Comfort Food Restaurants near Lodi, NJ

“I went to there on Essex St, Lodi, NJ before they changed over to new management. A few times the corn was like biting into raw corn not cooked. The woman who worked there was so nice and willing to check the corn. Next time the corn was better and actually cooked. Now recently I went back this week in April and the corn was worse this time and to make it worse under this new management the chicken was way over cooked. It was burnt on the skin part and inside when I bit into the tiny drumstick it was over cooked and dry same with the thigh. The new person serving me was nice also but the other woman before the new management was more of a people person and very nice. Unfortunately this new one didn't pay attention to how long those chickens were cooking and to how little the corn was cooked. I didn't want to travel all the way back to show her this time. BTW I got the cut potatoes slices not mashed.
At least this time the payment terminal for the charge card works. Though she did ask me if I had cash instead of using the card I said no I don't does the terminal work? I used the terminal. I won't be going back unless I have no other choice.

EDIT (9/20/23)I recently went back when the new management is now not so new and see a big difference with the corn now. It is cooked just right now. Sometimes the chicken is a little over cooked but I see an improvement with that too. Thank you for that.

3/2025. Went back to try again and a big improvement. Chicken not dry and the corn was cooked perfect. Thank you for that

Parking: parking is on the lot. Why all the questions? I can't click post without all these annoying questions being answered.“

“Had a great time, great food and good beers 🍺“

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

“This food truck on University Avenue in Gainesville, Florida was an amazing find. I learned they originally came from Jersey. I ordered the Fat Darrell fries along with mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, and marinara sauce , and everything was insanely delicious. If you're in the Gainesville downtown area, you definitely need to check them out. Their menu is huge and they even serve breakfast. A full five-star experience.“

“This spot is 12/10 my favorite place in the area. I recently moved to Jersey City however when I’m in the area, I make it a point to grab food from here specifically! The staff is so hardworking and nice. They always have a smile on their face and welcome any questions you may have. Love this place and you will too!“

“Hands down the best Ecuadorian restaurant in Newark for lunch and dinner! Large portions and great quality food. The atmosphere is lively and welcoming. I miss the previous owners will be missed but the current ones know what they're doing.“

“EXCEPTIONAL Food & Service. Billy and Tom are awesome, friendly and professional. The food is so yummy and I would recommend them to any events that you're having from weddings, going-away parties, birthdays, memorials, etc. Keep up the fantastic work that you're doing.“

“Wow! After looking at many places on Columbus that just didn’t thrill us, we were SO happy to find the incredibly delicious Mexican cuisine at Nina’s last night I had the Cochinita Pibil (with an orange habanero salsa on the side that will let you know who’s boss…) and my old friend had Enchiladas Mole with chicken. Excellent and authentic food with warm, friendly staff, and a great bar selection with many tequilas. Nina’s is great! Reasonable too! Glad to give credit where it’s due to this 7mo old establishment that I hope stays for many years! Will return for more!“

“Amazing food, service, and atmosphere. 5/5“

“Cosy atmosphere, great food and friendly people.“

“My husband and I are checking off the top 10 East Harlem eateries. The Earls beer and cheese is ranked #5. Their drink and food met lol our high expectations. We had blackberry hard cider and BBQ brisket taco
The Back to Back - fried chicken breast in buffalo sauce with French fries. The services were very outstanding and food were delicious. The place were filled with professionals and rather quite. The back room was very cool👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼“

“Great American Diner, proper homely food. I had the spinach and mushroom omelette which comes with fries (mini roast potato's) and sourdough toast, also ordered some black coffee and orange juice.

Great portions (not too big) and excellent value for money.

It was also nice to see so many locals / regulars dining there (the waitress knew their usual, which is always a good sign).“

“Definitivamente las mejores quesadillas de Tinga al carbón.“

“Got the brand sampler. A meal for $19.60.
Here’s what I thought of each item
Har gow / shrimp siu mai - 3/5, hard to get wrong, just didn’t love it, even with the soy sauce.
Chicken siu mai - 5/5, was my favorite
Sticky rice wrap - 1/5, mushroom and sticky rice was not my favorite
BBQ pork bun - 1/5, wasn’t my thing
Crispy shrimp roll - 4/5, pretty good“

“Vincent and Malik were our servers . They were great. We had them cracking up at our silly jokes and the service was extraordinary! Loves good laugh while I wait for bomb food . Thanks guys“

“I want to say this place was great in food, vibes, and coziness. This is a great definition of a mom and pop restaurant.

Firstly the food.
I had the bulgogi bento. The bulgogi looked, smelled, and tasted amazing. It had the normal bulgogi flavor with that nice hit of smokiness almost like wokhay from Chinese cooking. I loved each bite as the smokiness hit my mouth and nose. The sides of the bento was good too, the dumplings were nice and crunchy with a nice but just a tad bit bland filling, tho to be fair the filling is fairly standard for korean dumplings. The kimichi is what I prefer, which is the more freshly made kind. And the rice was cooked as I expected from a Korean restaurant, which is good. The salads were fine again its a salad, but it was nice that they added kale to the salad adding this bit of variety. The salad dressing was sweet and a bit tangy, mostly sweet which I do like since I have a sweet tooth.

The other bento was the shrimp tempura, I did get one of the shrimp tempura and it was good. The crunchy and breading was nice and you had the shrimp flavor that was still there.

Finally the tteokbokki. It was great. The rice cakes were chewy and soft and the fish cakes were soft and not mushy. The flavor of the sauce was great too, it had this nice umami to it and was the perfect level of spicy to enjoy.

The price for the food was also reasonable. Both bento costed roughly $18 each and the tteokbokki costed $12. They also had an interesting line up of drinks that was nice.

All this aside I want to also note how cozy and welcoming it felt. The lady that was serving us was very kind and caring. She even asked about how the addition of kale to the salad was because it was a new addition that they changed because people liked kale. I really liked that attention to detail. The store was medium sized with some odds and ends here and there but that added to the charm of the place.

I went on a Thursday during lunch time and it had a good amount of business via pick up but I was there alone with the person I was with dining in.

Overall as a Korean I think this place hits better then certain places in mind the food was good and the atmosphere was comforting.

I do regret not trying some of the other menu items I guess I have to return for some more.

For the sake of Google reviews I gave everything a 5. My personal score may be closer to a 4.4 which is high for my own personal score“

“Soooo delicious! I love the lemon curry wings and the dumplings. I’ve ordered both takeout and also dined in, and both times the food was delicious and the service was excellent. The restaurant is a nice spot in Harlem, very relaxed with friendly staff. Highly recommend for a nice lunch in the neighborhood. Love love love this place!“

“Absolutely Incredible food and family Owned service“

“The food and the service was amazing! The short rib was soft as butter, the pork rib was juicy and flavorful and the fish was delicious! I highly recommend this place. 🙌🏾🔥“

“I celebrated my cousin's birthday last October at Lagos restaurant and Lounge was great“

“Foods and drinks are delish😋 Great ambiance and service!“

“My favorite Dig location in the city and one of my all time favorite cafeteria style spots! Chef Karina always creates the best recipes with amazing flavor, and the staff consistently go above and beyond in service and friendliness, especially Donell!!“

“Great Mimosas and Great Staff! M is a character!“

“This place feels like coming home to your favorite cozy spot that always hits just right. I've been here for date nights and catching up w friends- a perfect place for both. It's such an ideal NYC neighborhood hangout- the food is ALWAYS outstanding, and the ambience (think cool jazz tunes, no tvs) is exactly what I need after a long overstimulated day.“

“What a delightful little breakfast/brunch place!!! We went here straight from the airport on our way into town, luggage and all, and it was perfect! We sat in the little outside area with the fans because the A/C was broken inside. My mom ordered the Grey Dog’s Breakfast with her eggs scrambled, French toast, and bacon, and it’s served with home fries. I ordered the egg and cheese croissant minus the parsley (not my fave) and added bacon. I’m picky about my home fries, so the server offered me french fries instead. We had exactly zero complaints about our meal. The portions are big, the eggs and bacon were cooked perfectly, and the French toast had this sweet butter with it that I can’t even compare to anything because it was so unique and delicious. The home fries ended up being DELICIOUS. The French fries were also good. I enjoyed the seasoning on them as well. I’m not a big fan of the thing shoe string fries, but these were good! The three employees we encountered were all very friendly and I would be more than happy to eat here again any time.“

“WOW…EXCEPTIONAL food and service! I got spicy japchae with shrimp and egg. This tastes like a home cooked meal and is the best japchae I have ever tasted. You can tell that the Chef poured so much love into it. She even had me taste the sauce while she was cooking! This place is a hidden gem!!! The kimchi is also the best kimchi I have ever had.“

“Always good and you call relax and have a conversation. Love seeing the pride crowd enjoying themselves !“

“We finally got to check this place out when in the area for a book signing. OMG... EVERYTHING was so delicious. It's all slightly under-seasoned, which is typical of restaurants to remain more neutral, but easily remedied. I was just beyond thankful for all the gluten-free options and versions of the non-gf offerings. I had the gluten-free Country Fried Chick’n, w White Gravy Bowl, Chick'n Parm Hero, and Buffalo Chik'n Mac n Cheese. All of them were SO good and well-made. The sandwich needed no seasoning, but the white gravy was lacking salt and pepper and the mac n cheese was a bit dry and needed more buffalo sauce. Thankfully, I had some extra cheese sauce and buffalo sauce at home. I may have to buy extra cheese sauce from there next time we order. All of the flavors I wanted were there, overall. My husband had the regular versions of the Sausage, Peppers & Onions Hero, Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Hero w mustard, Cheesesteak Empanadas, and Corn Bread. He couldn't say enough good things about the sausage sandwiches and declared them the best he's had post AND pre-vegan! He loved the empanadas so much he's going to grab a cheesesteak sub next time. He described the cornbread as fluffy, flavorful, and one of the best he's had. He sliced it in half and topped it with some chili the next day. It took us a few days to get through it all, but it was so worth the big order. I wish there was some tables so you could enjoy it hot and fresh, but it was a nice night and we got some air as we ate outside. The owner was very kind and obviously puts a lot of love and effort into his food. It's 45 minutes away without traffic, but we'll definitely make this a destination from time to time. Absolutely worth it!“

“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.“

“Food was absolutely incredible. So much flavor in everything we ate. Highly recommend the crispy chicken with rice. The tom yum noodle soup was also very good. Affordable and big portions. Make reservations since the restaurant is very small.“

“Awesome location, stunning cozy decor and fabulous food! ✨✨✨✨✨“

“I had a great experience at Sopo Korean Eats. The food was flavorful and satisfying, with bold Korean flavors that feel both authentic and approachable. Everything tasted fresh and well-prepared. The space is casual and welcoming, and the staff were friendly and efficient. A solid spot for a quick, tasty Korean meal.“

“We visited a few times last week from the UK. Great breakfasts and really friendly service . Will visit again when we come back hopefully in the near future 👍“

“really good food… average prices 9/10“

“Robert, the concierge at the Ritz Carlton NOMAD recommended Ol'Days - I'm so glad he did! ABSOLUTELY delicious! Every single dish is so thoughtful and layered and yummy! I wanted to take every menu item - to go! Your service was also so lovely and held us in the highest hospitality! Thank you for a memorable, fun, delicious and healthy lunch! I hope to see you again! Ps/you will love the arepas!“

“Yummy yummy Good service Nice place“

“This was about a 10min drive from our hotel and the unlimited mimosas made it appealing from the start but the food was AWESOME! Unlimited mimosas added another layer and we were pleased and lit by the time we left. When I tell you it’s worth every dime it truly is so please go. The service is good and they will check in considering it’s a 90minute unlimited mimosa thing BUT all good. Don’t feel rushed because they don’t push you out and again the ladies will make sure you’re good to go. Chelsea is the way to go! We had two rounds!“

“I’m something of a BBQ critic having grown up in the South and lived there for 40 or so years and I’ve had some bad pork experiences in NYC. So much so that I’ve told my friends, “NYC does every type of cuisine well EXCEPT BBQ” I respectfully retract that statement after having AU Jus’ SUPERB pulled pork sandwich this evening. I’m going to have to join a 12 step program to stop myself from eating it every day. So good it’ll make your tongue slap your brains out.“

“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!“

“(Translated by Google) Excellent Guatemalan food, they give good service and the place is clean, and the price is very accessible.(Original)Excelente comida guatemalteca, dan un buen servicio y el lugar es limpio, y el precio es muy accesible.“

“Took my parents here for Mothers Day and had arranged to meet my brother in law and his wife for lunch. We had 1 PM tickets to the Whitney across the street so we there at 11 when it opened and waited about 10 minutes for my BIL. Sitting outside not in the tent felt like NYC, the noises, the people, smells were typical New York. The food was great too.“

“Visited from the Uk with our 3 girls. My breakfast was amazing….corn beef hash 👌🏻. The girls all had something different so had to have a taste of theirs too….all were so good. Definitely recommend this lovely little place 👍🏻“

“The food is excellent and is delivered quickly.“

“My fiance and I went here for the first time this past weekend and loved it! We loved the oldies style vibe, decor and music. The food was very good, decently priced, and our waitress, Denise, was awesome! We will definitely be back!“

“Loved my tea and rice ball“

“I had such a wonderful experience here! The food was absolutely delicious — fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Every dish felt thoughtfully prepared and full of quality ingredients. The service was just as impressive: the staff was friendly, attentive, and genuinely made me feel welcome without ever being intrusive.

The atmosphere was perfect — warm, inviting, and comfortable, with just the right balance between lively and relaxing. Whether you’re coming for a casual meal or a special night out, this place really delivers on both great food and a great vibe.

Highly recommend and definitely looking forward to coming back!“

“I had the Hot honey chicken sandwich. delicious. highly recommend. this is a franchise I'd gladly go back too. The prices aren't too crazy.“

“If you have a taste, for some great home cooking, make your way to Maggie's! A small family run joint, where the food is made with soul and love! The meatloaf, yams and greens, are crave worthy and the cabbage, mac n cheese and ribs will make you wish you bought more! I have eaten Soul Food, from way South to NYC, in homes and restaurants and Maggie's rates up there with some of the most delicious, I've had. As they say down South, "they put their feet in that food"!!!“