eat.

PIZZA · The Heights, Jersey City

Bread & Salt

James Beard-nominated Roman-style slices and focaccia.

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PIZZA · Downtown, Jersey City

Razza Pizza Artigianale

Wood-fired pies with farm-sourced toppings. A Downtown JC pilgrimage.

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DONUTS · Montclair Center, Montclair

Montclair Bread Company

Nationally recognized donut artistry. Get the boston cream.

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DINERS · Downtown, Newark

Tops Diner

Hour-long weekend waits for a reason. Pancake game is unreal.

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COFFEE · Downtown, Jersey City

Modcup Coffee

Local roaster turned neighborhood café. Cortado done right.

ICE CREAM · Montclair Center, Montclair

Applegate Farm Ice Cream

Ice cream on the same working farm since 1848.

PIZZA · Downtown, Asbury Park

Porta

Cavernous wood-fired room, DJs after 10.

BURGERS · Cedar Lane, Teaneck

White Manna

1939 diner shack. Sliders with grilled onions. Holy ground.

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BURGERS · Cedar Lane, Teaneck

White Manna

Tiny white shack, sliders six at a time, griddle that's been going since 1946.

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HOT DOGS · Downtown, Clifton

Rutt's Hut

The original ripper. Deep-fried dog, house-made relish. A pilgrimage.

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COFFEE · Nassau Street, Princeton

Small World Coffee

Princeton's morning living room since 1993.

PIZZA · Downtown, Asbury Park

Talula's

Sourdough pizza + orange-wine list that quietly shaped Cookman.

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PIZZA · Downtown, Jersey City

Porta

Neapolitan-style pies and cocktails in a converted warehouse.

COFFEE · Monmouth Street, Red Bank

Rook Coffee

Shore-born cold brew that started a small empire. No seating, by design.

PIZZA · Chambersburg, Trenton

De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies

Tomato pie orthodoxy. Crust, sauce, cheese, in that order.

PIZZA · Broad Street, Bloomfield

Star Tavern

Bar-pie orthodoxy. Thin, crispy, plain slice that humbles you.

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DINERS · Downtown, Clifton

Tick Tock Diner

Neon-lit, 24-hour, four-page menu. The platonic NJ diner.

SANDWICHES · Ducktown, Atlantic City

White House Sub Shop

The Italian sub against which all other Italian subs are measured.

HOT DOGS · Downtown, Clifton

Rutt's Hut

Rippers since 1928. Mustard relish is the only correct answer.

BURGERS · Ironbound, Newark

Krug's Tavern

Half-pound patties in an Ironbound tavern. Cash only, pretty much always.

ICE CREAM · Downtown, Jersey City

Torico Ice Cream Parlor

Family-run since '68. Mamey, guava, and avocado flavors locals grew up on.

DINERS · Springfield Ave, Summit

Summit Diner

Oldest diner in NJ. The Taylor Ham, egg and cheese is the one to order.

BURGERS · Ironbound, Newark

Krug's Tavern

Half-pound patty, white paper plate, zero pretense. Legend.

DONUTS · Broad Street, Red Bank

Delicious Orchards

Apple-cider donuts that redefine the category in October.

DONUTS · Downtown, Hoboken

Carlo's Bakery

Yes, that one. Still line-out-the-door on Saturdays.

HOT DOGS · Cedar Lane, Teaneck

Hiram's Roadstand

Split and grilled, root beer on tap, same building since '32.

SANDWICHES · Witherspoon, Princeton

Hoagie Haven

Phoenix on a roll is the local secret. No tables, no apology.

RAMEN · Montclair Center, Montclair

Ani Ramen

Tonkotsu with a mezcal cocktail program. Packed every night.

DONUTS · The Heights, Jersey City

The Dough Dealer

Filled-to-order donuts with obsessive toppings.

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TACOS · Boardwalk, Asbury Park

Surf Taco

Jersey-Shore-born taco chain. The mahi taco is the order.

ICE CREAM · Broad Street, Bloomfield

Holsten's

Counter-service ice cream. Sopranos booth intact.

PIZZA · Ironbound, Newark

Santillo's Brick Oven Pizza

Eighty-plus years of coal-fired mastery by one family.

DINERS · Springfield Ave, Summit

The Summit Diner

NJ's oldest diner. Pork roll, egg, cheese, please.

BURGERS · Monmouth Street, Red Bank

Barnacle Bill's

Wood-paneled, dim, and turning out one of the best burgers on the shore.

BURGERS · Downtown, Jersey City

Boom Burger

Smashed-patty cheeseburgers with a cult breakfast sandwich.

DINERS · Downtown, Clifton

Tick Tock Diner

24-hour jersey diner aesthetic. Disco fries, hard yes.

SEAFOOD · Ironbound, Newark

Sol-Mar

Garlic shrimp and grilled sardines that justify the drive.

SANDWICHES · College Avenue, New Brunswick

Grease Trucks

Fat sandwich culture born in parking lots, now weeknight canon.

SANDWICHES · Pier Village, Long Branch

Jersey Mike's (Original)

Yes, the original store. Subs made while you chat about the Knicks.

ICE CREAM · East Ridgewood, Ridgewood

Van Dyk's Ice Cream

Walk-up window since 1947. Black raspberry is the ask.

PIZZA · Downtown, Hoboken

Pizzeria Luigi

Thin-crust slices from a 90s oven. Unchanged, on purpose.

ICE CREAM · Downtown, Jersey City

Milk Sugar Love

House-made ice cream + cookies with seasonal rotations.

COFFEE · Nassau Street, Princeton

Small World Coffee

Decades-old local roaster. Classroom of a café.

ITALIAN & PASTA · Ironbound, Newark

Spanish Tavern

Paella for a crowd, sangria by the pitcher.

HOT DOGS · Downtown, Paterson

Libby's Lunch

Texas weiner with mustard, onions, chili. The original.

COFFEE · College Avenue, New Brunswick

Hidden Grounds

Rutgers kids write their theses here. Chai is the secret order.

PIZZA · Downtown, New Brunswick

Stuff Yer Face

Stromboli since 1977. Rutgers-era tradition.

PIZZA · Boardwalk, Wildwood

Sam's Pizza Palace

Best boardwalk slice debate. This is a contender.

SUSHI · Haddon Avenue, Collingswood

Sagami

South Jersey's 40-year-old sushi temple.

WINGS · Downtown, Jersey City

Bonchon

Korean-style double-fried. Soy garlic, hot, both.

BAGELS · Main Street, Freehold

Bagel Nook

Boiled the old way. Weekend lines start at 7 and don't quit.

DINERS · Washington Street Mall, Cape May

The Mad Batter

Best-in-the-state brunch porch. Orange ricotta pancakes.

COFFEE · Pier Village, Long Branch

Rook Coffee

Drip iced is the thing. Ask a local.

DONUTS · Downtown, Asbury Park

Purple Glaze Donuts

Small-batch brioche donuts with technicolor glazes.

TACOS · Downtown, Jersey City

Taqueria Downtown

Pastor off the trompo, cheap beers, tile floor.

ICE CREAM · Pier Village, Long Branch

Hoffman's Ice Cream

Ten-pound cookie sundaes. Beach-read territory.

BURGERS · Pier Village, Long Branch

Barnacle Bill's

River-view patio. Half-pound burger with a view.

ITALIAN & PASTA · Montclair Center, Montclair

Mish Mish

Israeli-inflected pastas and sides. Book two weeks out.

BBQ · South Street, Morristown

Big Ed's BBQ

Ribs and banjo music on Sundays. 40 years and counting.

ITALIAN & PASTA · Main Street, Freehold

Lita

Chef-driven BYO in a strip mall. Best wood-fired plate in the state.