Jersey City’s Most Adventurous Menus

Jersey City is full of exciting and diverse restaurants, but what about its most adventurous? Restaurant goers already know they can find dishes foreign to Western palates at some of our excellent authentic Chinese spots, but where else?

There are no gimmicks here—some of the best food you’ll find in the city stands out for its unique, uncompromising flavor and intriguing ingredients. If you’ve been looking to try something new, this is the perfect opportunity to break out of your comfort zone and enjoy some of the most surprising bites Jersey City has to offer.

After all, when was the last time you sat down to a deviled duck egg, a steaming bowl of corn soup, or a burger made with yak meat? How about Lebanese-French fusion? We’ve compiled some of the most intriguing menus in the city. Shake up your dining with something unforgettable, best shared with a few of your favorite adventurous eaters.

The Archer | 176 Newark Ave

The menu at The Archer reads like something in a remote Canadian ski chalet. Deviled duck egg? Elk short rib? The rural-urban space has a comforting cabin vibe and a menu that fits right in. While you sip on a cocktail during their blue-collar weekday Workman’s Comp Happy Hour (one of the best happy hours in the city), browse the extremely interesting menu. Their bacon is cured in-house, and there are a few items you should dive into first that feature it, like the deviled duck eggs. Wild boar and fried pheasant are also on the menu, which are hard to find elsewhere and make for a satisfying meal.

While there’s a surprising amount of game on the menu, even more interesting are the vegetarian counterpoint items that complement it. For instance, try their whole fried hen of the woods mushrooms, a clever vegetarian take on fried chicken. This meaty, flavor-packed star is served with mushroom wild rice and will leave you feeling like you emerged from a rustic cabin in the wilds far, far from here.

Uncle Momo | 289 Grove St

This chic bistro has one of our city’s most fun, unique menus. It’s charming, and if you attempt to arrive for brunch, be prepared to wait. It’s worthwhile. The small, vibrant space is bustling with modern Lebanese food inspired by classic French bistro dining.

What to order? There are no wrong choices. We’re fond of the spicy Tunisian eggs on a bed of smoky roasted red pepper and tomato and the Zeit w Zatar Crepe, a crepe like none you’ve ever tried before, filled with creamy house-made cream yogurt, earthy dried herbs and tangy olive tapenade.

They also serve a killer traditional Makanek: caramelized beef sausages on a bed of hummus drizzled with pomegranate molasses. You won’t find anything else like it in the city.

Erotori | 51 Newark St., Hoboken Tues/Wed and Fri/Sat

While technically located in Hoboken, we cannot fail to mention Erotori, the one-man yakitori cart gracing the corner in front of Starbucks four days a week. Although the menu features classics like pork belly, steak, and chicken, you’ll find some of the most unusual cuts and preparations served here over a fiery, red-hot Binchotan grill.

Owner Justin Guerra-Sarreal spent years working in fine-dining yakitori and brought it back to its street food roots, where he rotates through unusual, delicious cuts of meats you only thought you knew. From skewered and charred chicken – that is to say, the often-overlooked cuts like those surrounding the leg joints– to organ meats like heart, gizzards, and liver, don’t hesitate to go in with an open mind and an empty stomach. His menu also offers vegetable skewers, like earthy, filling okra and charred garlic tomato. If you’re lucky, he may even toast a few marshmallows for you on the Binchotan!

Harry’s Daughter | 4072 339 Communipaw Ave

Inspired by a deep passion for the food and feel of Trinidad and Tobago, Harry’s Daughter is full of delicious menu items you won’t find anywhere else. Their menu is utterly transporting. We’re partial to the escovitch snapper, a whole, bone-in and head-on fish glistening with hot honey.

If you’re going for brunch, don’t miss the traditional cured saltfish, served with tangy-sweet pineapple salsa and cabbage slaw. The Smoked Herring Caesar, perhaps the city’s most complex and interesting salad, is also a great choice.

Dark Side of the Moo | 52 Bowers St

Dark Side of the Moo is known for exotic meats, plain and simple. Are you in the mood to try something daring? This is the spot for you. It’s a delight for adventurous eaters and kids eager to be dazzled by the unusual.

It’s true that they have yak burgers, but it doesn’t stop there. Take your pick from some of their other exotic game burgers, like Canadian Venison, lean kangaroo, or an Australian camel burger. If the thought makes your spine tingle, rest assured that they carefully and selectively source their proteins and choose those that are naturally raised and grass-fed.

Still adventurous? Try their nachos with smoked alligator sausage. It’s truly one of a kind.

Wurstbar | 516 Jersey Ave

Wurstbar does one thing, and they do it well. (Or perhaps you could say they do it the wurst.) This original menu is full of sausages, and it is anything but boring.

From Mexican corn dogs drizzled in queso fresco to their stylized, delicious John Popper (a chicken wurst with chive cream cheese and Ritz crunchies), Seoul Rebel (a Koren beef dog smothered in kimchi and gochujang aioli) and Norcal (a German brat with fig mustard and candied walnuts) none of this menu is a gimmick. Everything is clever, unique, unusual, and downright delicious.

Speaking of the city’s best happy hour deals, their Czech Yourself special is a working man’s happy meal: beefy house kielbasa and a crisp pint of Green State lager.

Koro Koro Rice Ball Cafe | 538 Jersey Ave

Koro Koro serves up quintessential Japanese nori-wrapped balls of rice stuffed with a myriad of delicious and unusual fillings. Ahi tuna and truffle are killer combos, as is the kimchi salmon. This is the perfect stop if you’re looking for something quick, handheld, and on the go.

You’ll find classics, like the umeboshi (pickled plum), and unusual multicultural spins on fillings like their Bacon Maple Syrup Onigiri, and the Cuban, full of black beans, onions, and plantain.

If you’re bored of Jersey City’s dining scene, you might not be looking hard enough. Unique, unusual, and downright exciting flavors are all over the city – all you have to do is step out of your comfort zone.