Nachos. Over the years, many local restaurants have put their own spin on the Mexican favorite. New Jersey is home to several delicious nacho destinations, with authentic Mexican restaurants, Irish pubs, sushi spots, and more all offering their take on the iconic appetizer. Here are 15 places to find mouthwatering nachos in the Garden State.
By Julia Mullaney
North Jersey
Clifton City Tavern, Clifton
709 Van Houten Avenue, Clifton
973-567-5111
This Mexican cantina tops its nachos with refried beans, plenty of cheese, and the works. While most places only offer a meat addition, Clifton City Tavern offers grilled shrimp as well. The jalapeños are served on the side, which is a plus for those who don’t like too much spice.
Las Leyendas de Mexico, Parsippany
71 New Road, Parsippany-Troy Hills
973-287-7060
Easily accessible, Las Leyendas de Mexico is tucked away inside a strip mall just off of Route 46. Its nachos are topped with fresh avocado and cotjia cheese, which is a cow’s milk cheese native to Mexico and has the appearance of Parmesan, and they’re heaped with toppings and sauces are served on the side.
Mi Rancho Mexican Grill, Newton
195 Spring Street, Newton
973-300-0605
The décor at Mi Rancho is festive and authentic, and the same can be said for the nachos. They’re loaded with chicken, refried beans, pico de gallo, and plenty of cheese. There’s no chip left un-topped in this order, so it’s delicious down to the last bite.
Selenita, Pompton Lakes
118 Wanaque Avenue, Pompton Lakes
973-839-1559
Selenita doesn’t serve your typical, family-style nachos. Everything is baked onto six large, individual chips to ensure you get a perfect amount of toppings in each bite. It’s loaded with the works, and served with fresh pico de gallo. This dish is more of a meal rather than an appetizer, and that’s reflected in the price: there’s a $5 charge to share.
Sunset Pub & Grill, Lincoln Park
425 Beaverbrook Road, Lincoln Park
973-694-8700
Sunset Pub & Grill’s nachos are loaded with your choice of beef, chicken, or pulled pork, and you can choose two meats if you’d like. Come hungry, because the regular order comfortably feeds eight. You may want to go with a half order, which still feeds four comfortably. Every chip is loaded with toppings, and you’ll never get a bad bite.
Taqueria Los Güeros, Bloomfield
176 Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield
(and various additional locations)
The Bloomfield location sits in a small trailer on a busy road. It’s counter seating only, so you may want to grab your nachos to go. The Al Pastor (seasoned pork) is the most popular meat topping, with house-made hot salsa and salsa verde are served on the side. The place may be tiny, but the nachos are worth writing home about. There are several locations throughout the state.
Central Jersey
Casa Luna Mexican Grill, Somerville
30 South Doughty Avenue, Somerville, NJ
908-526-3300
At Casa Luna, you can choose between several meats, but the seasoned beef is delicious. The guacamole is extremely fresh, and the nachos have additional toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, beans, and cheese. Plus, Casa Luna has an outdoor area, so it’s the perfect spot to stop and grab a bite on a nice day.
La China Poblana, East Brunswick
556 Route 18 North, East Brunswick
732-387-2159
La China Poblana’s nachos are a little messy, but they pack amazing flavor. Lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, cheese sauce, ciltanro, cotija, black beans—these nachos are loaded with nearly everything. Plus, they’re plenty large enough to share among a group. New customers may want to note that La China Poblana is the same restaurant as Mary’s Grill & Pizza.
Soya Ramen and Sushi Burrito, Lawrence
3371 US Hwy1 South, Mercer Mall. #23, Lawrence, NJ
609-452-1525
The Japanese nachos at Soya Ramen are a far cry from typical Mexican nachos. They’re filled with avocado, tobiko, eel sauce, spicy sauce, and a generous amount of tuna. This dish essentially packs a sushi roll onto chips, and the spicy mayonnaise adds a nice kick.
Tacoria, New Brunswick and various locations
56 A Easton Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ
732-317-2070
There are several Tacoria locations throughout New Jersey, and the Nutella nachos are nothing short of amazing. House-made chips are topped with Nutella and sprinkled with powdered sugar. They slightly resemble churros in flavor and are the perfect way to finish off a meal.
South Jersey
Cinco de Mayo, Ocean City
1039 West Avenue, Ocean City, NJ
609-399-0199
Cinco de Mayo is easy to miss if you’re just passing through Ocean City. Once you’re in, though, you’ll see that it’s decorated to the hilt, and the house-made chorizo is the topping of choice for the nachos. They don’t skimp on the meat, and fresh salsas are served alongside. The order is large enough for several people to comfortably share but won’t make you too full for your meal.
Dooney’s Pub, Delran (also in Vorhees)
1361 Fairview Boulevard, Delran, NJ
856-461-9100
Dooney’s Pub celebrates its Irish roots with Irish nachos—waffle fries topped with sour cream, cheese sauce, and pico de gallo. They might not be typical nachos, but they’re worth a visit. And if you’re not craving the fries, the pub has a regular nachos order as well.
Leatherhead Pub, Egg Harbor City
105 Philadelphia Avenue, Egg Harbor City, NJ
609-965-BEER
This firehouse-turned-pub is located in downtown Egg Harbor, and this place does not spare on the cheese. Cheese adorns their house-made chips, along with chicken, jalapeños, pico de gallo, and black beans. The chips are thick, so they’ll hold as many toppings as you can fit. Sour cream and fresh guacamole are served on the side.
Smoke BBQ, Audubon
34 West Merchant Street, Audubon, NJ
856-672-0007
A barbecue joint may not initially attract an audience for nachos, but Smoke BBQ in Audubon has nachos with a hint of the south. Get the brisket nachos if they’re available—this dish is loaded with chunks of perfectly cooked brisket and topped with cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, guacamole, and sour cream.
Wingcraft, Atlantic City
2010 Baltic Avenue (at Tanger Outlets), Atlantic City, NJ
609-541–2799
Wingcraft is one of the few places around that serves seafood nachos. They bake crab meat into the cheese, so every chip is filled with it. They are fairly basic in terms of toppings, but you don’t need much when you’re tasting crab meat in every bite! The fresh avocado on top pairs perfectly, too.