Restaurants in Secaucus

Behind a counter of steaming vegetables and homespun side dishes, Bed-Stuy Fish Fry's cooks grill and deep-fry a menu of pan-regional comfort foods to order. Equally adept at battering catfish and roasting pans of meatloaf, the cooks weight down plates with a host of blackened, barbecued, and broiled meats that parade around palates with Southern-style sides, including collard greens and potato salad. The sounds of sizzling fish mix in with spirited conversation as guests settle into the dining room, surrounded by sage-green walls made homey by white molding and framed mirrors. Additionally, a handful of outdoor tables nestles beneath the restaurant's brown awning, where guests dine alfresco or taunt the sun with their ability to eat things.

The tacos and tiny bites dished out at Tepito Taqueria & Cantina mingle classic Mexican eats with inventive salsas and aioli that flabbergast taste buds with swirling notes of sweetness and spice. Mexico City–style shrimp cocktails, so named because that’s all they eat there, escort avocado and sangrita salsa, and heartier taco entrees of grilled meats, sautéed veggies, and housemade corn tortillas come smothered in aioli melding flavors of honey and habanero or mango and jalapeño.

Dancing patrons regularly tap toes against the elegant environs of El Habanero Mexican Cocina, where chefs construct authentic Mexican dishes with a finesse that has earned a loyal following. Like Candy Land's reigning monarch, burritos, enchiladas, seafood, and steaks dress up in flavorful accessories, including jalapeño coleslaw, guajillo, and mole poblano. Behind a full bar, the chefs' cocktail-crafting brethren swirl fresh fruit juices with top-quality tequilas and vodkas to concoct margaritas, mojitos, and martinis.

A crimson booth spans the length of El Habanero Mexican Cocina's interior, cushioning diners amid exposed-brick walls and flat-screen TVs. Occasionally, a live DJ spins a spirited soundtrack to get diners dancing or crocheting atop sleek hardwood floor.

Aegean Cove restaurateur Stelios Varvounis carried his passion for the cuisine of his ancestral Greece first to Paris for advanced culinary training and then to his low-lit dining room, which "operates on the refined edge of Astoria’s Greek-dining spectrum" with "exceptional flavor and some flair," according to New York Magazine. Amid polished wood, tablecloths bleached white by authentic Mediterranean sun rays, and a stone wall inset with nooks holding traditional crockery, servers glide by bearing glimpses of an enormous menu of fresh, whole fish, creamy appetizer spreads, and grilled chops, steak, and chicken of impeccable provenance, all accessorized with local produce.

Kumo Sushi’s newly minted location on Bleecker Street offsets its storied counterpart on the east side of Greenwich Village. Market-fresh, high-end ingredients anchor a diverse menu that balances curries with specialty hand and maki rolls served seven days a week. Chokos brimming with sake chase chopsticks that spear seafood dishes such as diver sea scallops and fillet of Spanish shipwreck.

Radiant red walls, ornate topiaries, and a sparkling chandelier dot the dining room at Kings' Carriage House, where patrons sip infusions of chamomile or Darjeeling tea while noshing finger sandwiches and pastries. Highlighting collections of antique china and a mural of the Irish countryside, the Mandalay, Hunt, and Willow rooms accommodate up to 32 guests for afternoon tea, an evening meal by candlelight, or a Billy Joel look-alike competition. The continental menus feature seasonal dishes such as wild-mushroom bisque and rack of venison, culling ingredients and organic produce from local markets. Desserts sweeten evenings with stilton cheese and fruit tartlettes, before a glass of port caps off nights.

Proprietors Elizabeth King and Paul Farrell designed Kings' Carriage House's two stories to recreate the country charm of a European manor within an urban setting. The interior heralds times past with elegant décor such as antique furnishings, crimson tablecloths, and gilded paintings of heralds announcing the present.