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Top 10 Restaurants In Plainfield, New Jersey

Swains Galleries, Plainfield, NJ
Swains Galleries, Plainfield, NJ | © Dreamyunicorn123/WikiCommons

Plainfield, New Jersey’s diverse dining scene offers local foodies everything from authentic Peruvian and Italian cuisine to hearty soul food eats and classic American fare. We’ve lined up the city’s best local restaurants from laid back neighborhood joints to casual fine dining.

Tradiciones de mi Pueblo

Tradiciones de mi Pueblo offers diners a taste of Peruvian cuisine right in the heart of Plainfield. A cozy, casual dining room welcomes guests to try tempting appetizers like papa a la huancaína (sliced, steamed potatoes topped with cheese sauce and served with boiled eggs and Peruvian olives) or pork tamales followed by hearty mains like lomo saltado and pollo a la brasa. There’s plenty of seafood dishes like Peruvian-style paella, but Tradiciones de mi Pueblo’s signature dishes are the real must try; choose mouthwatering plates like jalea and arroz chaufa, a dish of seafood, beef tenderloin, chicken, wok-fried rice, Asian vegetables and egg.

The Netherwood Bar & Grill

Bar, Pub Grub, American

One of Plainfield’s most recent additions, The Netherwood Bar & Grill opened its doors in early 2014 and focuses on casual American comfort food. Located in the city’s historic Netherwood section, the eatery cooks up a range of entrées with locally inspired names like The 7th Street (coffee-crusted sirloin with blue cheese cream sauce, sautéed greens and mashed potatoes) and The Carnegie (blackened salmon on a bed of crispy string beans tossed in soy sauce and topped with sautéed shrimp), alongside juicy burgers like the Putnam Watchung with hot peppers and brie. If you try just one thing though, make sure it’s The Netherwood’s wings – nine different flavors are offered, each served with celery and a choice of blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Just Us Turkey’s

Love turkey? Then look no further than Just Us Turkey’s. Opened in 2014, the eatery serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with an early menu that features fare like the turkey western omelet and French toast and lunchtime eats like sandwiches and burgers alongside chopped BBQ turkey with shredded fried onions and turkey alfredo. At dinner, plates like turkey stir-fried rice (with peas, onions, carrots, broccoli and mushrooms) and turkey wings are offered with sides like jasmine rice, cabbage and gravy, while soups include the likes of turkey noodle and turkey chili.

Italian Village

Restaurant, Italian

Established in 1982, Italian Village has been serving its legendary pizza for over 30 years. Available whole, by the slice or Sicilian style, guests can customize their pizzas with a range of toppings, or opt for one of Italian Village’s specialty pies including the Hawaiian, the meat lovers or the chicken, bacon and ranch pizza. But pizzas aren’t the only thing on the restaurant’s menu; guests can also choose from a range of hot and cold sub sandwiches like its popular cheesesteak subs and a number of dinner dishes like chicken parmigiana, baked ziti and spaghetti with meatballs.

Punto Colombiano

Bakery, Restaurant, American

An authentic Colombian restaurant and bakery, family run Punto Colombiano is the place to go in Plainfield for your fix of Latin American eats. Go for breakfast and chow down on hearty plates of chorizo, eggs, arepas con queso (corn cakes with cheese) and chicharron, or go later for typical Colombian fare like bandeja paisa, frijoles antioquenos or carne asada. Don’t leave without picking up a few of Punto Colombiano’s baked goods to eat in or take home – there are sweet treats like churros and buñuelos.

Best in Town

Restaurant, Caribbean

Be transported to warmer, tropical climes with a meal at Best in Town – a Caribbean restaurant with a special focus on Trinidadian cuisine. Dinners like oxtail, curry (goat, chicken or shrimp), hot roti and stew fish are served up with sides like mac ‘n’ cheese, potato salad and the classical Trinidadian cow heel soup, though if you try just one dish, make sure it’s Best in Town’s popular jerk chicken. Keep an eye out for other classic Caribbean eats like callaloo, yellow rice and curry king fish with dhal.

Freppe’s Tex Mex

If you’re craving tacos, fajitas, burritos and other tasty Mexican eats, then head to Freppe’s Tex Mex. Start with appetizers like the Mexican shrimp cocktail, queso fundido with chorizo or Tex Mex sampler (a platter featuring menu favorites like cheese quesadilla, pineapple chipotle wings, flautas and empanadas) followed by entrées including classic chicken mole, beef baby back ribs and blackened mahi-mahi tacos with homemade mango salsa. Diners on a budget can take advantage of Freppe’s Molcajete Sundays offer a huge dinner for two deal of shrimp, steak, pork and chicken served in a sizzling hot molcajete with a side of flour tortillas.

The Family Soul Spot

Classic soul food eats are dished up at The Family Soul Spot that promises diners ‘home cooking just like momma’s.’ Daily lunch specials like meatloaf and BBQ chicken are served alongside sandwiches, platters and dinner plates of fried catfish and smothered pork chops with homemade brown gravy, which diners can mix up with classic sides including candied yams, mac ‘n’ cheese and yellow rice. Save room for dessert though, as there’s homemade sweet potato pie, carrot cake and apple cobbler.

Jade Isle

Restaurant, Chinese

First opened in 1971, Jade Isle’s Chinese and Polynesian cuisine have been a staple of Plainfield’s dining scene for nearly 50 years. Dine on appetizers like crab rangoon or scallion pancakes before choosing the restaurant’s huge range of entrées. Familiar fare like chow mein and egg foo yung feature along with a number of Hunan, Szechuan and American dishes and signature dishes like sweet and sour pork and Tahitian steak. Jade Isle’s dim sum weekend brunch features small plates of roast pork buns, shrimp dumplings and steamed chicken feet are served from carts table-side.

Giovanna’s Restaurant

Restaurant, Italian

Northern Italian cuisine and upscale casual ambience are the order of the day at Giovanni’s Restaurant. A homely yet classy dining room featuring murals inspired by the homeland of its cuisine welcomes guests and sets the scene to enjoy authentic appetizers like shrimp saltimbocca served on a bed of garlic spinach or homemade meatballs with ricotta, tomato ragu and garlic toast. This can be followed by mouth watering main dishes like pan-seared filet mignon with a brandy-gorgonzola cream sauce or macadamia-crusted flounder with orange-horseradish sauce. Desserts include the likes of tiramisu and decadent chocolate cake.

About the author

Helen Armitage lives near Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England where she recently graduated with a Masters in Magazine Journalism. She enjoys writing about culture, pop culture, feminism and film and her favourite destinations are New York City and Dublin. She is about to embark on a three-month placement in Seville, Spain and in the future would love to visit Reykjavik, Vancouver and New York (again).

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