Mannino’s, Diner Days and Bagel Bliss: Your Favorite Off-Campus Spots

When we asked alumni and students to share their go-to spots beyond campus, the flood of responses made one thing clear: Mannino’s reigns supreme. From its famous slices to the much-loved pasta pie, it’s a place that holds a special spot in many hearts. But Mannino’s isn’t the only cherished spot — Hightstown Diner, local bagel shops and the now-closed Slowdown Cafe have all left their mark.

Is there any answer other than Mannino’s? 
— Caitlin McCorkle ’07

The Classic, The Legend, MANNINO’S! My order is just a basic cheese pizza.
— Kylie Wriede ’27

Mannino’s and the Slowdown Cafe. Mannino’s pasta pizza was the best. 
— Allie Rich ’06

In my day, the Hightstown Diner was the only place I went to when we could go off campus to eat. I’d get a cheeseburger platter.
— Sharon Evans ’63

Only one that I remember is the Hightstown Diner.
— Charles Briggs ’71

Slowdown for smoothies and paninis.
— Jennifer (Prostoff) Braciak ’11

1. AlJon’s. 2. The old soda shoppe at the corner of Stockton and Main. 3. Famiglia 
— Robert Zakon ’86

Anthony’s. Best wings in the country. 
— Chris Ransom ’06

Mannino’s! A buffalo chicken slice and a pasta slice on a Friday or Saturday night would hit the spot.
— Cal Rohde ’12

I love the pasta pizza at Mannino’s.
— Kohana Brown ’25

Mannino’s.
— Matt Pustay ’02

The Bagel Shop on Mercer Street, a short walk from campus. Any bagel with cream cheese. AlJon’s pizza, hands down.
— Ray Monasterski ’77

Mannino’s, sharing a bacon pizza with Mark Getchis ’02.
— Brian Chaszar ’02

Hot Bagels: hot plain bagel with ham and cheese. Also, Dunkin’: hashbrowns and Strawberry Coolatta.
— Chloe Yang ’27

Mannino’s pizza. Not because it was any good; it was just a chance to get off campus and throw 5 bucks down like a boss.
— Jonathan Besler ’98

Hightstown Diner. Egg custard/rice pudding.
— Bob Dunne ’71

1000% Mannino’s! Their pasta pizza was our favorite, and my family, to this day, will sometimes drive through Hightstown just to stop there. 
— Lauren Smedley ’09

Breakfast at the Hightstown Diner on Sundays. If memory serves me correctly, we were required to go to Church (in my case, Temple). On the way back, we always stopped at the Diner, which was the culinary peak of the week. 
— Roy Grossman ’70

Burgers at the Hightstown Diner.
— Dave Ennis ’58

The ice cream shop in town. Half pints of hand-packed mint chocolate chip helped everything, especially when you weren’t chosen for peer leadership or when all you had at Family Style dinner was rice.  
— Kathryn Riley Andrew ’84

AlJon’s pizza (any kind without green peppers) and The Bagel Shop (sesame bagel w/butter and creamed cheese).
— Lori Bainbridge ’77

Black coffee at Hightstown Diner.
— John Wall ’51

Famiglia’s pizza.
— Megan McCarthy Cannan ’95

TacoRito was the highest quality, most delicious Mexican food I have ever bought. I miss it whenever I go out to eat.
— Joseph Forbes ’24

Mannino’s buffalo chicken pizza or pasta pizza.
— Charis Chien ’27

Mannino’s broccoli pizza.
— Olivia Lu ’27

Mannino’s and Anthony’s. 
— Sarah Letter ’02

Matcha latte from Little Key Coffee.
— Anjali Sudarshan ’25

Pizza from AlJon’s.
— Paul Rossos MD ’72

Vanilla latte and croissant from Little Key Coffee. 
— Leena Mirchandani ’25

Pasta pizza from Mannino’s. It always seemed twice as big as any other slice you could pick, disproportionately heavier and richer. Not for the faint of heart. I remember working through lunch once in a studio art class, and when the professor asked what everyone wanted, the response for a couple pasta pizza pies was, surprisingly, unanimous. 
— Gabriel Spadaccini ’13

I loved the Slowdown Cafe, where I used to get dirty chai lattes and warm cinnamon buns. If live music was playing, that was even better!  
— Lauren Einhorn ’08

Was it called the Hightstown Luncheonette? Can’t remember what we ate; I remember hanging out there. Of course, a slice from Famiglia was always popular, too!
— Amy Elkes-Simon ’95

Anthony’s! I miss their buffalo wings and the buffalo chicken sandwich.
— Peter Cao ’05

Mine, truthfully, was the dumplings from Holy Wong. 
— Kevin Sanderson ’92

We always had to go to 7-11 to get Slurpees.
— Megan Hill Grewal ’97

Mannino’s. My friends and I would make it a regular tradition to order a big calzone at Mannino’s after exams. 
— Christine Lee ’08

Mannino’s! Pasta slice and BBQ chicken slice.
— Aakarsh Mamawala ’25

Mannino’s and Slowdown Cafe (hot chocolate milkshakes were the best).
— Katherine (Ridgeway) Lobben ’11

The Bagel Shop. Everything toasted with butter. 
— Jennifer Orlick ’81

Mannino’s! I still stop in from time to time to grab a buffalo chicken slice (or full pie!) when passing through on the Turnpike. There’s no other slice like it!
— Alexander Dacey ’03

Mannino’s penne vodka pizza or buffalo chicken pizza, Slowdown Cafe’s Oreo milkshakes, and the “sky high” French toast at Americana Diner. Yum! 
— Morgan Fagioli ’09

Loved Holy Wong dumplings and pizza at Famiglia. 
— Jon Siegel ’91

Mannino’s pasta pizza.
— Bridgette McKnight ’10

Hightstown Diner. Probably just a hamburger.
— John Lord ’71

Morgan’s Island Grill. BBQ jerk chicken with all of the sides.
— Nicholas Massenburg-Abraham ’17

Thomas Sweet in Princeton. 
— Lisa Gonnella ’86

Weekly post-Family Style dinner trip to the ice cream place (where Morgan’s Island Grill is currently located). I have a picture of that location in my classroom.
— Mark Gartner ’84

Once a month, it was time for a toasted egg bagel and butter at the off-campus bagel store. I remember those days remarkably with poignant lucidity. 
— Richard Gerweck ’78

Mannino’s pasta pizza.
— Charlotte Jones ’27

Morgan’s Island Grill. I am a local and live about 15 minutes away from Peddie. Whenever I come home from college, my first stop is always Morgan’s. It gives me an opportunity to have their delicious jerk chicken and reminisce about some of my days at Peddie!
— Mason Shipp ’21

As an end-of-season celebration, we went as a team to I believe it was the Nassau Inn in Princeton for their famous buffet. It was wonderful.
— Ted Brooks ’64

Roach coach, bagel store, Mom’s Peppermill.
— Curtis Catlin ’81

Davidsons Market and AlJon’s.
— Randi Caplan ’78

Famiglia’s pizza slices, of course.
— Lauren (Laurie) King ’88

The Chinese food place on Main Street and the luncheonette.
— Beth Strum ’94

We used to go to The Golden Coach (aka “The Roach”) and the Hightstown Diner. I have no idea what we ate there. Probably wonderful, greasy diner breakfasts, french fries and strawberry tarts. I recently saw Roger Durling ’82 on campus, and he reminded me that a few of us started The Suave and Debonair Club, which consisted of writing silly and purposely overly precious reviews of local eateries simply for our own amusement and love of language as much as the food. 
— Dana Mayer ’81

The pizza place. We were allowed into town on Fridays. It was the first place to eat downtown. It was very good pizza. 
— Robbie Lobban ’74

The Diner.
— David Mintzer ’71

AlJon’s. Pepperoni pizza. Ten years after graduating, I was living back in the area and had a once-a-week date with my grandmother, who lived at Meadow Lakes. We would go to Hunan House. She got the egg drop soup, and I got hot and sour. We had the shrimp toast and the lemon chicken and brought our own bottle of chardonnay, her favorite. Whenever I’m back in town for reunion, I try to go back to Hunan House. 
— Bill Volckening ’84

The deli that closed my junior year [Bryne Deli Cafe]. They had the best sandwiches. 
— Olivia Dewar ’24

Hot Bagels. Everything bagel with cream cheese.
— Sophie Liz Wang ’27

Mannino’s Pizza and Holy Wong Chinese. Mannino’s has a dynamite buffalo chicken pizza, and Holy Wong’s General Tso’s chicken never disappointed.
— Bryce Hillman ’07

Hightstown Diner.
— Jennifer Miksis-Olds ’92

Hot Bagels. Bacon, egg and cheese on toasted plain.
— Nate Lougy ’27