Mustache Bill’s Diner: A Landmark On Long Beach Island

BARNEGAT LIGHT, NJ — Down the road from the Barnegat Lighthouse sits another shining landmark — Mustache Bill’s Diner.

The classic chrome diner has been open since 1959. Open seasonally, Mustache Bill’s Diner is a popular destination for both locals and summer tourists.

Like many shore businesses, Mustache Bill’s Diner has struggled to find help this summer. The restaurant that’s usually open daily in the busy summer months has been open just Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Even with reduced hours, the diner located at the northern end of Long Beach Island has been bustling all summer, according to owner Bill Smith.

“We’ve never been busier,” Smith said. “It’s a challenge because we’re seeing the biggest volumes we’ve ever dealt with.”

This summer Smith worked every hour that the diner has been open, but he’s always had a hands-on approach within the kitchen that he’s run since 1972.

Smith started working in the diner as a dishwasher at 14 years old, back when it was called the Barnegat Light Diner. Smith bought the restaurant in 1972 and eventually renamed it Mustache Bill’s Diner.

Alongside diner classics, Smith added his own signature dishes to the menu, including homemade chipped beef and the “Cyclops pancake” that’s served with an egg in its center.

The cooks also design pancakes in custom shapes upon request. Mermaids, sharks and sail boats are among the popular choices for the “kid cakes,” Smith said.

“The kids love it and once in a while an adult orders them just to try it,” Smith said. “When it gets busy it’s challenging. We’ll give them six or seven to pick from.”

Smith has garnered state and national recognition over the years for his insistence on buying fresh ingredients and making all of their food from scratch, even down to their gravy. Back in 2009, Smith’s diner won a James Beard Foundation Award, which called the establishment one of “America’s Classics.”

The award that hangs in the diner says, “For more than thirty-five years Bill Smith has made everything from scratch, refusing to buy anything pre-made. It’s the homemade, straight-from-the-heart cooking that makes Mustache Bill’s a must-stop destination on the Jersey Shore for the fishing community, regulars and the summertime beach goers."

This summer, Smith is celebrating his 50th year owning the diner. As for what makes Mustache Bill’s Diner special to both locals and tourists, Smith owes that to “whatever the appeal of diners is.”

“Neighbors will just talk across the diner. They find it relaxing despite the madness happening around them because we get busy,” Smith said.

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