Second Street Bakery — Restaurant in Jersey City

Second Street is a pretty good Italian sandwich shop. I used to come here fairly regularly and the scene is usually the same. The place is dark with a low ceiling, and not all that clean looking even though it actually is clean. There will be at least 2-3 others waiting to order or get their sandwiches, including some Italians. The counter will be run by either a middle aged lady, or a younger guy, both of which are very nice and also efficient. After paying around $6 for a foot-long sandwich, you'll wait 3-5 minutes as your order is made fresh. Second Street is very much a time warp, and luckily the sandwiches make the jump.

My go-to is the chicken cutlet with broccoli rabe, provolone and thousand island dressing. The chicken cutlet is tender and crisp, and the broccoli rabe plays against the provolone well (except for the few times the provolone hasn't been sharp, boooo). It doesn't sound like the dressing fits in, but it does and helps to integrate the whole sandwich. I've gotten their braciole as well, which is tender and comes with a great tomato sauce. There's a lot else to try on the menu, but I haven't quite gotten past those 2 yet. The main thing I wish was better ironically is the homemade bread itself; it's good, but nothing special. I keep putting it off, but next time I'll buy some of the cinnamon bread as well; after all, they're a bakery, not just a deli. Bottom line is this is a gem in...

Appearances can be deceptive, and there can be no better example of this than Second Street Bakery! From the outside, it looks pretty inconspicuous, but the food here is so good! I had the chicken cutlet parmigiana hero. It was very tasty, the chicken cutlet being layered with roasted peppers and fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The regular size is more than enough for one person and costs only $4.50. But the star of the show was the St. Joe’s Sweet Ricotta Pastry. I had a taste of it while my hero was being prepared and promptly asked the sweet old lady behind the counter for one more( last one remaining).It was the perfect combination of not-overly-sweet ricotta cheese with bread. Just thinking of it makes me want to go there for more. I highly recommend this place. Also, note that this is a cash only place and it closes at 3 pm. Get there before they run out of...

I left New Jersey in the summer of 2022 and relocated to the Orlando area of Florida. To say I miss Second Street Bakery's food would be an understatement. They say you don't realize what you've had until it's gone, or in my case, I'm gone. Second Street Bakery is a longstanding family business and a gem in Jersey City. It's not going to WOW your eyes with its aesthetics and pricey offerings. No, it's going to WOW your soul with really good food that makes you feel like you underpaid for it. Take the word of a transplanted Northeasterner, these places are becoming harder and harder to find so we need to keep them going. And while you're there let me suggest my favorite sandwich, it's a prosciutto with chunk provolone and sun dried tomatoes. Simple and perfect just like Second Street Bakery....