6 quintessential New Jersey breakfast foods

Breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day. And in my opinion, the most delicious!

No one does breakfast better than New Jersey. From diners to bakeries to farms, the variety, the flavor, and the quality of our breakfast foods is second to none.

In fact, there are some breakfast dishes that I consider to be "quintessential" New Jersey. These are not food items that can't be found anywhere else, necessarily. But rather, this is a list of the breakfast items that perfect fit into New Jersey's culture and personality. The tastes we are known for. The foods we do better than anyone else.

Consider this a New Jersey breakfast bucket list. Both for residents of and visitors to the great Garden State.

Which is your favorite New Jersey breakfast staple? Did I miss something on the list? Shoot us an app chat with your suggestions, and I may have to add a "part two" to this list soon!

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Pork Roll / Taylor Ham, Egg & Cheese

Could there be any other top answer to this question? Whether your perfect pork roll is well done and crispy, or you prefer terrific Taylor ham greasy and chewy, you can not deny this breakfast meat belongs to New Jersey. Enjoy as a side, or as a sandwich with egg and/or cheese. Don't forget the SPK!

Everything Bagel

New Jersey bagel shops are special. About as close to a community watering hole on weekend mornings as we can get. I have to give special recognition to the "everything" variety, since no one does them better than NJ. (And they don't even exist in other parts of the country.) Personally, I prefer my bagels with cream cheese. Maybe you like butter instead. Or the addition of lox, tomato, onion, etc. Or perhaps you combine this with my first quintessential breakfast food — pork roll and cheese on an everything bagel? Chef's kiss.

Home Fries

Representing New Jersey's infamous and fabulous diner scene, few things are better as a breakfast side dish than perfectly griddled home fries. (With or without peppers and onions, take your pick.) I also have to give an honorable mention to NJ's famed disco fries delicacy — I never thought if before, but the combination of fries, gravy, and cheese curds could totally work for breakfast.

Blueberries

They hold the dubious distinction as the Garden State's official state fruit and our highest-selling crop. NJ is a top producer nationwide of blueberries, with a production value of $92.1 million in 2023 (according to the NJ Dept. of Agriculture). So the blueberry is not only sweet and juicy and delicious, but also important for cultural and economic reasons too. They're good in pancakes, muffins,

Hard Roll with Butter

New Jersey has a lot of convenience stores and gas stations. A lot. And each one has their take on this simple grab-and-go breakfast classic. Whether on a kaiser roll, portuguese roll, or sub/hoagie roll, butter makes everything more delicious.

Crumb Bun / Crumb Cake

This one was challenging. I wanted something to represent New Jersey's incredibly diverse and delicious bakeries. I opted for the crumb because it is pretty popular and — to my knowledge — is a baked good that is not readily available outside of the state. Whether you like them iced or not, this carb-loaded treat is a sweet way to start your day in Jersey.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Check out Dan's weather blog or follow him on Facebook for your latest weather forecast updates.