Every road has a starting point. For Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, that starting point was right here — 2019 S Wood Ave, Linden, NJ 07036. Johnny Prince’s Famous Bayway Diner lays claim to being the first diner ever featured on the show, which makes it less of a stop on the Triple D trail and more of the place where the trail began. That’s not a small thing.
Originally known as Bay Way Diner when it appeared in Season 1, Episode 11 — “Diners A-Plenty” on July 23, 2007, the spot has since been taken over and rebranded under the Johnny Prince name. The address is the same. The diner is still open. And the legacy? That’s not going anywhere.
Quick Facts:
Restaurant: Johnny Prince’s Bayway Diner (formerly Bay Way Diner)
City: Linden, New Jersey
Cuisine: American Diner / Comfort Food
DDD Season: 1
DDD Episode: 11
Episode Title: Diners A-Plenty
Original Air Date: July 23, 2007
Address: 2019 S Wood Ave, Linden, NJ 07036
Phone: 908-862-3207
Website: johnnyprincesbaywaydiner.net
Status: Open
About Johnny Prince’s Bayway Diner
Guy Fieri didn’t just feature the Bayway — he named it one of his personal all-time favorites. That kind of endorsement doesn’t come from a one-time visit and a handshake. It comes from a place that actually delivers: the food, the feel, the people behind the counter, and the kind of atmosphere where you pull up a stool and immediately feel like you’ve been coming here for years.
The diner holds the distinction of being the first spot featured in the first episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, a fact the current ownership wears with obvious pride. It’s a legit piece of food TV history sitting on a corner of South Wood Avenue in Linden, and it’s still serving breakfast before most people have thought about getting out of bed.
The room is small, just a handful of counter stools and a tight neighborhood diner setup, but that’s kind of the whole point. This isn’t a place trying to scale up or smooth out. It’s a diner doing diner things, and it has been for a long time.
What to Eat at Johnny Prince’s Bayway Diner
The menu runs American comfort food, all-day breakfast, and what the diner calls award-winning burgers. If you’re making the trip, and if you’re a Triple D fan you probably should, the move is the Monster Burger, stacked with bacon, cheese, and huge onion rings. The kind of plate that lands with authority.
The Philly Cheesesteak and the Tri-Color Pasta Special are also fan favorites, and the daily homemade soups are worth asking about when you walk in. Fresh turkey cooked in the basement is the kind of detail that separates a real diner from a diner that just looks the part. No shortcuts. No frills. Just good food made the way it should be.
Address: 2019 S Wood Ave, Linden, NJ 07036
Phone: 908-862-3207
Website: johnnyprincesbaywaydiner.net
Status: Open