Jersey City Draws New Yorkers for Diverse Summer Dining

On Sunday afternoons, the PATH trains at Grove Street station in Jersey City see a steady flow of New Yorkers seeking different cuisines. With summer in full swing, the city’s sidewalk tables fill up early, especially along Newark Avenue and in the Heights. Jersey City, now home to about 250,000 people, has become a reliable destination for those searching for food options not always found in Manhattan or Brooklyn.

At Korai Kitchen, a Bangladeshi restaurant on Journal Square, groups order bowls of goat curry and plates of bhorta, often sharing long tables with families. On the waterfront, South House offers a barbecue menu and views of the Manhattan skyline, drawing after-work crowds from both sides of the river. New Vietnamese spots, such as Em Vietnamese, have opened within walking distance of the Hudson, joining established Colombian bakeries and Filipino grills.

Local business owners say the summer heat shifts dining patterns later into the evening. At 10 p.m. on Saturday, Taqueria Downtown still has a wait for outdoor tables. Staff at Rasoi, an Indian restaurant on Newark Avenue, reported that half their guests on Friday night had traveled from Brooklyn or Manhattan.

Jersey City’s restaurant scene continues to reflect its residents, with menus spanning Egyptian to Ecuadorian. Rents remain lower than in central Brooklyn, allowing some chefs to experiment without the pressure of Manhattan real estate. For New Yorkers willing to cross the river, the trip offers new choices and quieter streets, especially on weekday nights.