffee. We were rushed from start to finish. Place was empty so it was not like they needed the table. It has really gone down hill.
Excellent service, great food.
Breakfast with a smile. Our waitress was excellent! The food is tasty and well presented. A favorite of friends, so glad we stopped.
Nice portions...👍
Dirty cups and plates; food with no taste.
Stopped for a quick lunch with two of my teenage grandchildren. We all enjoyed our food. The service was great, no long wait. We were very pleased.
Very good. The Burgers are fresh and I love that I can get a rare one and it comes out rare. Service is friendly and helpful. Its a good place to go for everybody. The menu is magnificent. So much to choose from. I recommend the Broiled sea scallops.
The food was mediocre at best, no seasoning & everything was bland and tasted like it was made days and days before hand & microwaved. I honestly tried to love the food.Maybe if you toned down the menu and incorporate some seasonings into your food, Id give it another try.Tbh, River Star caters to the elderly across the street. Thank you but I wont be coming back until there are some improvements.
Restroom urinal running. Vents in main area dirty. Food by good. Wait staff very good. Used bacterial wipe to clean table.
Ive been coming here for 8+ years and I absolutely love it. With friendly waiters, and amazing food, this is a nice, sit down place to eat. The restaurant is situated by the river, so as you eat its nice to look out the large windows and watch the ducks.
