8 Of Bruce Springsteen's Favorite New Jersey Restaurants And Bars
Bruce Springsteen has had a long and fascinating career. As of this writing, he has sold more than 140 million records, won 20 Grammys, and was even given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. In 2021, the music star — famously nicknamed The Boss — broke records when he sold his back catalog of hits to Sony Music for half a billion dollars. But, as impressive as they may be, we're not here to discuss Springsteen's many achievements. No, we're here to talk about the places he loves to go when he's not performing on stage for the masses with the E Street Band, but relaxing and grabbing a bite to eat with friends.
The "Born to Run" hitmaker, whose go-to late-night snack is a classic PB&J sandwich, grew up in New Jersey, and he still lives there primarily today, so it's fair to say he knows a thing or two about the best places to drink, eat, and enjoy live music in the Garden State. Below, we take a dive into Springsteen's favorite haunts in and around Asbury Park and his hometown of Freehold, exploring where he loves to eat hot dogs, burgers, pizza, and more.
Roberto's Freehold Grill
If you're a Bruce Springsteen fan, you're likely familiar with "My Hometown," the seventh single from the musician's hit 1984 album "Born in the USA." The song recalls Springsteen's childhood in Freehold, New Jersey. It's not an idyllic picture; the artist acknowledges much of the economic and racial tensions of the 1960s. But Springsteen's love for the place where he grew up is evident in other areas of his life. For example, there's no doubt that he has a soft spot for Roberto's Freehold Grill, a historical diner on East Main Street.
The Boss has been spotted at the diner multiple times over the years. He even took his close friend and fellow New Jersey native, Jon Bon Jovi, there in the summer of 2025 for a bite to eat. The owner of the diner, Roberto Diaz, has an entire wall dedicated to photos of Springsteen, which has made the eatery quite a tourist attraction among the musician's huge fan base.
So, what does Springsteen eat when he's at his favorite hometown diner? The singer is known to be careful about his diet, and he also doesn't like to overindulge, so it seems unlikely he regularly goes for one of the diner's heartier options, like French toast, tortas, or steak and eggs. According to the Asbury Park Press, Diaz hasn't ever revealed the details of Springsteen's food orders, but he has confirmed in the past that it's usually something light. So, we imagine the star might opt for something from the menu's healthier section, which lists items like frittatas, oatmeal, and avocado toast.
facebook.com/robertosfreeholdgrill
(732) 431-8607
59 E Main St, Freehold, NJ 07728
The Stone Pony
If there's one New Jersey music venue that Bruce Springsteen is synonymous with, it's The Stone Pony. The club didn't kickstart his career, but he did play there a heck of a lot with the E Street Band throughout the 1970s and 1980s. "It was just a local, friendly, convenient place that had a good feeling to it," Springsteen later reflected to The New York Times, "and I suppose at that time it kept me kind of locked into the area and the local music scene while I was having my initial shot of success."
It's not clear if Springsteen likes a bite to eat before or after his performances at The Stone Pony, but if he does, he has a few options. In addition to the traditional bar fare sold at the venue's Pony Express Cafe, it's surrounded by eateries serving everything from Korean fusion tacos to pizza, barbecue, and seafood. One thing we know he definitely doesn't order from The Stone Pony's bar? Budweiser beer. On an official tour rider from 2023, Springsteen specifically requested "high quality beers" — calling out Budweiser by name as a brand he did not want to see in his dressing room.
Today, The Stone Pony credits iconic Garden State acts like Springsteen for popularizing the club outside of Asbury Park and New Jersey. And the rock star still appears there regularly, making multiple surprise appearances in 2025 to the delight of many fans.
(732) 502-0600
913 Ocean Ave N, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Max's Bar & Grill
As previously mentioned, Bruce Springsteen is strict with his diet. In fact, on most days, he intermittent fasts and only eats one meal. But the musician does let loose sometimes. Back in the summer of 2024, for example, Springsteen ordered five dozen hot dogs from the Long Branch spot Max's Bar & Grill. If you're thinking going from one meal a day to five dozen hot dogs feels like quite a leap, you'd be right. Of course, they weren't all for Springsteen. The singer took the uncooked hot dogs, together with buns, sauerkraut, and spicy red relish, to a gathering.
First opened in 1928, Max's Bar & Grill has had a difficult ride in more recent years. In 2023, the New Jersey restaurant appeared on Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares," which follows the British celebrity chef as he visits struggling restaurants and attempts to help them turn things around. According to Ramsay, the hot dogs he tried were "gross," "rubbery," and "flavorless."
The criticism caught flak online from longtime diners, and Springsteen himself clearly wouldn't agree with Ramsay's remarks, either. The musician has long been a fan of Max's Bar & Grill and even gave its hot dogs a shout out in 2020 on SiriusXM's E Street Radio channel.
instagram.com/maxsbarandgrillnj
(732) 571-0248
25 Matilda Terr, Long Branch, NJ 07740
Federici's Family Restaurant
Another Freehold, New Jersey eatery that has Bruce Springsteen's heart is Federici's Family Restaurant. The Italian spot has been in the town for more than a century and is renowned for its thin-crust pizzas and homemade desserts. The Boss' father, Douglas Springsteen, was familiar with the restaurant's founder, Frank "Spat" Federici, and so the whole family would regularly dine there when the musician was growing up. In fact, Bruce reportedly spent his first-ever check at Federici's — on thin-crust pizza, of course.
Springsteen isn't alone in his love for this Freehold eatery. NBC News meteorologist Dylan Dreyer also grew up in New Jersey and has fond memories of eating pizza at Federici's. In fact, she still dines there regularly. Springsteen, too, still goes for pizza at Federici's, visiting at least once every year. In 2024, he was spotted outside the restaurant (which he drove to in his 1948 Chevy pickup truck) with childhood friends.
federicis.com
(732) 462-1312
14 E Main St, Freehold, NJ 07728
Talula's Pizza
Let's be honest, there's room in most of our hearts for more than one pizza place. There has to be, given that the U.S. is home to thousands of them. New Jersey has many legendary pizza spots; Papa's Tomato Pies, for example, has been there for more than 110 years. Bruce Springsteen is no different to everyone else when it comes to pizza. While the star is loyal to Federici's, he has other favorites, too. He has been spotted at Talula's Pizza in Asbury Park, for example.
The pizza place fits with Springsteen's healthy ethos. It specializes in local, organic ingredients, all of which are topped on housemade pizza dough prepared with a sourdough starter. It also has plenty of light options, including a vegan Caesar salad and marinated peppers with housemade bread.
Springsteen was seen having lunch there in August 2024 with a few crew members from his 2025 biopic, "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere," starring Jeremy Allen White as The Boss. According to the owners of Talula's, Springsteen's table ordered several dishes to share, including the Beekeeper's Lament (a pizza topped with local honey), a green goddess chicken salad sammy, blueberry cobbler, and matcha tres peach leches.
(732) 455-3003
550 Cookman Ave #108, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Jersey Freeze
Bruce Springsteen might be health conscious, but he doesn't deny himself treats. The singer is a big fan of the New Jersey ice cream spot Jersey Freeze, which has locations in Freehold, Holmdel, and, as of 2025, a shop in Colts Neck (where Springsteen has primarily lived on his horse ranch since the 1990s).
In 2022, before the Colts Neck location opened, Springsteen took his pal, Jon Bon Jovi, to Jersey Freeze for a cone in Freehold. The ice cream shop, which Springsteen has frequented since childhood, is known for its range of creative flavors. The menu includes everything from cappuccino crunch and peanut butter pie to SnickerChurro and cannoli. But, according to Jersey Freeze's co-owner Matt Cangialosi, Springsteen isn't one for experimenting. Telling PhillyVoice that "Bruce comes in all the time," Cangialosi added that the musician usually goes for the same thing: a vanilla soft serve in a chocolate shell. During the rock stars' joint visit, Springsteen went for his classic go-to, while Bon Jovi opted for a chocolate soft serve.
Multiple locations
Wonder Bar
The Stone Pony isn't the only New Jersey music venue where Bruce Springsteen makes surprise appearances. He has also been known to rock up at the Wonder Bar for an unexpected set. An Asbury Park institution, this spot is known for its colorful artwork, proximity to the beach and the boardwalk, and of course, its iconic music acts. In addition to Springsteen, Bon Jovi has performed there, as well as Clarence Clemons and Lance Larson.
Fans regularly flock to the Wonder Bar for the live music, there's no doubt, but it's also loved for its food, too. The bar's kitchen is consistently churning out classics like wings, nachos, mac and cheese bites, burgers, and cheesesteaks. We don't know if Springsteen has ever indulged in the Wonder Bar's food, but if he has, based on his love of Max's Bar & Grill, it seems likely he may have been drawn in by the flame-grilled jumbo hot dog.
(732) 455-3767
1213 Ocean Ave N, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
WindMill Hot Dogs
The Wonder Bar and Max's Bar & Grill have some local competition. Bruce Springsteen is also a fan of WindMill Hot Dogs, a popular New Jersey chain with locations in Asbury Park, Long Branch, Red Bank, and Belmar. But, despite the name, Springsteen actually likes its burgers the best. While promoting his autobiography, "Born to Run," in 2016, he told Apple executive Eddy Cue in a livestreamed interview that WindMill (alongside Max's Bar & Grill) has some of the best "Jersey Shore-style" cheeseburgers in the state (via the Asbury Park Press). In fact, according to the musician, these burgers are not just good, they're some of the best in the world.
Want to know what Springsteen loves so much about WindMill Hot Dogs' burgers? You'll have to visit the chain for yourself, of course. When you get there, ask for The Boss Burger, which is a pork roll (aka a New Jersey classic), loaded up with cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauteed onions, and mayonnaise. You can also opt for one of the chain's iconic hot dogs, which Springsteen also praised on SiriusXM's E Street Radio in 2020.
Multiple locations