3 NJ restaurants named to USA Today’s 2026 top eateries list

Kimberly Redmond//February 16, 2026//

Pasta dish

PHOTO: DEPOSIT PHOTOS

Pasta dish

PHOTO: DEPOSIT PHOTOS

3 NJ restaurants named to USA Today’s 2026 top eateries list

Kimberly Redmond//February 16, 2026//

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Three New Jersey eateries are among the best in the country, according to USA Today’s newly released 2026 Restaurants of the Year ranking.

Now in its third year, the roundup of 40 standout dining destinations spans everything from “humble roadside gems to chef-driven hotspots” across 25 states.

For the project, the media network asked its food writers to nominate restaurants “that offer not just great flavors but also heart, hospitality and a strong sense of community.”

There are New Jersey’s top restaurants, according to :

The Pasta Shop, Denville

  • Cuisine: Italian-American
  • Recommended dishes: Sweet corn & mascarpone ravioli, handmade pasta and chicken parmesan with garlic linguine

Ram & Rooster, Metuchen

  • Cuisine: Chinese-inspired New American
  • Recommended dishes: Lotus root croquette, black soybean pudding and honey shrimp toast

Anjelica’s Restaurant, Sea Bright

  • Cuisine: Italian-American
  • Popular dishes: Linguine with garlic and olive oil, scratch-made ravioli and spicy rigatoni
A glimpse at some dishes from the honorees:

 


More from USA Today:

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