The 101 best casual restaurants in America

In New Jersey, a state with no shortage of spectacular diners, legendary East Newark institution Tops Diner has risen to the top of the pack. Open since the 1920s and operated by current owners Jimmy and John Golemis since 1972, Tops opens at 6 a.m. daily and serves a menu that keeps regulars coming back again and again. Eggs are local and cage-free, and standouts include Eggs From Heaven (three eggs baked with cheesy grits in a spicy tomato jambalaya sauce with chorizo and toast), steak and eggs with a 12-ounce New York strip, multi-grain buttermilk pancakes topped with cinnamon and fresh fruit, Louisiana Benedict with spicy chorizo, chicken and waffles, and brioche French toast stuffed with peanut butter and spiced bananas. And that’s just breakfast! If you’re more in the mood for lunch, you can’t go wrong with the massive array of salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta dishes and even ribs.