50 Best Southern Restaurants near Jersey City

“I've been looking forward to trying this restaurants menu items. yesterday was only the 1st, for sure. I had a shrimp po boy, perfect, packed with shrimp, just the right sauces, really good. I took home a container of their vegan lentil soup which is better than my lentil soup. that's not a small thing. beautifully balanced flavor, really delicious. I can't wait to go back and try everything else.“

“Chicken was delicious and facility clean“

“Dilson at South House was nothing short of exceptional. From the moment we were seated, he was attentive, personable, and incredibly well-managed — striking the perfect balance between being present and allowing us to enjoy our experience. He anticipated our needs before we even had to ask, kept everything running smoothly, and never missed a beat.

His knowledge of the menu was impressive; every food and drink recommendation he made was spot-on and elevated our entire meal. You can tell he truly understands both the offerings and what guests are looking for. His efficiency, confidence, and genuine hospitality made us feel taken care of from start to finish.

Dilson is the kind of server who turns a great restaurant into an unforgettable experience. South House is lucky to have him, and we’ll absolutely be requesting him on our next visit.“

“Went 1st time today for my Birthday - it was GREAT!💙👍“

“you think your grandma is in the kitchen. you really won't believe hiw good all the food is.“

“The food is delicious and the serve is amazing so friendly and kind“

“What can I say about this amazing restaurant, Bird Dog. Not only was the food absolutely amazing, tasty and presented perfectly, the staff was kind, attentive and extremely friendly. Bird Dog gives very New York vibes with a soft Southern hospitality touch. I’m not only saying this because I’ve known the owner/operator for over 15 years but because the food and experience was great! Recommend to any/all foodies local and visitors to the area.“

“Good little spot ❤️ Enjoyed ourselves“

“I was there for takeout for the first time last week ~ All I can say is Yum and will order from them again Even spoke with the man who makes the food himself! Thank you!“

“Caleb, Caleb, Caleb — the best man I’ve ever had the pleasure of being served by. He made us feel so welcomed and even joined in on the fun that pursued. He made our night many times better. The service was absolutely incredible, and the food to match.“

“The food was absolutely delicious, highly recommend“

“The food and the presentations are wonderful. The atmosphere is beautiful not only with the waiters, but the patrons as well, took someone there today and they are coming back. And they are bringing back a family member“

“This place was very small and intimate but they good amount of seating plus bar seating. The service was great (we sat at the bar). The FOOD!!! Was amazing we had the shoreline breakfast, hush puppies, and the hen house(photo below) the portions are big. The star of the show was that molasses butter that came on top of the pancake SO GOOD.definitely coming back to get the crawfish dish“

“Shrimp Po Boy was great-best I had in years. The baked beans and biscuit also great. Had them delivered-came fast and warm.“

“Someone who’s from Texas and been here for work it’s really hard to find some true southern flare and this place answers the calling when it comes to that and glad that I’d gotten to make the trip over here to try it out. Also will most definitely will be back again.“

“Kawana and Natorie provided outstanding service and was very welcoming when entering the restaurant. Kawana made sure that my food was fresh. I would come here again.“

“I love this place and I love the food and the service is amazing. I have a fav hostess she’s really kind always. She’s soft spoken and wears a trucker cap. I can’t recall her name but she’s the best. I recommend them to all who love great eats and a relaxed environment. It has an ol school feel which I enjoy.“

“extremely professional, courteous. clean establishment, John and Simone ARE GREAT FOLK. Food is delicious!“

“After the compulsory ID check with the doorman we snagged the last two seats at the bar. The place was humming with energy. It was a Friday night & all the patrons were gearing up for the weekend. The decibel level is fairly high. The DJ was actually spinning some of our favourite tunes.

We ordered a couple beers & surveyed the menu. We selected the shrimp po boy (very tasty), fish tacos (nicely spiced) & the wedge salad (maybe a touch over dressed with blue cheese dressing). Heck it was Friday night: we enjoyed our fairly basic selections.

The bartenders took good care of us. Always making sure we had enough beverages, replenishing napkins (it was a messy meal) & refilling our water.

If you find yourself in the East Village craving some tiki inspired drinks & simple cooking this place will satisfy.“

“The popcorn soft serve is actually so good. I thought at first it was going to taste like pure butter, they’re is actually a nice balance of butter, salt, and a flavor that can only be described as butterscotch I suppose. They also stack this ice cream super high, so for the price you really get your money’s worth. I also got the bag of biscuits. They were buttery and tasted really homemade. I honestly ate the whole bag in a day because they were so good. The butter they came with was also really good. I can’t wait to come back here so I can try more!“

“Excellent, friendly restaurant in the heart of NYC West Village. Thank you for a PERFECT graduation dinner experience for our family.“

“Food tasted great. Poor wrap and ingredient distribution & too light on the dressing(got some very dry lettuce only on a couple of bites) on the chicken Caesar salad wrap is my only complaint - but the chicken was great and it was a top tier chicken Caesar wrap on the bites where you got a little of everything.“

“💕 great, great, great!!!“

“Deliciousness! I’m going to stop there as soon as I arrive into nyc on my next visit 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾“

“The food and service was amazing!“

“Eu curto de mais do pagode a comida e muito boa e esse programa de domingo aqui e muito bom“

“I'm a regular at Amy Ruth's restaurant in Harlem and I'm always down to grab some Soul Food on my days off with my friends when I have the time. Quite recently, I found out that Amy Ruth's had a second location closer to where I work downtown. It was almost perfect because now I can pick up some food either on the way to work, or order some during my lunch break.

One of my friends and I decided to check this location out on Saturday and I have to say, it was really beyond our expectations. We were greeted by Jayda who took our orders and also informed us that Tim would be our Chef for the day.

To start, my friend ordered a half and half lemonade / iced tea and I ordered a regular lemonade. My lemonade tasted like it was freshly squeezed and made me feel like a kid again. Wait time for our food was no longer than a few minutes since we were the first ones in the store. We both ordered three fried chicken wings on a waffle, homemade macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and candied yams. My friend and I devoured our meals and even saved some for later. The last thing we ordered was their signature red velvet cake and creamy banana pudding. Absolute perfection.

If I'm being honest, I've eaten at a few other Soul Food restaurants in the city, and in my opinion, Amy Ruth's is number one on my list. Amy Ruth's Downtown is definitely worth checking out whether you're in the area for a quick bite, or just have a craving for some authentic southern cuisine.“

“Dishes are not consistent. My meatloaf was burned so badly they put a lot of BBQ sauce on it to cover it up. This was done despite the fact that I requested no sauce. Next time I requested one blackened whiting dish and was given fried whiting.“

“Food is amaziing!!! Service is great and friendly. Try it out you will not be disappointed!!👍“

“Quickly becoming one of my favorite spots! 🥰 The atmosphere is mellow and perfect for dates or a girls' night out. As for the flavors — wow! The Butternut Squash Soup was the perfect starter, and the Short Rib and Grits were incredible. Definitely save room for the Belgian Brownie Bar! Highly recommend! Can't wait to go back for brunch!“

“Was in Printers Alley this weekend with my parents for the first time staying in a hotel nearby and found this place really nice and chill with good food, loads of TVs for games with a big NFL game on while we were in - We sat at the bar as a lot of the tables were reserved but Thomas was so nice and took great care of us while checking in regularly with us to make sure we were okay while also giving my parents a laugh and recommendations on what to do around the city. Can't fault this bar at all and will definitely be back next time in NYC!“

“First time at Amy Ruth’s and it did not disappoint. We were immediately greeted and seated. The waitress was attentive and wonderful. We definitely didn’t feel rushed which was great. This way we could throughly enjoy the meal and also just our lunch conversation.

Restaurant is so spacious that we had our privacy. Unlike a lot of NYC restaurants where tables are so close together.

Most important the food. The food was well worth the trip from Jersey. It was the best fried chicken I’ve had. All the sides were a great enhancement to the meal. Really delicious. Of course we had to finish our meal with dessert. We selected two items made in-house and they did not disappoint.

Only negative is that I’m not closer to the restaurant to eat there more often. Definitely worth the trip and highly recommended for a meal that just feels like comfort.

Thank you to the staff and to the Chef for a wonderful experience!“

“The spicy chicken biscuit omg toooooo die for so my husband and I saw many people entering this spot plus it was our first time. We heard mac and cheese, greens, and fried chicken. So we got a bucket of mixed chicken, two sides of Mac and cheese, and some collard greens (they make them with black eyed peas and tomatoes; totally different from any kind of greens I ever had and I definitely was left craving more. Nice little spot and such friendly people. Heading back very soon“

“Met a few friends for Sunday brunch here! They do have a bottomless brunch option if you’re into that. We didn’t get it, but their mimosas were so good.

All of us loveedddd our meals. I got the stacked brisket enchilada and it was soooo good. The brisket was cooked perfectly and the rice and beans on the side were yum too. I’d deff come back again for some Tex Mex goodness!“

“omg the food is excellent and most of all fresh will be back ♡“

“The atmosphere was amazing , staff was polite an courtesy, The hot wings are AMAZING!!Perfect Date night atmosphere! Management was polite an on point with every customer! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I’ll be back !“

“Food was great. I'd definitely eat that chili chicken sandwich again. The fries are a huge portion and good for sharing (between my partner and I, we didn't even finish them, there were that many!) Ordering the sandwich + prices came out to be $26.

Their fried chickens have a great marinades, which make it messy to eat. I wish they had some wipes or something other than the paper towel/napkin option. This is ideal for dining-in; I don't recommend eating on the go. There's very limited seating, but somehow we snagged a seat. The party who ate before us didn't clean up after themselves... which wasn't very considerate. I ended up throwing up their trash. The staff seemed very busy behind the counter, and never came around to clean the tables. this is very much a takeout-forward place.“

“A very special evening with my 93 yr old Godmother. Food was excellent. Pasta was cooked perfectly. Service was impeccable Special honor to have Chef Sal stop at our table Our favorite place in the city“

“I love the chicken and fries. I wish they delivered to Belleville. I would order more if they did.“

“Grew up with one of the owners. He’s been passionate about cooking good food since his teen years. Fantastic food, fantastic restaurant staff, fantastic atmosphere. Proposed to my now wife at Peaches!“

“Great place, mini diner, fantastic breakfast.
Atmosphere? Lol, Google doesn't understand how humans value space, it has the Atmosphere of a traditional lunch counter, which is fantastic for a lunch counter. Come here for food, it's great!“

“I love coming to this food hall and Bob White greets you as the first choice of food. Although they are mostly fast food and fried, I see why they are still in business. The hand cut fries 🍟 are my go to item, and their tenders are well paired to taste. Not overly seasoned however packing flavor, mistress, because its bribed, and this is real chicken, not processed. So the tenders are also on the menu made into a sandwich or a wrap. I haven't explored that yet, but may try when I am not counting calories. The kale salad with added almonds and quinoa as a side is befitting as a healthier dish with my fries and tenders. I will be returning again because they have so many other sauces to try. They were fast with service although 1 person ordered ahead of me, and 2 were called before I received mine, I was pleased. Oh and even more pleased to know as an MTA worker I received a discount and by taking the receipt I noticed I can get a free Sweet Tea just for making this review. I will update and let everyone know how that goes and after I get a fork for my salad. Later for now!

Update! I got my free sweet tea!! Its refreshing, not to sweet which is great for me, its sweet enough . We don't need liquid diabetes people!!! if you do, then McDonald's has some for you.“

“Enter through the Red Rooster restaurant walk down the stairs that’s the location of the club . Great music 🎶, food 🥘 and cocktails 🍸. You will enjoy listening to great jazz and I believe it becomes a club on the late hours of the night. Around minding . Elegant decor“

“This spot has rightly captured the attention of food lovers. We ordered lots of food for everybody to share. Restaurant team members transform this place to five-star status. You'll enjoy impressive meals in this compact setting. My time here was truly satisfying.“

“I found this restaurant on Tik Tok and I’m sooo glad I did! I had the best oxtail I’ve probably ever had!!! Thoroughly satisfied with my experience and will be sure to go again whenever I’m in the area!! 🤌🏾“

“The food is AMAZING!!! I love the tortilla soup ❤️“

“10's across the board. I loved everything I ordered. My only complaint is I wish I had a cornbread instead of a dinner roll. Nonetheless I enjoyed it with my catfish. Please send me the recipe for your Mac it was sooooo good. I would definitely say this is true authentic soul food. Yummy!“

“The food is past amazing mac&cheese, oxtail, chicken, how about the menu is Top-tier, this is the food spot, before heading to Atlantic City, customer service is great,leave your own attitude outside and everything will be peacefully in order. Thanks Sis you nailed it. Respectfully A SouthPhilly Native“

“Chef Monique & her team provide a culinary experience for your soul! The food we catered (Mac & cheese, greens & cabbage mix, along with jerk salmon) were all delicious with the perfect amount of heat. The dishes were beautifully presented for us upon pick-up to warm easily for our gathering with specific warming instructions to prevent drying out. Our family appreciated the hands that prepared our feast. Chef Mo goes out of her way to make sure details are met with a smile! I would highly recommend everything on the menu.
Thanks Chef Mo & your Team! 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽“