A preview look at the new Garnet Grill in Haddon Heights (Barrington)… which ownership expects to open before the end of January!
I caught up with co-owner Patrick a few days ago who gave me an updated tour of the restaurant and plans for the menu. Patrick has a target opening date in mind but has a couple final details to complete… exterior signage install and final inspection.

42Freeway will be updating readers on the opening day once it’s locked in, but to really play it safe be sure to follow The Garnet Grill on social media platforms such as Facebook!
I first wrote about The Garnet Grill back in November when they made the announcement of their plans to open within the space of the beloved Barrington Diner Restaurant, which is located directly across the street from the Tonewood Brewery.

New (co)owner Patrick lives in walking distance of the restaurant and for several years had been inquiring about taking over the space to create his own delicious eatery. In August, the Barrington Diner closed and Patrick was able to fulfill his dream of owning a smalltown cafe restaurant… with the bonus of this one being right in his hometown!
And it seems the community is just as eager as Patrick and John are… it’s not an exaggeration that during my 90 minute visit and conversation, probably 8 different groups of people stopped to check in on the restaurant, cupped their hands to the windows to see inside, or simply just walked in to check on things!

When I was at the opening of the new Tonewood Brewery in Barrington, I looked across the street and saw the Barrington Diner, and I told my good friend “I’m going to buy that place”. Three year’s later, and now myself and another good friend are now the proud owners. We have done some much needed upgrades, and have changed the name to The Garnet Grill, but we kept a couple of the booths that have been here since the 1950’s, only to be reupholstered in the 70’s with a groovy gold flake material.
Patrick … Co-Owner of The Garnet Grill Haddon Heights
Patrick and his partner John have been working on upgrades to the interior space the last three months, and are doing an awesome job maintaining the balance between keeping the old school charm of the classic diner… but adding in significant newer touches including a completely refreshed kitchen.

Along the left wall is a row of the classic diner booths which date back to the 1950s, and were reupolsted in the 70s with the golden metallic vinyl. That vinyl is still in place and looks brand new! New tables have been added for the booths.
The rest of the dining space has more significant changes with the redesigned counter area as well as two large family style tables which are perfect for larger groups, or sharing the space with others.

New steel wainscoting around the dining room perimeter and counter front, adds a new design element to the space.
The counter has been repositioned to give a little bit more room on the service side of things, particularly as they will be adding an ice cream machine and a few other kitchen equipment pieces in that area.

And it all leads to the open kitchen area which when you look at it you’re going to think is a completely brand new installation… But Patrick, John and the team spent hours fully cleaning the space and then installed a new ceiling, and improved all of the utilities throughout.
Even the bathroom has gotten the Garnet Grill upgrade treatment!

The new Garnet Grill is a comfortable old-fashioned style grill restaurant that will offer freshly prepared food items including beer battered fried chicken, taste “smash jawn” burgers, cheesesteaks, wings, and innovative flatbreads.
Patrick is as much a scientist as he is a chef, spending time over the last few months fully refining the menu and even the techniques.
The beer battered fried chicken? The beer for the batter is being provided by Tonewood Brewery across the street!

And the chicken itself is a boneless chicken thigh which Patrick found to offer the best flavor and moisture. He was so intent on it being the final recipe, he spent considerable time just trying to find a supplier who would get him the exact boneless product he was looking for.
And even then the preparation for the beer batter coating took considerable R&D. Patrick found he could go a little bit longer with the cooking time (in comparison to say, fresh fish) so that it gives the chicken a cracker crispy crunch.

His son and friends, as well as those helping out in the upgrades.. would stop over the house to sample the latest menu creation.
Chicken wings are another item where Patrick and the team put a lot of thought into… creating their own sauce recipe.
Cheesesteaks will feature fresh (never frozen) beef and he will offer two versions… Philly Style or Camden Style.

There is more to the menu, but one thing that won’t be available until a later date is pizza. It’s a key item that the Garnet Grill team to add, but they wanted to first focus on the grill and fryer items.
While I haven’t tried the food, its clear that the Garnet Grill will be an awesome addition to the area with it’s quaint smalltown charm interior, well thought out menu… and a hopefully some good crossover traffic from the Tonewood customers!
Links and Location
The Garnet Grill – Opening Very Soon
527 Clements Bridge Road
Haddon Heights, NJ 08007
Website (under construction)