Old-School New Jersey Diner Dishes Everyone Should Try Once

If you haven't eaten the kind of food they serve up in the best New Jersey diners, you haven't lived. Those in the know are well aware that New Jersey food culture is dynamic, unique, and ever-changing. With the third-largest immigration population in the country, the state's cuisine has been heavily influenced by the various cultures and demographics that live and build businesses there, and as a result, New Jersey's menu is a mash-up of delicious tastes. What's especially notable are the Eastern European and Italian influences on its cuisine, but in true Jersey fashion, the food served in its restaurants has taken these starting points and become something that's wholly its own identity.

However, if you want to try true New Jersey food, you should skip the fancy restaurants and head straight to its diners. These establishments have the truest representation of what the average person living and working in the state would have traditionally eaten back in the day, and a lot of their menus have remained unchanging for decades. Old-school favorites like the Taylor ham sandwich, the New Jersey sloppy joe, and the Trenton tomato pie are difficult to find elsewhere in the country, but in the state's diners they're ten a penny. Ready to check out your next order when you're in Jersey? We've got you.

Everyone knows that a good night out needs to be followed by a good plate of food, and in New Jersey, they've nailed their post-club snack. That snack is disco fries, a diner staple with a very appropriate name that has lined stomachs in the Garden State since the 1970s. Disco fries emerged at the time when disco music was at its peak, and people needed a distinctive dish after a night of dancing. Diner chefs realized that the combination of fries, cheese, and gravy would hit the spot, and disco fries became an instant success.

Upon first glance, disco fries might seem indistinguishable from poutine, Canada's famous fry dish, which is similarly topped with cheese and gravy. However, there are a few key differences. Disco fries typically use mozzarella or American cheese instead of cheese curds, with the former cheeses melting more easily and making the dish even more gooey. The fries, too, are often a little thicker, giving each bite more substance. It's the kind of dish that you can find in all respectable all-night diners in the state, and it's best enjoyed after a good, long dance.

There are a lot of deli meats out there, but few of them are regional: No matter where you go in the country, you'll likely be able to find salami, pepperoni, and bologna. You're unlikely to find Taylor ham anywhere but New Jersey, though. More officially known as Taylor Pork Roll (although in northern New Jersey, Taylor ham is considered the correct term), this deli meat has been widespread in the state since the late 19th century. It's a source of fierce pride for New Jerseyans, so much so that when gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill called it "gross" in an interview in October 2025, it was considered to be a real misstep.

Taylor ham, or pork roll, has found itself in plenty of diner dishes over the years, but the classic way to eat it is in a sandwich. The meat (which has a similar consistency and taste to Spam) is sliced, fried on a griddle until it develops a deeper color, and then thrown between slices of bread with some cheese on top. It's salty, savory, and totally delicious. If you're eating it for breakfast, a fried egg can crown the whole thing, or you can cook it up in a skillet and then scramble some eggs in.

Sloppy joes are everywhere, but if you order one in New Jersey expecting a burger bun full of a richly flavored ground meat sauce, you'll be pretty disappointed. A New Jersey sloppy joe is another thing entirely, and arguably it's even more delicious (and way easier to eat). New Jersey sloppy joes are similar to Reuben sandwiches, and consist of several meats piled together and topped with Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and Russian dressing. The whole thing is then constructed with three — yep, three — slices of sourdough rye, which must also be buttered. We think you'll agree, folks: This thing is pretty hearty.

The New Jersey sloppy joe may not be as messy as a sloppy joe elsewhere, thanks to most of its ingredients being solid, but you'll still need a fair few napkins. The coleslaw is prone to falling out of the sandwich and going all over the floor (or your lap). The sourdough rye, though, does a good job of stopping everything from falling apart, with the butter an essential step to avoid mushiness.

If you've ever eaten at a diner in either New Jersey or Pennsylvania, you've probably seen scrapple on the menu. This meat is especially common in South Jersey, and it's so famous that it even has its own day (November 9, in case you were wondering). For the uninitiated, though, it can be a little bit of an acquired taste. Scrapple was first invented in Pennsylvania Dutch communities, and it has the hallmarks of resourcefulness and an eye on food waste that mark a lot of working people's traditional foods. It's made from pork scraps, offal, and offcuts that are pressed together into a gelatinized log, before being sliced into pieces and fried on a griddle.

It's probably no surprise that in the modern world, scrapple has become a bit of a curiosity, especially when there are so many other breakfast meats at our disposal. However, for a taste of South Jersey, it's definitely worth an order. Scrapple is best paired with a side of hashbrowns and a fried egg, and a touch of apple butter can give it a deliciously sweet counterpoint.

There are sliders, and then there are New Jersey sliders. On first glance, these burgers might not seem different from the ones you'd get at White Castle, but the Garden State has made an art out of the slider that puts other types to shame. Instead of premade hamburger patties, each New Jersey slider starts with a golf ball of fresh, high-fat beef, which is flattened onto a searing hot griddle. The beef is then topped with thinly cut onions, layered with a slice of American cheese, and then inserted into a Wonder-style bun. It's simple, but oh man, is it effective.

New Jersey sliders are perhaps the quintessential food for blue-collar workers in the state, and they've remained cheap and easy to find to this day. Interestingly, a lot of the businesses that serve them have "white" in the name (much like White Castle) with White Manna Hamburgers and the White Rose Diner being two key spots to hit up, the latter taking up residency in Hackensack in 1946. Alternatively, you could head to the White Rose System in Roselle.

You can get a hot dog anywhere in the country, and indeed the world — so what makes New Jersey's offer any different? They do it Italian-style. Italian hot dogs have been served in New Jersey for around a century, and were particularly popular during the Great Depression. They were said to have been invented by restaurateur James "Bluff" Racioppi and appear to be closely related to the sausage and pepper hero sandwich. Like that sandwich, a New Jersey Italian hot dog combines sausage and pepper, but it also adds fried onions and potatoes to make things even more filling. Some chefs take things to the extreme and construct sandwiches so towering that there's no way you could get them into your mouth in one go. Instead, they need to be picked at first, before you can eventually pick them up and chow down.

Where Italian hot dogs differ further from regular ones is in the bread they're made from. These hot dogs use what's known as "pizza bread," which is slightly sturdier than a regular hot dog bun, so that all of its toppings are contained properly. If you want to try an Italian hot dog in its purest form, try hitting up Jimmy Buff's in Newark, which is run by the ancestors of Racioppi himself.

Few things hit the spot like a turkey sandwich does, but in New Jersey, they like to open things up a little. One unique twist on a classic turkey sandwich is the open-faced version that you'll find in some New Jersey diners. The open-faced turkey sandwich is exactly what it sounds like, and in appearance, it somewhat looks like a fancier version of chipped beef on toast. Slices of whole grain or rye bread are laid on a plate and topped with turkey slices, before gravy is poured over the top. Some places may also layer in stuffing and cranberry sauce, or serve the sauce on the side. You may also get a generous pile of mashed potatoes with it, to turn this thing into a meal that's sure to send you to sleep.

If you haven't guessed already, this is a diner item that's generally only available seasonally, although certain places may also serve it year-round. Perhaps more widely known is the classic Gobbler sandwich, which is served across the state in diners during the holiday period. This version, however, places another slice of bread on top to contain the whole affair.

If you're ever in New Jersey, you can try a delicacy that was invented in the state and named after a different state entirely. Confusing? We'll explain. New Jersey is the birthplace of the Texas wiener (also known as the Hot Texas Wiener), which was invented in the mid-1920s by an unnamed chef. The chef in question was experimenting with different ways to serve his hot dogs to make them stand out, and decided to top one of them with a spicy chili sauce made with ground beef, tomatoes, and spices. The flavor stuck, and the hot dog soon gained the "Texas" name, presumably in reference to its fiery, hearty nature.

Nowadays, of course, the chili dog is everywhere — but if you want to try it in its original form, New Jersey is the place to go. For a classic taste, hit up Manny's Texas Wiener, which has been serving these dogs since 1979. A standard Texas wiener will cost you just over four dollars, and a combo meal with fries and coleslaw comes in at $8.99. Not bad for a full meal, right?

All pizza is awesome, but Trenton tomato pie is particularly excellent. It's so good that folks in New Jersey are determined not to reveal it to the masses (sorry, guys, it's time the secret's out). Trenton tomato pie has been around since the early 20th century, and comes from, as the name indicates, Trenton, the capital of New Jersey. More specifically, it stems from the Chambersburg neighborhood, which was a hub for Italian-Americans who perfected their twist on pizza as the years went on.

Tomato pie isn't just a simple combo of tomato sauce and dough, but a full pizza — it's just the order of things that's different. Instead of putting the tomato sauce on first and then topping it with cheese, chefs start by placing the toppings on the pizza base before ladling sauce over them. Pepperoni, Italian sausage, and sweet peppers are common toppings, and the pizza is cooked until it's surprisingly solid. Having the tomato on top helps to temper the creaminess of the cheese, and it creates a surprisingly balanced dish that not overwhelmed by one particular element. It's way less messy than you think, too.

Cheesesteaks come from Philadelphia, right? Well, that may be the case, but that hasn't stopped other places from having their own spin on the sandwich. The New Jersey cheesesteak is a take on the Philly classic that needs to be seen (and eaten) to be believed. On paper, it's not that much different from the Philly version, but certain restaurants in New Jersey like Donkey's Place have figured out a unique way to create them that stands out, serving the cheesesteak on a Kaiser roll and topped with a generous heap of caramelized onions. The Donkey's cheesesteak is so impressive that it drove none other than Anthony Bourdain to try it while filming "Parts Unknown: New Jersey." "This sandwich is unbelievably good," Bourdain stated after biting into it, as seen in a clip on YouTube. Hey, if he approves, then we know that you will too.

Donkey's is far from the only place to get a cheesesteak in New Jersey, though. Dozens of diners and sandwich shops serve the classic, and each of them has its own style. Some pile in mushrooms, some use a sesame seed baguette, and some top theirs with Cheetos.