New Jersey has no shortage of Italian food. From parm-centric red sauce joints to regional Italian spots employing authentic old-world recipes, the Garden State is filled from top-to-bottom with some of the nation’s best Italian cooking. One Atlantic City institution just got the recognition it deserves.
Business Insider recently took a look at the entire nation to determine each state’s most iconic Italian restaurant. For some states who lack an abundance of Italian fare, the task is a bit easier. But for New Jersey—which has more than 2,000 Italian restaurants squeezed into its small borders—it becomes much more difficult to choose.
After a closer look, Chef Vola’s in Atlantic City was firmly named New Jersey’s most iconic Italian restaurant—and I can’t say I disagree.
Chef Vola’s is NJ’s Most Iconic Italian Restaurant
Chef Vola’s serves the kind of understated Italian that keeps locals and travelers alike filling the room each night. It doesn’t rely on truffles or caviar—no tableside presentation, no Wagyu beef.
Instead, the Atlantic City staple keeps it old-school. Large, unapologetic Italian-American plates—served in an unbeatable atmosphere. Think: bone-in veal chop parm, family style salads in timeless wooden bowls, broiled fish, and gargantuan plates of tomato-draped spaghetti.
Reservations are difficult to snag. You can only make them over the phone, and t requires a credit card to place. In the summer, reservations are booked weeks—sometimes months—in advance, so be sure to give yourself ample time if you plan on making the trip.
To add to the allure, Chef Vola’s is cash-only, operating out of a residential home—the same way they started over 100 years ago in 1921. The room is tiny, dim, and it fills up nightly. Dozens of paintings and photographs scatter across the walls.
The now-famous white and brick home, with its green awning-covered staircase, has become as much a part of the Atlantic City fabric as the boardwalk or the casinos that dot it. You cannot tell the story of the Shore-side town without mentioning Chef Vola’s.
In a city that has shown volatility over the years, Chef Vola’s has remained a constant. Never changing. Never apologizing. Just the same great Italian-American food and atmosphere as the day they opened their doors.
If that’s not iconic, nothing is.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
