The Garnet Grill is coming to Haddon Heights NJ on Clements Bridge Road, taking over the space which was previously the Barrington Diner.
Effectively located at the corner of Atlantic Ave and Clements Bridge Road, the Garnet Grill is next to the Haddon Heights Antique Center and directly across from the Tonewood Brewing.
A key purchase decision for the new owners was absolutely the space with its retro diner design and loyal local customer base.
But the new owners also recognized that being located directly across from Tonewood presents growth opportunities for the Garnet Grill team, who will adjust the menu to offer options better suited to the significant numbers of brewery customers as well as offer new service options including delivery to customers at the brewery.
I stopped in today at the Garnet Grill and caught up with new owners Patrick and John who live in Haddon Heights, and were regular customers of the Barrington Diner.
The business partners along with family and friends have been cleaning up the beloved diner space, with the initial focus on the kitchen area where they are setting up a full stove, fryer… and a pizza oven is on its way.
Patrick and John are planning on keeping the classic retro design elements of the diner in place including the booths, countertop and stools… but everything will be refreshed with new paint, décor upgrades and maybe a television or three.
The team is focused on the effort and while they haven’t set an opening date, they are measuring the timeline as “a few weeks”.
The Barrington Diner
If you’re unfamiliar with this little cafe on Clements Bridge Road, it was opened over 50 years ago by Tom and Alex who bought the cafe which they named the Barrington Diner and Restaurant.
Ironically the small corner building of stores is actually located in Haddon Heights!
Patrick retells the story of how the diner was named (as told by Tom)… Barrington’s Police Chief was sitting at the counter and then new owner Tom asked the chief what town the restaurant was located in, and the response was “Barrington”. And with that the Barrington Diner was born.
In a way the new name of the restaurant as The Garnet Grill corrects that earlier name confusion, as “Garnet” is the identifying name of the Haddon Heights High School. The school teaches students from Haddon Heights, Barrington, Lawnside and Merchantville… so it should have immediate name recognition from the locals.
Just a few weeks ago in August, the Barrington Diner abruptly closed. I’ve had a few people reach out to me asking if I knew what happened… as the closing seemed so sudden and unannounced.
Sadly, Barrington Diner owner Tom passed away at 77, and the restaurant has been closed since that day in August.
The Garnet Grill – New Ideas Are Brewing!
So I’ve already let you in on one of the big changes for The Garnet Grill .. Patrick and John are adding pizza to the menu, which will be a Trenton-Style pie!
The truth is Patrick has had his eye on the diner for a few years!
Recognizing that diner owner Tom was probably close to retiring, Patrick had been suggesting to Tom that when he was ready to sell his beloved eatery, Patrick was interested in becoming the new owner of the diner.
Another aspect that grabbed Patrick’s attention was the new and large Tonewood Brewing which opened directly across the street from the restaurant, just three years ago. Patrick felt there was more the diner could do to accommodate the Tonewood customers, who had no food options within the large brewery/tasting room.
Which is exactly why the Garnet Grill team knew they had to offer a delicious high quality pizza, which would be perfect for customers to to take over to the brewery and enjoy with a freshly brewed beer.
But the Garnet Grill be will be offering a full menu, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
While the menu is still being worked out, The Garnet Grill is already proud of its fried chicken and cheesesteaks… which they expect to stand on their own as a reason to visit the upcoming eatery.
As mentioned the Garnet Grill will also be offering a full breakfast menu, which leads us to an interesting and very smart decision regarding the operating hours.
The plan is to split the operating hours into two segments. First they will open at 7:00 AM until 1:30 PM, with a full breakfast and lunch menu.
The Garnet Grill will them close for an afternoon break and then reopen late afternoon for the dinner menu offering with a goal of matching up closely with the Tonewood Brewing operating hours, offering a variety of dinner options within the Garnet Grill, and also offering hot and delicious dinners for the brewery customers.
I’ll be back soon for the “After” photo of Garnet Grill’s new look, and of course to try the menu and share the experience with readers.
And to really get the inside scoop, I’ll have to try some of that Trenton Style pizza with a freshly brewed Tonewood Brewing Beer.
Links and Location
The Garnet Grill
527 Clements Bridge Road
Haddon Heights, NJ 08007
609-314-9413