Once relegated exclusively to food trucks dishing out grease-filled sandwiches, late-night dining has come a long way. Where once there were trucks and the occasional local dive, there is now high-quality, simple late-night food at the ready. Diesel + Duke is one such place — a late-night haven for some of the best burgers, fries, and yes, poutine, available. The Montclair location at 39 Glenridge Avenue is one of four Diesel + Duke locations statewide — and the restaurant recently announced that it would be moving its MTC storefront to Church Street later this spring. Read on to learn more about Diesel + Duke’s in Montclair and the upcoming move.
View this post on Instagram
The Upcoming Move
View this post on Instagram
Diesel + Duke recently announced via Instagram that it would be moving its Montclair location from 39 Glenridge Avenue to 20 Church Street, and is looking to open up later this spring.
“Some of you may heard but YES we are moving our Montclair location!!! On the eve of our 10 year anniversary we are so excited to finally announce this move! This has been in the works for over a year but after a lot of hard work and patience we are in the last stretch and plan to be open late this spring! While Glenridge Ave has been the cornerstone of our company and love our neighborhood we had the opportunity to make a bigger and better experience for all! We can’t wait to share more details, STAY TUNED!”
We’ll keep you updated as more details come out surrounding the move.
Read More: Nuts + Delights: Montclair’s Newest Mediterranean Eatery
About the Owner
Owner David Cusumano grew up in hospitality. While he went to school for hospitality management, that wasn’t his first introduction to the field. His mother owned the immensely popular Diva Lounge in Montclair in the early 2000s, but David’s love of hospitality goes back further than that.
David cites “growing up Italian and being around lots of food and things always being cooked” as being his early introduction to the food service, and so he went to school for it.
But school isn’t for everyone, and David dropped out of his sophomore year of college, jumping feet-first into the restaurant business.
What David was learning in school was helpful, but he decided he’d rather just get his hands dirty and learn through experience. And so he did, working all of the various jobs at a restaurant, learning the ropes for himself.
“Luckily it’s worked out so far,” David told The Montclair Girl back in 2021, “but [it was] definitely a bumpy road. But through that, I like to say that I taught myself an MBA in the industry.”
He’d soon find that his feet would be held to the fire with a burgeoning business of his own.
“I had an opportunity presented to me for our first location,” David said, “which was in New Brunswick in 2014. It was a smaller spot and I felt like if I didn’t make it, I wasn’t going to lose everything I had by going for it.”
A short while later, David would have five locations of his own.
“Originally,” David said, “when we opened in New Brunswick, there wasn’t a clear roadmap to where we are now.”
But David had an idea with a friend who went to Rutgers: the “grease trucks” were leaving campus because of construction, and there was a void of quality late-night or after-bar food. David wanted to seize upon that. He set out to have a high-quality version of that late-night food while bringing in a new, fresh brand that wasn’t just “everything dropped in a deep fryer and dirty water dogs.”
Cusumano began selling chicken sandwiches and more but diners gravitated toward his sinful burgers.
The Menu
Diesel + Duke’s menu has been relatively unchanged over the brand’s history, serving up high-quality burgers of a dazzling variety.
View this post on Instagram
“People always ask us what differentiates us,” David said. “I feel like our value for the product is phenomenal, and then also our diversity within having such a simple menu. I really wanted to try to have a burger for everyone.”
It’s safe to say that there is a burger for everyone: whether you’re into the classic cheeseburger or want to try something spicy like the Holypeño with bacon, aged cheddar, jalapeño, caramelized onion, and spicy mayo. The “Smokeshow” is another delicious option, and includes bacon, aged cheddar, and BBQ sauce, topped with an absolutely gargantuan onion ring.
“Being a smaller place,” David said, “it was important to us that everything screamed quality.”
Diesel + Duke being a burger joint, Cusumano knew hand-cut French fries were important, but one of the locale’s biggest draws is actually the poutine, a Canadian dish with fries, gravy, and cheese curd, among other fun ingredients.
View this post on Instagram
“It’s one of those things that when you know,” David said, “you know. When you don’t, and you try it: then you know.”
See More: Montclair-Based Cuban Pete’s Takes Steps Towards Opening in Former Charrito’s Space in Hoboken
While disco fries may be damn near the official meal of New Jersey, once David tried poutine, he loved it, and he began to think it would really make sense on the menu, but still stand out. Diesel + Duke also serves fried Oreos and Cajun fries.
Keep up with everything Diesel + Duke on the restaurant’s Instagram at @eatdiesel.
To stay in the know with all the Montclair and North New Jersey happenings, follow @themontclairgirl on Instagram and TikTok, and sign up for our weekly newsletter that shares the top stories to your inbox here.
