3 N.J. restaurants named among best U.S. restaurants of 2024, national website shows

Mix Mashawi at Al Basha in Paterson, NJ.

We all know that New Jersey is enriched with diverse, mouth-watering food.

So, it’s no surprise that three Garden State restaurants were recently named among USA Today’s 2024 restaurants of the year.

Al Basha in Paterson was mentioned first. The website spoke about Paterson housing one of the largest Arab-American populations in the country and Al-Basha offering some of the best Middle Eastern eats – noting having the best hummus in the region, plus savory grilled meats.

With a quaint and friendly motif, Al Basha serves the best Middle Eastern food around.

The Paterson eatery was also listed No. 8 on our best 25 restaurants of 2023 and known for having some of the best falafel in the state.

Up next is Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge with 2018 James Beard semifinalist and “Top Chef” contestant David Viana at the helm. The BYOB spot is known for its eclectic farm-to-table dishes, cooking classes and retail boutique.

The restaurant expanded to another location at The St. Laurent, a hotel in Asbury Park, in 2022 which ranked No. 1 on our best restaurants of 2022 list.

The last of the Garden state trio is Sushi by Sea in Ridgefield. Customers can only enter the restaurant by invite or referral – making it North Jersey’s best kept secret. The 12-seat establishment offers a unique omakase experience with 17 courses.

The article lists 47 restaurants in total, spanned across the United States.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Lauren Musni may be reached at [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter @Laurengmusni and on Instagram . Find NJ.com on Facebook .

©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.