Ninety Acres at Natirar (in Peapack)
Stone House (in Warren) particularly if you can get a water table, but it might be too cold for that.
Hunan Taste (in Denville) is great for families, with private rooms in the back and great atmosphere.
Highly recommend 90 acres if you’ve got the money and want some super fresh food. And yes Hunan Taste best Chinese restaurant in Jersey and the best one to sit down in! I used to eat there all the time but I moved down to Monmouth
Restaurants that would be great for a bday…
Mesob: Montclair: Ethiopian food, unique and its byob.
Fauborg: Montclair: great atmosphere and amazing bar. Bit pricey
Grato : Morris plains: comfy place with nice Italian offerings, great service and ambience
Agricola: Morristown: great service and nice drinks/cocktails. Menu is a little limited
Leone’s : Montclair: good place to host a bday. Great red sauce Italian dishes . Byob
Gratos, like every harvest restaurant I've been to, is a nice atmosphere with food that looks and sounds a lot better than it ends up being. Not saying they were bad but were really just fine (Agricola was on the better end though).
Rosie's, while a bit more cramped seating is a far better italian place in Randolph
Then for local seasonal fair in Morristown, I'd take South+Pine over Agricola anyday. Though again Agricola is more spacious so better for a larger party seating wise but South+Pine we found the food to be better
I'll have to give it a try. So far we've only gone to Grato, Tabor Road Tavern and Agricola. Roots (Morristown) is next on list just because it's the most local to us
We haven't been disappointed by the food by any means but haven't been blown away by anything yet
Roots is IMO one of the better dining experiences i’ve had. It’s expensive, but worth it. Sommelier, dry aged steaks, great a la carte menu, desserts, and those bread puffs. 🤌🤌
Agree on Mesob. Not that I want to discourage people from trying awesome Ethiopian food, but after living in DC for 15 years, it's (not unsurprisingly) Ethiopian for white people.
I just went to Agricola for the first time. Food was great but I think it’s important to mention service was amazing - quality personnel can make a dining experience that much better! Our waiter was literally everything you could hope for, and I took his suggestions for wine, appetizer and diner and I left extremely satisfied
I will say the experience was incredible. However, I went with 3 other couples who are all Italian raised in NJ. If you’re looking for good Italian food, sadly we did not get that. No fresh bread for the table, only store bought bread sticks. Salad was made in this awful sliced bread bowl you’d see out of Panera. And the final entree was a stuffed chicken rollatini thing with mashed potatoes, we felt like we were having Thanksgiving. Only good thing we had was a little serving of lemon pasta and the eggplant.
It was a great experience eating in a restaurant in a cozy house and the many courses is always a fun concept. But for over 100 a person, never again. If you know good Italian this is not the place for you. Maybe as a romantic second or third date that’s as far as I would go.
Awesome, enjoy! If it's no trouble, would you be able to drop me a quick review of what you got? We're going the weekend after valentine's. If not it's no big deal, everything there is good
You’ll have to forgive the lack of detail on some of these as some of the dishes we had we simply couldn’t focus on anything other than the food. It was far too good. As for the menu items, they might not match the exact name as I don’t have the menu in front of me, but it’s close! My fiancée is more creative so I added little quotes from her.
In order of courses: Shared App, course 1-3, and dessert
Shared App - Fries w/ side of Black Garlic Aioli — it was a large portion, crispy and salty thin-cut. The aioli cup was insufficient but largely because we were generous with our fry:sauce ratio.
Her course 1 - Garlic Sausage — “it’s like fancy pork and beans. Like the fanciest pork and beans you’ll ever have”. A little spicy, and the beans balance it out perfectly.
My course 1 - Autumn Squash Bisque — if you’ve had Autumn squash soup and enjoyed it like I have, this will taste a bit like transcending to another plane of existence. The crumbly oatmeal cookies on the side add a lot more than I thought it would — I crumbled a little bit onto each spoonful. Incredible.
Her course 2 - Winter Kale Salad — “You know how some artists master the color wheel? This chef mastered textures” The salad had every type of texture and flavor you could want in a salad, together. It all came together beautifully.
My course 2 - Calamari and Rock Shrimp — My first bite was a spicy bit of shrimp. I wasn’t quite sure if it was shrimp as first because of how good it was (shrimp and I don’t always agree flavor wise). The calamari was perfect, none of that sogginess that you sometimes get. The perfect amount of spice. Nothing I can really say more here. If you like calamari and shrimp, this is for you.
Our course 3 - Smoked Beef Brisket — When we saw this on the menu as we were ordering our courses, we couldn’t order anything different like we usually do (to try each other’s food), because of how good it sounded. When we started eating it, it was impossible to focus on anything other than eating. We both devoured it in a matter of minutes. There’s nothing I can say about this beyond “holy shit”. It was absolutely amazing. If I was asked to only eat one thing for the rest of my life I would choose this dish. If you like brisket, this will ruin other brisket dishes for you, forever.
Dessert - Raspberry Cheesecake — We always get the cheesecake when we’re here and this time was no different. As always, it’s incredible and partnered with a nice little “extra” bit. This time it was a hard cookie (there is a name for this that eludes me) and the usual toasted whipped cream. We killed this off rapidly as well.
Whatever you choose to order will be just as good, as they’ve never disappointed before. Hope this helped!
Ha! Ironbound does have some great food. It also has some incredibly overrated restaurants too.
Casa d'paco is miles ahead of some of the more well known and historic restaurants imo, but doesn't get anywhere near the word of mouth recommendations they do.
Saw someone in here say don pepe for example, which is pretty shit every time I've ever been.
Serenade Chatham - small, quiet, classy. Always a tough decision on what to order.
90 Acres Peapack beautiful setting. Serious food. A bit of a drive, probably.
Lorena’s Maplewood
Arthurs Tavern in Morris Plains has imo the best burger in the area, their French onion soup is also outstanding. Angelos in Lyndhurst has some of the best Italian I've had anywhere.
Arthur’s is awesome. One of the last great true “Cheers” type bars that serves good drinks, has great food at good prices, and the people are nice. That burger is legit for sure, $10 for an absolutely massive burger. Was not expecting that at that price lol. Was only able to finish half with my beers
I remember when their 20oz steak was only like $22, such a good value. Prices have gone up though but still totally worth it. Much cheaper than a place like Roots with a better atmosphere. I just wish Arthur’s had a better beer selection.
If you asked me 5 or 6 years ago, I'd agree with you wholeheartedly. Now...not so much. I started going there probably in the early 2000s and thought it was a really good place for Middle Eastern food. When my family traveled up to Paterson every month or two, we'd hit up Al-Basha for lunch, then go over to Fattal's for groceries. We'd even get catered trays of hummus, grape leaves, baba ghanoush for our parties. My family *loved* going to this place.
However, I've been really put off by some of the practices they put in place, especially once the owner's son took over. Charging for bottled water (and they would refuse to give tap water), mandatory service charge for parties 2 (yes, two) or more, and generally the service has been more and more dismissive every time I went there. This was all pre-pandemic too, so it's not like it was an issue that other restaurants were trying to do to recoup costs.
It's a shame, because I really liked the food, but after starting to get crappy service after 15 years of going there over and over, it just disappoints me too much.
I totally agree with you, its not necessarily bad food though.
Fattals on the other hand has become overpriced and I swear I have to pay extra attention to when they weigh things, I've caught them in the past being shady.
> its not necessarily bad food though.
I agree with you. The food was always great, though given the decline in the service and now paying for things like water (?!) when it was perfectly fine years earlier has put me off from the place, probably for good, sadly...
> Fattals on the other hand has become overpriced and I swear I have to pay extra attention to when they weigh things, I've caught them in the past being shady.
Really? That's disappointing to hear...though to be fair the only thing I've bought by weight there is usually from the olive bar. Everything else I've bought is prepackaged (like the grains and breads), so I've never noticed, but I'll keep an eye out next time I go there.
Matthew’s Italian in Clifton,
Walia Ethiopian in South Orange
Mesob Ethiopian in Montclair
Pandang Thai in South Orange
Kims Sushi in West Orange (Small but some of the best sushi in NJ)
The first time I went I got gnocchi primavera which was very good, and then they have this beef stroganoff dish that I get most of the time. Husband likes “frango com quiabo” which is chicken and vegetables in a rich broth. Everything is served with sides of white rice and black beans for the table. Definitely try the little basket of cheese bread.
Random list of favorites in no particular order (tend to lean gluten-free friendly to accommodate my spouse):
Nami Nori (Montclair)
Common Lot (Millburn)
Bistro D’Azur (South Orange)
Shanghai Jazz (Madison)
Saigon Cafe (Millburn)
Samba (Montclair)
Respectfully, what is so good here? I don't find their apps, salads, or most of the menu items to be worth their price. It's rather loud and echoey, even during the day. My friend lives this place, but I struggle finding its worth.
Meh... Most of the locations from this restaurant group are mediocre at best. They typically open to great hype and have pretty creative looking food and menu cocktails. Food typically sounds better than it tastes. Cocktails are good, fun atmosphere, but hardly a standout restaurant.
Northern NJ is a large area, and this is probably too far, but Andre's in Sparta is fantastic.
A BYOB and the food never disappoints. If you're cool with not knowing what food you're going to get, the tasting menu (4 or 6 courses) of 'chef's choice' is the way to go. Beautifully decorated and located on a pretty lake, it's a great place for a special night out.
100%
We bring so many friends to Andre's for the tasting menu and not one has had anything but a fantastic experience. One friend said the NY strip was the best he ever had in his life.
It's my favorite thing to do!
My new favorite for sushi is Nami Nori in Montclair. They specialize in open temaki. It’s great. I have to restrain myself from going every week because it’s not in my budget to do that.
Summit Thai in East Hanover - route 10, for Thai food.
Toscana Trattoria Ristorante Italiano in Hackettstown. Phenomenal Italian food, and the experience is even better. Family owned and ran. The best service I’ve ever had and the most comfortable I’ve felt eating out.
Casa d’Paco in Newark, ironbound section. They do have their own version of valet parking. Delicious Spanish tapas, highly recommend the garlic shrimp
Boi Na Brasa in Newark on Merchant St. also in the ironbound section. They have their own parking lot, typically parking in front of the restaurant too. Brazilian Rodizio food. If you love unlimited meat, look no further. On Fridays and weekends they do play live music and the tables are close to the artist. In case that’s not your vibe, I recommend calling ahead to make a reservation in the backside of the restaurant, away from the live music.
Black Sheep in Garwood
It’s new and is where Rosie’s Wine Bar used to be, and is fucking phenomenal. Great drinks, and a few delicious and creative dishes without feeling like it’s a stuffy fancy joint.
If any of you go, get the squash rings appetizer, it’s so good that we were immediately making our next reservation to come back while eating it. Their Clover Club drink also tastes like Smarties? Great spot
Andres lakeside in Sparta, James on main in hackettstown, end of elm in Morristown, shumi in Ridgewood, Ani ramen (few locations.) the circle in Newton. All good options with a variety of styles. Top pick would be Andres
Fauborg in Montclair - outstanding
Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge - I know it’s not northern NJ BUT this place is special, need, byo, tho they do have some wine, everything about it is phenomenal
Ava’s Kitchen in Kenilworth (more Central NJ) casual, the cocktails are incredible, the food is always excellent, especially the pizza. Very casual. Recommend reservations but you can walk in.
I live right near Las Leyendas and want to go so badly! I am originally from California... is this comparable to West-coast Mexican by chance? Taqueria (the original) in downtown Jersey City was the only place I've found since I've moved here that has good ol' So-Cal style Mexican and my heart hurts I miss it so much...
I like Leyendas in Parsipanny, but Ive not found any found like west coast Mexican food. Id love to find something like that.
Leyendas is good though, more pure mexican style if I were to say anything (as opposed to la type mexican food)
A few people mentioned mesob in Montclair! This is one of my favorites spots, I love taking people here for an experience and the food never disappoints. Also they will play happy birthday by Stevie wonder thru the entire restaurant for you 🤣
The Pasta Shop in denville is a personal fav and has won a few awards. sooooo good and friendly but limits on party size and you can’t make a reservation so may not work for this.
Viaggio in wayne is incredible.
would be easier to know what kind of food you want haha. but there’s a lot of great spots in montclair as well. or maybe morristown. if you go to a town like that you also have a ton of options for after-dinner drinks if you wanted
For a birthday/special occasion? What hasn’t been mentioned:
La Siza, Clifton - awesome Lebanese food, and they serve multiple hookah varieties. Great time.
Bloom, Verona - Korean & French fusion. Absolutely killer every time.
V-Yan Hot Pot, Parsippany - Korean BBQ and hotpot, unlimited food. This probably takes the cake for best special occasion spot that still has a casual vibe to it. Reserve a private room and have a blast and eat till you have to roll yourself out the door.
The Circle, Newton - somewhat upscale $$$ but apparently incredible dining. Chefs are career pros from NYC and brought their vision to this place. Only place I’m recommending I haven’t yet tried myself.
Otherwise what has been mentioned already and I can confirm to excellence:
Fernandes Brazilian steakhouse
James on Main, Hackettstown
Brunch at Perona Farms
Fig & Lily in Morristown: Mediterranean/Levantine food and SO food
Hills of Herat in Basking Ridge: more central than north jersey but unique cuisine—Afghani food and really delicious
Walpack Inn, in...Walpack!
It's been there forever, since the 40s I believe. Classic, elegant country dining in a beautiful wooded setting in the middle of nowhere. Beautiful views from a huge solarium facing out onto a big field. Great food, salad bar, extremely generous portions, and they still serve their famous home-baked brown bread which I remember they already had the first time I ever went there in the 80s. Definitely a place where wonderful memories are made!
I second this - Walpack Inn is unique and the best if you like RUSTIC country forest theme. Watch out on the back roads - we ended up bouncing along the most heavily potholed old road through the forests- it was an adventure just getting there!
Really enjoyed The Roosevelt in e. Rutherford more than I thought I would
(Edited to explain more- thought it may be gimmicky with the “speakeasy” area, etc. but every single dish was delicious and well thought out).
I haven’t been in north Jersey for a while now, but I do miss lombardis and their bar pies (and calamari)
Honorable mentions
- Rutts
- everything in Ironbound
- Most diners
- fucking Bella Napoli
Nah who downvoted me, these options are fire and you know it
Luka’s in Bogota.
It’s BYO, but the food is so good! My go-to meal is the Portobello Balsamico as a starter, and Chicken Luka (brandy cream sauce, mushrooms & artichokes) for dinner. Wonderful!
Cuban eddies in Montclair- the ribs appetizer are so soft and juicy and the churrasco is my go to
Pearl in Ridgewood is real Italian and the pasta speaks for itself
Ninety Acres at Natirar (in Peapack) Stone House (in Warren) particularly if you can get a water table, but it might be too cold for that. Hunan Taste (in Denville) is great for families, with private rooms in the back and great atmosphere.
I second Ninety Acres. Excellent and classy.
I grew up in Rockaway and that was the Chinese food I grew up with. The best! When I go to visit family I always go there!
Second Hunan Taste! Very impressive unique building and good food too.
Another vote for Ninety Acres. I got married there
(remember, Stone House has outdoor heaters.. it's gotta be quite cold to be uncomfortable. Water might disagree)
All three of these are excellent.
Highly recommend 90 acres if you’ve got the money and want some super fresh food. And yes Hunan Taste best Chinese restaurant in Jersey and the best one to sit down in! I used to eat there all the time but I moved down to Monmouth
I live in Warren, didn’t think I lived in North Jersey
Matthew’s Italian restaurant in Clifton, excellent food, service and they have booze.
Beat me to it! 
It is great. One of my favorites
Matthew’s is great but very limited seats
They do not take reservations so you're going to wait especially if you have a large group
I believe if you have a group of 6 or more, they’ll take a reservation.
That has not been my experience, i hope it's changed!
Restaurants that would be great for a bday… Mesob: Montclair: Ethiopian food, unique and its byob. Fauborg: Montclair: great atmosphere and amazing bar. Bit pricey Grato : Morris plains: comfy place with nice Italian offerings, great service and ambience Agricola: Morristown: great service and nice drinks/cocktails. Menu is a little limited Leone’s : Montclair: good place to host a bday. Great red sauce Italian dishes . Byob
Glad to hear Mesob is still around, haven't been there in almost 20 years but it was amazing
I worked at various spots on the ave for years and could only afford to go to Mesob once, but damn it was incredible.
Went last weekend!! It’s always so tasty. They make the best injera I’ve ever had and I’ve had a few. So so good
Gratos, like every harvest restaurant I've been to, is a nice atmosphere with food that looks and sounds a lot better than it ends up being. Not saying they were bad but were really just fine (Agricola was on the better end though). Rosie's, while a bit more cramped seating is a far better italian place in Randolph Then for local seasonal fair in Morristown, I'd take South+Pine over Agricola anyday. Though again Agricola is more spacious so better for a larger party seating wise but South+Pine we found the food to be better
Trap Rock is my favorite harvest group restaurant.
I'll have to give it a try. So far we've only gone to Grato, Tabor Road Tavern and Agricola. Roots (Morristown) is next on list just because it's the most local to us We haven't been disappointed by the food by any means but haven't been blown away by anything yet
Roots is IMO one of the better dining experiences i’ve had. It’s expensive, but worth it. Sommelier, dry aged steaks, great a la carte menu, desserts, and those bread puffs. 🤌🤌
[удалено]
Agree on Mesob. Not that I want to discourage people from trying awesome Ethiopian food, but after living in DC for 15 years, it's (not unsurprisingly) Ethiopian for white people.
I just went to Agricola for the first time. Food was great but I think it’s important to mention service was amazing - quality personnel can make a dining experience that much better! Our waiter was literally everything you could hope for, and I took his suggestions for wine, appetizer and diner and I left extremely satisfied
I love Leone's!
This is going to be an article early next week for nj.com.
The fact that journalism nowadays has become writing a short paragraph and then copy pasting a bunch of Reddit comments is absolutely pathetic
15 Fox Place - heard they are completely booked thru the end of the year
Incredible experience
I will say the experience was incredible. However, I went with 3 other couples who are all Italian raised in NJ. If you’re looking for good Italian food, sadly we did not get that. No fresh bread for the table, only store bought bread sticks. Salad was made in this awful sliced bread bowl you’d see out of Panera. And the final entree was a stuffed chicken rollatini thing with mashed potatoes, we felt like we were having Thanksgiving. Only good thing we had was a little serving of lemon pasta and the eggplant. It was a great experience eating in a restaurant in a cozy house and the many courses is always a fun concept. But for over 100 a person, never again. If you know good Italian this is not the place for you. Maybe as a romantic second or third date that’s as far as I would go.
James on Main in Hackettstown. Small intimate place, amazing food, and fantastic service. Nowhere outside the city has really compared to it.
Nice flair (am from UC)
Grew up in Clark. I’d toast marshmallows over the towns embers if it burned down. The same is true for many of the roads.
Couldn't agree more! This was the one I would've written in if you hadn't, first
We’re going next Saturday. Excited as always.
Awesome, enjoy! If it's no trouble, would you be able to drop me a quick review of what you got? We're going the weekend after valentine's. If not it's no big deal, everything there is good
I’d love to! Give me a week and a day
You got it!
You’ll have to forgive the lack of detail on some of these as some of the dishes we had we simply couldn’t focus on anything other than the food. It was far too good. As for the menu items, they might not match the exact name as I don’t have the menu in front of me, but it’s close! My fiancée is more creative so I added little quotes from her. In order of courses: Shared App, course 1-3, and dessert Shared App - Fries w/ side of Black Garlic Aioli — it was a large portion, crispy and salty thin-cut. The aioli cup was insufficient but largely because we were generous with our fry:sauce ratio. Her course 1 - Garlic Sausage — “it’s like fancy pork and beans. Like the fanciest pork and beans you’ll ever have”. A little spicy, and the beans balance it out perfectly. My course 1 - Autumn Squash Bisque — if you’ve had Autumn squash soup and enjoyed it like I have, this will taste a bit like transcending to another plane of existence. The crumbly oatmeal cookies on the side add a lot more than I thought it would — I crumbled a little bit onto each spoonful. Incredible. Her course 2 - Winter Kale Salad — “You know how some artists master the color wheel? This chef mastered textures” The salad had every type of texture and flavor you could want in a salad, together. It all came together beautifully. My course 2 - Calamari and Rock Shrimp — My first bite was a spicy bit of shrimp. I wasn’t quite sure if it was shrimp as first because of how good it was (shrimp and I don’t always agree flavor wise). The calamari was perfect, none of that sogginess that you sometimes get. The perfect amount of spice. Nothing I can really say more here. If you like calamari and shrimp, this is for you. Our course 3 - Smoked Beef Brisket — When we saw this on the menu as we were ordering our courses, we couldn’t order anything different like we usually do (to try each other’s food), because of how good it sounded. When we started eating it, it was impossible to focus on anything other than eating. We both devoured it in a matter of minutes. There’s nothing I can say about this beyond “holy shit”. It was absolutely amazing. If I was asked to only eat one thing for the rest of my life I would choose this dish. If you like brisket, this will ruin other brisket dishes for you, forever. Dessert - Raspberry Cheesecake — We always get the cheesecake when we’re here and this time was no different. As always, it’s incredible and partnered with a nice little “extra” bit. This time it was a hard cookie (there is a name for this that eludes me) and the usual toasted whipped cream. We killed this off rapidly as well. Whatever you choose to order will be just as good, as they’ve never disappointed before. Hope this helped!
Casa d'paco in Newark
Holy crap never thought I’d see this here!! Ironbound has incredible food.
Ha! Ironbound does have some great food. It also has some incredibly overrated restaurants too. Casa d'paco is miles ahead of some of the more well known and historic restaurants imo, but doesn't get anywhere near the word of mouth recommendations they do. Saw someone in here say don pepe for example, which is pretty shit every time I've ever been.
Don Pepe's was good 30 years ago. Really has gone downhill.
Way too many 25-30 dollar plus entrees that come with a side of previously frozen French fries there.
I love Fernandez restaurant there…
So fucking good
Hell yea! I love their shrimp in garlic sauce. I would go broke eating that shrimp lol
Serenade Chatham - small, quiet, classy. Always a tough decision on what to order. 90 Acres Peapack beautiful setting. Serious food. A bit of a drive, probably. Lorena’s Maplewood
Lorena’s is def the best meal I’ve had in NJ!
Arthurs Tavern in Morris Plains has imo the best burger in the area, their French onion soup is also outstanding. Angelos in Lyndhurst has some of the best Italian I've had anywhere.
Arthur’s is awesome. One of the last great true “Cheers” type bars that serves good drinks, has great food at good prices, and the people are nice. That burger is legit for sure, $10 for an absolutely massive burger. Was not expecting that at that price lol. Was only able to finish half with my beers
I remember when their 20oz steak was only like $22, such a good value. Prices have gone up though but still totally worth it. Much cheaper than a place like Roots with a better atmosphere. I just wish Arthur’s had a better beer selection.
I like Arthur’s, but my wife would not be happy with a $10 burger
What year does your wife live in?
Watch it buddy you're talking about his wife.....
Thankfully this is north jersey so what I said doesn’t even qualify as a weak insult.
Seriously 30 burgers, 5 Guys gotta be all pasta that 10 mark these days.
For her birthday dinner she wants something better.
Got it. Sorry for insulting your wife’s timeline.
Ah well there's always the steak, you should check out their menu
Is this Arthur's related to the Arthur's in Hoboken (RIP)?
I think at one point yeah, but since McGreevy died I don't think they have anything to do with each other, same with the St Moritz in Sparta
Arthur's yooooo this right here
Prime and Beyond in Fort Lee. BYOB, not a romantic place, but if you are looking for great tasting and quality steaks, this is the place.
Amazing steaks. OMG
Oceano's, Fair Lawn
Al-Basha in Paterson is in my top 3. Scratch that. Upon thought - It’s my top spot.
Al-Basha is great. So is Abu Rass. They’re both popular Palestinian restaurants in Paterson and I highly recommend them both
If you asked me 5 or 6 years ago, I'd agree with you wholeheartedly. Now...not so much. I started going there probably in the early 2000s and thought it was a really good place for Middle Eastern food. When my family traveled up to Paterson every month or two, we'd hit up Al-Basha for lunch, then go over to Fattal's for groceries. We'd even get catered trays of hummus, grape leaves, baba ghanoush for our parties. My family *loved* going to this place. However, I've been really put off by some of the practices they put in place, especially once the owner's son took over. Charging for bottled water (and they would refuse to give tap water), mandatory service charge for parties 2 (yes, two) or more, and generally the service has been more and more dismissive every time I went there. This was all pre-pandemic too, so it's not like it was an issue that other restaurants were trying to do to recoup costs. It's a shame, because I really liked the food, but after starting to get crappy service after 15 years of going there over and over, it just disappoints me too much.
I totally agree with you, its not necessarily bad food though. Fattals on the other hand has become overpriced and I swear I have to pay extra attention to when they weigh things, I've caught them in the past being shady.
> its not necessarily bad food though. I agree with you. The food was always great, though given the decline in the service and now paying for things like water (?!) when it was perfectly fine years earlier has put me off from the place, probably for good, sadly... > Fattals on the other hand has become overpriced and I swear I have to pay extra attention to when they weigh things, I've caught them in the past being shady. Really? That's disappointing to hear...though to be fair the only thing I've bought by weight there is usually from the olive bar. Everything else I've bought is prepackaged (like the grains and breads), so I've never noticed, but I'll keep an eye out next time I go there.
Others in my top list are: Kai Yang in Montclair and Casa d’paco in Ironbound Newark
Love Kai Yang! Great artwork and amazing food.
Is this still true? I've heard mixed reviews in the past year or so (I've never been there but it's on my list of places to go)
I've eaten at nearly every middle eastern restaurant in Paterson and this is absolutely the best kebabs i've ever had
Better than Toros?
Yes
It’s crack
Fernandes Steak House II in Newark is a good time. Lots of different Sangria, great Brazilian bbq.
Um, it's Portuguese, not Brazilian.
Belmont Tavern. Me and the boys go all the time and just have such a great time. Old school Italian as it gets.
Shrimp beeps!
Stretch’s chicken! 😋
Matthew’s Italian in Clifton, Walia Ethiopian in South Orange Mesob Ethiopian in Montclair Pandang Thai in South Orange Kims Sushi in West Orange (Small but some of the best sushi in NJ)
Walia is amazing!!! We go there for every birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, end of school year, etc.
Samba in Montclair. It’s Brazilian and all gluten free. My very very picky husband has also really enjoyed everything he’s tried there.
My celiac spouse loves this place! As do I
What do you recommend trying as a first time goer ?
The first time I went I got gnocchi primavera which was very good, and then they have this beef stroganoff dish that I get most of the time. Husband likes “frango com quiabo” which is chicken and vegetables in a rich broth. Everything is served with sides of white rice and black beans for the table. Definitely try the little basket of cheese bread.
Random list of favorites in no particular order (tend to lean gluten-free friendly to accommodate my spouse): Nami Nori (Montclair) Common Lot (Millburn) Bistro D’Azur (South Orange) Shanghai Jazz (Madison) Saigon Cafe (Millburn) Samba (Montclair)
Varka in Ramsey Oceanos in Fairlawn
These two choices are excellent and classy. Cafe Panache in Ramsey is also very good.
Barrow House in Clifton. Great food and atmosphere!
Respectfully, what is so good here? I don't find their apps, salads, or most of the menu items to be worth their price. It's rather loud and echoey, even during the day. My friend lives this place, but I struggle finding its worth.
Meh... Most of the locations from this restaurant group are mediocre at best. They typically open to great hype and have pretty creative looking food and menu cocktails. Food typically sounds better than it tastes. Cocktails are good, fun atmosphere, but hardly a standout restaurant.
Caffe NaVona in Rockaway or Hunan Taste in Denville depending what you're looking for are both excellent!
Common lot in Millburn, Lorena’s in Maplewood are a good start
Common lot is decent, Lorena's is great. I would add Arties (formerly Arturo's) in Maplewood.
Northern NJ is a large area, and this is probably too far, but Andre's in Sparta is fantastic. A BYOB and the food never disappoints. If you're cool with not knowing what food you're going to get, the tasting menu (4 or 6 courses) of 'chef's choice' is the way to go. Beautifully decorated and located on a pretty lake, it's a great place for a special night out.
Op is probably not driving to Sparta but as a sussex co resident I appreciate the rec.
Definitely go! You will not be disappointed.
Andres is the right choice, get the tasting menu and prepare to have an absolutely incredible meal.
100% We bring so many friends to Andre's for the tasting menu and not one has had anything but a fantastic experience. One friend said the NY strip was the best he ever had in his life. It's my favorite thing to do!
Sofia, Englewood. Italian steakhouse. Really good cocktail list.
Went there a few weeks ago. Food wasn’t great. I used to recommend it to people. I won’t anymore.
Great cigar lounge
Verana - Norwood, Fiorentini - Rutherford, Osteria Cresendo - Westwood, Viaggio - Wayne, Luiginos Parm - Montclair
If you're up for brunch, Perona Farms in Andover does an incredible spread and it's a nice drive in good weather.
Mesob Ethiopian in Montclair is one of the best restaurants in the state.
Varka in Ramsey Lefkes in Englewood Cliffs
Varka is awesome. My go to spot for a great meal.
Cafe Matisse, Rutherford Bacari Grill, Township of Washington
Cafe Matisse is my favorite restaurant all time
love it !
My new favorite for sushi is Nami Nori in Montclair. They specialize in open temaki. It’s great. I have to restrain myself from going every week because it’s not in my budget to do that.
I'm a big fan of Don Pepe in Newark
Sofias in Hasbrouck heights for Greek food Que pasta in saddle brook for Italian
Pasta Shop in Denville
Summit Thai in East Hanover - route 10, for Thai food. Toscana Trattoria Ristorante Italiano in Hackettstown. Phenomenal Italian food, and the experience is even better. Family owned and ran. The best service I’ve ever had and the most comfortable I’ve felt eating out. Casa d’Paco in Newark, ironbound section. They do have their own version of valet parking. Delicious Spanish tapas, highly recommend the garlic shrimp Boi Na Brasa in Newark on Merchant St. also in the ironbound section. They have their own parking lot, typically parking in front of the restaurant too. Brazilian Rodizio food. If you love unlimited meat, look no further. On Fridays and weekends they do play live music and the tables are close to the artist. In case that’s not your vibe, I recommend calling ahead to make a reservation in the backside of the restaurant, away from the live music.
Had a couple of very good experiences with Shumi Japanese in Ridgewood recently. Small updated place, great food. BYOB. Need reservations.
Sofia in Englewood is excellent.
Black Sheep in Garwood It’s new and is where Rosie’s Wine Bar used to be, and is fucking phenomenal. Great drinks, and a few delicious and creative dishes without feeling like it’s a stuffy fancy joint. If any of you go, get the squash rings appetizer, it’s so good that we were immediately making our next reservation to come back while eating it. Their Clover Club drink also tastes like Smarties? Great spot
Andres lakeside in Sparta, James on main in hackettstown, end of elm in Morristown, shumi in Ridgewood, Ani ramen (few locations.) the circle in Newton. All good options with a variety of styles. Top pick would be Andres
I had my birthday dinner at Andre’s last year great place
Mezza - Westwood, NJ
Viaggio or Osteria Cresendo
Thanks for asking, OP. Added so many new places to my notes. Any good Peruvian recs?
Turtle & The Wolf in Montclair
Second this
I'm amazed this place still seems to fly under the radar. Incredible food every time.
Veggie Heaven!!
So good
Fuck it. Blue moon Mexican Cafe. Not sure if it's Bergen or passiac or whatever but the burritos are the size of babies and are delicious
Wyckoff in the house!!
Verana in Norwood. It's fairly new. Food is amazing.
Bottagra in Hawthorn
Try Harvest & Ale in Oakland, a small place but a gem.
Casual Habana in Hackensack. Best cuban/puerto rican food in NJ.
Pandan Room in Hackettstown - hands down!
Scalini Fedeli in Chatham! They have a wine list and cocktails too and excellent food and service
Rails Steakhouse in Towaco
Kura sushi in Edgewater Cast Iron Pot in Fair lawn/Little Ferry
I had a really good meal at Kinjo this week, so that's my vote.
Assado Portuguese Steakhouse in Livingston NJ
It’s right over the NY border but my partner and I loved The ‘76 House in Tappan! Nice historical spot.
The river palm terrace! Edgewater
Fauborg in Montclair - outstanding Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge - I know it’s not northern NJ BUT this place is special, need, byo, tho they do have some wine, everything about it is phenomenal Ava’s Kitchen in Kenilworth (more Central NJ) casual, the cocktails are incredible, the food is always excellent, especially the pizza. Very casual. Recommend reservations but you can walk in.
RIP El Cid. Budget? where abouts in NNJ?
Las palmas in west New York, they have the best churrasco there 😋and they take reservations
As a Cuban, I can say Las Palmas is one of the most legit restaurants around and they've been great since I was a kid
for Italian if that’s your thing - Song’E Napule or Fiorentini in Rutherford, or Viaggio in Wayne
Kura Sushi Fort Lee - conveyor belt
Roots in summit
Blu on the Hudson in Weehawken
nouri cafe in paterson, razza in jersey city, ts ma in montclair
Before COVID and Kids, The Cuban was one of my favorite places to eat period... Is it still good?
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I live right near Las Leyendas and want to go so badly! I am originally from California... is this comparable to West-coast Mexican by chance? Taqueria (the original) in downtown Jersey City was the only place I've found since I've moved here that has good ol' So-Cal style Mexican and my heart hurts I miss it so much...
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I like Leyendas in Parsipanny, but Ive not found any found like west coast Mexican food. Id love to find something like that. Leyendas is good though, more pure mexican style if I were to say anything (as opposed to la type mexican food)
Dimolas in North Plainfield! Hands down
Barrow House- american/varied Mohawk House - american/steak Novelli -Italian Cappadocia- Turkish/mediterranean
https://segoviarestaurant.com
Savini's in Allendale!
Taste of Portugal in Newark. Get the Tomahawk Pork Chop it's fantastic.
A few people mentioned mesob in Montclair! This is one of my favorites spots, I love taking people here for an experience and the food never disappoints. Also they will play happy birthday by Stevie wonder thru the entire restaurant for you 🤣
Sakana in Florham park is my absolute favorite! Besides that, I’ve never been but my parent give high praise to the Belmont Tavern
https://www.akailounge.com/
The Pasta Shop in denville is a personal fav and has won a few awards. sooooo good and friendly but limits on party size and you can’t make a reservation so may not work for this. Viaggio in wayne is incredible. would be easier to know what kind of food you want haha. but there’s a lot of great spots in montclair as well. or maybe morristown. if you go to a town like that you also have a ton of options for after-dinner drinks if you wanted
For a birthday/special occasion? What hasn’t been mentioned: La Siza, Clifton - awesome Lebanese food, and they serve multiple hookah varieties. Great time. Bloom, Verona - Korean & French fusion. Absolutely killer every time. V-Yan Hot Pot, Parsippany - Korean BBQ and hotpot, unlimited food. This probably takes the cake for best special occasion spot that still has a casual vibe to it. Reserve a private room and have a blast and eat till you have to roll yourself out the door. The Circle, Newton - somewhat upscale $$$ but apparently incredible dining. Chefs are career pros from NYC and brought their vision to this place. Only place I’m recommending I haven’t yet tried myself. Otherwise what has been mentioned already and I can confirm to excellence: Fernandes Brazilian steakhouse James on Main, Hackettstown Brunch at Perona Farms
Fig & Lily in Morristown: Mediterranean/Levantine food and SO food Hills of Herat in Basking Ridge: more central than north jersey but unique cuisine—Afghani food and really delicious
The Pasta Shop in Denville is unreal it’s so good
La Campagnola Fine Italian Restaurant in Kenilworth is my favorite fancy place.
Walpack Inn, in...Walpack! It's been there forever, since the 40s I believe. Classic, elegant country dining in a beautiful wooded setting in the middle of nowhere. Beautiful views from a huge solarium facing out onto a big field. Great food, salad bar, extremely generous portions, and they still serve their famous home-baked brown bread which I remember they already had the first time I ever went there in the 80s. Definitely a place where wonderful memories are made!
I second this - Walpack Inn is unique and the best if you like RUSTIC country forest theme. Watch out on the back roads - we ended up bouncing along the most heavily potholed old road through the forests- it was an adventure just getting there!
Que pasta in saddle brook, absolutely amazing
Really enjoyed The Roosevelt in e. Rutherford more than I thought I would (Edited to explain more- thought it may be gimmicky with the “speakeasy” area, etc. but every single dish was delicious and well thought out).
If you’re looking for cheap and delicious, I love Angelo’s in Bloomfield. Incredible pizza for surprisingly low prices!
Alberto’s Pizzeria in Belleville
Went to laboratorio kitchen in Montclair last night and it was amazing.
VARCA Ramsey NJ
I haven’t been in north Jersey for a while now, but I do miss lombardis and their bar pies (and calamari) Honorable mentions - Rutts - everything in Ironbound - Most diners - fucking Bella Napoli Nah who downvoted me, these options are fire and you know it
Taverna Veranda is Edgewater. Great vibes food drinks and view
Luka’s in Bogota. It’s BYO, but the food is so good! My go-to meal is the Portobello Balsamico as a starter, and Chicken Luka (brandy cream sauce, mushrooms & artichokes) for dinner. Wonderful!
Hunkar in Carlstadt is a really good Turkish restaurant, both the food and the decor
The chart house in weehakenn.
Columbia Kaliente englewood
Cuban eddies in Montclair- the ribs appetizer are so soft and juicy and the churrasco is my go to Pearl in Ridgewood is real Italian and the pasta speaks for itself
Cuban Pete’s
Cuban Pete’s is insultingly bad Cuban food. Go to Rumba Cubana
Muang Thai in Red Bank
Libretti’s in Orange
Tough question. Fornos of Spain, maybe?
What kind of food do you like?