Five New Restaurants To Try That Opened In North Jersey In July 2024

NORTH JERSEY, NJ — The heat is rising, so it's time to eat out. A slew of new restaurants has opened or announced that they will open soon in North and Central Jersey.

Here are five of the restaurants that opened their doors in the last several weeks, or are about to do so.

Big Chicken, Bridgewater, NJ

Shaquille O'Neal's "Big Chicken" restaurant opened in Bridgewater Commons in mid-July. The eatery fuses O’Neal’s home-cooked childhood favorites with today’s trending flavors, according to Big Chicken. Menu items include the Original Big Chicken sandwich, Uncle Jerome’s Nashville Hot (Nashville Hot Chicken, lettuce, mayo and pickles), and The Ultimate (mac & cheese, crispy fried onions and roasted garlic BBQ aioli), along with fries and shakes. Find out more about Big Chicken here.

Cafe Cartel, Hoboken, NJ

Hoboken and Jersey City are great walking cities for a day trip, particularly since they include dozens of locally owned restaurants, delis, and coffee shops. The newest cafe to join the Hoboken coffee sene is Cafe Cartel, which serves up cappucinos and pastries on the west side of Hoboken, near a relatively new park. They specialize in Colombian coffee. Cafe Cartel is located at 1100 Adams St. Read more about it here.

Ram And Rooster, New Brunswick

Want to impress someone? Ram & Rooser, a Chinese-inspired fine dining restaurant in Metuchen, opened last month. It offers a $128 eight-course tasting menu, using seasonal ingredients from New Jersey. It's owned by Sean Yan, who had worked at Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge and Mistral in Princeton. Learn more about Ram and Rooster here.

Hudson Rose, Nutley

The Hudson Rose opened on Aug. 2 in the spot of the former Franklin Steakhouse in Nutley, 238 Franklin Ave. The “New York-style” restaurant and event space will be able to host up to 200 guests. It'll offer American fare with other global influences, such as Italian and Asian food. Read more about Hudson Rose here

Vincent's Pizzeria & Restaurant, Cliffside Park

Vincent's Pizzeria & Restaurant actually opened in spring, but we didn't get a chance to include this great corner spot, so here's the lowdown. The "cozy family restaurant" with "authentic Italian flavors" offers pizzas with a bevy of toppings, as well as mussels, clams, and an array of traditional Italian dishes. You can book parties or gatherings in their space. They're located about three miles south of the George Washington Bridge entrance, at 535 Andersen Ave. Find out more about Vincent's here.

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