Best Restaurants in Central Jersey
Our picks for the best restaurants in Central Jersey: 15 local businesses, with phone numbers, addresses and websites. Chosen by the NJ Business Directory team; sponsored listings are labeled.
Looking for restaurants in Central Jersey? This guide covers independent dining rooms and small local groups in Metuchen, Woodbridge, Edison and New Brunswick in Middlesex County; Asbury Park, Red Bank and Freehold in Monmouth County; Flemington and Lambertville in Hunterdon County; and Princeton in Mercer County. Expect Italian kitchens, seafood, Mexican and pan-Asian menus, omakase, a breakfast cafe, a steakhouse and a taco shop.
Several of these restaurants are BYOB, which is common in New Jersey towns with limited liquor licenses, so check each listing before you go. Hours and reservation rules change often; confirm them on each restaurant's own site.
Browse all restaurants or Middlesex, Monmouth, Hunterdon and Mercer County listings on NJ Business Directory. Looking for one town? See our Princeton, Red Bank and Flemington restaurant guides.
Each listing is reviewed by a real person before it goes live. Own a Central Jersey restaurant? Add it free or claim your existing listing, and see how our listing plans compare. Questions? Reach us through our contact page.
Meximodo Metuchen
Restaurants
5 Pearl St, Metuchen
Meximodo Metuchen is a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar at 5 Pearl Street in Metuchen, Middlesex County. The menu leans on family-style plates meant for sharing, along with street tacos served on handmade tortillas. Behind the bar, the restaurant keeps an agave list that runs past a thousand bottles of tequila, mezcal and other agave spirits. Lunch is served on weekdays, brunch on Saturday and Sunday, and dinner every night. Reservations can be booked online, and the space also hosts private events. A sister location operates in Jersey City.
Dolce Fantasia
Restaurants
Asbury Park
Dolce Fantasia serves northern Italian comfort food at 521 Cookman Avenue in downtown Asbury Park, Monmouth County. The kitchen covers breakfast and brunch, lunch and dinner, and the restaurant runs a prix fixe menu on Monday nights. A patisserie counter turns out Italian pastries and desserts. Dolce Fantasia is BYOB, and reservations are suggested through Resy. Catering and private events are also offered for gatherings away from the regular dining room. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.
Matt’s Red Rooster Grill
Restaurants
22 Bloomfield Ave, Flemington
Matt's Red Rooster Grill has served contemporary American food at 22 Bloomfield Avenue in Flemington, Hunterdon County, since 2004. Chef and owner Matt McPherson builds much of the menu around a wood-fired grill, with steak, ribs, seafood and chicken alongside dishes such as grilled romaine. The restaurant is BYOB and serves dinner from Wednesday through Saturday. A private dining space is available for parties, and the kitchen takes holiday catering orders for meals at home.
Hatch44 Cafe
Restaurants
25 New St, Metuchen
Hatch44 Cafe is a family-owned breakfast and lunch spot at 25 New Street in Metuchen, Middlesex County. The cafe is open daily through the morning and early afternoon. Reservations are taken only for groups of six to twelve, so smaller parties should plan to walk in, and tables carry a 90-minute limit. Hatch44 also handles catering and events and sells e-gift cards. A second Hatch44 location operates in Bradley Beach in Monmouth County.
de floret
Restaurants
18 S Main St, Lambertville
de floret is a 24-seat restaurant at 18 South Main Street in Lambertville, Hunterdon County, run by chef Dennis Foy and his wife, Estella Quinones. Diners sit around an open kitchen, and the room features a Nakashima black walnut panel. The cooking draws on French, American and Mediterranean influences, and the menu changes daily and with the seasons. The restaurant also hosts private events and offers catering, so the same kitchen can serve a dinner party outside the dining room.
Hadaka Asbury Park
Restaurants
Asbury Park
Hadaka Asbury Park is an omakase restaurant at 527 Bangs Avenue in Asbury Park, Monmouth County. Dinner follows a chef's-choice tasting format, and seating is by reservation only, so guests should book ahead rather than walk in. The Asbury Park room is BYOB, which lets diners bring their own wine, beer or sake to pair with the courses. Hadaka also runs a second location in Lambertville, Hunterdon County, which has a full bar. Check the booking page for current seatings.
Dolce Restaurant
Restaurants
Flemington
Dolce Restaurant serves modern and contemporary Italian food at 161 Main Street in Flemington, Hunterdon County. Dishes are made to order, and the restaurant is BYOB friendly, so guests can bring a bottle from home. An outdoor patio adds seating when the weather allows. For larger occasions, Dolce has a private banquet room that holds up to 100 guests, with three event packages to choose from. The dining room is closed on Mondays and opens in the afternoon the rest of the week.
Mulberry Restaurant & Bar
Restaurants
739 Rahway Ave, Woodbridge
Mulberry Street Restaurant is an Italian restaurant at 739 Rahway Avenue in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, where Chef Paul runs the kitchen. The menu starts with antipasti and a cheese board and carries through a full Italian dinner, and separate lunch and gluten-free menus are available. The restaurant books private parties, provides catering for events held elsewhere and takes orders online. It is closed on Mondays and opens for dinner only on weekends.
Blue Point Grill
Restaurants
Princeton
Blue Point Grill is a seafood restaurant at 258 Nassau Street in Princeton, Mercer County. Its fish comes through its affiliated market, Nassau Street Seafood & Produce Company, which has operated since 1982, and the restaurant puts weight on sustainable sourcing. Because supply drives the kitchen, the menu changes daily. Monday nights bring a sushi menu. Blue Point Grill is BYOB for beer and wine only, and it serves dinner seven nights a week.
Roots Ocean Prime
Restaurants
Princeton
Roots Ocean Prime is a steakhouse at 98 University Place in Princeton, Mercer County. It belongs to the Roots group run by Harvest Restaurants, which also has locations in Morristown, Ridgewood, Summit and Darien, Connecticut. The Princeton location serves lunch daily and dinner every evening, and a bar and lounge offers a spot for drinks. Private event space is available, reservations are encouraged, and the restaurant posts attire standards for guests, so check the site before visiting.
SHO – Asian Table & Sushi
Restaurants
Red Bank
SHO Asian Table & Sushi serves contemporary pan-Asian cuisine at 8-10 West Front Street in Red Bank, Monmouth County. Sushi has recently joined the menu, with nigiri, sashimi and rolls served alongside the kitchen's Asian plates, and the bar mixes crafted cocktails. Walk-ins are welcome, though reservations are encouraged, and valet parking is offered Thursday through Saturday. The restaurant also hosts private and corporate events. It is closed on Mondays.
26 West On The Navesink
Restaurants
Red Bank
26 West on the Navesink sits at 26 West Front Street in Red Bank, Monmouth County, with views over the Navesink River. The family-owned restaurant opened in 2017 under the Lucia family with Chef Dominic Rizzo. The menu ranges from a raw bar and lobster rolls to seafood pasta, filet, short rib and buffalo cauliflower. The restaurant serves dinner and brunch, and the bar pours craft cocktails and local beers. Private events can be booked in advance.
Tommy’s Tavern + Tap
Restaurants
1007 US-1, Edison
Tommy's Tavern + Tap in Edison, Middlesex County, is a family-owned kitchen and bar on US Route 1. The location includes a rooftop space called The One Rooftop in addition to the main dining room and bar. Weekly specials rotate through the menu, and guests can sign up for the Tommy's loyalty program. Catering is available. The Edison restaurant is one of several Tommy's Tavern + Tap locations operated by Triple T Hospitality Group.
Tacoria New Brunswick
Restaurants
56 Easton Ave #A, New Brunswick
Tacoria's New Brunswick shop is a laid-back taco joint at 56 Easton Avenue in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, with a garden seating area. The menu covers tacos, burritos and bowls, with vegetarian and vegan options, a Fit menu and a kids menu. Orders can be placed online, and regulars can earn points through the Tacoria rewards app. Catering is available for groups. This shop is one of more than a dozen Tacoria locations in New Jersey.
LA Cipollina Ristorante
Restaurants
16 W Main St # A, Freehold
La Cipollina is an Italian restaurant at 16A West Main Street in Freehold, Monmouth County, founded by Anthony Braica about three decades ago. Wednesday and Thursday bring a prix fixe menu, and Sunday features a family-style supper. The restaurant also sells to-go feasts, runs cooking classes and caters events for groups from ten to a thousand people. Its front room seats about 65, the back room about 100 and the patio about 100. Valet parking is offered on Friday and Saturday.
