Park Deli

(732) 545-6585
80 Raritan Ave
Highland Park, NJ


Looking for lunch the other day, we happened to discover this place via yahoo local, and gave it a try. From the outside, this is probably a place I would have bypassed, but I'm glad we went in and gave it a try.

I love a place with a large selection of sandwiches made up... I'm not creative, and without such a suggestion, I go to my old standby of Italian hoagie.

They have lots of options here, which is wonderful, and these selections are certainly a Russian dressing lover's dream-- I think every one has Russian on it.

I like that they use Boar's Head too.

My sandwich, the Roller Coaster Hero, was pretty good. I forget what BAJ got, but it was good too (Of course, I had to try it). He raved about them over on yahoo local, but I think he liked it a little more than I did.

Cricket Deli

408 Elizabeth Ave
Somerset,NJ 08873

We usually rely heavily on reviews when selecting our meals out. Instead of following our usual pattern, though, we chose this deli shop while driving around.

They have a decent specials menu and their prices were fair. Neither of us, though, was really blown away by our sandwiches. BAJ got a reuben esque sandwich, and it was "ok," and the same went for my Italian hoagie. We also picked up a pasta salad, which I felt was kind of bland and BAJ didn't even try based on my review. Baby SBF was the only one who really seemed to enjoy the salad.

So, in short, we probably won't be going back here again.

Midtown Gourmet

111 S Main St, Manville, NJ 08835

We decided to try this spot for lunch after reading the reviews on yahoo local. I had the California cheeseburger deluxe and hubby had the Pastrami Reuben Deluxe. Our entire bill came to $12 plus tip! Service was great, and hubby is still talking about how "Goo-ood" his sandwich was.

It reminded me a lot of Cheers because everyone seemed to know each others' names! :)

Court House Sub Shop

16 E Main St, Somerville, NJ 08876

We decided to try this after reading the previous reviews here. Neither of us had a sub, and maybe that's where we went wrong. We both had the club sandwich, and they were both "fine" for us--nothing to really write home about.

If we happen to be in the area and looking for a sub, we might go back here... but we're not making the trip to go.

Fresh Food Kitchen

223 W End Ave, Raritan, NJ 08869

This place had very good smoothies, and a wide variety of sandwiches, but we felt that their prices were rather high for what we got. Everything was tasty, but we won't be going back.

Hansel and Griddle

53 Mine St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

We very much like this place. It's a place I probably would have gone to far too often had I been a Rutgers student for undergrad. They have great sandwiches and reasonable prices. Their barrel of pickles is always a tasty treat.

Check out their menu here

Legends

122 N Main St, Milltown, NJ 08850

Oh yum, is this place good. They have all kinds of interesting sandwiches and the bread is out of this world. It's a little bit of a hike for us, but always worth it.

FYI, they are not open on Sundays.

Check out their menu here

Time to Eat Diner

400 Us-202/206, Bridgewater, NJ 08807

A typical diner. Food was good, service was decent. Their parking lot always seems busy, but we wouldn't make the trip unless we happened to be in the area.

It is also situated in a tough spot, driving wise. We wanted to go to the Wegman's in Bridgewater after our meal, so had to go toward the mall, find a place to turn around and then come back... unless there is a back way we don't know, which is entirely possible.

Sunset Diner

335 Us-22, Green Brook, NJ 08812

Typical diner. The food was good, the service was fine. We were lucky to get there before the crowd.

Seems to have a large crowd of regulars, based on what we saw on a recent visit.

Sahara Restaurant

165 Easton Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

I went here with some friends for lunch a long time ago (I was only slightly pregnant!). One of the girls raved about this place and their salads. I had a hard time selecting something from the menu but eventually tried something....I don't mind trying new things at all, and my friends said that what I picked was typically good....I don't remember what it was but suspect it was Baba Ghanoush. My lunch was ok, but nothing to really write home about. Dunno, maybe Turkish food isn't my thing, maybe I just need to try something else.. but I probably won't be doing it at Sahara.

Food aside, their decor is delightful, with outdoor seating available (if you don't mind the lovely Easton Ave as your view).

Steck's Delicatessen

325 Highway 202/206
Bridgewater, NJ 08807

BAJ asked that we try a new deli place today for lunch, so to the internet I went. I found this place and, based on the reviews on yahoo local, decided it would be the place to go. We had a bit of a hard time finding them, not expecting them to be in a strip mall, but the internet age allows us to have the internet on our cell phones so we just called them up. They're on the Somerville Circle, right next to Barnes and Noble!

My husband had a "Cold Cut Sloppy Joe," and proclaimed the bread to be delicious. I ordered an Italian sub and it was good, although not outstanding. My husband has also been on a quest for good German potato salad and proclaimed the search has come to an end! We also had an order of pasta salad, which was good and had an interesting flavor that we couldn't place.

Big Wally's

3322 Washington Rd, Parlin, NJ 08859

We were out driving one day and stumbled upon Big Wally's. We took our sandwiches to JFK Park and had a great time. They were so good, we now make the 30-45 minute drive down because it's definitely worth it. They have great specials, which is always a plus for me since I like to try new things, but they also have great typical hoagie sandwiches. Their subs are big and soo delish.

Joe's Meat Market

28 Main St, South Bound Brook, NJ 08880

Joe's is great... their specials are delicious, their meats are fresh, and their bread is outstanding. Better yet, I signed up for their email list and eventually won a free lunch!! I really like the Jorge's Chicken Melt, which is a special, but their regular subs are fantastic too!

Bagel Dish Cafe

327 Raritan Ave
Highland Park, NJ

I love going to this place. It started by me on a hunt for lunch one day. I was driving around, looking for something interesting to try, when I stumbled upon the Dish Cafe. It's interesting, though, because we at one time went to the Bagel Dish, their sister store, often. Anyway, we got takeout from there and were very happy. While I waited for our order, I was intrigued by their breakfast menu, and decided we had to go there sometime.

It's your basic diner, but there's something more homey about it than typical diner. Coffee is served in mugs from all over the place; they probably get them at yard sales, but it lends a nice atmosphere to the place.

They have great specials; I love to get the Belgian Waffle special, which comes with whipped cream and strawberries and only costs $5.95... that's only available on Saturday and Sunday. I also like to try their varied and interesting array of omelettes, which can also be made into a wrap.

BAJ is happy because he gets a decent lox and bagel there, and I'm happy because I can get my eggs, pancakes, waffles, french toast, coffee, bacon, etc etc etc craving satiated... until the next weekend, that is.

Martino's Cuban Restaurant

212 W Main St
Somerville, NJ

We live so near to Somerville, and haven't really had a chance to check out the many many restaurants there. We made plans to get together with some friends, and decided to go to Martino's. I couldn't really find any reviews online, so was apprehensive.

We walked in and the smell of the restaurant was incredible; it smelled fantastic! Our food was really good--we got an appetizer for 6, which consisted of stuffed clams, fried yucca, sweet plantains, croquettes, and something else I can't remember. Everything was delicious. Our party all had different choices, but we both had the chicken. The sauces were both great, although the meat itself was a little tough. Our friends had the desserts (there are only two on the menu; flan and tres leches cake) and raved about it.

Also appealing was that this seemed like a place for campers. We were one of several good sized parties, and the staff seemed to have no problem whatsoever with us sitting and chatting. I felt under no pressure to skedaddle as I often do in other places.

They're BYOB, and I thought the prices were very reasonable. I think our entire bill for 6 people, which included 6 entrees, an appetizer to share, and 2 desserts, came to under $120. Not bad at all.

Bagel Market and Deli

900 Easton Ave # 52, Somerset, NJ 08873

I hope I'm rating the correct place here. I'm referring to the bagel shop behind Apple Farms Farm Market.

This place stinks. I have gone a few times, and most recently my bagel was terribly stale. YUCK.

The guy was nice enough, and of course commented on my beautiful baby, but sorry that doesn't make up for crappy bagels!

Hole in the Wall Bagels

25 Easton Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

This place has become a weekend standard for us since moving to our new house. They're nearby and their bagels are good. In addition, they actually listen when my husband orders me a "light on the peanut butter."

Their name is quite fitting, since it literally is a hole in the wall, with the tiny waiting area typical of New Brunswick takeout. But their bagels are GOOD.

Stelton Pizza

1315 Stelton Rd # 3, Piscataway, NJ

This used to be our favorite pizza place. Even though it was 10-15 minutes from home, it was well worth the drive. We actually used to live really close to this, so would go there all the time.

Then we ordered two pies... a large mushroom and a large pepperoni. The cost was nearly $30 (I think it was $28 to be closer to exact), which seems like a lot. Further, the pies we got that night weren't that good.

So, used to be good but now too pricey and too far to be worth it.

Ray's Pizza

408 Renaissance Blvd, North Brunswick, NJ

This was on our way home in our last apartment. It was pretty good, and the price wasn't anything we ever commented about. Their mozzarella sticks were kinda gross, but my husband liked them. They did have this sandwich that I really liked... we liked it enough to be "regulars" when we lived over there.

Jersusalem Pizza

231 Raritan Ave, Highland Park, NJ

When we first came to central NJ, we saw this place on route 27 in Highland Park. My Jewish husband was super excited to see such a place, but we never got there.

Now, we live pretty close--about 10 minutes--and so decided to give it a try. We ordered a large pie with peppers, mushrooms, and black olives. It came to $18.99 after tax.

We decided that it was good, but far too pricey for us.

As an aside, it seemed that those coming to Jerusalem Pizza were not there for Pizza. Nearly everyone who came in got hot dishes rather than pizza; I think I was the only one there to pick up a pie.