The Best Jewish Delis in and around NJ

Passover begins on the evening of Wednesday, April 5. If you’re looking for a place to cook dinner for your seder, or if you’re just in the mood for some corned beef on rye, order at one of these NJ area delis.

The borscht belt
2124 S. Eagle Road, Newton, Pennsylvania
267-616-2219
Chef Nick Liberato is at the helm of this New York-style Jewish deli offering a taste of the past with a contemporary, gourmet twist. Order your Passover platters for the holidays or stop by for a sandwich named after Catskills hotels of a bygone era (“The Concord” includes baked salmon salad and slices of Nova, cheese with horseradish cream, tomatoes, red onions, capers and a little lemon juice on a toasted bialy).

Deli King of Clark
30 Clarkton Drive, Clark
732-574-2040
Start your day with an omelette or bagel, transition to lunch with burgers and franks, or go for the lighter side with a salad or specialty sandwich. The turkey cran-deli contains turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and rye sauce. Or try the turkey sloppy joe with Russian dressing and coleslaw.

Livingston’s Eppes Essen: A True Jewish Delight
105 E. Mt. Pleasant Ave., Livingston
973-994-1120
There are four pages of options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Try a Sweet Jane wrap with turkey, coleslaw, Swiss and Russian dressing; a Sloppy Pistol with pastrami and Swiss; Eppy’s specialty sandwich with turkey, pastrami, coleslaw and vinaigrette; blintz; or cabbage stuffed with turkey, rice and vegetables.

Foster Village Kosher Deli
469 S. Washington Ave., Bergenfield
201-384-7100
Foster Village claims to have the best pastrami in all of Bergen County. Some of the more unique deli items include Hard Salami, Barley with Mushroom or Lentil Soup, Spinach Knish, Three Bean Salad, Russian Potato Salad, Quinoa Salad, sun-dried tomato pasta pesto, herring in wine sauce, smoked sable, matjess herring, marinara meatballs, egg barley with mushrooms and onions, Israeli braise and orzo with mushrooms and onions.

Fred & Murray’s Gourmet Kosher Delicatessen & Caterers
4345 Rte. 9, full ownership
732-462-3343
Founded in 1960 on Ralph Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, Fred & Murry’s has enjoyed a great reputation for over half a century. The chest, derma and kugel here are top notch. They will prepare your whole Passover seder and dinner with Charosis, Potato Pudding, Chickpea and Edamame Salad, Mixed Grilled Vegetables, Beef Cabbage and Chicken Breast stuffed.

Goodman’s Restaurant and Delicatessen
400 Springfield Ave, Berkeley Heights
908-898-0900
Goodman’s is best known for its house meats, including freshly cured pastrami, corned beef and brisket – they’re steamed so hard they melt in your mouth. In addition to the wide selection of charcuterie, there are homemade favorites including matzo dumpling soup, minced liver, potato pancakes and rice pudding made from family recipes. Goodman’s best soups are chicken orzo and split peas. There is also gefilte fish, kreplach and kishke which diners love. But keep in mind that it’s not kosher here.

Grossman’s Deli and Grill
2005 Rte. 35 Oakhurst
732-531-4709
If you head here in the morning, the Jersey Devil Breakfast Sandwich is filled with pork roll, bacon, ham, sausage, too easy egg, hash browns, sautéed onions and cheese on a fresh bun. Try a cheesesteak with a Philly or Italian twist, or get a cold shrimp or tuna salad. Get your reuben open or closed, filled with lean corned beef on rye bread with Russian dressing, topped with sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese. The Black Forest Sandwich is turkey breast with Swiss on pumpernickel bread, topped with coleslaw and dressing.

Harold’s NY Deli
1173 King George Post Road, Edison
732-661-9100
The sandwiches served here are larger than life. Corned beef, pastrami, turkey and roast beef are piled high on a huge sandwich designed to be shared with your table. There are also giant portions of coleslaw, macaroni salad and pickles. Don’t forget to try the noodle pudding, chocolate layer cake or eclair, if you still have room in your stomach!

Hobby’s Deli
32 Branford Pl., Newark
973-623-0410
In a neighborhood teeming with Portuguese and soul food, Jewish selections might not seem high on the list, but Hobby’s is an institution. Their homemade mushroom and barley soup, hash browns and minced liver keep customers coming back again and again. People have been known to take the PATH train from NYC to come to Newark.

Irv and Karen’s Hot Pastrami Deli and Restaurant
2114 Rte. 88 Brick Township.
732-899-6990
The soups here are a big draw: chicken noodles, matzoh ball, split peas, white beans, and pinto beans with ham. Just like the chef’s specialties: franks with baked beans, fried plaice, stuffed roast turkey, meatloaf and hash browns.

IZ Events & Catering
Marlboro Jewish Center, 103 School Rd. W., Marlboro
732-334-8606
Join a community seder on the second night of Passover. The meal on April 6 will include three-way chicken, cabernet-braised brisket, crispy trout skin, and chocolate mousse pie.

The Kibitz room
The Shoppes at Holly Ravine, 100 Springdale Rd., Cherry Hill
856-428-7878
The Passover menu offers mouth-watering options like turkey with cranberries, chicken with apricots, chicken breast stuffed with spinach and mushrooms, chicken stuffed with matzo stuffing, stuffed cabbage, tzimmes (prune, carrot , sweet potato, fruit matzo kugel, and potato pancakes.From the bakery, order the honey cake, 7-inch chocolate macaroon pound cake, 7-inch linzer pie, or apple strudel.

King of Delancey
234 Main Avenue, Passaic
973-471-5635
It’s not a typical deli at all, but this kosher food is known throughout the Passaic and Clifton area. Sandwiches, soups, wraps and even sushi. If you’re craving Jewish fusion cuisine, opt for the pastrami egg roll, a pastrami burger, a schnitzel wrap, the New Bochur Sandwich (extra long cornflake chicken with pastrami, fried onions and sauces) or the pulled brisket. Other dishes on the menu include chicken fingers with cornflakes and loaded red peppers, puffed beef gnocchi, avocado chicken wrap, shawarma pita and grilled chicken.

The (famous) kosher nosh
894 Prospect Street, Glen Rock
201-445-1186
People come to the dining hall to have the “real” chicken soup (called Jewish penicillin) with plump matzoh balls. Or you can take it home with the perfect kreplach. There are overloaded deli platters, overloaded sandwich platters, deli wraps, meatless sandwiches in tortillas, or a 3-6 foot Italian hero. They are also known for their Smokey Joe’s, a four-tier sandwich with salmon salad, Nova Scotia salmon, egg salad, Greek olives, tomatoes, and cucumber. And the chest knish is a fan favorite.

Smoked salmon, broth and charcuterie
228 Ryders Ln., Milltown
732-214-8900
There is a kosher restaurant, gourmet takeaway, parve and dairy caterer, butcher, bakery and appetizer on site. Their special Passover 2023 menu includes lots of fresh brisket, chicken, turkey, salmon teriyaki, matzoh flour fried chicken, matzoh lasagna, souffles and gefilte fish.

Noah’s ark
493 Cedar Ln., Teaneck
800-772-NOAH
Along with half a dozen types of knishes and various double, triple and overloaded sandwiches, you can order chicken samosa, quinoa kale salad, spaghetti and meatballs, smoked BBQ ribs, a Milanese veal chop, fire-roasted chicken, a deluxe chili dog or a brisket burger.

Orchid Smooth Kosher Restaurant
455 Main Street, Metuchen
732-321-9829
There’s a Mediterranean flair here, with appetizer options such as hummus spread, baba ghanoush, Spanish eggplant, Moroccan cigars (fried seasonal potatoes), and falafel. Starters include bistro steak, chicken skewers, Moroccan lamb tagine, salmon fillet, cauliflower chickpea stew and orchid burger.

Appetizing Marinated Herring + Charcuterie
96 Rte. 9 North, Englishtown
732-972-1122
The Reitner and Levine families have catering in their blood, so they collaborated to create a Jewish-style restaurant with dishes made from traditional family recipes but mixed with modern flavors. Their best items are homemade knish, pies, corned beef, pastrami, brisket and their salads.

by Richard
155 Brighton Ave, West End
732-870-9133
There are plenty of menu items such as paninis, eggs benedict, pancakes, french toast and skillets but from the deli portion you can order hot corned beef, roast turkey , hot pastrami, shrimp salad, BBQ beef brisket, tuna salad, roast beef or chicken salad on your choice of bread.

Rye Deli Takeout and Catering
779 Mountain Ave, Springfield
973-564-8144
This Glatt Kosher deli is under strict supervision, but you can still get options like BBQ chicken wrap, falafel, shawarma, kibbeh, malawach (flaky Yemeni bread), mixed vegetable pasta, tilapia scampi or herbed salmon, chicken cutlet, pastrami burger or a variety of sandwiches.

The smokehouse on the south side
315 Cedar Bridge Ave, Lakewood
732-961-6126
Lakewood is well known for its Jewish culture, and this restaurant serves it food-wise with selections like schnitzel pastrami, corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, reubens, smoked sandwiches, and smoked meats. You can also try a pastrami burger or liver crostini.

Tenafly Kosher Deli
22 Washington Avenue, Tenafly
201-567-3033
The menu here is filled with appetizers, burgers, franks, sandwiches, two meat combos, triple deckers, wraps, hot open sandwiches, cold salad platters, charcuterie platters, bagels, eggs and omelettes. If you want ‘Think Thin’, order a chef’s salad, grilled chicken, mixed greens with tuna or chicken salad or a large bowl of mixed greens. Their Smokey Joe is a whitefish salad with Nova lox, lettuce, tomato and Russian dressing.

Town hall charcuterie
74 First Street, Orange South
973-762-4900
Claiming they’ve been the birthplace of Sloppy Joes since 1927, how can you not try one of the twelve different Sloppy Joes on the menu? The Favorite has roast beef, turkey and Swiss. The Original has ham, tongue and Swiss. The Smokin’ combines egg salad with cream cheese, Nova lox and Swiss. Or make a Custom Joe with two meats and a cheese of your choice. The kids’ menu includes chicken fingers, PB&J, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, and bologna.

Learn more:
5 Ways to Make Passover Dinner Kid-Friendly
Matzoh ball soup
9 Great Passover Crafts