The Garden State sometimes gets an undeserved bad rap—and North Jersey in particular. Sure, there might be a permanent stink when passing Exit 15 on the NJ Turnpike, but you can’t judge a state from its industry-lined highways (or a drive to its biggest airport). The truth is the state has plenty of beautiful natural spaces, and New Jerseyans are much more than what you see on TV (don’t miss our Jersey Shore section!). Perhaps the best way to summarize the state would be to borrow the old Latin saying “sed parva fordi”: small but mighty. Despite being tiny in geographic stature, New Jersey makes up for it with an abundance of personality and a profusion of culture.
You are never more than two hours from the ocean (aka “the Shore”), or three hours from skiing the Kittatinny Mountains. An imaginary divide separates the state into two distinct halves—North Jersey and South Jersey, each with their own subtle differences. While there’s no definitive barrier, the division starts about halfway down the Garden State Parkway, when the Wawas begin to outnumber the QuickCheks on the convenience-store front and the state’s professional sports allegiances switch from New York to Philly.
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North Jersey is the edgier of the two halves, with small cities like Hoboken and Jersey City acting like the sixth and seventh boroughs of New York City. Over the years, large immigrant populations have settled throughout North Jersey, bringing along food traditions and shaping the culinary landscape. For example, New Jersey has the largest Hindu population by percentage of any other state, and towns like Edison and Parsippany offer some of the best Indian food in the country. Union City is affectionately called “Havana on the Hudson,” the result of a mass exodus from post-revolution Cuba in the 1960s. Waves of Portuguese and Brazilians have settled in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark over the past 50 years, making it a gastronomic gem for traditional Portuguese cuisine.
In addition to the many ethnic options, North Jersey is the diner capital of the world and has several micro indigenous foods, like chicken Savoy and the sloppy Joe (no, the other one), which both have their origins in the northern part of the state. And the area’s hot dog game is second to none, with regional styles like the Texas weiner, the Italian hot dog, and the Ripper being birthed here.
This snapshot guide will explore some of North Jersey’s best regional foods, culinary gems, and amazing restaurants worthy of your time. Let’s dig on in. —Introduction by Adam Horvath (Foodigenous)