Tucked away off Lacey Road and behind a Santander Bank branch in Whiting, New Jersey, is the Heritage Family Restaurant. Giving off the feel of a Jersey Diner, this restaurant offers an extensive menu. Last time I was there, I ordered the Roast Chicken off the Senior Special menu. You won't be hungry after any of their entrees because they give you plenty of food. I chose the Chicken & Rice Soup to start off my meal, as I had a choice of soup or salad. The baked potato was cooked perfectly and once I added salt to the vegetable medley, everything paired together like a symphony.
Underneath the chicken was a stove top stuffing, which was one of my favorite parts of the meal. The chicken skin not only had a tantalizing seasoning spread throughout but also was very crispy! Have I ever mentioned my love for skin? To top it all off, the meal came with a dessert. I chose chocolate pudding. What makes talking about this meal hard is that I gave up meat for Lent!
The last time I was here, there was a waitress who came across as a veteran server. Even though it wasn't on the menu, she made me an Egg Cream to satisfy my taste for New York. They only had chocolate syrup, but that was okay. This trip, the waitress was brand new so I didn't want to confuse her with such a strange request.
While in the restaurant, I noticed a sign that mentioned that they will give someone a boxed dinner if they couldn't afford it. After asking about this policy, the waitress explained that they give out a pancake breakfast or a cheeseburger meal for those that need it. This blew me away because I know firsthand the people experiencing hardship and homelessness from working at a food pantry in my town. This made me like the place even more. As I left, they had a "missing person's table" for the service men and women, as well as free Bibles for people to take.