Between Trenton itself and its inner suburbs (Lawrence, Hamilton, Ewing) you have a wonderfully diverse set of inexpensive, ethnic restaurants close-by. Drive to the “outer” suburbs (Princeton, Bordentown, Hopewell, Lambertville, New Hope), and you can find wonderful, upscale dining.
Galicja is a pleasant, typical local bar with an eclectic clientèle that happens to serve draft pints of Pilsner Urquell, a really good Czech beer, for less than the price of domestic beer at most local bars. On Friday evenings, free with the purchase of a beer, the owner puts out an incredible buffet of home made food.
Mi Tierra is another of the many outstanding Guatemalan restaurants in the City of Trenton, serving its burgeoning Latino population. Mi Tierra stands apart because: 1) the food is well prepared, a notch better than typical and 2) the decor is better than most. While not fancy by any means, it’s a pleasant place to eat, and the service is friendly.
Water Ice is a Philly confection: a slush (like a slurpee) made from water, sugar, and flavorings. In Rita’s case, the flavorings are generally fruit (my favorites: mango, wild-cherry, and lemon) with chunks of fruit mixed-in. Rita’s is a chain started in a suburb of Philly in 1984, that has been aggressively expanding in the mid-Atlantic states with some 400 stores.
From the outside, Henry’s looks like an old-school luncheonette, which went out of fashion in the early 1960’s. However, peer through the window, and you see something’s up with the large, modern cooking area, and nicely stocked shelves. Then you realize all the packages have Polish labels, and you remember that you’re at the very epicenter of the Polish section of Trenton: European Bakery is next door, Cosmo Food Market is across the street, and Rozmaryn Restaurant is around the corner.
Chiarello’s delivers greater-Trenton’s iconic hoagie sandwich (submarine to those of you from northern NJ; hero, if you’re from NYC; grinder if from Boston).
Malaga serves authentic (European) Spanish food, not to be confused with the many “Latino” (Mexican, Guatemalan, Puerto Rican) restaurants that have opened in Trenton in recent years. The menu emphasizes seafood, though there are plenty of meat and chicken dishes as well.
The Mates Inn has got to be just about the most bizarre institution on this website, and an oddity that could only be found in Trenton. It’s a restaurant located at the NJ Department of Corrections’ administrative campus, operated by inmates in the Culinary Arts job training program of the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility.
It’s rare in the US to find a bar that delivers this combination of casual comfort and community connectedness. But the Mill Hill Saloon is one of the rare exceptions. Especially if you live in Mill Hill or Trenton Ferry, or work on South Broad, you can enter almost any night of the week and recognize a friend or neighbor. They’ll introduce you to their drinking buddies, and pretty soon there’s a bunch of you jabbering away about the news, the neighborhood, or whatever.
OK, so your teenage son arrives home on Sunday around 11:30 PM. He’s been out all day, never ate dinner, and is starving. Where do you go with him? Easy, Pat’s.
The food is classic eastern European fare with an emphasis on meat, potatoes, and cabbage, although chicken, fish, and a variety of vegetable dishes are also on the menu. Potato pancakes to die for. Portions are ample. Prices are reasonable.
Papa’s, founded in 1912 by the father-in-law, grandfather, and great-grandfather respectively of the current operators (Abie, Donnie, and Nick) making it the second oldest pizza joint in the country, and by another reckoning (continually operated by the founding family), Papa’s is the oldest in the country. Papa’s makes a proper Trenton tomato pie (it should, it virtually invented it). Unfortunately, moved to Robbinsville recently, so you’ll have to drive about 15 minutes to get there.
A very good Guatemalan joint on Olden, and one of the oldest. Always inexpensive, it’s now one of the cheapest. The archetypal Trenton dive is worth visiting if you’re nearby.
