Due to its position between
New York City and
Philadelphia, the signature foods of both cities are very popular in their corresponding suburbs. In the
New York Metropolitan Area regions of
North and
Central Jersey,
pizza,
bagels,
pastrami, and
submarine sandwiches (often called "subs", sometimes called
heroes) are popular. In the
Delaware Valley towns of
South Jersey,
hoagies (the Philadelphia term for the aforementioned submarine sandwich), and might be best exemplified at
Rutt's Hut, a longtime hot dog eatery in
Clifton, New Jersey.
Texas wieners are another type of hot dog that originated in the state. They are either grilled or deep-fried and served with spicy brown mustard, chopped onions, and a thin meat sauce similar to chili. Wieners ordered "all the way" are dressed with all three condiments. Another type of hot dog indigenous to North Jersey is the
Italian hot dog, which originated at Jimmy Buff's in
Newark Central Jersey of Trenton. , found in Trenton; also a popular
Philadelphia dish. The state capital of
Trenton, located near the boundary of
Central and
South Jersey, is known for two foods in particular:
tomato pie and
pork roll (also referred to as Taylor Ham). In Trenton,
tomato pie is basically an interchangeable term for pizza, albeit with a subtle difference: While traditional pizzas are prepared by placing the cheese and toppings on top of the sauce and dough, tomato pies are made by laying the cheese directly on top of the dough, then adding the toppings, and finally spreading the sauce atop the mix. This creates a more tomato-intensive taste for the thin-crust pie.
Pork roll is a sausage-like pork product developed by John Taylor in Trenton in the late 19th century, and has become a popular breakfast and sandwich meat throughout the Garden State. In
South Jersey and elsewhere, it is often referred to as a pork roll due to the tube-like sack, or "roll", in which it is traditionally packaged, while in
North Jersey it is usually called Taylor Ham. The meat is generally eaten sliced and grilled like
Canadian bacon, but is also known to be fried. Also common is the pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich, in which the pork roll is cooked on a griddle and then topped with a fried egg and
American cheese and eaten on a
hard roll. The
Grease Trucks of
Rutgers University in
New Brunswick, New Jersey have popularized "fat sandwiches", which are sandwiches usually consisting of various combinations of chicken fingers, french fries, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, and other fried foods. The Grease Trucks have been made famous by mentions in
USA Today and
Maxim Magazine, among other media outlets.
South Jersey , a staple of the
Atlantic City area of the
Jersey Shore since in the 1880s.
Salt water taffy is a soft taffy originally produced and marketed in the
Jersey Shore resort town of
Atlantic City beginning in the late 19th century, and is a staple candy and souvenir item of
boardwalks in the state. It is widely sold throughout beachfront areas of the
East Coast of the United States and
Canada. New Jersey Cheesesteaks, or Donkey's Steaks, are a variation of the
Philly Cheesesteak sandwich that is found primarily in
Camden County and the surrounding areas. Differentiated by the use of a poppy-seeded
Kaiser roll, and often accompanied with a hot cherry pepper relish, this style originates in
Camden, New Jersey at
Donkey's Place, a local standby that was founded in 1943. In recent years, Donkey's has expanded to additional locations in
Medford and
Mt. Holly. The regional soft drink
Boost! is sold primarily in
Burlington County, but can also be found in other places from
Trenton to
Woodbury and as far east as
Williamstown. == Diners==