The Tick Tock Diner in Clifton undergoing renovations is akin to an old friend getting plastic surgery.

“Whatever makes you happy,” you tell them, but is it really necessary?

In the case of Tick Tock, the faded teal and maroon vinyl booths with timeworn tables were part of the charm, evoking a kind of nostalgia that can be found only at a restaurant that for many North Jersey natives is a cornerstone of their local culture.

Tick Tock is the quintessential Garden State diner, but to be fair, it has been 25 years since its last renovation.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Tick Tock general manager Teddy Daniil told NJ Advance Media last week.

The diner reopened at the end of November after more than two months of work with a new interior and exterior, a brand new kitchen and a new head chef, Stephen Whiteman (formerly of Black River Barn in Randolph) who brought with him a new menu.

But the new look and the revamped menu aren’t a clear upgrade. The beloved Route 3 spot now feels less like a diner with history and more like an eatery in the midst of an identity crisis.

Want more food and restaurant news? Enter your email address to be the first to know:

Though the renovation isn’t so obvious. The iconic neon sign still beams, thank the food gods, and when I first stepped into the front dining area, it still felt like Tick Tock, like the diner that has been open since 1948 — a go-to for sports and music fans headed to the Meadowlands.

Then I noticed the new red booths, the polished metal railings and the all-new bar area. Certainly different, but the spirit remains the same.

The main dining area is a different story. The new white terrazzo floor, Art Deco-inspired ceiling, block-patterned seats and black walnut tables create a pleasing aesthetic, sure, but it hardly screams “diner.”

The menu has a similarly inconsistent quality to it, with diner classics sharing space with dishes that seem more at home in a fancy Sunday brunch restaurant than in a 24-hour diner. Chocolate chip pancakes versus lemon ricotta pancakes? Classic French toast versus Avocado toast? Short rib tacos?!

Even the coffee went bougie — Tick Tock now serves French press and cold-brew. What’s next, Pumpkin Spice Lattes?

Part of the appeal of a diner is that you can order almost anything at any given time, and to be fair those items all sound tasty. They’re just not foods one expects to get at Tick Tock. The full new menu hasn’t launched yet, but when it does it will be just as expansive as before.

Fancy dishes are fine as long as they don’t affect the quality of the classics. Over two visits I tried classic and contemporary dishes alike, to mixed results.

The Mick Jagger at Tick Tock Diner. A Taylor ham, egg and cheese sandwich with a side of disco fries.

• The Mick Jagger is billed as a classic Taylor ham, egg and cheese sandwich topped with disco fries (the rock legend supposedly ordered both Garden State staples this summer before a Rolling Stones concert at MetLife Stadium), but the fries are actually on the side. The sandwich was passable but dry, and the brioche bun too hard. The fries were unevenly cooked, with some burned.

Lemon ricotta pancakes at Tick Tock Diner.

• The lemon ricotta pancakes scored few points in the presentation category — the icing and berries were such a mess it looked like a toddler put them on — but once I started eating, I couldn’t stop. The pancakes were thick and fluffy, and the whipped cream cheese frosting was just the right amount of sweet.

The BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado) at Tick Tock Diner.

• The B.L.T.A. was the biggest disappointment of either meal: no mayo, limp and flavorless bacon along with unappealing lettuce, tomatoes and avocado, all on different bread than I ordered. How did they get something so simple so wrong?

Avocado egg toast at Tick Tick Diner.

• The avocado egg toast passed the eye test, and was a decent interpretation of the most millennial breakfast dish of all time. The bread was too thick and it could have used more avocado, but the flavor was there.

The tuna melt at Tick Tock Diner.

• The tuna melt with Havarti on rye seemed like a happy marriage of diner and fancy, and while it should have been more, well, melted, the flavor was on point.

• The French press coffee, the easiest menu item to make fun of for being pretentious, was some of the best coffee I’ve ever had at a diner.

Tick Tock is still a perfectly fine place to grab a late-night bite (it’s still open 24 hours!) or a no-frills breakfast. In fact, they have plenty of frills now if that’s more your speed. It really comes down to what you’re looking for in a diner.

With a new head chef and menu, Tick Tock will likely need time to grow into its new identity. This could indeed be an upgrade in the long run, and the legacy of one of New Jersey’s most iconic restaurants could be burnished.

But until then it’s fair to wonder, what was wrong with the previous identity?

Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.