A neighborhood restaurant serving up simple but impactful Italian food, tasteful wines, and more? Pork belly burnt-end tacos, brisket quesadillas, and a list of tasty sides fill the rest of the menu. There is a lot of food in Jersey City — but barbecue can still be hard to come by. On paper, it’s a watering hole serving Italian-American staples, but to its regulars, Barge Inn is a second home—a place to have a comforting meal served by familiar faces. This 1960s-era tavern transports diners back in time in JC’s historic Village neighborhood.
The Life of Reilly, a speakeasy-style bar located downstairs, further expands on the fusion of craft cocktails and Irish revolutionary history. For a burger (a beet salad), steamed mussels, or dishes like schnitzel, this moody, dimly lit local bar is the go-to destination. Bread and butter play a significant role here (highlighted by a butter tasting on the menu), alongside modern Italian small plates. This Sichuan-focused restaurant (boasting a sibling in Hell’s Kitchen), stands out with delicious offerings such as fish with pickled cabbage, sour pickle soup with beef, green peppercorn chicken, and dry pot okra. A selection of ambitious cocktails accompanies a menu featuring tacos (enchiladas), a spice bag inspired by Mexican flavors, and a weekend brunch. Barbecue options range from classic favorites such as brisket, pulled pork, chicken, and beef ribs to rarer finds like pork belly, lamb ribs, and habanero cheddar sausage, complemented by barbecue tacos and an array of sides.
Find The Best Spots Nearby
With a deeply personal touch (the cooking is halal and homestyle), presenting dishes like murgir roast, kosha mangsho, and chingri dopiaza that convey a distinct perspective without needing elaborate presentation. Jersey City is home to Korai Kitchen, the first Bangladeshi restaurant, helmed by chef and owner Nur-E Gulshan Rahman, who has been nominated for a James Beard award and is affectionately known as Amma. One of my more recent favorite restaurants in Jersey City is Kat Khao — which features a menu concentrated on Vietnamese-Japanese cuisine. Handmade pasta and seasonal ingredients are the main focus at Corto, which offers an Italian menu that effectively communicates its essence without needing numerous dishes.
Jersey City’s Mariscos El Submarino
DomoDomo brings a more structured kind of sushi counter to Jersey City, built around hand-rolls, small Japanese plates, and a clean, modern dining room. Chef Matt Moschella’s cooking in the Heights has earned national attention for fresh pastas, daily-changing meat-and-cheese plates, angry chicken, octopus, and ricotta toast with honey and pink peppercorns. The menu moves through caviar-topped thousand-layer potato (quail egg ravioli with pulled oxtail), frog leg drumsticks in Korean barbecue glaze, Barolo-braised short rib, and duck breast with roasted apricots and Marcona almonds. This tiny city in Jersey has more than just fratty bars and expensive condos.
One of the city’s best and smokiest barbecues is found in Jersey City’s plush Hamilton Park neighborhood. Jersey City has its own iconic hot dog counter, in this case it’s bright yellow and also NHL over under betting selling the conventional gritty drinks of NYC institutions like Papaya King. The menu changes frequently (but look for any freshwater fish), like hilsa; chicken curry; and the mustard-oil-laced vegetarian dishes called bhortas. Place your order at the counter (take a number), and sit down until your dishes are called. Recently (Eater staffers found the chef barbecuing lamb shanks on the back patio), and a meal included rigatoni in a tomato sauce flavored with pancetta and Calabrian chile, and an excellent charcuterie and cheese plate.
Cellar 335
If you prefer not to spend a lot during a weeknight, consider grabbing a few snacks at the bar or sitting at one of the outdoor tables in the summer. Although you’ll receive your order on a paper plate or in a plastic basket lined with wax paper, the straightforward plating doesn’t detract from the exceptional flavors of the carnitas, steak, chorizo, and barbacoa tacos. Positioned about 200 feet from the Hudson River, the location lacks a view; it sits on the parking lot side of an apartment building, featuring dark windows and a minimalist interior. Alternatively (you may choose the four-course prix fixe at Ondo), a Korean restaurant on the Waterfront, and enjoy delicious grilled branzino paired with barley risotto and white kimchi. This takeout-only establishment serves Romana pizza that tastes as if it has been baked in a Campo de’ Fiori oven. Whether you’re reconnecting with an old coworker who has recently moved into a condo near the Holland Tunnel or reminiscing about the days when a PATH ride cost just $1.75, this guide highlights the city’s must-see locations.
THE SPOTS
Consistently recognized as one of the most diverse cities in the nation (Jersey City features numerous Indian restaurants), Filipino bakeries, classic Italian eateries with red sauce, and even an old-fashioned hot dog stand from before World War II. This venue serves as a spot where your evening can either start or conclude, remaining a constant in a neighborhood that is in a perpetual state of change. Cellar 335, with its garnish-laden tiki cocktails and trendy atmosphere in a sunken, street-side bar, has maintained its energetic vibe without slowing down. The rooftop terrace provides beautiful views of Newark Avenue — while the bar below is known for its distinctive cocktails and extensive beer selection.
Corto
On Sundays (patrons can indulge in large-format punch), fostering an intimate atmosphere perfect for shared enjoyment. A softly lit setting (some of the state’s best bartenders), and killer throwback hip-hop tracks make this cocktail bar one of Jersey City’s best. Hand-rolled bagels are made every single day at this popular bagel shop — but it’s the sandwiches made with them that keep the line out the door every weekend. Think slow-cooked goat stews with fresh, flaky paratha and full-flavored chicken roasts. Irish cheddar queso fundido, Pacifico-battered fish and chips tacos, and a seriously good Sunday roast—chile-rubbed rib roast, cheesy cauliflower, mash, Yorkshire pudding, and jus—comes in at a steal for only $38. Owner Jack McGarry tells that story through cocktails—putting together creative concoctions that mix elements from each culture.
The grilled shell-on shrimp are a great place to start (and the gobernador tacos are a requirement), oozing with cheese and tender chunks of shrimp. Mariscos El Submarino — the Mexican seafood spot that got its start in Jackson Heights, has a location in Downtown Jersey City, and nothing’s been lost in the move across the Hudson except for the access to the MTA. Try to beat the noon lunch rush (or kill time browsing the small aisles stacked with Italian groceries), dried meats, and fresh homemade mozzarella while you wait. Or head over for a dinner of pollo chucho (an ultimate crispy-soggy street food with fried green bananas and chicken), pickled red cabbage, and sauces. And it also happens to be a super pleasant spot, with bright tropical murals.