The results of our 41st annual Jersey Choice Restaurant Poll are in. They showcase New Jersey Monthly readers’ picks for their favorite dining spots, by category, in New Jersey.
Balloting took place online in February. The winning restaurants in each category received the most votes in their region—North (Ⓝ), Central (Ⓒ) or South (Ⓢ) Jersey. Ballots from duplicate email or IP addresses were disqualified. Editorial discretion was used when votes were cast for restaurants that, in our judgment, belonged in another category.
We have also added our critics’ picks (★) for the top restaurants in the various poll categories.
Qualified entrants were eligible to win our random drawing for a dinner for two at the restaurant voted Best of the Best in their region of New Jersey. A special congratulations to this year’s winner, Joe R. of Haddonfield!
So get out there and start eating!
[RELATED: The 40 Best Restaurants in New Jersey]
Buy our August 2024 issue here. Cover photo: Christopher Lane
Best of the Best
Ⓝ Gioia Mia, Montclair
Ⓒ Stage Left Steak, New Brunswick
Ⓢ Ebbitt Room, Cape May
Best New Restaurant
Ⓝ Gioia Mia, Montclair
Ⓒ Toca Vez, Basking Ridge
Ⓢ Maison Bleue, Cape May
★ Spring House, Tenafly
★ Maddy Rose at Liberty House, Jersey City
American | New American
Ⓝ 1776, Morristown
Ⓒ Stage Left Steak, New Brunswick
Ⓢ Boatyard 401, Point Pleasant Beach
★ Agricola Eatery, Morristown and Princeton
★ Summit House, Summit
★ South+Pine, Morristown
Asian Fusion
ⓃⒸ Aikou, multiple locations
Ⓒ Teak, Red Bank
Ⓢ Xina, Toms River
★ Wabi Sabi, Bloomfield
Bagels
ⓃⒸ O’Bagel, multiple locations
ⓃⒸ Hot Bagels Abroad, multiple locations
Ⓢ Baron’s Bagels, Brick and Point Pleasant
★ Bagels By Jarrett, West Orange
★ The Bagel Cafe, Cinnaminson
★ Livingston Bagel, Livingston
Bakery
Ⓝ Calandra’s Bakery, multiple locations
Ⓒ Del Ponte’s, Bradley Beach
Ⓢ Mueller’s, Bay Head
★ Chocolatine, Denville
★ Dixie Lee, Keansburg
★ Ferrara’s, Ship Bottom
Bang for the Buck
Ⓝ Cucina Calandra, Fairfield
Ⓒ Old Man Rafferty’s, New Brunswick
Ⓢ Surf Taco, multiple locations
★ Fins, Bradley Beach
★ Popolari, Bloomfield
★ Raymond’s, Montclair and Ridgewood
Bar Scene
Ⓝ Grain & Cane, Berkeley Heights
Ⓒ Catherine Lombardi, New Brunswick
Ⓢ Boatyard 401, Point Pleasant Beach
★ Bradford Rooftop, Bridgewater
★ Brown Room, Cape May
★ Stirling Tavern, Morristown
Barbecue
Ⓝ Minuteman Whiskey Bar & BBQ, Morristown
Ⓒ Local Smoke BBQ, multiple locations
Ⓢ Hickory Hog, Point Pleasant
★ Boss Hog Barbecue, South Plainfield
★ Brother’s Smokehouse, Ramsey
★ Henri’s Hotts Barbecue, Hammonton
Beer Selection
Ⓝ Cloverleaf Tavern, Caldwell
Ⓒ Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten, Asbury Park
Ⓢ The Ark Pub & Eatery, Point Pleasant; Crab’s Claw Inn, Lavallette (tie)
★ Capital Craft, Green Brook
★ Revolution Gastropub, Morristown
Breakfast
ⓃⒸⓈ Turning Point, multiple locations
Ⓒ Buttered Biscuit, Bradley Beach
Ⓢ Mad Batter, Cape May
★ Amy’s Omelette House, multiple locations
★ Country MKT Diner, Closter
★ The Frenchtown Cafe, Frenchtown
Brew Pub
Ⓝ Trap Rock, Berkeley Heights
Ⓒ Triumph Brewing Company, Red Bank and Princeton
Ⓢ MudHen Brewing Co., Wildwood
★ Four City Brewery, Orange
★ Montclair Brewery, Montclair
★ Pour House, Westmont
Brunch
ⓃⒸⓈ Turning Point, multiple locations
Ⓒ Cross + Orange, Asbury Park
Ⓢ Mad Batter, Cape May
★ Blue Café, Basking Ridge
★ Comfi, Belmar
★ Maeberrie Market, Avon
Burger
Ⓝ Arthur’s Tavern, Morris Plains
Ⓒ Stage Left Steak, New Brunswick
Ⓢ Exit Zero Filling Station, Cape May
★ Committed Pig, Morristown and Summit
★ Jug Handle Inn, Cinnaminson
Caterer
Ⓝ Calandra’s Market & Deli, Caldwell
Ⓒ Cattani Catering & Kitchen, Ewing
ⒸⓈ Joe Leone’s, Mansquan and Point Pleasant Beach
★ Laurence Craig, Maplewood
★ Tuscany, Old Bridge
Chain Restaurant
ⓃⒸⓈ Cheesecake Factory, multiple locations
ⓃⒸⓈ Jersey Mike’s Subs, multiple locations
ⓃⒸⓈ The Capital Grille, multiple locations
★ Ruth’s Chris Steak House, multiple locations
Cheese Steak
Ⓝ Piccolo’s, Hoboken
Ⓒ Hoagie Haven, Princeton
Ⓢ White House Subs, Atlantic City
★ Donkey’s Place, Camden
Chinese
Ⓝ Hunan Taste, Denville and Montclair
Ⓒ Peking Pavilion, Manalapan
Ⓢ Xina, Toms River
★ A&J Bistro, East Hanover
Coffee | Tea Bar (non-chain)
Ⓝ Van Gogh’s Ear Café, Union
Ⓒ Booskerdoo, multiple locations
Ⓢ Lava Java, Lavallette
★ Common Grounds, Oaklyn
★ Grooveground, Collingswood
★ Paper Plane Coffee Co., Montclair
Deli (Italian-Style)
Ⓝ Calandra’s Market & Deli, Caldwell
Ⓒ Taliercio’s Ultimate Gourmet, Red Bank
ⒸⓈ Joe Leone’s, Mansquan and Point Pleasant Beach
★ D’Angelo Italian Market, Princeton
★ Fiore’s House of Quality, Hoboken
★ Salumeria Biellese, Hackensack
Deli (Kosher-Style)
Ⓝ Goodman’s Deli, Berkeley Heights
Ⓒ Harold’s New York, Edison
Ⓢ Kibitz Room, Cherry Hill; Irv and Karen’s Hot Pastrami, Brick (tie)
★ Eppes Essen, Livingston
★ Hobby’s Deli, Newark
★ Pickled Herring, Englishtown
Desserts
Ⓝ Calandra’s Bakery, multiple locations
Ⓒ Catherine Lombardi, New Brunswick
Ⓢ Washington Inn, Cape May
★ The Gingered Peach, Lawrenceville
★ Ladyfingers, Bloomfield
★ Rails Steakhouse, Towaco
Diner
Ⓝ Prestige, New Providence
Ⓒ Americana, Shrewsbury
Ⓢ Rainbow, Brick
★ Mustache Bill’s, Barnegat Light
★ Tops, East Newark
French
Ⓝ Bistro D’Azur, South Orange
Ⓒ Pascal & Sabine, Asbury Park
Ⓢ 410 Bank Street, Cape May
★ Café le Jardin, Audubon
★ Lorena’s, Maplewood
German | Austro-Hungarian
Ⓝ Wayne Steakhouse, Wayne
Ⓒ Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten, Asbury Park
Ⓢ Sebastian’s Schnitzelhaus, Wrightstown
Greek
Ⓝ 12 Islands, Stirling
Ⓒ The Greek Spot, multiple locations
Ⓢ George’s Place, Cape May
★ Estia Tavern, Marlton
Hot Dog
Ⓝ Rutt’s Hut, Clifton
Ⓒ Destination Dogs, New Brunswick
Ⓢ The Original Hot Dog Factory, Voorhees
★ Jersey Johnny’s Grill, Woodland Park
★ Jimmy Buff’s, West Orange and Kenilworth
Ice Cream
Ⓝ Applegate Farm, Montclair
Ⓒ Bent Spoon, Princeton
ⒸⓈ Hoffman’s, multiple locations
★ Holsten’s, Bloomfield
★ Latteria, Swedesboro
★ Taylor’s Ice Cream Parlor, Chester
Indian
Ⓝ Mehndi, Morristown
Ⓒ Aarzu, Freehold
Ⓢ Aamantran, Toms River
★ Indian Masala, Newton
Italian
Ⓝ Cucina Calandra, Fairfield
Ⓒ Catherine Lombardi, New Brunswick
Ⓢ Spano’s, Point Pleasant
★ Battello, Jersey City
★ Popolari, Bloomfield
★ Scalini Fedeli, Chatham
Japanese
Ⓝ Ani Ramen House, multiple locations
Ⓒ Taka, Asbury Park
Ⓢ Xina, Toms River
★ Aki, Bloomfield
★ Mr. Pi’s, Highland Park
Latin American | Caribbean
Ⓝ Cuban Pete’s, Montclair
Ⓒ Centrada, Red Bank
Ⓢ 410 Bank Street, Cape May
★ Jaimito’s Peruvian, Clifton
★ Pachamama, Greenbrook
★ Samba, Montclair
Lunch
Ⓝ Calandra’s Il Vecchio Café, Caldwell
Ⓒ Cattani Kitchen & Catering, Ewing
Ⓢ Blue Pig Tavern, Cape May
★ The Bistro, Haddonfield
★ Sunday Motor Co., Madison
Mexican
Ⓝ Casa Maya, Gillette
Ⓒ Toca Vez, Basking Ridge
Ⓢ El Pueblo Taqueria, North Cape May
★ Barrio Costero, Asbury Park
★ Julio’s on Main, Vineland
Middle Eastern | Turkish
Ⓝ Chutzpah Kitchen, Maplewood and Westfield
Ⓒ Reyla, Asbury Park
Ⓢ Zaffron, Haddonfield
★ Al-Basha, Paterson
★ Evelyn’s, New Brunswick
★ Li Beirut, Collingswood
Pizza
Ⓝ Star Tavern, Orange
Ⓒ Vic’s, Bradley Beach
ⒸⓈ Brooklyn Square Pizza, multiple locations
★ Brooklyn Original Pizzeria, Haddon Heights
★ Coniglio’s Old Fashioned, Morristown
★ Denino’s, Aberdeen and Brick
Romantic
Ⓝ Bistro D’Azur, South Orange
Ⓒ Catherine Lombardi, New Brunswick
Ⓢ Ebbitt Room, Cape May
★ Peter Shields Inn & Restaurant, Cape May
★ Restauarant Serenade, Chatham
Seafood
Ⓝ Limani Seafood Grill, Westfield
Ⓒ Bahrs Landing, Highlands
Ⓢ Lobster House, Cape May
★ Halifax, Hoboken
★ Kleins, Belmar
★ Black Eyed Susans, Harvey Cedars
Soup | Salad | Sandwich
Ⓝ Calandra’s Il Vecchio Café, Caldwell
Ⓒ Frank’s Deli, Asbury Park
Ⓢ Blueplate, Mullica Hill
Southeast Asian | Thai
Ⓝ A Taste of Asia, Chatham
Ⓒ Bamboo Leaf, Bradley Beach
Ⓢ A Little Thai Kitchen, Cherry Hill
★ Muang Thai, Red Bank
★ Rice Factory, Milltown
★ Topaz Thai, Belleville
Southern | Soul Food
Ⓝ Vonda’s Kitchen, Newark
Ⓒ Drew’s Bayshore, Bistro Keyport
Ⓢ Kelsey’s, Atlantic City
★ Corinne’s Place, Camden
★ Marcus Live!, East Rutherford
Spanish | Portuguese
Ⓝ Don Pepe, Newark
Ⓒ Mar Belo, Long Branch
Ⓢ Spanish Potato Grill, Brick
★ Sabor Unido, Newark
★ Ria Mar, South River
Steak
Ⓝ Roots Steakhouse, multiple locations
Ⓒ Stage Left Steak, New Brunswick
Ⓢ Primal, Cape May
★ Fox & Falcon, South Orange
★ Strickland’s Steakhouse, Woodbridge
★ La Fusta, North Bergen
Vegetarian | Vegan
Ⓝ Veggie Heaven, multiple locations
Ⓒ Good Karma Café, Red Bank
Ⓢ Wildflower Vegan Cafe, Millville
★ Brick City Vegan, Montclair and Newark
★ Goodbeet, Haddon Township
★ How Delish, West Orange
Wine List
Ⓝ Restaurant Latour, Hamburg
Ⓒ Nicholas Barrel & Roost, Red Bank
Ⓢ Ebbitt Room, Cape May
★ Pluckemin Inn, Bedminster
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