How to DIY a train line beer crawl in North Jersey

Rebecca King, NorthJersey.com
·4 min read
Five Dimes Brewery on Westwood Ave. in Westwood is planning to open in the end of April with 8 beers on tap. The brewery is owned by Chris Alepa.
Five Dimes Brewery on Westwood Ave. in Westwood is planning to open in the end of April with 8 beers on tap. The brewery is owned by Chris Alepa.

Hi, friends!

It's time we all start utilizing good ol' (sometimes not so good) NJ Transit. Not to get to work or do something practical. But rather, to get to breweries. So many of our area's breweries are located within walking distance of train stations.

So, I tracked every single North Jersey NJ Transit line and found the breweries nearby. I even calculated the walking time from the tracks to the beer. You're welcome! Hop on one end of the line and ride it on down to the other, taking strategic stops along the way for a pint or two. I've mapped it all out for you!

Craft breweries: 5 DIY beer crawls along NJ Transit train lines

Openings

Great Greek's gyro
Great Greek's gyro

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, Florham Park

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, a fast-casual chain serving traditional Greek food, opened its first New Jersey location in Florham Park. On the menu: gyro, as well as lamb, steak and chicken souvlaki platters, plus falafel plate and souvlaki. The restaurant chain was started by third-generation restaurateurs Nick A. Della Penna and Trent Jones. Today they have more than 30 franchises and 100 more in development. $$. 182 Ridgedale Ave., Florham Park; 973-520-8303, thegreatgreekgrill.com/locations.

More new:Korean BBQ, fast-casual Greek, a stunning rooftop: 8 new spots in North Jersey to try now

Prime No. 7, Mahwah

Restaurateur David Kim's Prime No. 7, a 200-seat Korean barbecue and tofu soup restaurant, just opened on Franklin Turnpike. Kim owns several tofu restaurants, including So Kong Tong in Fort Lee and Palisades Park.

The menu is extensive, offering appetizers such as housemade Korean dumplings (mandoo); an array of tofu soups as well as a variety of dumpling soups; noodle casseroles; rice dishes including bibimbap; and an assortment of barbecued meat dishes.  The restaurant, a BYOB, is open every day for lunch and dinner. $$$. 115 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah; 201-831-0040, primeno7.com.

Marbled strips of meat ready to be barbecued at newly opened Prime No. 7 in Mahwah
Marbled strips of meat ready to be barbecued at newly opened Prime No. 7 in Mahwah

Terrace Cafe, Teaneck

Terrace Cafe isn't exactly new — since 2015, it served coffee and hearty breakfast and lunch dishes in Haworth. It closed, however, because "the rent was strangling us," said Todd Ledo, who owns the cafe with his wife, Dina. Its new home is an "adorable" space on Teaneck's Queen Anne Road that previously had housed a Southern fried chicken joint.

Ledo said his omelets would attract customers from Hoboken — "they're that good." He says his spicy chicken sandwich with avocado, bacon and homemade herb mayo is a bestseller "and so delicious." $. 1350 B Queen Anne Road, Teaneck; 201-338-4720, clover.com/online-ordering/terrace-cafe-teaneck.

News bites

The Food Hall at America Dream Mall is set to have its grand opening on July 13. This addition will span 10,000 square feet and include seven new restaurants, as well as games such as oversized corn hole, Jenga and Connect 4. It will be located on the second level in Court A. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and Best Pizza will have a presence in the Food Court, as will specialty cookie spot Bang Cookies and a new cocktail bar called Dream Ball. Besides these, American Dream has announced three specific restaurants set to open: Vinoteca, Lady M and Vanessa's Dumpling House.

American Dream: New Food Hall to include dumplings, crepes, wine bar and more

Dîner en Blanc is a dinner where the guests wear all white. Pictured is the Dîner en Blanc in New York in 2017.
Dîner en Blanc is a dinner where the guests wear all white. Pictured is the Dîner en Blanc in New York in 2017.

Dîner en Blanc is an invite-only picnic held in a public space where everything, from the wardrobe to the table settings, must be white. And there are some peculiar rules involved — but more on those later. For the first time ever, Jersey City will host its own this summer.

Posh, exclusive Dîner en Blanc comes to Jersey City: Here's what you need to know

Dave's Hot Chicken, an East Hollywood-based chain known for its chicken tenders and sliders, announced last year it was set to open 14 new locations in New Jersey. Now, we know the first location will open in Wayne, according to Nicole Nannola of CBRE Retail, who arranged the lease for the new Dave's with Jay Miller.

Dave's Hot Chicken is known for its chicken tenders and sliders of varying levels of spice.
Dave's Hot Chicken is known for its chicken tenders and sliders of varying levels of spice.

More: Dave's Hot Chicken to open first location in New Jersey

That's it from me! Until we meet again, here's where to find more dining news:

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Cost key:

  • $ Affordable (can get a filling meal for under $15 per person)

  • $$ Average (can get a filling meal for $15 to $25 per person)

  • $$$ Pricey (can get a filling meal for $30 to $40)

  • $$$$ Treat yours

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: A train line beer crawl, openings & more