Central Jersey
Chimney Rock Inn
800 North Thompson Ave., Bound Brook
732-469-4600
This place is known for its thin crust pizza and juicy burgers served in the shadow of legendary Chimney Rock (read all about the tragic namesake love story while you wait for your food). Check out their hugekids’ selection including things like tacos and turkey burgers, and their gluten-free food options for customers with sensitivities.
Runners Up:
2. Jose Tejas (Multiple locations)
3. Joe’s Crab Shack (Multiple locations)
4. Jack Baker’s American Bar & Grille (Monroe)
5. Old Man Rafferty’s (Hillsborough)
Essex County
Raymond’s
Multiple locations
Brunch at Raymond’s is reason to get up early on a weekend—tables inside and out fill up quickly. Keep kids busy as they wait for pancakes, eggs Benedict, breakfast burritos or French toast with colorable placemats. Lunch and dinner in this subway-tiled mainstay are equally delicious—make sure to save room for the brownie sundae.
Runners Up:
2. Toast (Montclair)
3. Stony’s (South Orange)
4. Joe’s Crab Shack (Multiple locations)
5. Sapporo (Millburn)
Morris County
The Famished Frog
18 Washington St., Morristown
973-540-9601
Slide into a booth at this neighborhood place and listen to live music Friday and Saturday evenings while you munch on a pretzel burger (American cheese, bacon, lettuce and Russian dressing, nestled between two pretzel buns). Kids will love the selection of smoothies, mac and cheese and mini hamburgers. The rest of the menu travels the globe and features flatbreads, Moroccan salmon, Pad Thai noodles and fish and chips (all delicious).
Runners Up:
2. Chimney Rock Inn (Multiple locations)
3. Sogo (Denville)
4. Nicky’s Firehouse (Madison)
5. Billy & Madeline’s Red Room Tavern (Whippany)
North Jersey
JW’S Doo Wop & Ice Cream Parlor
1614 A Union Valley Rd., West Milford
973-506-4612
This spot (known for great ice cream and burgers) is a trip back to the ‘50s, complete with vintage Americana posters, red vinyl seats and functioning jukeboxes. The menu includes crowd-pleasers like hotdogs, hamburgers and waffle fries but also delicious options like burgers named for classic celebs like the Frank Sinatra (fried onions with mushrooms and cheese). Plus, there’s outdoor seating and a playground just steps away for after dinner fun.
Runners Up:
2. Medieval Times (Lyndhurst)
3. Chatterbox Drive-In (Augusta)
4. Joe’s Crab Shack (Multiple locations)
5. Blue Moon Mexican Cafe (Multiple locations)
South Jersey
1. The Pop Shop (Collingswood)
​2. Duffer's (Wildwood)
3. The Circus Drive-In (Wall)
4. Harpoon Henry's (North Cape May)
5. (TIE) Nifty Fifty's and Maui's Dog House
Union Jersey
Emma’s Brick Oven Pizza and Café
101 Union Ave. North, Cranford
908-497-1211
Upscale pizza fresh from the brick oven is on heavy rotation here, plus kids can get their own personal pies made exactly how they like them (no green stuff, light on the sauce, etc). This place only opened in 2004, but its giant portions and often locally sourced ingredients have already made it a fan fave. (PS: don’t miss their amazing rice balls.)
Runners Up:
2. Winberie’s Restaurant & Bar (Summit)
3. Cranford Hotel (Cranford)
4. The Ikea Restaurant (Elizabeth)
5. The Stage House (Scotch Plains)
