Maggie Kelly
Traveling to the city of New Brunswick and getting a little peckish? We’ve got you covered!
New Brunswick restaurants are familiar with serving a wide variety of hungry audiences: from Rutgers University students (and their parents!), to healthcare workers at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, and business people on their way to New York City, the New Brunswick food scene is well equipped to match any person with any type of food they desire.
And as fun as the demographic of food-lovers in New Brunswick is, we don’t want to keep you waiting for food any longer! Here is a list of what we consider some of the favorite local restaurants in New Brunswick.
Best Restaurants in New Brunswick
- The Frog and the Peach
- Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar
- Efes Mediterranean Grill
- Panico’s Restaurant and Bar
- Tacoria
- Ramen Nagomi
- Veganized
- Harvest Moon Brewery
- Clydz
- Steakhouse 85
- Old Man Rafferty’s
- Stuff Yer Face
- Fritz’s
- La Catrina
- Fat Cactus Cantina
The Frog and the Peach
29 Dennis St, New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-846-3216
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Arguably the fanciest restaurant in the city of New Brunswick, The Frog and the Peach offers a variety of menus to fit your exact food expectations. From Sunday Brunch to French Tastings, and everyday lunch and dinner menus, The Frog and the Peach has it all.
This restaurant has won numerous awards including New Jersey’s best “All Around” restaurant and “Top 30 Restaurants in New Jersey.”
The Frog and the Peach not only has a variety of menus, but also a variety of rooms to dine in. Such rooms include the Garden room, the Balcony, the Wine room, and the alcove. They also offer private events!
Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar
103 Church St, New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-745-7258
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In their own words, Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar works to create an experience, not just a restaurant… and we believe they achieve that! With beautiful food, a warm environment, and a modern vibe, this restaurant is really giving us all the feels.
With numerous beautiful seafood platters, anyone around the New Brunswick area who is craving And if you aren’t a fan of seafood, no worries! They also offer menu items that use local meats or are vegetarian.
Efes Mediterranean Grill
32 Easton Ave, New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-249-4100
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Located on the corner of Easton Ave, Efes Mediteranean Grill is in a prime location to just about everything in New Brunswick. Named after the Greek city of Ephesus, this restaurant offers a great mix of culture and authenticity,
Efes Meditteranean Grill menu has six full pages of mediterranean influenced cuisine, ensuring that no customer will leave empty-bellied. They encourage reservations to their New Brunswick location, and offer catering options!
Panico’s Restaurant and Bar
94 Church St, New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-545-6161
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One of the best Italian restaurants in the city of New Brunswick, Panico’s offers an authentic atmosphere, wonderful staff, and more food options than one would expect! While italian cuisine is their specialty, they also offer seafood and grilled sandwiches, ensuring those who want a more fancy or casual dining experience can feel at home.
Panico’s also offers some of the best pizza on the market, so if you’re not up for a fancy italian entree, no worries! Even if you choose a slice over a full meal, Panico’s aesthetic aims to please with arm tones and cozy (yet fancy) seating arrangements.
Panico’s also offers catering options and takes reservations.
Tacoria
56 Easton Ave, New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-317-2070
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An all time favorite for Rutgers University students and visiting family members, Tacoria offers a beautiful and bustling restaurant experience!
Tacoria feels like a quick in-and-out place when you first order at the main entrance, as the line of people often spills out of the restaurant and onto the sidewalk. However, the back of the restaurant offers a lovely sit-down dining experience, with a removable roof that is opened during the summer months and closed and heated in the winter.
Numerous plants, mirrors, swinging benches, and picnic tables make up the Mexican inspired aesthetic of this restaurant. Tacoria boasts that they have no freezers on site, and they offer both vegan and gluten free options!
Oh.. and did we mention that they have some of the best burrito bowls, burritos, and tacos we’ve ever had? Yeah, you don’t want to miss this one.
Ramen Nagomi
49 Bayard St New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-317-2623
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Looking to fit in with the college kids by adopting their stereotypical ramen based diet? Ramen Nagomi allows you to feel like a student without having to… well, feel too much like a student!
Following a japanese philosophy of cooking and presentation, this restaurant serves ramen dishes in the most flavorful and unique way possible. Its cozy atmosphere allows students – and visitors! – to feel at home.
Ramen nagomi also offers the unique experience of knowing that all meat products are organic, raised humanely, and hormone free.
Veganized
1 Elm Row New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-342-7412
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Vegan? Not vegan but want to know what all the hype is about? Just a regular person looking for some seriously tasty (and healthy!) food options? Whichever category you identify with, Veganized is the place for you!
Providing customers with a warm environment, homey aesthetic, and modern vegan cuisine, this New Brunswick Restaurant is one that you don’t want to miss out on. According to their website, they offer 100% vegan, 100% natural, and 95% organic food options, and are passionate about using locally grown and seasonal ingredients.
And don’t think that vegan options are best served for lunch and dinner: on Saturdays and Sundays, Veganized offers a vegan brunch menu with some incredibly delicious options.
If you happen to stop into the restaurant to check it out, you will most often find Rutgers University students and New Bruwnswick families with wide smiles and heaping plates of food.
Harvest Moon Brewery
392 George St New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-249-6666
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Harvest Moon Brewery is more than just a place to get a drink. The cozy atmosphere of this two floor restaurant makes it a perfect place for families and friends to have a nice sit down dinner.
In fact, the restaurant is known for catering events for up to 150 people, including weddings! Harvest Moon Brewery works with customers planning events to ensure a customized experience.
Their menu features a variety of different food choices. From burgers to asian cuisine and plain old sandwiches, to elaborate salads and fancy entree dishes, Harvest Moon Brewery has it all! They don’t skimp on the vegetarian and vegan options either, so there is truly something for every hungry customer.
Clydz
55 Paterson St New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-846-6521
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Clydz advertises itself as a casual food and drink location, making its customers feel comfy and at home while still getting a great meal.
They may not have a huge food menu, but it covers all of those feel-good foods! A juicy burger, chicken wings, fries, and even calamari, there is no way Clydz won’t have something you’re craving. For the vegetarians out there, they even advertise veggie dumplings!
However, if you happen to be coming to Clydz with a party, a whole new menu reveals itself, this one with numerous (still feel-good!) options.
For customers over the age of 21, Clydz offers an elaborate drink menu to go with any meal.
Steakhouse 85
85 Church St New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-247-8585
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Proudly advertising themselves as the official steakhouse of Rutgers Athletics, Steakhouse 85 offers a super fun atmosphere with some super tasty food options.
Having a two page menu for both their dinner and dessert options, there is no way even a food enthusiast could be bored at Steakhouse 85. And if you really want to up the ante, this restaurant has a daily menu with changing options, ensuring surprises even for their regular customers.
Old Man Rafferty’s
106 Albany St, New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-846-6153
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A classic in the city of New Brunswick, Old Man Rafferty’s truly serves any person for any occasion. From a casual lunch to a fancy date night and even a business dinner, the food, staff, and atmosphere at this local place has got you covered!
Olf Man Rafferty’s is also in a prime location of downtown New Brunswick. Close to the theatre district, the train station, and Rutgers University, there is always something to do or somewhere to go while you wait for your reservation (or after you finish your meal!).
Stuff Yer Face
49 Easton Ave, New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-247-1727
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Stuff Yer Face has a few items on its menu, but it takes great pride in one especially: the stromboli. In fact, there’s a whole section of their website dedicated to telling customers what a Stromboli is and displaying a mathematical formula to show that there are over one billion stromboli ingredient combinations!
Being one of the most popular restaurants in New Brunswick (with outside tables making it a highly sought after dinner place in the summer!) it is best to plan ahead if you are considering eating here. However, every Rutgers University student and alumni will vouch that it is totally worth the wait!
If you’re interested in the history of this little restaurant, their website hosts a collection of photos and memories explaining how they got to where they are today.
Fritz’s
115 Easton Ave, New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-543-0202
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A favorite for Rutgers University students in the mood for a nice yet casual sit down lunch or dinner date, Fritz’ has a cozy atmosphere with a variety of delicious food options.
Located in a prime location of New Brunswick, Fritz has the perfect little set up for any occasion. Whether you’re visiting a Rutgers student, seeing a show in the theatre district, or passing through the city and feeling a little peckish, we recommend Fritz for any casual occasion.
We also want to note that the staff at Fritz are some of the nicest we have ever encountered!
La Catrina
144 Easton Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 732-628-0451
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La Catrina is one of the best rated restaurants (and local favorite!) in the city of New Brunswick. Featuring Mexican cuisine, an adorable atmosphere, and low prices, everyone who eats at this little restaurant is sure to be back soon.
With their menu consisting of a variety of tacos, chalupas, empanadas, and more, there is something for everyone who is craving authentic Mexican cuisine.
Some customers even claim that La Catrina is the best Mexican restaurant in the whole city!
Fat Cactus Cantina
350 George St, New Brunswick NJ 08901
Phone: 732-640-4459
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With one of the biggest menus in the city, Fat Cactus Cantina has a variety of appetizers, specialized sauces, soups and salads, sides, and numerous entrees in various categories. And when we say there are a lot of options, there are a LOT of options!
Customers are especially fond of Fat Cactus Cantina because they hire live Mariachi bands to entertain on Fridays and Saturdays. With fun food comes an even more lively environment!
Final Thoughts
The food scene in New Brunswick has too many menus to count, so this short list of the best restaurants in New Brunswick is certainly missing some valuable competitors. Saying this, we still hope you can check out these local businesses the next time you’re in our city.
Looking for a specific type of cuisine? Click here to read about our favorite Mexican restaurants in New Brunswick!
And if you happen to find yourself in New Brunswick and see something not on this list, we encourage you to give it a go and drop the name in the comments! After all, it is pretty hard to find a mediocre restaurant in this city.
