Many of us have a diner that we call our own.

It's the place that we go for breakfast, or late-night hangs.

94.5 PST logo
Get our free mobile app

I've been going to the same diner for as long as I can remember.

I'm so loyal to this establishment that even when it closed in between owners, I went back.

There was an in-between, or "side diner: that I went to during the closure.

Hey, we all have needs.

The only thing better than the food at this place was the memories I have.

I've lived at the Shore my entire life. A lot went down in those booths.

Photo by Seriously Low Carb on Unsplash
Photo by Seriously Low Carb on Unsplash
loading...

I realize that a BLT is not complicated, but there's just something special this diner does.

Maybe it's the extra crispy bacon just the way I like it?

The fries are perfection. They give you enough to feed an army. I am that army.

Unless you have disco or pizza fries, there are two key add-ons to Jersey diner fries.

Salt and ketchup, right?

So, I got my plate of fries and put way too much salt on them. I'll check my sodium level another time.

I then reached for the ketchup and expected to grab my friend, the tried and true.

Amazon
Amazon
loading...

Heinz. Except the world's most beloved ketchup was nowhere to be found.

Instead, there was this atrocity.

Matt Ryan, Townsquare Media
Matt Ryan, Townsquare Media
loading...

What in the name of all that is good in the world is I Taste Great! Tomato Ketchup?

I stared at the bottle in disbelief and even checked some surrounding tables.

They were all the awful knockoffs.

And yes, I did try this new ketchup and it was subpar to be kind.

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned the name of the diner.

That's because I've never had a bad experience with them and really do enjoy the staff and food.

I can't help but wonder if this is the invasion of generic ketchup taking over our beloved Jersey diners.

I certainly hope not.

The 20 Dynamite New Jersey Diners That Are Too Tasty Not to Try

50 Most Popular Chain Restaurants in America

YouGov investigated the most popular dining brands in the country, and Stacker compiled the list to give readers context on the findings. Read on to look through America's vast and divergent variety of restaurants—maybe you'll even find a favorite or two.

More From 94.5 PST