Kiku Hibachi

2085 Burnt Mills Rd
Bedminster, NJ 07921
http://www.kikuhibachi.com/

For my father in law's 60th birthday, we decided we wanted to go someplace he would enjoy but that we could also keep our boys (3 and under 1) entertained enough for us to socialize.  My husband believed hibachi would be a great way to go, so we set out looking for a place that was different, highly rated, and between our two locations.  By checking out urbanspoon, I stumbled upon Kiku, which happens to be around the corner from where my husband works.  When he started telling people there where we were going, they started raving about how wonderful it is.

We got there early, for our kids' sake, and this worked out because the reviews suggested it was very important to get there early--this proved to be the case as we left, and the lobby was very crowded! 

First, we all got a salad, which was outstanding (many times, I don't like the ginger dressing, but this was awesome) and Miso soup (which I was not really crazy about, but my husband liked very much).  The hibachi "show" was pretty typical, but the food was delicious.  I couldn't tell you what was different from other hibachi restaurants, but the meat were fantastic.  My husband felt the noodles weren't cooked perfectly, but I thought they were very good. 

We felt the prices were a little bit higher than other hibachi restaurants, but for a special treat, this was a delicious restaurant!

Crystal Diner

2009 Us Hwy 1
Trenton, NJ 08648

A hectic day of visiting my grandmother and running errands for her had us unexpectedly out for dinner.  Since it was just me and my two boys, I wanted something fast, easy, and where they'd be welcome.  Since it was unexpected, and therefore not in the budget, I wanted something cheap as well.  As we passed the diner, I figured it would meet all the criteria.

The boys were certainly welcome; we were not the only family with small kids in at the time.  The hostess did a great job of trying to help me out as I juggled a baby in one arm, a diaper bag, putting on my 3 year old's jacket, and all the other stuff in my arms.  Our server was accommodating of our requests, though she did seem a bit impatient that we took so long to turn over our table (though the place was pretty empty).


It was fast as well; our meals came out very quickly, in typical diner style.  


I'm not sure I'd consider it cheap, per se.  For my burger and fries, a kid's burger and veggies, and a side of veggies (we drank water), it came to $15 plus tip.  While this is certainly fairly cheap, I could have gone to Burger King or Five Guys for much cheaper (though I wouldn't have been able to get the veggies for the kiddos).  That said, both our burgers were really large; I couldn't finish mine.  The burger was "fine," but not really "good."  


So, in short, it served its purpose for us.  If you're looking for something fast and easy, and don't want to go to one of the chain restaurants in the area, this will suffice.  But it's not a place we'll be going back to if we're in a similar situation again.