The Best Restaurants in Newark (2026)

Fifty-five years of the same thin crust is the pitch, and Newark keeps taking it. The NY-style pizza here holds a crunchy bite under fresh toppings, cheese and pepperoni both, and the recipe has not drifted. It is a takeout order first, built for people who want their pizza to taste the same way it did last time.

Christy's cuts its pizza into squares, the local convention, and backs it with garlic bread and a salad that stays fresh rather than an afterthought. The crust runs thin and crunchy without going cracker-dry. It is a family dinner room more than a special occasion, priced and paced for a weeknight.

The pepperoni and banana pepper pizza is the order to know at Don & Sue's, sauce-forward and consistently fresh. The menu widens out from there into calzones, subs, burgers, and salads, and the room reads as laid back rather than fast-casual rushed. A neighborhood pizza night pick, priced to match.

Buckeye Winery pours a wide range of house wines, including a cotton candy wine that tastes exactly as advertised, alongside a charcuterie board built for sharing. The patio takes dogs, live music plays, and the room stays small enough to feel unhurried. An afternoon tasting stop, not a full dinner destination.

Debra's built its reputation on fresh ingredients and a sauce recipe with local roots, though the current version has drawn some comparison to what came before under a different name. Pizza remains the draw, backed by garlic bread and salad, and pickup runs quick and friendly for a weeknight order.

The Supreme pizza is the strong order at Bavellie's, with a crust that holds up under toppings. Buffalo wings and a chicken parm sub round out the menu, though the wings draw a more mixed verdict than the pizza does. A DoorDash-friendly takeout spot with a loyal weekly following.

Dirko's Kitchen Sink Pizza arrives heavy enough to notice by the weight of the box, and the stromboli and mac n' cheese bites back it up as hearty, crowd-feeding food. Pasta and family meals extend the menu further. Built for group hunger, not a quiet solo dinner.

Pancakes and French toast come with real maple syrup at Morning Harvest Cafe, and much of the plate traces back to Licking County farms. Service moves quickly and orders arrive correct, in a room with a warm, unhurried feel. A weekend breakfast stop built around ingredients rather than novelty.

Too Talls runs out of a small storefront but turns out a supreme value on cheese, pepperoni, and supreme pizzas alike, favored for office lunches and quick pickups. The pizza can run doughy with light sauce on an off day, but the value and friendliness keep people ordering again.

The Reuben, split in half or whole, and French fries with gravy anchor Big John's diner menu, alongside a full breakfast plate. It runs as a mom-and-pop room with attentive, friendly staff, the kind of place regulars return to for breakfast specifically. Casual, unhurried, and dependable.

The Hot Honey Chicken Sliders are the reason to visit Jojo's, crispy and balanced between sweet and spicy, with backers comparing them favorably to Nashville's hot chicken scene. Wings run more ordinary and the chicken quesadilla lands as decent rather than standout. A quick lunch or casual dinner order, not a wing-first stop.

Marco's traditional-style pizza reads as a legitimate alternative to fast-food chains, fast, friendly, and reasonably priced. Boneless chicken rounds out the menu, though it runs spicier than the name suggests, worth checking before ordering for a picky eater. A dependable quick meal, not a destination pizza night.