Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2024 and has been updated.
New Jersey’s exceedingly diverse food scene would not be complete without the flavor and flair of Dominican cuisine. The dishes seem to grow more popular each year as more people from the Caribbean nation move to New Jersey. About 15% of all immigrants from the Dominican Republic living in the U.S. reside in New Jersey, where the population totals around 250,000 and counting.
Paterson and Perth Amboy are the cities with the highest population followed by Jersey City, Union City, Newark and many other areas in Passaic and Hudson counties.
Dominican cuisine is heavily influenced by Spanish, indigenous Taíno, Middle Eastern, African, Cuban, Puerto Rican and Haitian cultures. Much of the food incorporates meat or seafood, grains like rice, corn and wheat, vegetables such as beans and other types of legumes and plantains, and popular fruits include oranges, bananas and mangos.
Some of the most popular dishes include mofongo (a Caribbean dish with fried green plantains mashed together and served with proteins like pork, chicharron or seafood), sancocho (meat stew), and in New Jersey, you can get delicious creations like the Dominican “chimi-pizza” — but there’s also so much more.
Here are our picks for the 13 Dominican restaurants you must try in New Jersey.
Cafe Nitido in Audubon. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media)Christopher Burch
In late October, Leo Driver and Ingrid Ventura graced this lovely South Jersey neighborhood with traditional Dominican food, being one of the only places in the area to get some. They just opened this past fall but have already made quite an impression on the community. Customers will love their fried pork chops ($28) topped with bell peppers and onion served with a side of rice with beans. Their huge dining room is also great for large parties. (LM)
Pepper steak over rice with beans from Arelis Restaurant in Camden. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media)Christopher Burch
The Camden staple is popular for its pepper and onion steak, pollo guisado, pernil, mofongo and other classic dishes. Friendly staff and colorful decor create a warm ambiance, making it a well-known lunch stop for many workers in the city. Make sure to grab a beef pastelito on your trip to Arelis. (CB)
Carne guisado from La Bodega Latin Cuisine in Jersey City. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media)Christopher Burch
This Jersey City Heights restaurant has a stylish interior and menu of delicious Dominican classics like baked chicken, fried chicken, carne guisado (stewed beef) and more. With indoor and outdoor seating, the restaurant makes for a perfect stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner for an entire family. The eatery’s pastelitos are incredibly flavorful with a nice crispy exterior and savory interior of meat or cheese. (CB)
La Concha Restaurant in Jersey City. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media)Christopher Burch
La Concha Restaurant offers a wide array Dominican food, from sancocho ($6) to red snapper ($17.50) to chicken barbecue ($10.50) and pernil ($11), all of which are delicious and cooked to perfection. The restaurant has been staple in the city’s Heights neighborhood for more than two decades. Its original owner Bertha D. Torres passed away five years ago, but her three children have since been running it to honor her legacy. “Bertha’s love of cooking and the people she served motivated her to work hard every day,” Bertha’s daughter, Nathalia, told NJ Advance Media in 2019. “Whether it was patrons in need of a meal or a poor family in another country, Bertha would give of herself to help those in need.” (SB)
Sabor translates to flavor in Spanish and this restaurant is in no short supply. They offer many great options at their buffet-style counter, such as pernil (slow roasted marinate pork leg or shoulder), stewed oxtail and more. I’m not the biggest fan of goat, but the goat stew they have here is the only place where I can eat it. The way they cook it gets rid of any kind of gaminess it usually has, making for a tasty dish. (LM)
The fried tilapia at Angie’s Restaurant & Bakery in MetuchenSaleah Blancaflor | For NJ Advance Media
Not only does Angie’s Dominican Restaurant & Bakery near downtown Metuchen have a charming and whimsical interior and exterior, it has delicious Dominican food and desserts. I tried the fried tilapia entree ($14.25) which came with a side of plantains, rice and beans. The fried tilapia was a perfect amount of crispy and came with a mildly spicy sauce that added a nice touch to the overall flavor. Other items to try are the chicken stew entree ($13.25) and shrimp scampi ($14.99). I also loved the cheese and spinach empanadas. Do yourself a favor and be sure to try the many dazzling desserts like the tres leches or coquito cupcakes. (SB)
This tiny but absolutely mighty restaurant will fulfill all of your Dominican food needs. I love their mangu (starting at $9.50) – the country’s national breakfast – made up of mashed plantains. It is usually served with tres golpes, translating to “three hits,” which is fried Dominican-style salami, fried cheese and fried eggs. Other food items such as fried pork belly and pork sausage can also be offered alongside mangu. (LM)
Outside of Bonao Restaurant in Perth Amboy, NJ (Lauren Musni | NJ Advance Media)Lauren MusniBonao, Perth Amboy
Bonao touts a diner-like atmosphere with lots of seating and counter top service. Their expansive menu has all Dominican favorites such as empanadas, chicharron, stewed pork and my favorite, mofongo. Plantains is the dish’s main ingredient being mashed by hand and usually with crispy pork skin. They also offer a fantastic la bandera Dominicana (The Dominican flag), which is the country’s national dish comprised of white rice, stewed beans and either stewed beef, chicken or pork. (LM)
Pernil and rice dish from Don Manuel in Perth Amboy, NJ (Lauren Musni | NJ Advance Media)Lauren Musni
With two locations in town, Don Manuel is a go-to spot among the hub of many Dominican restaurants in Perth Amboy. Although they have a huge buffet-style counter for customers to order their favorite eats, they also have a menu with food that might not be at the counter that can be ordered a la carte. Make sure to order their delicious pernil with a side of their rice (starting at $12) with black beans and bistec encebollado en salteado (steak stir fry, $16.95). (LM)
The beef steak and rice and pigeon peas from Nino de oro Dominicano in PlainfieldSaleah Blancaflor | For NJ Advance Media
If you’re looking for Dominican food in Union County, Nino de oro Dominicano in Plainfield is a no frills storefront location offering authentic cuisine. The menu offers a variety of mofongos (mashed green plantains) with the option of having it with shrimp, chicken or pork rinds. I tried the carne en bistec (beef steak), $14, served with moro de guandules (rice and pigeon peas) which was tasty and savory, as well as the spaghetti ($8) which had a subtle spiciness to it. If you have room for it, try the dessert. The tres leches cake is some of the best I’ve had in the area for its sweet and creamy perfection. (SB)
Sabor Latino in Trenton is a spacious Dominican eatery with an expansive menu that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. For a traditional Dominican breakfast, get the golpes (three hits), $13, which includes salami, fried cheese and eggs with the choice of yucca, mashed plantains or a boiled banana. Along with typical Dominican dishes like mofongo, the menu has an array of specialties like chivo liniero (goat meat stew) which is $26.90, oxtail plain sauce ($26.90), and the mar y tierra (sea and land) special ($45.50) which includes steak, lobster and shrimp. Try the Dominican burger ($13) which includes steak, cabbage and mayonnaise ketchup. As a seafood lover, my favorite is the mariscada (seafood) originals ($78) which features shrimp, crag legs, lobster, crab meat and mussels in red sauce which is perfect for sharing. (SB)
Pollo guisado from Family Food Market in Westville. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media)Christopher Burch
At its core, Family Food Market is a grocery store. But the magic happens in the back of the store where buffet-style offerings of tasty pernil, pollo guisado (a must-try), baked chicken and more are served. The to-go eatery serves fresh Dominican classics and the best pastelitos in the area at unbeatable prices seven days a week. (CB)
El Conuco Restaurante in Union City. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media)Christopher Burch
Enjoy a night filled with unforgettable drinks and eats! From breakfast, lunch and dinner El Conuco has guests covered. This is another spot that has two locations in the same towns– probably to keep up with the high demand for their food. I recommend their carnitas fritas (fried steak strips) with a side of rice and tostones (twice-fried plantain slices). The restaurant has karaoke every Friday night and live music every Saturday night. (LM)
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