There is always something fun and exciting happening in Jersey City, from a flower vending machine at Newport Centre Mall to new restaurants galore. Over in Chilltown’s Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood — a hidden gem area of JC — several new eateries have either made their debut recently or announced plans to open soon, and we’re sharing everything we know about these new spots. From juice bars to restaurants to ice cream shops, Bergen-Lafayette is welcoming a variety of new businesses. Read on for more about the new and incoming restaurants in the Bergen-Lafayette section of Jersey City, New Jersey.
Cheeky’s Sandwiches | 89 Monitor Street
The Hazel residential building will welcome a Southern-style eatery soon. Cheeky’s Sandwiches is a new sandwich shop serving up New Orleans-style Cajun eats — including its signature fried chicken biscuits, shrimp + oyster po boys, short rib sandwiches on challah bread, vegetarian foccacia, and other dishes. All of the breads and baked goods are made in-house daily. The shop was established in 2009 in NYC’s Lower East Side, and is the brain-child of New Orleans native + chef, Din Yates. The Bergen-Lafayette store is a partnership between Din and Israel Jiles (one of the owners of Ani Ramen). Israel told The Hoboken Girl that the Jersey City location will have a few location-specific menu items — we’ll keep you updated as more details come out on that.
Cheeky’s is also on track to open two storefronts in NYC at the Essex Street Market and in the Lower East Side soon, in addition to the upcoming 89 Monitor Street location. Israel said that all three stores are set to open in the fall or winter of 2024.
Read More: Number Eleven Food Store Announces Upcoming Pop-Ups in Hoboken + Jersey City
Eggs Up | 270 Johnston Street
Eggs Up will also debut soon in Jersey City in the Atlas residential building. While details are limited, the new breakfast cafe will be situated at 270 Johnston Street, and originally planned to open this past August. We’ve reached out to Eggs Up and will update this post with any further comments.
gtk | 58 Maple Street
A new venture from the team behind gtk in Hoboken and Jersey City will open up in Bergen-Lafayette at 58 Maple Street inside the 295J Apartments. While there is no timeline on the opening just yet, a source close to the project shared with HG this past June that Andrew Martino, founder and operator of GTK, “is working on a new model that will help satisfy the neighborhood’s need for family-friendly dining, event space, and great takeout all-in-one space, in partnership with Southeast-based legacy BBQ brand Sticky Fingers Ribhouse.”
HG exclusively chatted with Andrew in August 2024, who shared that the new spot is still in development but will be solely operated by gtk. Sticky Fingers Ribhouse is no longer a part of the development, and gtk will be operating the space as a sole proprietor. GTK opened up a Hoboken outpost in June 2023 at 1014 Washington Street, and announced the closure of its 356 Varick Street location in Jersey City this summer.
Mochi Dough/Bober Tea | 66 Monitor Street
View this post on Instagram
A new doughnut and bubble tea shop will make its debut in the Starling Building soon at 66 Monitor Street. Mochi Dough/Bober Tea will serve up premium Japanese rice flour doughnuts in a unique pon de ring shape, called mochi dough. There will also be freshly-brewed loose-leaf tea and matcha + espresso drinks with fresh stir-fried boba and brown sugar on the menu — which owner Christina shared with The Hoboken Girl stems from their Singapore-based bubble tea shop. Some of the rotating doughnut flavors on the menu include taro, black sesame, churro, Spongebob, funnel cake, and the Millionaire made with 24-karat edible gold flakes.
As for the space itself, Christina told HG that the Jersey City location is “a captivating blend of whimsical charm and urban sophistication.” The space is being created by J_spy Architecture of Jersey City, and “balances the whimsical pink aesthetic of the West Coast Mochi Dough and Bober Tea with an edgy, modern vibe that honors the dynamic spirit of the growing Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood.” Mochi Dough has other locations in California, Colorado, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Washington State — this will be its first New Jersey outpost. Mochi Dough/Bober Tea originally looked to open up this past summer, per a press release from The Bergen-Lafayette Collection from June 2024. The team has since shared on Instagram in mid-October that construction was still ongoing. “We promise, the wait will be worth it!” the post reads. The website also says that Mochi Dough/Bober Tea is coming soon to Jersey City.
Root + Nectar Cafe | 201 Monticello Avenue
Root + Nectar Cafe is a new juice bar, cafe, and eatery coming to 201 Monticello Avenue. Details are slim as if this writing, but the cafe’s Instagram bio reads “A place where you can find something revitalizing and delicious,” and the account’s only post reveals that the eatery is aiming for a January 2025 opening. We’ve reached out to Root + Nectar and will update this post with any additional comments.
The Roxy | 66 Monitor Street
In May 2024, Bergen-Lafayette quietly welcomed The Roxy to the neighborhood — a new art deco-inspired restaurant and bar located within the Starling residential building at 66 Monitor Street. The new venture is from the same team behind Corto in Jersey City Heights. The Roxy has a full bar, and some of the standout dishes on the menu include the Mizuna Salad (shiso, shallot, sesame, ponzu, + parmesan), the scallops, and other seafood-focused main dishes alongside other options like filet of duck and cavatelli.
Torico Ice Cream | 1041 Garfield Avenue
Torico, a Jersey City staple for all things ice cream at 20 Erie Street in downtown Jersey City, first announced plans to expand to Bergen-Lafayette at 1041 Garfield Avenue in early 2021, per Jersey Digs. A post from the team via its Instagram this summer showed the storefront, clearly under construction, with a ‘coming soon’ caption. As of a few days ago, Torico’s BeLa outpost is officially open on Garfield Avenue. The location is in a one-story building between Berry Lane Park and The Junction.
See More: Eataly Opening at Short Hills Mall Next Week
For a full roundup of things to do in Bergen-Lafayette, check out our article here.
Follow @thehobokengirl on Instagram + TikTok to stay in the know with all of the Hoboken + Jersey City news, and sign up for our newsletter that shares all of our top stories to your inbox here.