Jersey City, New Jersey, has long been overshadowed by its more famous neighbor. And I get it: New York City is bigger with more to experience and more people to meet – not to mention there are way more restaurants, many of which have been crowned among the best in the world. But let’s not overlook the underdog.

Jersey City, though small in comparison to New York City, is crowded with some of the most interesting food in the United States. In fact, the New York Times already declared that the best pizza in New York City is actually at downtown Jersey City’s Razza. I know it’s not a competition, but Jersey City restaurants have just as much style, ambience, and, of course, good food as anything you’ll find in New York.

Razza isn’t on my list of Jersey City restaurants that every visitor needs to try. Most people who plan their travels around where they want to eat already know it’s good. Instead, I want to show you the spots that Jersey City locals swear by. These are restaurants to go to when you’re just visiting for a day or two and you have to pack in the best food in Jersey City before you head to your next destination.

Just remember, Jersey City is home to more than 200,000, people spread across many different neighborhoods from The Heights to Bergen-Lafayette to McGinley Square. It’s routinely named either the most or second most diverse city in the country. And the food we eat here reflects all the cultures that come together to make Jersey City as special as it is. But it will almost definitely take more than one trip here – and exploration outside of the popular downtown area – in order navigate the city’s rhythms.

The atmosphere at most restaurants in Jersey City is friendly and playful. Case in point: One afternoon, my partner and I were out to lunch at one of the restaurants on this list, Bread and Salt. He decided to buy a certain type of pasta from the adjoining shop – thick, extra long hollow tubes that wouldn’t fit in any of our pots but that looked too good to ignore. One of the chefs was so impressed by the purchase that he came out from the kitchen and shook his hand.

I’m not saying you can expect a handshake every time you go out for lunch or dinner, but you can expect that level of convivial connection with the people making your food. Jersey City is only 10 minutes from downtown Manhattan on the PATH train, so there’s no excuse for not dropping in for a day trip or an overnight stay. Explore the many facets of this charming city and you might not want to go back to New York City so quickly.

Jersey City restaurants everyone needs to try

Sam A.M.
There’s usually a wait at this staple cafe in Paulus Hook, one of the Jersey City restaurants I hesitated to even write about because I fear it being overrun by out-of-towners. But truthfully, everyone deserves to try the delightful fare at Sam A.M.: Sausage topped biscuits, pillowy waffles topped with succulent pieces of chicken and thick gravy, a fried egg sandwich adorned with nothing but a juicy Jersey tomato and house-made pimento cheese that I guarantee you’ll never forget. The coffee is strong, and it’s worth grabbing a pastry from the register before paying your tab.
Gregarious chef and owner Francis Samu will likely greet you at the door, and he checks on and chats with patrons during the meal. Chef Francis also sold locals his extra toilet paper and vegetables when the restaurant had to close during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which I will never forget.

What to try: The Pimento (fried egg, house pimento, lettuce & tomato on ciabatta)
​
Where: 112 Morris St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
​
​

Lobster Garage at Lighthorse Tavern
This outdoor, sidewalk seafood bar is one of the most charming places to eat in Jersey City, especially in the summer. Situated behind Lighthorse Tavern, Lobster Garage is supposed to imitate a New England-style seafood shack: Cold beer, oysters, clam chowder, and lobster rolls are served from a bar in an actual repurposed garage. Diners relax at picnic tables on the sidewalk, sipping drinks in the sunshine. The Lobster Garage isn’t cheap, but it’s worth stopping by on a warm afternoon for the convivial atmosphere. It’s also the perfect spot for day drinking.

What to order: Fresh oysters, lobster bisque, fried shrimp basket
​
Where: 98 Morris St, Jersey City, NJ 07302 ​

Outside of Scandinavia, rye bread can be a bit of a niche proposition. The dense bread is beloved by the health-conscious among us though, and switching from wheat breads to rye could bring you a range of benefits.
Here are 9 health benefits of rye bread that may make you consider adopting it as your sandwich standard.

1. Rye bread is full of fiber.
We all know in theory that we should seek out high-fibre foods to help our digestion and cholesterol, among others reasons, but finding the right foods to hit our intake isn’t always easy.
Handily, rye bread is incredibly high in fibre, with twice as much as most standard wheat-based breads.
Rhiannon Lambert a Harley Street nutritionist and author of Re-Nourish: A Simple Way to Eat Well (£19.99, Yellow Kite) says “the additional fibre [in rye bread] may aid digestion and may also help you to feel nice and full for a longer period of time after a meal.”

2. It’ll fill you up for longer
Speaking of appetite, a study in Sweden, where rye bread is widely consumed, found that eating it as part of your breakfast not only makes you feel less hungry before lunch, but even has a knock-on effect afterwards.
Effectively, rye bread can help control your appetite and leave you feeling satiated all day, which should put it in pole position as your breakfast of choice ahead of a trying day – or if you know someone’s scheduled a pesky lunchtime meeting.

​Rye unfortunately still contains some of the pesky proteins found in gluten grains, so those with an intolerance or coeliac disease should avoid it. However, if you’re trying to cut down on gluten without avoiding it altogether, rye could be a perfect substitute to that early morning bagel.
It has lower levels than most white breads, which is partly why it’s so dense, making it a great option for people who have a slight sensitivity.

4. It’s packed with nutrients

​Rye is a great source of iron and magnesium, offering more of each than most wheat, and even packs a bonus helping of zinc too.
If you’re lacking in these vital nutrients, it can affect both your mood and your energy levels. Rye bread also contains around twice as much potassium as white bread, which is important for regulating blood pressure. “There is a lot more to a slice of bread than just carbohydrates to consider,” says Lambert.

5. Rye bread helps avoid energy slumps
Rye is low on the glycaemic index, which means eating rye bread won’t cause your blood sugar levels to spike and then plummet, which can leave you feeling tired and groggy a few hours after eating. A study by American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating high fibre rye bread was better at stablizing blood-sugar levels compared to wheat breads. You can even make your own and get the whole family involved, making it a fun energizing family activity as well as a nutritious addition to your diet.

6. It can balance your hormones
Rye bread is packed with phytoestrogens – plant-based compounds that have similar effects to estrogen produced in the body. Eating foods rich in phytoestrogens have been shown to boosts estrogen levels in the body and aid hormonal balance.

7. It helps maintain a health heart

​Eating rye bread can boost heart health in several ways. The grain is packed full of magnesium, which helps control blood pressure and its high soluble fibre content makes it effective at lowering cholesterol levels.

8. It may help prevent cancer
Various studies have looked at the effects of rye in preventing and fighting cancer. The Finish Institute for Preventive Medicine, Nutrition and Cancer found that the fibre and bioactive compounds in rye had anticarcinogenic properties and therefore may help prevent breast, prostate and colon cancer. Others studes have shown that a peptide called lunasin found in rye bread has cancer preventive properties. A study published in the Cancer Causes Control journal found that rye bread consumption during adolescence helped lower the risk of prostate cancer.

9. Rye bread could help to fight asthma
Parents around the world know the struggle of white bread versus brown bread.
But the benefits of rye bread for a child’s health could make it worth persevering. A recent study found that children’s diets play a significant role in the likelihood of their developing asthma, and rye bread was named as a feature of the sort of diet that may be able to fight against such health risks.
Interested in making your own rye bread? Discover 5 ways baking bread can be good for your mental health.

By Max Freeman-Mills