Greasy Tony’s in NJ once upon a time
What is it about a short, simple post about a New Jersey food joint that went out of business that keeps it appearing in the top 10 posts read here?
Back in 2008, I posted a story called Greasy Tony’s Reborn in the Desert. Tony’s was I place I frequented in the early 1970s as an undergrad at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.
It had good, fast, greasy food. Nothing extraordinary. It vanished in 1992, a victim of the university’s expansion. The students who made it popular caused its demise.
Whatever following Greasy Tony’s place might have had, it doesn’t explain why the post has “legs” (or a “long tail” as it is known online).
Is it the title of the post – reborn in the desert? Was it the mention of James Gandolfini (a Rutgers grad) eating a cheesesteak in the resurrected eatery in the Arizona desert?
Mr. Greasy Tony, Tony Giorgianni, died in 2008, so that is not topical news.
If you found that post, or this one, how about a comment here about why you came here. It puzzles me.
Update: 2022
A sharp-eyed reader let me know that they spotted a Greasy Tony’s t-shirt in the movie Revenge of the Nerds being worn by Booger. I guess someone connected to the film knew of the place. Perhaps this explains why some people search online and find these posts.
Weekends in Paradelle 
1967 to 1971
A great memory for post bar closing
Few blocks up the street a bakery would sell bread out of the oven at the same
For lunch there was the two bit sandwich shop
I also remember on special occasions going out for a $5 steak dinner
Those were the days my friends
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Revenge of the Nerds was largely filmed on location in Tucson, so probably the actor (Curtis Armstrong) or someone involved in the production spotted Greasy Tony’s in town and figured that’d be just the sort of T-shirt “Booger” would be seen wearing.
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Thanks for the info!
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I graduated Rutgers in 1980. Ate plenty of cheesesteaks from Greasy Tony’s and strombolis from Stuff Yer Face. I live in Albuquerque now. We were traveling through Tatum, NM and I ordered a cheesesteak from Tony’s Burger Barn and started telling my husband about Greasy Tony’s- no charge for extra grease. Googled Stuff Yer Face (still open!!) and Greasy Tony’s.
Just some nostalgia for a road trip!
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Revenge of the Nerds was filmed in Tucson, AZ in fall 1983. I suspect that someone from the cast or crew visited Greasy’s while filming, bought the shirt, and the Booger character wore it.
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Current Rutgers student here. Stuffs is still open. None of my friends have heard of Tony’s. I only found out because I was doing deliveries for my job in the Middlesex County area and some lady mentioned it to me. I’m a history guy so this was an interesting read. Now we just get drunk and eat pizza at Daniels but a greasy ass sandwich sounds good!
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As I, an old alum, do not know places like Daniels. Places like Tony’s became food trucks. And when I visited campus a few years ago I saw that a food truck had become a brick and mortar store!
History chases its long tail.
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Greasey Tony started in the corner across from the Corner Bar. I think its now a Mexican joint, or was last time i was in NB. You could eat inside. It was a real great hole in the wall joint. When Carrolls closed he moved there. I remember the stacks of stereo stuff behing the counter for sale. Things that “fell off a truck”. He also had s small place in Princeton down the street from the hospital. In 1981 when my son was being born, i went over and got a trash can special. Brought it back to the fathers waiting room. The other guys in there went nuts and one guy went over and got a couple more for the guys. Last time i saw Tony was in AZ. We had a few laughs reminiscing. He was a legend.
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In the 60’s we did what we called Grease Runs most nights – we ate together in the dorm late at night – during 1969 besides the Extra Grease sign was one that said Grease for Peace. Tennessee was always in the shop making the sandwiches. Tony wasn’t there much – when he drove up he drove a pink caddy, generally with two blondes in the car. Went to the Tucson location once – a different vibe. Here are some GT photos – https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=46618110%40N05&sort=date-taken-desc&text=greasy%20tony&view_all=1
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Dec 2023: In Tucson now, just read an article about former eateries in Tucson (https://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/what-we-miss/Content?oid=1149172) , and came across Greasy Tony’s. Sorry to hear of his passing. I was born in New Brunswick, grew up around there, and often did the New Brunswick Trifecta: Shopping at Flaming Groovies Record shop (then changed to Captain Video) to talk with owner Jim Babjak, guitarist from the then-soon-to-be-famous band The Smithereens, then to Stuff yer Face for a stromboli , then to Thomas Sweet for a home-made ice cream. Thanks for posting this article, as I never knew about Tony’s place in New Brunswick. Merry Christmas!
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I was reading about restaurants that were gone in NJ on NJ.com and this came up. wanted to see what Tony looked like.
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