Jersey City Restaurants: A Neighborhood Guide

Jersey City restaurants reflect one of the most varied populations in the country, and nowhere is that clearer than on Newark Avenue, India Square, a two-block strip near Journal Square where Indian grocers, jewelers and restaurants sit side by side. A burger counter with roots in the World's Fair has a loyal following.

The city's variety extends beyond Indian food, with a diner counter, waterfront restaurants on the Hudson and neighborhoods of many cuisines. Start with a dosa or paratha on Newark Avenue and share everything.

What are the best Jersey City restaurants?

The answer depends on your hunger. For Indian food, there is a clear center. For waterfront views, the answer is elsewhere. For a plate of pancakes at a counter, it is somewhere else again. A visitor with a day can combine all three.

Treat the following as a starting point rather than a ranking, and look at recent reviews before choosing a place. Opening and closing happens often, and some online lists are written by content sites.

Why is Newark Avenue called India Square?

For decades, Newark Avenue just north of Journal Square has been known as Little India, a strip of two blocks where most of the city's Indian restaurants and businesses sit, known as India Square. It is a busy place, with sweet shops, snack counters, grocers and sit-down restaurants.

Walking it is part of the pleasure. Look at the sweets in the windows, smell the spices and pick a place where families are eating.

Where can you find Jersey City Indian food?

Jersey City Indian food covers a wide range: restaurants focused on dishes from northern India that suit a group dinner, bakeries and snack counters on Newark Avenue, kitchens serving south Indian dishes and counters known for parathas and goat roganjosh. Restaurants here change, so check that each is open before you go.

Order a mix: a dosa or a paratha, a curry, a bread and a sweet. Share everything, and ask for the spice level you like.

How do you reach Journal Square food by transit?

Journal Square food is simple to reach from New York. Take the PATH train to the Journal Square stop, walk three blocks north on John F. Kennedy Boulevard and turn left on Newark Avenue. The walk is short and flat.

The area around the square has a mix of old stores, new apartments and market stalls. After a meal, the transit hub is close, so a visit can fit into an afternoon.

Is there a classic diner?

A Jersey City burger counter has roots in the World's Fair. It is an old-style counter, and it is the kind of place where a short order cook works in plain view. If you want a break from curry, a burger is a fair choice.

Diners are a New Jersey tradition, and this one offers a taste of it. Check that it is open before you go.

What about New Jersey waterfront dining?

New Jersey waterfront dining along the Hudson offers views of the Manhattan skyline, and several restaurants and cafes sit along the water. A meal there is more about the view than the menu, so choose a table by the window if you can. A walk along the waterfront path is free and a good way to end the day.

Look at current listings for specific restaurants. Sunset is a popular time, so make a reservation if you can.

How should you plan a day of eating?

Arrive by PATH, walk to Newark Avenue for lunch and share three or four dishes. Walk off the meal along the neighboring streets, then pick up sweets for later. If you have the energy, take a bus or a ride to the waterfront for the late afternoon and dinner.

Bring cash for small counters, and wear comfortable shoes. Sunday afternoons are busy, and weekdays are calmer.

Check hours before you go, since some Indian restaurants close between lunch and dinner. A quick message or a look at a listing avoids a disappointing trip.

A final word on timing. Indian restaurants and sweet shops get busy on weekends, festival days and holidays, when families gather, and the best sweets can sell out by the afternoon. Weekday lunch is the easiest time to taste a lot without a wait, and many places offer a short midday menu that lets you try several dishes. If you are traveling with children, a snack counter is an easy stop, and nobody minds sharing a table when the room is full.

What else should you read around New Jersey?

The best Portuguese food in Newark page covers the next city south, the best pork roll in New Jersey page covers breakfast and the New Jersey food worth a drive guide covers the rest of the state. The US guides page lists more cities.

How do you keep a record of Indian dishes in Jersey City?

Indian cooking in Jersey City spans bakeries, snack counters and group dinners. Rate each dish, add an Indian tag and note the spice level you asked for.

A Jersey City list sorted by dish helps a friend choose between dosa, paratha and curry.

A neighborhood this varied can be hard to summarize. Get the Mosey app, rate each dish you try in Jersey City for flavor and value, and build a list that helps your friends decide where to begin.