Skylark Diner & Lounge
| Address: | 17 Wooding Ave, Edison, NJ 08817, USA |
| Phone: | +1 732-777-7878 |
| Site: | skylarkdiner.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 7AM–11PM 7AM–11PM 7AM–11PM 7AM–11PM 7AM–1AM 7AM–1AM 7AM–11PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
ST
Stan Apgar
My wife and I came here last night quite by accident as we were in the mood for Mexican cuisine but there was a 1 hour 40 minute wait for Mexican and I was too hungry to be waiting that long to eat, so... Off we went hoping to see a place that looked crowded enough to know other people liked it but not so crowded to get a table right away, plus it had to be on the way back home, not farther away. I know, a strange way to look for and find a place to eat but it was what it was and it brought us to the Skylark. This is a bit of an odd place to be honest with you. It has the look of a Diner, the feel of a fine restaurant and a menu from both worlds. I ordered a bowl of the Lobter Bisque and the Cavatelli with hot sausage, Broccoli Rabe, peppers and garlic in a light virgin olive oil. My wife ordered the Seared Mahi Mahi special. The Bisque was literally on my table within 3 minutes of ordering it. That told me that it was sitting in a steam table ready to go. It needed salt and really was unremarkable. My dinner was tasty but very dry and a bit under salted. My wife also complained about the fish being dry and there sure was not much of a sear on it. We shared the Apple Strudel with a scoop of ice cream on the recommendation of our waiter who said it was a "Large" piece... It was not and the scoop of ice cream was embarrassingly tiny. Not really worth the $7 price tag on it. Overall, I am giving this place 3 stars for effort. Good service and superior plating but missed the mark with food preparation and flavor. It certainly is a step and a half above the humdrum diners out there. All they need is a little talent to go along with that effort and this place can be 5 stars in no time.
ED
Edward Adelman
Ive been coming here regularly for over ten years. Ive had nearly everything on the menu. Its more of a restaurant than a diner, but there are aspects of the experience that recreate the comfort of a traditional diner, albeit with better fare and service. Dinner is going to be more expensive than any diner. Though breakfast can be pricey, I find the creativity and quality of the dishes to be well worth the extra couple dollars. I fell in love with this place after I first tried the blueberry stuffed french toast (stuffed with blueberries and mascarpone). I thoroughly enjoy getting here early and having a cup of coffee with breakfast before the morning and brunch crowds begin to settle in. A wait here on the weekend during 10-11 can sometimes reach 45 minutes, though there are usually counter seats available even at that time. I have also been here after dinner. The bar mirrors the prices of the food and with that comes a dimly lit, lounge-like experience away from any semblance of a diner. The shareable appetizers are a great addition to a late night visit. The service has been consistently well above average. It reflects the cost of the meal very well and in some cases exceeds it. Ive never seen a manager micromanage anything here which is a testament to how well the staff is trained. Over the years Ive gotten to know several wait staff members and managers who have since moved on, but they were so effective at making me feel welcome that those feelings are still present within me every time Im here. Even after a prolonged hiatus from the Skylark, I come back and feel at home every time.
MA
Mark Deavult
"The Drinky Drink Diner!" The drinks. Its all about the drinks. When you hear the word "diner" - especially in New Jersey - the term conjures up a string of associations in your mind. Comfort food. Late nights. Huge selection. Middle class vibe. The Skylark, on the other hand, brands itself as a diner, but leans toward a much more modern aesthetic, with an all too self-conscious retro decor, and a hipsterish vibe that contradicts all those assumptions in the word "diner". The menu, while large, isnt as comprehensive as you might find in a traditional diner. And the selections veer a bit toward restaurant. The food is serviceable, competently executed, and consistently average. Because its not about the food. Its about the drinks! The Skylark has a large and well-populated bar area, and if you want to get your drinky drink on, this is your place. The merely average food is well offset by the extensive beverage menu and top notch execution. If youre looking for the quintessential Diner Experience, there are better local options as far as food is concerned. But if your goal is a good blackout drunk in a slightly upscale, nightclub like setting, this might be your place! Food: 3 stars Drinks: 4 stars
HE
Heather Cammarata-Seale
My husband and visited the Skylark twice in one week. We rarely visit the same restaurant twice in a few months, so that means something, right? We have been searching for a mid-priced restaurant with high quality diner food for a while and we finally found it! The menu is large but not huge like a typical Jersey diner. The selections are classic but fun. For example, when we went for a quick lunch I enjoyed a wonderful salmon bahn-mi style sandwich, not something I typically associate with a diner. My husband had the Thanksgiving sandwich - served on their awesome cranberry flaxseed bread - and loved that he got a bowl of gravy for dipping. When we went for dinner I was craving a big plate of vegetables and I was able to order something that wasnt a salad! The Roasted Eggplant Provencal was hearty and satisfying. And, their rice pudding is simple and classic. Cant wait to try breakfast!
MI
Michelle S
My husband and I went here for Sunday brunch. I ordered the strawberry crepes with a side of homefries and he ordered the chicken fingers with a side of french fries. The crepes were extremely dry, but I will say the strawberries were fresh and good. The crepes were served with a side of toasted/grilled banana bread which I could not eat because it was so dry. Too bad, because it would have been good banana bread had it not been toasted. Same complaint for the chicken fingers--they were extremely dry inside and well overcooked. The best part of the meal was the homefries, which were awesome and we were served a large plate of them for only 2 dollars--the best bargain in the place! Overall, atmosphere is nice and place looks cool, but the food is definitely sub-par.
A
A Private User
I did not like this place. I have been twice and both times my food was subpar. One time I got the fish and chips and it really had no flavour. I think the frozen fish you buy at the grocery store tastes better than this. I thought we would go back and try brunch one day. It was nothing to rave about. A dining experience should be memorable and this did not do it for me. I will not go back. We also had some child in the booth behind us that kept slamming our booth while we were trying to eat. We complained to our server and they did nothing about it. They simply explained to us that the booths are connected and there is nothing they can do about it. I advise if you go here do not sit in the row of booths that share a back with the next booth.
