Where to eat in Jersey City: 10 great spots that are worth a journey

For New York City foodies, Jersey City is the slumbering lion on the opposite bank of the Hudson River. It’s the second-largest city in New Jersey, with a population pushing 300,000. And much like famous foodie destination Queens, it also boasts a diverse population, which is evident in its restaurants.

Jersey City is full of fascinating, delicious and relatively inexpensive places to eat. Some are just a quick walk from a PATH station, while others are an easy jaunt by bus or light rail. Here are 10 of my favorite places in Jersey City.

Sri Ganesh’s Dosa House

India Square is a neighborhood steps north of the Journal Square PATH station that boasts a collection of nearly 30 restaurants, half of them vegetarian. Sri Ganesh specializes in masala dosa, a pancake of fermented rice and lentil batter, with a slightly sour flavor, offered in over 50 variations.
809 Newark Ave., India Square

Krewe

McGinley Square – really a crossroads and not a true square – is Jersey City’s up-and-coming counterculture neighborhood, reminiscent of the East Village 30 years ago. Krewe is a nifty Cajun Creole restaurant nestled next to a barber shop, offering po’ boys stuffed with crab cakes or debris roast beef, gumbos and some of the best freshly fried beignets you’ve ever tasted. It’s also BYOB.
673 Bergen Ave., McGinley Square

Hamilton Pork

Sure, Boots & Bones is a decent barbecue right across the street from the Grove Street PATH station, but why not walk north to Hamilton Pork, a place that imbues its brisket, pork ribs and pork belly burnt ends with lots of smoke? In line with many of today’s Texas barbecues, it offers such newfangled items as BBQ tacos and gargantuan beef ribs.
247 10th St., Hamilton Park

Yuan

The Jersey City waterfront has become a destination for Chinese food, with a stellar lineup of restaurants that includes Jiang Nan, Taste of Northern China, Dun Huang, Peppercorn Station and Chef Tan. Yuan, located across the street from the Newport PATH station, is yet another addition. It focuses on Sichuanese, Shanghainese and northern Chinese cuisine in an elegant setting, specializing in whole fish in a half-dozen preparations.
537 Washington Blvd., Newport

Laico’s

This restaurant, which was founded in 1972 and is still run by the Laico family, is in a picturesque house in a residential neighborhood. Laico’s is typical of the red-sauced Italian restaurants that Jersey City was once famous for – places like Café Dante and Rita & Joe’s, which was featured in the opening credits of "The Sopranos." Head for the pork chop parmigiana, bubbly eggplant rollatini and the humbler local specialty of beans and greens.
67 Terhune Ave., Greenville

Harry’s Daughter

Harry’s Daughter, located just a stone's throw from the Statue of Liberty, is a Jamaican restaurant in the revamped space of a former corner bar. The place feels like a winter vacation in the Caribbean and has become famous for its brunches. Sure, the jerk chicken, coconut shrimp and goat curry are great, but the menu can surprise and delight with things like jerk egg rolls and the Trinidadian beach sandwiches called bakes, which are made with a fried flatbread and usually filled with fish.
339 Communipaw Ave., Communipaw

Los Amigos

Like McGinley Square, the Jersey City Heights is a popular destination for great inexpensive restaurants, including Los Amigos. Try the tacos quillos (corn tortillas dipped in fat and stuffed with barbacoa and caramelized onions) or the memelas (hand-patted masa platforms topped with chorizo and crumbled cheese).
395 Central Ave., the Heights

Perquin

Perquin opened late last year in the historic Paulus Hook neighborhood, which is mainly made up of handsome townhouses not far from the water. It serves Honduran street food – with a little Mexican and Ecuadorian food thrown into the mix – and doubles as a wine bar. Menu highlights include an elevated take on salchipapas (French fries and thinly sliced hot dogs) and pollo chuco (fried chicken deposited on fried plantains concealed in salad).
85 Morris St., Paulus Hook

Corto

A popular pasta spot in Jersey City Heights is Corto, an upscale modern Italian restaurant that sometimes cooks its meat on the barbecue in the tented rear yard. Carefully prepared pastas form the heart of the menu, but the cheese and charcuterie assortment is a popular option as a first course.
507 Palisade Ave., the Heights

Wurstbar

While Jersey City doesn’t have a full-blown German restaurant that I know of, Wurstbar, with a Teutonic theme, peddles sausages and suds – bottled, canned and on tap – and is a festive place to eat and drink at a bargain. Sausages start at $9 and beers start at $6. Hamburgers and Montreal-style poutine are further specialties and don’t miss the curry wurst.
516 Jersey Ave., Historic Downtown