2 NJ Restaurants Among Top 100 In U.S., According To New List

NEW JERSEY — Two restaurants in New Jersey are among the top 100 in America, according to a new ranking based on reviews from diners who attest to their quality.

The online restaurant reservation service OpenTable develops the Top 100 Restaurants list from reviews left by verified users, not by food critics.

Restaurants from New Jersey that made the list are:

Stella Restaurant, 7303 Ventnor Ave., Ventnor

Featuring "unique menus in a classy supper club environment," this contemporary American restaurant has been in business for more than 20 years. It's also been on the OpenTable Top 100 list for seven years in a row. Reviewers highlighted a number of seafood dishes, including the mussels and cioppino with spaghetti squash.

Stella Restaurant is BYOB, and open Friday and Saturday with dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The Saddle River Inn, 2 Barnstable Court, Saddle River

This rustic and romantic spot is located inside a restored barn, and serves upscale French-American cuisine. Guests raved about the "top notch" ambience and service, and highlighted entrees including the duck and the Colorado lamb chops.

The Saddle River Inn is BYOB, and open Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Wednesday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday from from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

This year, OpenTable’s elite list also includes restaurants in Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

The list was generated using more than 14 million verified OpenTable diner reviews and dining metrics from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024.