New Jersey – While many food lovers immediately think of neighboring New York City when discussing iconic eats, YouTuber Jordan Bentley set out to prove that the Garden State deserves a place in the conversation with a whirlwind 24-hour road trip across New Jersey’s most viral restaurants.
Bentley, whose YouTube channel Jordan Bentley Eats has nearly 88,000 subscribers, visited a mix of Korean fusion restaurants, Italian sandwich shops, Jamaican eateries, burger joints and Middle Eastern restaurants, documenting each stop while offering his own ratings for the food. The nearly 19-minute video has introduced thousands of viewers to independent New Jersey restaurants that have built loyal followings through social media.
Bentley opened the tour by telling viewers, “A lot of people think New York first, but some of the most legendary food spots in the country are right here in their neighboring city of New Jersey. So, let’s dive in and see if it’s as good as its neighboring cities.”
Korean fusion sandwiches earn some of the day’s highest scores
The tour began at No Forks Given, where Bentley sampled the restaurant’s Korean fried chicken sandwich and its signature Korean cheesesteak.
While speaking with the restaurant, Bentley learned the menu draws inspiration from multiple culinary styles, including Southeast Asian and American cuisine. The Korean fried chicken sandwich immediately impressed him, featuring crispy panko-coated chicken thighs, slaw, sesame seeds and scallions.
“Dude, this sandwich is literally like biting into a piece of heaven,” Bentley said after his first bite, giving it a 9 out of 10. He praised the sandwich’s crispy exterior and juicy chicken while noting he’d never had a Korean fried chicken sandwich quite like it before.
The Korean cheesesteak proved equally memorable. Bentley highlighted the fresh house-made bread, Korean barbecue-inspired beef, cheese and flavorful sauces, calling it “a beautiful tasty delicious sandwich” before awarding it another 9 out of 10. Overall, No Forks Given received a 9.5 out of 10, with Bentley telling viewers, “It’s extremely delicious and it makes sense why it’s so hype.”
Italian sandwiches continue New Jersey’s reputation
The next stop brought Bentley to Venti Italian Specialties, where owners discussed growing up in an Italian family making fresh sauce, mozzarella and other homemade ingredients.
“We were a big food family in general,” one owner explained. “Italian immigrants. I was younger growing up. It was always like making sauce for the winter, eggplant, canning olives, canning tomatoes, making fresh cheese at home.”
Bentley ordered the restaurant’s viral vodka chicken parm sandwich and a Caesar chicken cutlet sandwich. He praised the fresh mozzarella, house-made vodka sauce and toasted seeded rolls, calling the chicken parm “probably one of the best chicken parms I’ve ever had.”
He also noted the generous portions and value, pointing out the oversized sandwich cost just $12 while emphasizing that every ingredient was made fresh in-house each day. The Caesar chicken cutlet sandwich also impressed him, earning a 9.2 out of 10 thanks to its house-made Caesar dressing and well-marinated chicken cutlet.
Jamaican comfort food delivers surprises
Bentley’s tour continued at Jerkys, where he sampled jerk chicken wings, oxtail mac and cheese, rasta pasta and the restaurant’s viral jerk chicken egg rolls.
Although he wished the jerk chicken had more heat, Bentley complimented its tenderness and flavor, scoring it 7.5 out of 10. The oxtail mac and cheese earned an 8 out of 10 after he praised the baked macaroni, generous cheese and braised oxtail.
The standout dish, however, was the rasta pasta.
“This is probably my favorite from the Jamaican spot today,” Bentley said after describing its creamy sauce, smoky grilled chicken and spicy seasoning. He awarded the dish an 8.5 out of 10.
During the visit, Bentley also met another customer who enthusiastically recommended the curry goat and joined him in tasting the jerk chicken egg rolls, adding an unscripted moment to the food tour.
Jimmy Buff’s celebrates a New Jersey classic
No tour of New Jersey food would be complete without an Italian hot dog, prompting Bentley to stop at Jimmy Buff’s, a restaurant that has been serving customers since 1932.
“That’s almost 100 years of selling gizzies,” Bentley joked before digging into the restaurant’s famous Italian hot dog piled with onions, peppers, French fries and sausage.
Bentley praised the sandwich’s combination of sweet ketchup, smoky sausage and crispy toppings, noting that the $12 meal was large enough to feed two people.
“It’s classic to Jersey’s iconic history when it comes to food,” he said while giving the meal an 8 out of 10.
Korean-inspired burgers become the day’s biggest winner
The highest praise of the trip came during a stop at Woo Smash, where Bentley sampled several Korean-inspired smash burgers and side dishes.
He first tried the spicy bulgogi smash burger, describing the combination of gochujang sauce and pickled cucumbers as refreshing while giving it an 8.5 out of 10.
The restaurant’s signature smash burger earned even stronger praise.
“We had great burgers in New York City. This is easily up there with some of the best burgers I’ve ever had,” Bentley said after tasting the burger, which features house-marinated cucumbers, miso caramelized onions and signature sauce. He awarded it a perfect 10 out of 10, calling the restaurant “elite.”
He also sampled the spicy corn appetizer, complimenting its peppery seasoning and creamy aioli before giving it an 8.5 out of 10. Woo Smash finished with an overall score of 9.2 out of 10.
Middle Eastern flavors round out the trip
Bentley’s final restaurant stop brought him to Alkuma in Paterson, where he ordered the restaurant’s crispy chicken shawarma topped with garlic sauce, sumac and pomegranate sauce.
Calling it his first experience trying chicken shawarma, Bentley praised the crispy texture, pickles, sauces and balance of sweet and tangy flavors.
“It really is like an explosion of flavors,” he said before awarding the sandwich a 9 out of 10.
Before wrapping up the day, Bentley stopped at Bora Bora for a strawberry lemonade refresher. Initially rating the drink a 9 out of 10, he changed his score to 9.5 after another sip, calling it “a banger.”
Bentley’s video is now available on his YouTube channel, where viewers can follow the complete 24-hour food tour and see each restaurant featured during the trip.
The creator regularly visits independently owned restaurants around the country, and his latest New Jersey video is likely to introduce thousands of additional viewers to some of the state’s fastest-growing local eateries.
This report is based on the transcript and video published by Jordan Bentley Eats, titled “Trying every viral restaurant, food stands & street food in New Jersey in 24 hours! The ultimate food New Jersey food tour!” Restaurant descriptions, quotes and ratings are derived from Bentley’s video.
Bentley’s tour showcases the breadth of New Jersey’s independent restaurant scene, from Korean fusion and Italian delis to Jamaican cuisine, classic Italian hot dogs and Middle Eastern specialties. As food-focused creators continue highlighting local businesses online, viral videos like this one are helping bring statewide and even national attention to restaurants that have become destinations in their own communities.
