Howard’s Place II Restaurant, 322 E. State Street, Trenton (609) 695-6544
(Directions) Hours: M-F 7 AM – 4 PM, Sat 8 AM – 2 PM.  Closed Sundays.
You would think that the City of Trenton, being 50% African American, would possess a number of outstanding soul food restaurants.  A few good places, like the original Maxine’s, and Try J’s, have come and gone, so that in recent years, the pickings have seemed pretty sparse.  Little did I know that Howard’s Place II, a hole-in-the-wall across the street from City Hall, was quietly serving up outstanding, home-cooked soul food all this time.

When you enter Howard’s, you’re likely to be greated by Tynnetta Howard, the owner.  “Everything here is home-made.  Growing up, my mom used to tell us, ‘The only thing I’ll serve from a can is dog food.’  I still feel that way.”  Tynnetta is an archetype for the small entrepreneurs that keep Trenton going.  In addition to the restaurant’s direct business, she caters for the courts, old age homes, and other institutional buyers in the area.
Open at 7 AM during the week, Henry’s serves up the best breakfasts you can find downtown, with a full menu of eggs, omelets, and pancakes.  For lunch, you can order sandwiches or entrees, which come with two sides such as mac and cheese, rice & gravy, yams, cole-slaw, collard greens, black-eyed peas, etc.  You can order home-made meat-loaf, chicken (fried, baked, barbecued, or “smothered”), fish (catfish, talapia, or whiting), or ribs.  For dessert, there’s home baked cakes and sweet potato pie, home baked by Tynnetta’s mom.  The food is fresh, simple, and very filling.

Howard’s is veggie friendly, as meat is never used to flavor any of the vegetarian dishes.  Vegetable sides such as black eyed peas, collard greens, or spinach are vegan.  The mac and cheese sure ain’t vegan, but lacto-eating vegetarians will love it.
Go hungry, and be prepared to get filled up.  Prices aren’t dirt cheap, but certainly represent good value for the quality and quantity you get.

On Saturdays, Howard’s is open from 8-2 for breakfast only.

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