These NJ restaurants were ranked in Yelp's 'Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.'
Using Yelp to find the best restaurants is like using Facebook Marketplace to buy a new couch — you just don't know what you're going to get.
All too often, restaurant scores are skewed by one-star ratings because the "parking sucks" (@Hoboken), or a perfect five because the bathroom looks like a Monster Mini Golf (@pastaRAMEN).
In other words, when you leave ranking up to the public? The results are subjective.
But, regardless, plenty of people still turn to Yelp to find the hottest new eateries, so ignoring it entirely would be silly — especially since four local restaurants just made the app's Top 100 Places to Eat in the US 2024 list.
So, though we can't vouch that all of these restaurants are good (we haven't visited them all), we can guarantee you that the humans of the internet think they are (though those same people also think that $6,000 is an appropriate ask for a declawed taxidermy bear rug, so take that with a grain of salt).
Here are the New Jersey restaurants that Yelp considers amongst the best in America.
BOOMCHIA, Montclair
Ranking in the highest (at number 21) on Yelp's list is BOOMCHIA, a superfood bowl cafe in Montclair. Essentially a mom-and-pop version of Playa Bowls, the spot is known for its customizable acai bowls with innovative flavors and toppings.
Offering "unlimited base combinations," the hole-in-the-wall allows for more flavors, colors and audience participation per bowl than its corporate competitors, which we assume is what the public loves about it so much.
According to Yelp reviewers, "unique base flavors," "insanely fresh fruit" and "high quality acai" are other distinctive competencies that set the business apart (and, correspondingly, earn it a flawless five-star rating).
Go: 427 Bloomfield Ave. Suite 101, Montclair; 973-330-9111, boomchia.com.
Jessica's Cafe, Plainfield
Next on the list is Jessica's Cafe, which ranks in at #37. Located in Plainfield (sorry Bergen, this is Central-ish), the upscale Italian-French restaurant boasts 4.8 stars based off of 295 reviews. A seasonally-inspired, farm-to-table scratch kitchen, everything the team serves is made in house — including desserts.
Quoted from reviewers on the app, Jessica's offers "an intimate dining room," an "easy reservation experience" and "out-of-this-world good food."
And, though we haven't tried the hidden gem spot yet, user-added photos of its "perfectly cooked meatballs" and "delicious crabmeat crepes" certainly has it high on our hit-next list.
Go: 150 Terrill Rd., Plainfield; 908-754-2080, jessicasnj.com.
Kenko Sushi, Lincoln Park
We LOVE Kenko Sushi and think Yelp was SO RIGHT about this.
That's all.
Go: 261 Comly Rd., Lincoln Park; 973-633-5498, kenkosushinj.com.
Sabor Unido, Newark
Sabor Unido is another one of our favorite North Jersey eat spots, so we're also super excited to see it make Yelp's list. Ranking in at number 83, the family-run business has been serving homestyle Brazilian and Portuguese food to Newark for the past six years. Visit the cozy restaurant and relax behind a steamy bowl of cured beef risotto, or a sizzling plate of tender grilled octopus.
Though Yelp users love the spot's "outstanding chicken marsala" and "juicy" skirt steak, our choice dishes on the menu are the savory Shrimp in Garlic Sauce, and the crispy Frango Passanrinho (Brazilian fried chicken drums).
Whatever you order, however, we urge you to chase it with a round of the team's decadent, house-made flan.
Go: 77 Jefferson St., Newark; 973-368-8553, saborunido.com.
Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can't find her in Jersey's best restaurants, she's probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yelp 2024 Top 100 restaurants in US: These NJ places make list
