Blank

Casual Habana Cafe

 125 Main St
Hackensack, NJ
 

Cuban Food

Went to Hackensack to try Caribbean/Soul food and ended up across the street at Casual Habana and was pleasantly surprised. We were immediately welcomed at the door and shown to a table along one of the natural brick side walls. While the waiter handed us the menus and opened our wines, we had a chance to take in the atmosphere which is casual,,,not necessarily cuban inspired but anywhere cafe. Some background cuban music would be a nice addition.
A basket of fried plantain chips with a garlic aloli was brought to the table and they were addtive. Our appetizers,,chorizo ala Plancha—sauted chorizo with carmelized onions was very good and the Croquestas Caseras didn’t have much flavor. My husband ordered Rabo Encendido (chef recommended dish) which was oxtail simmered in brown gravy. It was tasty and tender but no spice as indicted on the menu. The two sides he ordered,,,Black beans lacked in flavor, but the sweet plantains were excellant.
I ordered Lechon ala Patria (another chef recommended dish) which was shredded pork with carmelized onions. It was a very generous portion and very flavorful. For the sides I had dirty rice and house salad and both were very good. I took home more then half my dinner.
The staff was friendly, efficient and answered any questions. The chef/owner walked around greeting and inquiring about our dinners. We were very happy with our overall experience and would certainly return to try more menu items.

Lechon ala Patria

 

Blank

Harvey Cedars Shellfish Company

 7904 Long Beach Blvd
Beach Haven, NJ
 

Havey Cedars Shellfish Co.

A very casual, busy, byob, seaside fish restaurant. This restaurant is always busy in the summer,,can be noisey at times,, but the fish entrees are fresh, straight forward, meaning they don’t need extra embellishments, fancy sauces or anything to cover up the taste of the sea. Never disappointed with the food, service, or portions. They’ve been at the same location for probably thirty years or more, so they know what they are doing and it’s all good!

Salmon

Grilled perfectly, excellant flavor with potates any way or rice and fresh veggie medley.

Blank

Cinnamon Bay Caribbean Grill

 7601 Long Beach Blvd
Harvey Cedars, NJ
 

LBI Jamaican

Cinnamon Bay Caribbean Grille in Harvey Cedars on Long Beach Island is a real gem with excellant food and affordable prices,,,especially for LBI. We’ve eaten there on 3 occasions and haven’t been disappointed. It’s a small,,,maybe 30 to 40 seat room,,accomodating dinner for two or 12 and it’s a byob. The staff is very friendly and attentive making for a nice casual dinner. First off a basket of hush puppies is brought to the table with butter and these little fried morsels are hard to resist, but never a problem getting more if you dare. All the portions are generous and most can be seasoned regular or spicey. The decor/atmosphere is kind of ho-hum, nothing special and one thing I noticed last weekend, which if first impressions are important,,,,the front door windows needed a good cleaning.

Coconut Curry Beef

Looked like beef brisket in a coconut curry sauce, served over hoppin john (rice & black eyed peas) with perfectly cooked fresh veggie medley of carrots, zucchini & string beans. Sprinkled over the beef was fresh mango & papaya. I asked for it spicey and it was perfect for me, with a slight tingle on the lips & tongue. On another occasion we had a coconut/pineapple layer cake for dessert and it was delicious.

Blank

Tina Louise

 403 Hackensack St
Carlstadt, NJ
 

Tina Louise, Carlstadt, NJ

Tina Louise is a small, intimate store front, chinese restaurant. But, don’t expect the typical chinese take out food, where almost everything tastes the same. Tina Louise knows how to meld flavors that keep you wanting more. Your started with a complimentary crunchey cabbage/sesame salad, that has a lightly sweet/tangey vinagrette. An appetizer of spicey wontons is so good you will want to make a meal of them. Entrees and soups are all good: sweet corn and minced chicken soup is yummy and crispy coated shrimp in spicey sauce or pan seared beef with ginger and scallions are a couple favorites.Very friendly staff.

Blank

Ness Pizza House

 11-14 Saddle River Rd
Fair Lawn, NJ
 

Ness Pizza, Fairlawn, NJ

Who doesn’t love beer & pizza? So we decided to try a different pizza shop every friday night on a quest to find the ultimate pizza. Translation: thin crust, generous, quality toppings, byob and a nice, not so bright dining area. Ness pizza fits that description. I especially love the 4 topping veggie pie,,,,,,fresh spinach, eggplant, mushroom and garlic. However, my husband, the traditionalist, loves the plain or pepperoni, and not skimpy on the toppings! Their dinner salads are enough for 3 people and very fresh. Plus, they have a very nice casual dining area separate from the pizza pick up counter. But, the beer,,,you have to supply!

Blank

Pimaan Thai Restaurant

 79 Kinderkamack Rd
Emerson, NJ
 

Thai in Emerson, NJ

This is a favorite restaurant of ours. The staff is always friendly and very accomodating. If you like very hot & spicey, just tell your waitress and they will take it to whatever heat you can endure. Chicken, Basil, Hot Pepper is an all time favorite, along with the green papaya salad. Everything is so fresh and you taste all these different flavors individually while eating. We’ve tried many things on the menu and have never been disappointed. This is also a byo which just makes it a perfect place for dinner.

Blank

Toros Restaurant

 690 River Rd
New Milford, NJ
 

Toros in New Milford

Had been to this restaurant many times when it was called “Lodos” and was always satisfied with our meal. Now it is called “Toros” and the atmosphere has changed slightly,,,still cozy, with low lighting, warm painted walls and a very attentive staff. Their shepard salad was good, same as Lodos days. Stuffed grape leaves appetizer (4) was tasty but served without traditional yogurt side. And why doesn’t anyone make grapeleaves with meat? The main entree, Hunkar Begendi, chunks of lamb served over pureed eggplant was okay. Didn’t have much of any flavor and I thought the portion was small. My husband’s dinner, Pirzola & Donor was just the opposite. Very flavorful grilled lamb chops and donor kebab and a very generous portion. Probably won’t go again.

Displaying all 7 entries
Click to view the interactive map
  • Remember your favorite restaurants by saving it to your personal dining journal.
  • Read and write reviews on individual dishes, and upload your food photos for all to see.
  • Interact with local foodies with comments and Menuism mail.
  • View top rated dishes and online restaurant menus (we're the web's largest menu aggregator).

Sign Up

or


Have a Menuism account? Sign in first to link it.

Print this page