You Haven’t Lived Until You’ve Tried The Elvis French Toast At This Classic New Jersey Diner
Peanut butter, bananas, and crispy bacon all show up together on one plate of French toast.
That combo once belonged to a famous rock and roll legend’s snack habits.
The dish is served inside a stainless steel railcar diner built around 1953 by the O’Mahony company. The breakfast has a backstory, and so does the building around it.
That old diner has also been voted the best diner in New Jersey. That’s a big claim in a state known as the diner capital of the universe.
Funny how a sandwich-style breakfast suddenly feels like a history lesson with syrup on top.
The Elvis French Toast Deserves Its Own Fan Club
No punchline needed, because the Elvis French Toast at Broad Street Diner is the whole joke and the whole reward.
Here’s how it’s built. Slices of French toast are stacked with layers of creamy peanut butter and bananas. The result is soft, fruity, and nutty.
The name nods to the King of Rock and Roll. His fondness for peanut butter and banana sandwiches is a well-known part of his food history.
Crispy bacon isn’t part of the French toast recipe, but you can order breakfast meat separately if you want a salty contrast.
Choose a single serving, short stack, or full order. Syrup is your call; the bananas already supply sweetness. Either way, this is a breakfast with personality. It sings loud, and it doesn’t apologize for a single note.
Your Breakfast Comes Inside A Real 1950s Railcar
The stainless steel exterior is the first clue that this isn’t an ordinary restaurant building. Broad Street Diner is a factory-built O’Mahony diner, with the streamlined shape of a railroad dining car.
O’Mahony built compact diners with efficient kitchens, counters, and booths.
Broad Street is among the surviving examples operating in New Jersey. Look for the O’Mahony metal tag near the vestibule door, a small detail that reveals the structure’s pedigree.
The car has served Keyport under different names, including Stanley’s Seaport Diner. It became Broad Street Diner in 2015, giving the familiar exterior a new chapter.
Chrome trim and rounded corners provide plenty of midcentury character.
This is a genuine vintage diner rather than a modern imitation decorated to look older. The distinction makes that plate of French toast feel surprisingly connected to local history.
The building is every bit as interesting as the breakfast.
Red Booths And Checkered Floors Set The Mood Fast
Chrome, red booths, and checkered floors. The inside of Broad Street Diner looks like the diner scene from your favorite old movie.
The space is small and shaped like a classic trolley car. That cozy layout keeps everything close and a little lively. Vintage signs line the walls. Little retro decorations add even more fun to the room.
The dining room is simple and unfussy. It’s built for conversation over eggs and coffee, not fancy tablecloths.
Counter seating is part of the charm too. Pull up a stool and you can see the everyday rhythm of a working diner from a front-row seat.
Because the room is compact, seating is limited. Going early or with a small group can make the visit easier.
The bright accents give everyone something to notice between bites. The polished steel and patterned floor make the compact interior feel complete. The retro look feels authentic rather than staged.
Your French Toast Choices Get Wonderfully Out Of Hand
Elvis has company on this menu, and the competition is sweet. Broad Street Diner offers several French toast styles worth a second visit.
Chocolate Babka French Toast is a showstopper. It comes topped with kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, and a chocolate drizzle.
Rocky Mountain French Toast takes a crunchier path. Granola, raisins, and bananas give it a hearty, trail-mix kind of vibe.
Cinnamon Twirl French Toast uses raisin cinnamon bread. It’s served with bananas for a cozy, bakery-style breakfast.
Prefer a filling? Cannoli Stuffed French Toast pairs chocolate chip cream and chocolate sauce, when available. The classic version comes in different stack sizes.
Indecisive eaters, take note. The Belly Buster breakfast lets you pick French toast, pancakes, or a waffle, plus eggs and breakfast meat. Granola Cakes, blueberry pancakes, and chocolate chip pancakes expand the choices.
Honestly, picking just one might be the hardest part of the morning. Good thing the diner opens daily.
Savory Plates Bring Serious Jersey Attitude
Pork roll, cheese, and eggs stacked into a club sandwich. The Jersey Guys Breakfast Club doesn’t hide where it comes from.
Lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise complete the triple-decker, with home fries alongside.
Corned beef hash is another traditional option, paired naturally with eggs and potatoes. Anyone craving something familiar can keep breakfast straightforward.
Fancy brunch fans should eye the Crab Cake Benedict. Poached eggs, crab cake, spinach, asparagus, and hollandaise turn it into a more elaborate morning plate.
Omelettes have a strong spot on the menu too. The Keyport Omelette combines mushrooms, bacon, spinach, and Swiss cheese.
Lunch has its own heavy hitters. A pork schnitzel sandwich comes on a hard roll with melted mozzarella and brown gravy, accompanied by fries and onion rings.
A breakfast burrito and hearty egg bowls add more choices. Share a savory plate and save the French toast for a sweet finish. Either direction, you’ll leave with plenty to think about for the next visit.
Burger Lovers Get A Juicy Surprise Inside
Cheese on top is nice. Cheese cooked right inside the patty is a whole different level of fun.
The Juicy Lucy at Broad Street Diner does exactly that. The house-blend burger holds American cheese inside and arrives on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, and onion.
Want a classic instead? The All American Cheeseburger keeps things simple, with several cheese choices and traditional toppings.
The Smoke House Burger goes in another direction, combining beef, pulled pork, cheddar, and fried pickle chips. There’s also a Brunch Burger with pork roll, an egg, and cheese.
For something less elaborate, try a patty melt with sautéed onions and cheddar on grilled rye. A turkey burger and a vegetable burger expand the choices further.
Sides include sweet potato fries and disco fries with cheese sauce and gravy. There’s plenty here beyond the breakfast griddle.
So yes, French toast steals the headlines. The burgers make a persuasive case for returning at lunchtime.
The Trophy Shelf Would Need Its Own Booth
New Jersey has hundreds of diners, and earning the top spot is no small trick. Broad Street Diner pulled it off.
NJ.com named it the state’s best diner in 2015, shortly after the restaurant opened under its present name. That recognition helped establish its reputation beyond Keyport.
The 2018 Diner Derby gave it another statewide title.
The Garden State Culinary Arts Awards also named Broad Street Diner Best Casual Restaurant in 2017. More recently, Time Out included the Keyport establishment in its 2026 selection of America’s best diners for comfort food.
Its old-fashioned counter and creative menu explain the broad appeal. The original structure was already a local fixture under earlier names.
Awards make an impressive introduction, but the more interesting detail might be the contrast: a small railcar-style dining room carrying a reputation far beyond its footprint.
That’s plenty of history to contemplate over one plate.
A Short Stroll Turns Into Bay Views
Raritan Bay sits just a few blocks from your booth. After a big breakfast, that’s very convenient news.
You’ll find the diner at 83 Broad St, Keyport. Keyport is a historic maritime town with plenty of waterfront character.
A walk toward Waterfront Park makes a natural after-meal plan. Its promenade, open lawn, and fishing pier offer space to watch boats and enjoy the breeze.
On clear days, you can see the distant New York City skyline from the bayfront. The view is a neat contrast with the narrow, chrome-lined diner you just left.
Downtown’s small shops make it easy to extend the outing in this corner of New Jersey.
The Henry Hudson Trail also passes through Keyport, providing another option for walking or cycling. Beach Park also offers a playground and boat ramp.
Parking is available in municipal lots along the waterfront and downtown, as well as on nearby streets. Breakfast, bay breeze, and a little shopping. Not a bad lineup for one small coastal town.
Smart Timing Makes Your Visit Way Smoother
Small diners and big reputations create one obvious result. Seats at Broad Street Diner can fill up quickly.
Doors open at 8 AM every day. Showing up early can give you more flexibility when choosing between the counter and a booth.
Sunday through Thursday, the diner closes at 3 PM. Friday and Saturday service stretches until 8 PM, providing an evening option.
Breakfast and lunch are the easiest plans for most of the week. The compact dining car is especially suited to smaller groups. Solo diners can take a counter stool for a closer view of the room.
Takeout and curbside pickup are also available, which is handy when a packed dining room changes your plans.
If you’re making a New Jersey day trip, combine breakfast with a waterfront stroll rather than arriving right before closing. Then all that’s left is deciding whether Elvis wins again or gets a day off.
