Roney's Hamburgers

If you’re driving along Rt. 130 north on the edge of Collingswood near the Cooper River be sure not to miss one of the few remaining vestiges of New Jersey hamburger history: Roney’s Hamburgers. A must stop for any true roadfoodie, the gleaming orange and blue structure has had a few updates since its former life as a White Tower restaurant. As a matter of fact, if you look real close at the sign mounted above the building you can still make out the words “White Tower” faded into the wood beneath the more freshly painted “Roney’s Restaurant”.
Inside the compact structure is a lunch counter with eight stools plus a few more up front. There’s a small able in the corner. Upon seeing the small grill and fryer tucked away at the end of the counter you are left to wonder how they can keep up during the rush.
The scant seating does not act as a deterrent. I’ve seen quite a few people packed into this place. Occasionally, one has to wonder whether the place might be bigger on the inside than out.
Technically always open, Roney’s is probably the safest place to eat in the whole area. Turns out that this old hamburger stand is a favorite meeting place for police officers from several municipalities. I don’t think that I’ve ever been there without an armed escort. I wouldn’t feel quite as safe at the big Dunkin Donuts across the street. The cops around here prefer hamburgers.
It was late and I hadn’t had any dinner, so I was pretty darn hungry. Roney’s menu is compact but well rounded and more than affordable. You can get breakfast all day and night along with just about anything else that can be grilled, fried or toasted. This time around I settled on the Double Big “R” Cheeseburger with Bacon. Roney’s serves two sizes of burger, a four-ounce and a six-ounce. So, this one was 2 six-ounce burgers with cheese, grilled onions and pickles.
On the overnight shift at Roney’s your server is also your chef. So having taken my order, the waitress headed over to the grill to put it all together. In no time at all I was faced with a hot and ever so wonderfully greasy Double Big “R” Cheeseburger with Bacon. With some care it can be lifted in both hands and eaten with a minimum of sloppiness. Rush into it all helter skelter and you could end up with a mess on your hands.
It was everything I hoped it would be. All of the ingredients blended together into an experience in burgery goodness. For about another buck and a half you can platter it with lettuce, tomato and fries. Next time around I’m planning to dive into the breakfast menu.
Although the menu will accommodate most people, please be aware that it is all cooked on the same grill. So if you don’t eat meat, your eggs, grilled cheese and whatnot will be cooked where the meat was. Sorry, but that’s the price you pay for such a compact set-up. So, be sure to stop by Roney’s for a for a bite to eat and while you’re at it check out the classic surroundings. They really don’t make them like this anymore.

(photo courtesy of RoadsideArchitecture.com)