Sarah Jane's Restaurant

We hit a winner today!

Sarah Jane's Restaurant
(No Website, google maps entry)
33 US-206
Somerville, NJ 08876
(908) 722-5454

Local Restaurant and Bar.  Old school decor and interior.  We sat at the bar.  The bar stools were comfortable...

Pete ordered a Pastrami Reuben and Mother Earth Brewing IPA.
I ordered the soup of the day, Sausage Noodle, the Somerville Melt Burger, and a Yuengling.

When they brought my soup, Pete yelled out, "I wan't one too".  It was a great soup.  Crumbled italian sausage, vegetables and curly noodles.

Pete and I were both interested by the Reuben, but we were worried we would only be able to compare it to a Suspender's Reuben, and be a little disappointed.  We didn't need to worry, Pete said his Reuben was great.  Open faced, well grilled bread, lots of good pastrami, ample sauerkraut, russian and lots of melted swiss on top.

My burger was cooked a perfect medium.  It was a large juicy burger, with grilled onions, swiss cheese, and russian dressing on rye toast.  A unique version of a patty melt.  The burger was great.  It was just the right amount of sloppy.

Both meals came with shoestring fries that were good.  Not great, but no complaints.

Our friend Elsa was supposed to come with us, but couldn't at the last minute.  We will definately be back so that Elsa can enjoy it too :)

22 West Tap and Grill

22 West Tap and Grill

1601 Route 22
Bridgewater, NJ 08805

We went with no expectations.  "Tap and Grills" have spring up all over the place as the current trendy restaurant style.  They are all fine.  But this one was different.

The food and service were great.  We ate too much :)

We started with Warm Pretzel nuggets and beer cheese.  I also had to try some fried pickles, even though Pete hates pickles.  It was a lot of warm pretzel nuggets, and the beer cheese fondue (yes, the waitress light a candle under the bowl of cheese) was amazing.  I loved the fried pickles too.  They were chips, and I prefer spears, but they were great.  Crisp, and great dipping sauce.

Pete then had a Crab Cake Grilled Cheese.  A crab cake and gruyere cheese on a sourdough.  With a great remoulade to dip it in.  It was a BIG sandwich.  Pete said it was great.

I had a French Onion Belly Burger.  Burger with lots of melted provolone, grilled onions and fired pork belly.  Wow.  It did remind you of french onion soup.  I ate every git of it, even though I was getting over full.

Then we came back to the office and I took a nap in my desk chair :)

The Duke and Elephant

The Duke and Elephant

1979 Washington Valley Rd
Martinsville, NJ 08836
732-563-1717

Pete grabbed this place off of the googles, sent me the menu, and I said yes.  Wow, glad we went here 😀

Upscale.  Parking could be tough.  

We started with Wings and Meatballs appetizers.  But those descriptions dont do them justice...  From the menu:

"Brined + Fried Chicken Wings with Spicy Sauce, House Made Blue Cheese Dressing"

Not your standard buffalo wings.  The chicken was great, and the fry batter was almost like tempura.  Different and delicious.  And the dressing was very "blue".  Too much for me, but  I have a strange blue cheese threshold.

"Meatballs, Ricotta, Spicy Tomato, Grilled Ciabatta"

Deliciouss meatballs.  Very tender and fatty, not packed overly tight.  The ricotta and tomato sauce was fabulous.  And the toasted ciabatta, like all the bread we saw at The Duke, as awesome.  Meatballs elevated...

Pete had the Brisket Sandwich

Brisket, grilled mushrooms and onions, and sharp cheddar.  Again on one of those great ciabatta rolls.

I had the Grilled Cheese and Meatball Sandwich

Smashed meatball (I don't think the same as the appetizer) and sharp cheddar on that same fabulous ciabatta roll.  

Both came with a side salad, that was large for a side salad.  Great greens, and a very simple dressing.  Maybe just olive oil and salt?  

Overall wonderful, and I am sure we will be back here at some point.

Drewby's Grill Pub

Drewby's Grill Pub

Now that summer vacations are over, and kids are back in school, we will be going out to lunch more regularly.  This week it was Drewby's.

We found this place by accident.  Literally driving by and decided to try it out.  Glad we did :)

Pete and I had appetizers and sandwiches.  I had poutine, and Pete had soft pretzels and cheese sauce.  Both were good.  But I turns out they were un-needed, as the sandwiches were huge.

I had a steak sandwich.  Chipotle mayo, grilled onions, garlic, mozz, and sliced flat iron steak.  (Not a cheese steak)  It was delicious.  Pete had a fried chicken cutlet sandwich.  Roasted peppers, basil, mozz.  Also delish...

The long rolls that the sandwiches came on were great.  Crispy crust, and not too airy.  The fries were great too.

Carnitas Taco Factory

Carnitas Taco Factory

574 UNION AVE.
BRIDGEWATER, NJ 08807
(732) 893-8147

Awesome!

Kind of like a Chipotle, but good :)  Gow down the line and pick your meat, toppings, etc...

Between Pete and I, we had; pork, brisket and chicken tacos.  Fast, delicious, cheap.  Seating was a little tight, but comfortable.

They had, but we didn't try, shrimp, ground beef, mahi-mahi, empanadas, taco salad, burritos.  If you need quick good food, get here.

Randazzo Pastry Shop & Bakery

Randazzo Pastry Shop & Bakery

611 US-202

Raritan, NJ 08869

(908) 595-0322

Danielle order from here the other day, and we heard around the office that it was good, so we decided to go check it out.  It is a deli / bakery with a few seats inside. 

Pete: #17 Raging Bull - Ham, Genoa Salami, XS provolone, roasted peppers, LT, OV
Jeff:  #23 The Nora - Imported Prosciutto, mortadella, imported provolone, hot peppers, LT, OV

The meats were great, and lots of it.  The provolone was just the right amount of sharp, and the Sub Rolls were on point.  Crusty and airy.  We both ordered halves, which was MORE than enough.  And since we were on our man-date, I ordered some tiramisu to share.  It was fantastic.  It had an extra layer of chocolate cake in addition to the mascarpone and lady fingers.  Woo hoo.

We definitely recommend checking this place out.  Oh, and the bakery goods looked amazing too :)

Time To Eat Diner

It has been a while since I posted.  Life, vacations, work, etc... all got in the the way.  We haven't had a good lunch in weeks!

The Time to Eat Diner

270 Rt. 202/206 N.
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
(908) 704-9221

You expect a NJ Diner to be good, and it was.  It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad.  I don't know that I will suggest it, but if someone else does, I wont say no.  How is that for lukewarm.

Pete had a Ham and Cheese Omelette, Home Fries, Sausage and Rye toast.  The omelet was very good, they weren't skimpy with the fillings.  But the home fries were blah.  Kinda undercooked and plain.  The toast was on point.  I think it was real butter, not margarine.

I had a "Little Bit Of Everything" breakfast.  French toast, 3 eggs your way (over easy for me), ham, sausage, bacon, hash browns and rye toast.  For 11.95 it was a LOT of food.  It was all good, except again for the hash browns.  Not crispy and bland.

Service was good.  Food was fine.  The place is nice, and it was crowded.  

Willie McBride's

Willie McBride's

1270 Easton Turnpike

Branchburg, NJ 08876

(908) 722-1113 

An Irish Pub and Restaurant.  It was a big place.  Outdoor seating for when the weather is nicer.

We started with "Willie's Loaded Potato Chips".  Fresh house made potato chips, covered in cheese sauce, scallions, bacon, jalapenos, and ranch dressing.  Like some kind of awesome take on nachos.  Very good.  We didn't leave any on the plate.

Pete had a Reuben.  Its an Irish pub, so you expect a good corned beef reuben, and it didn't disappoint.  The meat was piled pretty high.  Not an open face sandwich.  Very good, as expected.  (Not a Suspender's Reuben, the best in the world.  It will ruin all other reubens for you.)

I had "The Buster".  Corned beef, turkey, cheddar, monterey jack, L&T, onion rings, garlic mayo.  Oh my.  Delicious.  And it lived up to its name, it was huge.  Oh, did I mention it came on a pretzel roll?!  If you are hungry, this will solve that problem.

Both sandwiches came with house cut fresh fries.  Pretty good.  Fresh cut fries are never very crispy, but I love the flavor.

Division Cafe

Division Cafe

9 Division Street
Somerville, NJ 08876
908-450-7979

Pete shot from the hip, and hit a home run today.  We went to the Division Care, a Costa Rican restaurant.  It is in a pedestrian plaza (didn't know that existed!) in downtown Somerville.

We sat outside, it was a gorgeous day.  Pete noticed on the sandwich board menu outside that they were voted the best empanadas in NJ.  I am not sure who officiated that, but the empanadas were awesome!  I had chorizo and cheese, Pete had chipotle chicken.  Both were fabulous, with potatoes, peppers and onions in the filling...

Pete had the Chicken Milanese Wrap (is that Costa Rican?).  He loved it.  Nothing fancy, just big and delicious.  It came with steak fries that were actually crispy, a rare thing.

I had the Arroz Cantones.  Ham, shrimp, bacon, pulled beef, pulled chicken, bell peppers, onions, and veggies in stir fried rice.  It was like a flavor convention, and everyone showed up.  It was awesome.

I can't vouch for the authenticity of the Costa Rican food.  It was my first time.  But we loved it.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings

970 US-22
Bridgewater, NJ 08807

It is a chain. Probably most people have been there.  The wings are good.  Lots of flavor choices.

I had a large traditional "hot" order of wings.  It was a lot of wings.  Maybe 18?  Good traditional hot buffalo sauce.  Not great, but good.  An order of fries is very large, and they are showstring fries.

Pete had a traditional / boneless combo.  Medium and Parmesan Garlic.  It came with fries, at more reasonable size. 

It is good.  It is what you expect.

Cafe Carriage House

Cafe Carriage House

302 Route 202/206
Bedminster, NJ 07921


It is literally in an old carriage house.  Great hot sandwich, deli, and breakfast joint.  Order at the counter, eat at a table.

I had a Chipotle Cheese Steak.  It was great, spicier than I expected, which is just fine by me.  The sandwich came fast and hot off the grill on a great roll.  Bacon, jalapenos, provolone, LT, and chipotle sauce.  Awesome.

Pete had the Cali Chicken Cutlet sandwich.  Breaded and fried chicken cutlet, swiss, LT, and Russian.  Awesome roll.  Pete got french fries.  They are steak fries at the carriage house, but not mushy as steakfries can often be.

Solomine got the Supreme Cheese Steak.  Provolone, grilled onion, mushrooms, LT.

Solomine and I each got onion rings.  They were good, plenty of onion.  Panko style breading, not batter.

All of the sandwiches were great, and came rally quick.  Everything was volcano hot right off the flattop.

I can also highly recommend the bulgogi sandwich, which is like a korean inspired cheesesteak. I had it there once before, and it was great.

30 Burgers

30 Burgers

3331 Rte 22
Branchburg, New Jersey 08876
(908) 255-4378

Some of us have been here before, but it was the first time for me.  A casual burger joint in an old converted diner.  Lots of burger choices, plus fries, onion rings, and hot dogs.

You order at the counter, and they bring it to your table when its ready.  It was ready pretty quick.

I had a #7, Six Alarm Birger.  Salsa, fresh jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, L&T, chipotle mayo, on an onion roll.  Oh, and I got chilli cheese fries to round out the healthy meal.  The burger was great.  Not as spicy as I expected, but that is fine.  The chilli cheese fries were very good.  The chili was better than average.

Pete:  #12, Bacon Royal Burger.  Fried egg, bacon, american, L&T, mayo.  Can't go wrong there.  He was more than satisfied.  Pete just ordered lame regular seasoned fries.  But they were not lame.  Nice spice coating, and they were crisp and hot.  And they stayed hot.  Nice

Rob: #5, Trenton Burger.  American Cheese and Taylor Ham on a burger.  I personally this should have had a fried egg on it, but not everyone agrees.  No complaints from Rob.  He also had the not lame seasoned fries.

Good burgers.  Have to go back and try some of the other choices.

Cahoot's

Cahoot's

624 Lincoln Blvd.
Middlesex, NJ 08846
(732) 469-3455

Homerun!  Pete found it on google maps.  

It's a dive bar.  Old School.  Popcorn and Peanuts on the bar.  Big U shaped bar, and tables as well.  It is in an industrial area of Middlesex, just down the road from Demented Brewing Company. 

Pete had the Kobe Burger and I had the Steak Sandwich.  We both ordered them medium, and they both came a perfect medium.  Pete loved his burger, and my steak sandwich was essentially a steak plated on top of a long roll.  The steak was great.  Simple, no flair.  Just a great steak.

The atmosphere was awesome.  We loved it the moment we walked in.

I almost forgot, we ordered buffalo wings as well, and they were very good.  They were fried nice and crispy (unbreaded, the correct way) without being dry.  And the heat of the sauce was good.  

We definitely recommend this place.  I want to come back with my Family :)

Tapastre

Tapastre

1 West High Street, Somerville, NJ, 08876
908-526-0505

In the basement of a cool old brick building, a tapas joint.  Upscale, subtle lighting, almost dark says Rob.

I was the only one that actually had tapas, Pete and Rob ordered more full meals.  They had a large beer selection, and Rob chose a 14.5% Icarus "Kalashnikov".  Dark, warm, and boozy.  Rob had to have Pete drink some of it so he wouldn't get drunk :)

Jenn will make fun of me, but I order a fig cosmopolitan, and I loved it.

For food I had a plate of battered and fried olives.  Sounded weird to me, and that is why I ordered it.  I liked it, not super olivy, and it came with some unidentifiable dipping sauce that was tasty. (some research tells me the sauce was Romesco)  Then I had Chorizo and Shrimp in Garlic Chili oil sauce.  Yum.  Great fried plantains (very thinly pressed) came with it.

Pete had a fantastic cheese steak.  He loved it.  Lots of meat, cherry peppers, onions and cheddar.  His side caesar salad was also great.

Rob had the "Chef's Choice" pizza, which turned out to be red onion, ham, and bbq sauce.  He could have done without the bbq, but he liked it, and didn't leave any behind.

Overall very good.  Seems like it would be a good date night place.

Top O'Th' Hill Tavern

The Top O'Th' Hill Tavern

Jenn and I drove past this place last week, and it looked interesting.

I love this place.  A little run down and dilapidated, but that just added to its fantastic character.  They don't have a website, but they do have a Facebook Page.

It looked like it was a husband and wife that ran the place, and they probably lived upstairs.  They had an interesting menu.  Bison burgers, Cod Nuggets, Irish Cream Bashed Pie, Porterhouse, Ribs, Seafood, etc...

It seems from the Facebook page that they are famous for their Meatloaf and Chicken Pot Pie.

Jeff:  I had the meatloaf platter.  The pile of meatloaf was as big as my head, and delicious.  Came with mashed and a choice of veggies.  I chose cucumber salad, it was a little different, sweet maybe? But it was tasty.  I am going to have to take a nap after that meal.

Pete:  Bacon Cheese Burger with fresh hand cut fries.  It was a good burger.  Nothing spectacular, but just what you would want.

Kyle:  Cowboy Burger.  If I rememeber it was cheddar, bacon, bbq sauce, and onion rings.  He shared Pete's fries.  It was a big serving of fries.  Again, it was a good burger, nothing spectacular, but no complaints.

The food was good, the bar was shabby.  The character of the place was awesome.  Oh, and they are open for breakfast!

SOL Mexican Cantina

This week we went to Sol Mexican Cantina on the recommendation of Mikey V.

According to their website "Fresh Mex ~ Great Beer ~ Guacamole Live ~Plenty of Tequila!", and they aren't lying.

3366 Route 22 West, Branchburg, NJ 08876

908-526-4SOL

Cool place, it is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside.  Lots of beers on tap.

Pete:  Lime Garlic Shrimp Burrito, and a Classic Margarita.  The did not skimp on the shrimp or the garlic.  Pete really enjoyed it.

Slomo:  Burrito Special.  Today it was Steak, Chorizo, Avocado, Rice, Beans, etc...  

Jeff:  Burrito Special, and a Classic Margarita.  Same Burrito as Slomo, and it was delicious.  Pete and I both thought the Classic Margarita was very good.

Kyle:  Steak Street Tacos, and a Blood Orange Margarita.  Kyle was thumbs up on both.

Very good, we will definitely go back.

Hansel 'n Griddle

Hansel 'n Griddle is a NJ Chain with 5 locations.  We went to the one in Somerville.


2 West Main St, Somerville, NJ 08876
(908) 722-7700

Breakfast all Day, Sandwiches, Wraps, Paninis, Chili, and Fruit Smoothies.

We all had various sandwiches, tater tots, and tried the chili.

Slomo:  The London Broil Sandwich.  Thick sliced london broil on a long roll, lots of garlic.  Very good, but kind of difficult to eat.  Really needs a knife and fork.  Delicious, especially if you like garlic.
Pete:  Cordon Bleu Sandwich. Grilled ham, grilled chicken, LT, melted swiss, and honey mustard.  On a long role, very good.
Kyle:  The Italian Panini.  Essentially an italian sub on flatbread, pressed in the panini press.  Very good balsamic sauce.
Jeff:  Buffalo Chicken sandwich.  Buffalo chicken fingers, pepper jack cheese, LT and Ranch dressing.  Very good.  Just the right amount of heat.  Maybe could have had a 1 more piece of chicken on it.

Pete, Kyle and I each had Tater Tots.  Good, not soggy at all, as tots can be sometimes.  A small is big enough unless you are really hungry.  Kyle also got chili and cheese on his.  Yum.

I also had a small chili, as it is supposed to be good.  And I wanted to be able to judge the tots on their own.  The chili was good.  Very meaty and thick.  Not too many beans (I like more), and a nice little bit of heat.

Overall very good.  Their wings are supposed to be good as well.  Service was fast, and prices were reasonable.

The Bridgwater Diner

The Bridgwater Diner

I don't have an address for this place.  It is in the middle of Rt. 22, right across from the BP that is at 1240 Rt 22.  So I am gonna make it up @ 1245 Rt 22.

Typical New Jersey Diner.  Everyone can find something they like on the menu.

Rob: Tuna Salad Platter.  It was tuna salad, potato salad, and coleslaw, with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and cucumbers.  It was big.  Rob enjoyed it.
Pete:   Grilled American Cheese on Rye with Fries.  Hard to mess that up, and they did not.
Jeff:  Farmers Omelet (Sausage, Peppers, Onions, Potatoes, and Cheddar).  I thought it was great.  And I won't be hungry any time soon :)

If you want diner food, this place won't disappoint.

Food Court at The Bridgewater Mall

Food Court at The Bridgewater Mall

It is a food court.  I am not writing about it.

The Chimney Rock Inn

The Chimney Rock Inn
800 Thompson Avenue, Bound Brook, NJ 08805
732-469-4600


American Food.  Burgers, Pizzas, Ribs and Brisket.  Kyle and I had burgers, Pete had a flounder sandwich, and Slomo had a cheese steak.

Kyle: Steakhouse Burger, Cheese, Fried Onions, and Horseradish Steak Sauce.  He loved it.
Jeff: Cowboy Burger, Cheese, Fried Onions, Bacon, BBQ Sauce.  Very good.

By the way, we both ordered our burgers "medium", and they were both cooked to a true medium, a rare thing these days!

Pete: Fried Flounder Sandwich, Lettuce, Tomato, Tartar.  Very good.
Slomo: Cheese steak.  He liked it better than the cheese steak at Mannion's, which is saying something, because he loved theirs too.

We all got fries, and they had just the right crunchy shell to inner potato ratio.


The Pizza is supposed to be great, so we will have to come back and try it...

Mannion's Irish Pub

Mannion's Irish Pub
150 W Main St, Somerville, NJ 08876

What can I say, it is an Irish Pub. You should know what your are getting into. Standard Irish pub fare, but better than average.

Pete: Fish and Chips, Pete said they were great, even the steak fries which can sometimes be mushy were really good.
Rob: NJ Devil Sandwich, Taylor Ham, scrambled eggs, peppers, onions on a long roll. Delicious, bigger than expected.
Jeff: French Onion Soup and an Open Face Reuben. The soup was good, and the Reuben was great. Rye bread was crisp, not soggy. The only Reuben I have had that is better is Suspender's in Union.
Slomo: Cheese Steak w/Onions. It was real steak, not pressed meat. Very good.

We will be back again to try some of the interesting burgers they had listed.

Nik's Wunderbar

Nik's Wunderbar
454 US-22, Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889

German Biergarten style, sausages, beer, and seafood.  Big patio out back.  Pete, Kyle, Rob and I had various sausages / sausage sandwiches.  Slomo had a burger.  We all liked our food.  Pete and I had some good beer.

Jeff: Classic Sausage Platter, and a Bitburger Pilsner.
Rob: Polish Sailor Sandwich
Pete: Wunderbrat Sandwich, and a Mispillion River "Gandalf The White" IPA
Kyle: The Bajun Boatman Sandwich
Slomo: Craft House Burger, and a Bud

We all agreed the sausages and especially the kraut were great.  I think the kraut had bacon in it, as it was a little smokey.

I definitely want to go back in the spring or summer and sit outside, and try their seafood.  Crabs and legs: Atlantic, Dungeness, Snow and Alaskan.  Crawfish, Clams, Oysters, Catfish, etc...

New Office, New Lunches

Our office moved from Union, NJ to Bridgewater, NJ.  So we have a whole new set a restaurants to try for lunch.