Photo by Adrienne J. Romero / SOC Images.
With changes over the years, some parts of Jersey City have become unrecognizable.
But for the neighborhood in Paulus Hook–off Warren and Morris Streets–there’s one eatery whose name will always ring a bell and welcome regulars who have been going there for almost 20 years: Amelia’s Bistro.
Longtime workers Alexa Sabato and Stacie Joonoos acknowledged the diverse changes happening in Jersey City, but the bistro has been able to reflect those changes within their menu. From a variety of cultural dishes to inclusive alternatives, Sabato told Slice of Culture “whatever anyone needs, we’re able to accommodate them.”
“Our menu has a little bit of everything,” she added.
“We have new American cuisine. We have Asian-style food, burgers, flatbreads [and] salads. We’re really big with gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options because a lot of people now are gluten free and a lot of people have celiac disease so we really try to accommodate people with that… I’d say that really differentiates us from other restaurants and businesses around here.”
Amelia’s Bistro is a restaurant participant in the Jersey City Restaurant Fest’s Summer Fest Week, which continues until Saturday, July 27. The two week event aims to encourage locals and visitors to try a new Jersey City-based eatery or a new item from their go-to spot. This happens twice a year during the winter and summer.
Putting The Community First
Owner Frank Mandaro opened the 187 Warren St. location about 20 years ago. And one of the first people to join the team was Joonoos, who, as of 2024, has been working at the restaurant for 18 years.
“[We were] one of the first restaurants in Paulus Hook,” Joonoos said.
For those only familiar with Grove Street’s Newark Pedestrian Plaza, the Newport Mall area or the Waterfront area, may have a hard time picturing the neighborhood; it’s beyond the tall buildings and busy streets. The bistro slowly emerges out of the bustling green trees and historic brickstone homes.
After walking beyond the main streets, you eventually discover outdoor seating with floating, twinkling summer lights and a vintage, yet elegant sign that reads “AMELIA’S BISTRO.”
Sabato joined the team six years ago after seeing an opening on Indeed. She started out as a server and eventually worked her way up to her current managerial position. She’s mainly in charge of social media content for the bistro, especially for their Instagram and Facebook and she also answers most of the reviews.
She said that, thanks to their regulars, Amelia’s has become an important part of the neighborhood.
“I’d say, [we’re] a staple of the community so over the years we get a lot of regulars who come and go. People who live nearby or we get a lot of people from Hoboken or Bayonne or even some travelers who come to visit [and] are just passing by,” Sabato added.
Because the bistro looks to continue to be a big part of Jersey City and its residents, they focus a lot on serving their regulars as best as possible.
An Offering For Everyone
The bistro is open daily, offering brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Lunch is offered Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Some brunch options include shrimp & grits, southern apple chicken sausage & biscuits and vegan caramel crunch brioche french toast. For lunch, customers can have dishes like ahi tuna ceviche, Amelia’s original kobe beef sliders or gnocchi. Dinner platters can be vegan bistro sichuan salad, 12-ounce prime N.Y. strip or a grilled Japanese eggplant.
“[This is] a diverse area now which is why our menu is diverse now to please our customers,” she states as they have also added dietary friendly options to accommodate for the changing tastes of customers.
So for the Jersey City Restaurant Week, Sabato said the team wanted to have fun with the menu.
“It was basically a collaboration with the managers, the chefs and the cooks. Basically we [drew] old menu items that we had in the past and some items that had been very popular in the past with customers. And then some of our dinner menu items we have on there as well .. so everyone helped out and thought of the items, which were really good. Good teamwork!”
Up until Sat. July 27, they are offering an exclusive three-course pre fixe meal for lunch menu at $25 per person and dinner for $35 per person. For lunch, customers can get house made guacamole for an appetizer, ginger mango glazed chicken as an entree and a brownie a la mode for dessert. For dinner, the pear gorgonzola salad appetizer, lemongrass roasted salmon entree and bananas foster dessert are up for grabs.
Amelia’s Bistro is another returning participant for the restaurant fest, which Sabato credited for bringing in “a lot” of new customers and lots others who are trying the new menus.
“It’s really helpful,” she added.
“Definitely people who have never been here before have started coming here [for] their first time—even people who live in the area who didn’t even know about us— like, ‘Oh wow, we didn’t even know you guys existed until we saw your menus on the website!’ so I’m sure it’s helping out a lot of other businesses like that too, which is really great.”
