5 Restaurants To Try That Opened In North Jersey In October

NORTH JERSEY — It may be too cool to eat outside, but when shopping in North Jersey for the holidays, why not step out of the cold and into a cozy new eatery that opened in October?

Here are just five of the new restaurants that opened in North Jersey last month.

Know of a restaurant opening or closing in North Jersey? Tell Patch.

First Watch

A chain of made-to-order breakfast, brunch, and lunch restaurants opened its second Bergen County location in Paramus on Oct. 6. First Watch features seasonal menus and twists on old favorites. Popular items include lemon ricotta pancakes, avocado toast, Farmhouse Hash, and the signature Million Dollar Bacon. Find out more about First Watch here.

Rizes Greek Taverna

Somerset resident Dimitri Manioudakis grew up dreaming of opening his own restaurant. Rizes Greek Taverna in Hillsborough held its soft opening in October, and a grand opening is slated for this Tuesday, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The eatery serves up authentic Greek food in a BYOB location. It replaces the former Cafe Basilico at Kingsbridge Shopping Center at 378 S Branch Road, Building 1, Hillsborough. Read more about the venue here.

Apollo Bagel

Apollo Bagel has finally crossed the Hudson River. The restaurant group, with locations in the East Village, West Village, Williamsburg, and the Financial District, focuses on fresh bagels in just a few varieties. Last month, they focused on Hoboken's main street, Washington Street. Their brief menu (seen here) offers spreads, fish (smoked salmon and whitefish), cream cheese varieties, and toppings like mustard and cucumber. The eatery also offers basic coffee (hot and cold), lemonade, orange juice, and a few other beverages. Read more about them here.

Meximodo

The second New Jersey location of Meximodo Cocina Mexicana and Tequila Bar held its grand opening in Jersey City on Oct. 16. It opened in the residential building Haus25 at 25 Christopher Columbus Drive, two blocks from the Grove Street PATH Station. Executive Chef Antonio Carballo was educated at Culinary Institute of America and several high-profile restaurants in New York. The spacious restaurant offers menus for appetizers, main courses, a vegetarian menu, and cocktails. Find out more here.

Wonder

Wonder — a restaurant group that started with gourmet food trucks in Union County during the pandemic — has transformed into a chain of takeout and delivery locations, often with seating inside. They incorporate various chefs on one site to create dishes from various restaurants and cuisines, so people can get diverse meals in one order. They opened their 71st location in Hackensack in early October. The Hackensack location features restaurants including Bobby Flay Steak, Bellies (for kids), Walnut Lane by Jonathan Waxman (new American), Kin House (Chinese), Detroit Brick Pizza, and more. Find out more here.

Iconic Jersey Diner Has Closed As Of Monday

Not all the restaurant news was positive. The Americana Diner, a staple on Jersey City's west side, announced Friday night that it would close this Monday. But there's some good news about what's replacing it. Get the scoop here: READ MORE: Iconic North Jersey Diner To Close

Know of a restaurant opening or closing in North Jersey? Tell Patch.