11 New Jersey Restaurant Chains Serving Spaghetti & Meatball Dishes

Craving a heaping plate of spaghetti piled high with savory meatballs?

You’re not alone. While New Jersey is best known for its iconic pizza slices and legendary bagels, it’s also home to some wildly underrated pasta powerhouses.

Venture beyond the usual fare and you’ll find family-style Italian eateries and cozy neighborhood chains dishing out perfectly twirled noodles and tender, sauce-drenched meatballs that hit all the right notes.

1. Maggiano’s Little Italy

Mama mia! This semi-upscale Italian-American hotspot in Cherry Hill serves meatballs so tender they practically dissolve on your fork.

Though pricier than some competitors (around $24.50), their family-style portions mean you’ll waddle out with tomorrow’s lunch secured. Where else can you find pasta swimming in that signature robust tomato sauce?

2. Joe Italiano’s

Holy pasta paradise! With locations in Moorestown, Hammonton, and Mays Landing, this Jersey favorite makes noodles from scratch daily.

Their baseball-sized meatballs pack a garlicky punch that’ll have vampires running for cover. Grandma would approve of their secret family recipe that’s been wowing locals since before Instagram food pics were even a thing!

3. Grandma’s Meatball

A hidden gem in Manasquan, this specialty restaurant is true to its name, serving delicious hand-rolled meat that would make any nonna proud.

Unable to choose between types? You may try a variety of dishes with their well-known meatball sampler! True pasta lovers, on the other hand, know to request the traditional spaghetti dish, which is topped with their trademark spheres of goodness and twisted high.

4. Fazoli’s

At this quick-service Italian company with many locations in the Garden State, speed does not equate to flavor. A standing ovation is due for their meatball-topped “Loaded Baked Spaghetti”!

While parents value affordable costs, kids go crazy over their breadsticks. Fazoli’s manages to offer spaghetti that tastes shockingly handmade despite being a fast food restaurant – just don’t tell your Italian family!

5. Charlie Brown’s Fresh Grill

Since 1966, this Jersey institution has been slinging more than just steaks! Their spaghetti and meatballs fly somewhat under the radar on their diverse menu.

What makes their pasta special? The kitchen simmers those meaty orbs for hours in a tangy-sweet sauce. Bonus points for the complimentary salad bar that lets you customize your greens while waiting for your carb-loaded masterpiece!

6. Chef Vola’s

Shhhh! This Atlantic City legend since 1921 isn’t technically a chain, but its century-old meatball recipe deserves major recognition.

Getting a reservation feels like winning the lottery – partly because their phone number isn’t public! Worth the detective work though, as their pasta comes topped with meatballs so legendary, even celebrities make detours to this basement eatery when in Jersey.

7. Donkey’s Place

Surprise twist! Although Camden’s famous restaurant (opened in 1943) gained its reputation for cheesesteaks, its less well-known pasta dishes highlight their Italian heritage.

Because of the simple setting, the cuisine speaks for itself. They include meatballs that are so big they could be used as bocce balls with their spaghetti. Anthony Bourdain once called this place a national treasure, and the pasta’s partly why.

8. Hoagie Haven

Plot twist! This Princeton sandwich institution secretly makes killer spaghetti when they’re not stuffing hoagies.

Monday’s special brings pasta lovers flocking for their carb-on-carb masterpiece: garlic bread topped with spaghetti and meatballs! Students fuel late-night study sessions with these massive portions that somehow taste even better as leftovers the next morning – college life hack discovered!

9. Houlihan’s

Don’t sleep on this casual chain’s pasta game! Their “Not Your Mom’s Spaghetti & Meatballs” (actual menu name) delivers a modern twist on the classic.

The secret? Smoked mozzarella stuffed inside each meatball creates an Instagram-worthy cheese pull with every bite. Though known for their bar scene, Houlihan’s Jersey locations serve this pasta dish that’s worth skipping the cocktails for – almost!

10. Burtons Grill & Bar

Fresh face alert! Even though their Wayne site only debuted in 2025, Burtons’ authentic scratch-kitchen pasta is already killing it.

Pasta fans who are concerned about their health may now enjoy gluten-free spaghetti that doesn’t taste like cardboard! Short rib and meatballs are cooked together to create their “Nonna’s Sunday Gravy,” a luscious sauce that you’ll want to soak in. Elegant enough for a romantic evening, yet relaxed enough for a Tuesday.

11. Artichoke Basille’s Pizza

Curve ball! This NYC transplant with spots in New Brunswick and Red Bank may scream pizza, but their hidden gem is actually pasta.

While tourists line up for their famous artichoke slice, locals know to order the off-menu spaghetti special. Available only on Wednesdays, these meatballs contain a blend of three meats and are roughly the size of a child’s fist! Worth the weekly wait.