Exotic Eats NJ is a welcoming soul food restaurant in Union City, NJ, known for serving meals that feel both comforting and satisfying while still offering variety for today’s diners.
With a strong 4.70-star rating from 349 reviews, the restaurant has earned a reputation for delivering a reliable and enjoyable experience that keeps customers coming back.
Whether you are stopping in for a relaxed lunch, a hearty dinner, or a solo meal, Exotic Eats NJ offers the kind of warm, flavorful dining that makes every visit feel worth looking forward to.
Its menu brings together comforting favorites, healthier choices, quick bites, and small plates, giving guests the flexibility to enjoy a full meal, share a few dishes, or grab something delicious on the go.
The restaurant is designed to fit a wide range of dining needs, making it easy to enjoy great food in the way that works best for you. Guests can choose from outdoor seating, dine-in service, takeaway, kerbside pickup, no-contact delivery, delivery, or on-site services, creating convenience for busy schedules and different preferences.
Exotic Eats NJ is especially well suited for brunch, lunch, dinner, catering, counter service, and dessert, offering plenty of reasons to visit throughout the day.
Its casual yet trendy atmosphere adds to the appeal, making it a comfortable place to gather with friends, enjoy a laid-back meal, or simply take a break and enjoy dependable, flavorful food in a clean and inviting setting.
Located at 1706 Summit Ave, Union City, NJ 07087, Exotic Eats NJ combines accessibility, flexibility, and quality service in a way that makes it an appealing choice for both locals and visitors.
The presence of a restroom, accepted credit cards, debit cards, and NFC mobile payments all add to the convenience, while the restaurant’s strong customer feedback reflects the care and consistency behind the experience.
For anyone looking for soulful, satisfying food in a friendly and easy-to-access setting, Exotic Eats NJ offers a dependable destination where comfort food and thoughtful service come together beautifully.
Our Specialties
Every dish tells a story. Explore our carefully curated menu featuring seasonal favorites and signature creations.
Our chef's signature creations featuring locally-sourced ingredients and innovative culinary techniques.
We partner with local farmers and suppliers to bring you the freshest seasonal ingredients every day.
Every plate is prepared with attention to detail, combining traditional recipes with modern presentation.
Our Story
Welcome to a place where great food meets warm hospitality. We believe dining is more than just a meal - it's an experience to be savored and shared.
Our kitchen is dedicated to creating dishes that bring people together, using recipes that honor tradition while embracing innovation.
Photos
A glimpse of our restaurant experience
Food & Drinks
Five crispy hand-breaded wings, fried golden in seasoned flour.
Five crispy seasoned wings with a side of golden fries.
Five crispy seasoned wings with your choice of two premium sides.
Ten crispy hand-breaded wings, fried golden in seasoned flour.
Ten crispy seasoned wings with a side of golden fries.
Wings can be prepared Breaded or Naked
Wings can be prepared Breaded or Naked
Fifteen crispy seasoned wings with a side of golden fries.
Fifteen crispy seasoned wings with your choice of two premium sides.
Five crispy, golden-fried shrimp.
Five crispy fried shrimp with a side of golden fries.
Five crispy fried shrimp with your choice of two premium sides.
Ten crispy, golden-fried shrimp.
Ten crispy fried shrimp with a side of golden fries.
Ten crispy fried shrimp with your choice of two premium sides.
Fifteen crispy, golden-fried shrimp.
Fifteen crispy fried shrimp with a side of golden fries.
5pc Fried Chicken & a 5pc Fried Shrimp w/ your choice of two premium sides.
Our $8 Holla includes 2pc fried chicken wings with 2 piece fried shrimp with our infamous Mac & Cheese!
Our Soul Food Burrito includes fried or grilled chicken with 2 sides of your choice all wrapped up in a warm burrito! Please note, items are not separate and will come all together wrapped in the burrito as pictured.
4PC Chicken Wings + 2 Premium Sides
The seaside bowl includes 4pc fried or grilled Salmon bites and 4pc Fried or grilled Shrimp with Krack Mac (Mac and Cheese).
Marinated Jerk Chicken + Cheese wrapped in an egg roll fried to perfection. Suggested with Jerk BBQ sauce or Sweet Chili
Hungry Man Includes 8PC Fried Chicken Wings + 2 Premium Sides + Grandma Rice
4pc fried chicken with Mac and cheese.
The Island Bowl consists of Sliced Jerk Chicken Breast on a bed of Mac & Cheese topped with Jerk BBQ Sauce. Best paired with our Cayman Sauce.
Tender braised oxtails in island gravy with two premium sides.
Creamy jerk rasta pasta topped with tender braised oxtails.
Tender oxtails braised in rich island gravy.
Penne in a creamy homemade jerk sauce with green bell peppers. Add your protein: jerk chicken, jerk shrimp, jerk salmon, or keep it veggie with no meat.
Our signature Caribbean Pasta: penne noodles in a creamy homemade jerk sauce tossed with green bell peppers. Add your protein: jerk chicken, jerk shrimp, jerk salmon, or keep it veggie with no meat.
Three marinated jerk chicken breasts with your choice of 2 Premium sides, Suggested with Jerk BBQ Sauce & Cayman Sauce
8pc Jerk Shrimp with 2 Premium Sides
Enjoy a trio of our flavorful jerk chicken taco! Each taco is packed with tender, marinated jerk chicken, lettuce and cheese.
Fried chicken breast on a bed of lettuce and tomato, on a soft bun. Paired best with our Cayman Sauce (Sweet and Spicy Honey).
Spicy crispy chicken breast on lettuce, tomato and cheese on a soft bun.
Jerk Chicken Breast topped with lettuce and tomato on soft bun, suggested with Jerk bbq sauce and Cayman sauce
Grilled chicken breast on lettuce, tomato, and cheese on a soft bun.
Chopped grilled chicken, lettuce, croutons with caesar dressing wrapped in a warm tortilla. Best paired with our Cayman Sauce.
Chopped jerk chicken, lettuce, and croutons mixed with Caesar dressing wrapped in a warm tortilla. Best paired with our Jerk BBQ or Cayman Sauce.
Romain lettuce, croutons and caesar dressing.
Grilled Chicken or Salmon topped with teriyaki sauce, served with grandma rice and a side of sautéed broccoli.
Grilled chicken breast served with our grandma rice and a side of sautéed broccoli.
3 Grilled Chicken Breasts w your choice of 2 Premium Sides
8pc Grilled Shrimp with any two sides you prefer.
Six seasoned shrimp with your choice of two premium sides.
Seasoned salmon over rice with your choice of two premium sides.
Grilled salmon filet with your choice of two sides
Fried salmon filet with your choice of two sides.
Grilled jerk salmon dinner comes with two premium sides of your choice.
Six seasoned salmon bites over rice with two premium sides.
Six seasoned salmon bites.
Six grilled salmon bites in our famous seasoning.
Six seasoned shrimp.
Five shrimp tossed in bold jerk seasoning.
Crispy fried whiting with your choice of two premium sides.
Three pieces of crispy, golden-fried whiting.
Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey Neck Bone
Creamy baked macaroni with a golden cheese crust.
Sweet, slow-cooked yams glazed in cinnamon butter.
Island-style rice simmered with red beans.
Cool, creamy macaroni salad tossed with tuna.
Creamy, homestyle potato salad.
Warm, golden cornbread with a soft, buttery crumb.
Golden cornbread studded with sweet blueberries.
Tender broccoli sautéed in fresh garlic.
Golden, crispy fries.
Golden fries tossed in our house seasoning.
Rich, creamy New York-style cheesecake.
Moist red velvet with rich cream cheese frosting.
Moist lemon cake with a sweet citrus glaze.
Our Homemade Peach Lemonade
Our Homemade Green Apple Lemonade
Our Homemade Blueberry Raspberry Lemonade
Coca-Cola Original Taste — the crisp, refreshing taste you know and love
Classic, cool, crisp lemon-lime flavored taste that's caffeine free
One our house sauces, sweet and spicy hot honey.
One of our house sauces, Jerk mixed with BBQ. Sweet and Spicy.
Lemon Pepper & Buffalo Mixed
This house sauce consists of Lemon Pepper, Buffalo and a Hint of Honey.
One of our house sauces, a Spicy Chili sauce with a Buffalo base.
One of our house sauces, Lemon pepper.
This house sauce is mayonnaise based that blends creamy richness with a touch of sweetness and a gentle kick of spice (Super mild).
Wings can be prepared Breaded or Naked
Wings can be prepared Breaded or Naked
Wings can be prepared Breaded or Naked
Wings can be prepared Breaded or Naked
Wings can be prepared Breaded or Naked
Hear from our valued guests
Man!!! Customer service A1!!!!! My guy Yancy took care of us and treated me and my Fiancé like family!! Real nice and accommodating! We from New York and it’s been hard to find soul food in the north Bergen-Union city area!! But let’s get to this food now!! It was so good!! Made me feel like I was in the South somewhere in Mississippi! .. The young kids in the neighborhood love this guy as well!! This the best soul food spot in the area! And one of the best food spots in the area in general! Big Queens 🙏
Let me just say Exotic Eats in Jersey had me questioning every other soul food spot I've ever been to. From the crispy jerk chicken egg rolls to the buttery blueberry cornbread, every bite was giving flavor, texture, and attitude! The salmon bites over rice? Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside - straight perfection. Don't even get me started on the oxtails... tender, seasoned, and falling off the bone like they knew me personally. The drinks were just as fire that watermelon jolly rancher flavor had me sipping like it was happy hour. The vibes were chill, the food was elite, and the service made me feel right at home. Big shoutout to Chef Rosalie! you really did what needed to be done in that kitchen!
If you’ve never been to Exotic Eats, you’re seriously missing out! It was my first time there, and they let me sample anything I wanted — which is such a nice touch for first-timers. I tried the mac & cheese and candy yams, and it was actually my first time ever having candy yams… and wow, they were amazing! I also got a sample of their strawberry lemonade, and it was so good that even though it only comes in one size, I ended up ordering another one before I left. It’s that addictive! For my meal, I ordered the five-piece wings with sides of mac & cheese and collard greens, plus a pound of oxtail. They gave me a few sauces to try — jerk BBQ, sweet & spicy honey glaze, and ranch — and every single one was fire. 🔥 The food was seasoned perfectly, full of flavor, and so satisfying. Huge shoutout to Yancie, who took care of me — his customer service was on point and made the whole experience even better. Overall, 10/10 experience — delicious food, amazing vibes, and great service. Definitely recommend Exotic Eats if you’re craving something soulful and flavorful!
The food was beyond delicious! The mac and cheese was super cheesy and seasoned to perfection. The chicken was fried hard just the way I like it, and the house sauce was absolutely immaculate. Now the blueberry cornbread... THAT'S A MUST-TRY! The macaroni tuna salad was amazing, and the green apple lemonade was so fire. This place definitely earned every bit of their 5 stars. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and made with care. They didn't miss on a single item. I'll definitely be back and highly recommend giving them a try!
I came in yesterday and was immediately welcomed, Yancie who I believe is the owner asked if it was our first time. He offered us some samples of food and their homemade drinks. The samples were so yummy and it was really thoughtful to offer samples. Amazing food amazing drinks and amazing service so worth it I wish i tried it sooner. Will definitely be coming back.
I've eaten here numerous times since they opened about a year ago. The owner Yancie is amazing!! Five stars all around because they go over and beyond for their customers! 🤩 My only complaint for myself is I need to try different things from their menu, it's so diverse and I definitely want to try their oxtail and pasta next. Keep up the great work and shout out to the chef🔥 👏🏾✨
Food is fresh and tastes amazing. Everything we ordered was perfect. The potato salad was well seasoned, the blueberry cornbread was delicious. I got the Island Bowl and my boyfriend got the Grilled Chicken dinner with lemon pepper sauce. The sauce tastes exactly how you want your lemon pepper to taste. The Purple Rain drink was so good. Everything was good!!
This is my 5th order! I’m a pescatarian and only order the seafood. Jerk shrimp was good, salmon was good and the whiting was decent. I’ve only ordered the Mac and cheese, yams and peas and rice. All bomb. Today I ordered again the salmon but baby… today was different, more flavor and cooked to perfection. This price of salmon looked like smoked ribs. IJS… very good service and the owner is very nice. I love supporting my Black Owned Business. I’ll be back.
OMGoodness!!!!! Where do I start? First off 10/10 would recommend!!!! Been here 3x already and all 3 times has been nothing but greatness! Our first time we met Yami and she was wonderful and helpful! The food was great! 2 time, we ordered from online but when picking up we were remembered! Food was great! 3x we met the owner Yancie and was just fantastic! Truly down to earth! And the food was GREAT! So overall we’re just happy we came across this restaurant! So far we got the sweet chili chicken, bbq chicken, cayman sauce chicken, mac and cheese, yams, collard greens, oxtails with the pasta, blueberry cornbread, banana pudding cheesecake.
I can’t remember the last time I went to a restaurant where everything was a home run! From the moment I walked in, the vibe was warm and inviting. I especially loved that they offered samples of their menu before I ordered it made me feel genuinely taken care of. I went with the oxtail, mac & cheese, and rice, and every single bite was outstanding. The oxtail was perfectly seasoned and fall-off-the-bone tender, the mac & cheese was rich and creamy, and the rice tied it all together beautifully. No notes at all. Shoutout to Yancie for the fantastic service he was welcoming, attentive, and made the whole experience even better. This spot is an absolute gem. I’ll definitely be back soon!
Common questions about Exotic Eats NJ
Exotic Eats NJ is located at 1706 Summit Ave, Union City, NJ 07087, United States, Union City, NJ, United States.
You can reach Exotic Eats NJ by calling +1 201-713-3277.
Exotic Eats NJ has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 based on 349 customer reviews.
Exotic Eats NJ features the following service options: Outdoor seating, Kerbside pickup, No-contact delivery, Delivery, On-site services, Takeaway, Dine-in.
Exotic Eats NJ features the following popular for: Lunch, Dinner, Solo dining.
Exotic Eats NJ features the following offerings: Comfort food, Healthy options, Quick bite, Small plates.
Exotic Eats NJ features the following dining options: Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Catering, Counter service, Dessert, Seating.
Exotic Eats NJ features the following amenities: Restroom.
Exotic Eats NJ features the following atmosphere: Casual, Trendy.
Exotic Eats NJ features the following crowd: Family friendly.
Exotic Eats NJ features the following payments: Credit cards, Debit cards, NFC mobile payments.
Exotic Eats NJ features the following children: Good for kids.
Exotic Eats NJ features the following parking: Free street parking.
Business Features
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