In suburbia, there isn’t much to do with your friends other than going out to eat, and unfortunately I’ll be stuck in my hometown until the ripe age of 22. But that does mean that, having lived in Princeton my whole life, I’ve amassed a solid collection of worthwhile food spots. And before you ask, no, I didn’t go to Princeton High or PDS. Instead, I attended the wondrous West-Windsor Plainsboro High School South: my slightly TikTok-famous high school with no walls.
Since being on campus, I’ve noticed that everyone loves to complain about the Orange Bubble, and yet, it feels like no one actually puts in the effort to pop it. There is so much beyond the bounds of the idyllic, walkable Princeton, and if I can get even one more person to a locally-owned staple of my childhood, I will have done my duty as a town local.
Come one, come all to explore the wonders of West Windsor and Plainsboro! Here are places worth the Uber (I know you licenseless New Yorkers will need it):
Bagel Hole: 64 Princeton Hightstown Rd West Windsor Township, NJ 08550
#1 on the list because it’s #1 in my heart and a quintessential part of the WWPHSS experience.
There’s nothing like a beautifully toasted everything bagel with veggie cream cheese the morning after homecoming, a.k.a. after a night of blacking out on Pink Whitney and running into
your AP Lit teacher, the guy you got with last September, and your best friend’s evil ex in the 500 sq. ft. confines of this store. Bagels not your speed? Don’t fret! Here you can also find lunch specials such as the “Trump Tower,” the “Godfadda,” and the “Big Apple.”
Must try: veggie cream cheese
Aljons: 64 Princeton Hightstown Rd. Princeton Junction, NJ 08550
Jules not quite hitting the spot? Get in a car ASAP and head to Aljons for a delicious, crispy slice of pizza. This sacred pizza shop is a prime post-practice spot for your comically bad lacrosse team who once had an 0-17 season. The ultimate freshman flex was scoring a ride to Aljons in a senior’s car and establishing your dominance over the lowly, licenseless underclassmen forced to walk. Plus, their customer service truly cannot be beat. The owner once happened to be in Naples, Italy the same week I happened to be in Naples, Italy. That week, my dad left his AirPods at our hotel and the owner graciously picked them up, flew back, and returned them to Aljons.
Must try: baked ziti pizza
Shanghai Bun: 33 Princeton Hightstown Rd, West Windsor Township, NJ 08550
In the language of the chronically online, Din Tai Fung dupe. That is to say, Shanghai Bun is a Chinese restaurant with good soup dumplings and sauteed string beans. This was the takeout spot for my family when we wanted Chinese food not cooked by my parents. I will say, there was a time in my life when I was deprived of their dumplings because my parents may or may not have gotten into a fight with the owners about their shaky tables. Their lack of balance is, as my parents argued, what caused three glasses of water to spill on three different occasions. Was this actually the case? The jury is still out.
Must try: soup dumplings
Pho Today: 10 Schalks Crossing Rd, Plainsboro Township, NJ 08536
Need a warm, steamy pick-me-up? Pho Today is the spot. I have three dishes on rotation: the create your own pho, BM1 banh mi, and the C1 Com Tam Today rice platter. This is a perfect spot to sip on a nourishing bowl of soup while deliberating with your best friend over your prom date prospects. Or a good way to recharge your battery after a long day of writing your Common App, though I hope you’re done with that! I will say, the music choice can be questionable, especially when accompanied by an AI video of a peaceful winter cabin and the ambience of 6000K white light. But, trust me, the food makes it worth it.
Must try: the pho, of course!
Shuu Cafe: 10 Schalks Crossing Road, Plainsboro, NJ, 08536
Right next door to Pho Today is Shuu Cafe, an Asian-inspired cafe opened by an alumnus of my high school! Here, you can find smooth matcha soft serve, sweet bubble waffles, and local high schoolers behind the counter. Both Shuu Cafe and Pho Today are located in the Plainsboro Plaza, where you might spot prepubescent teens on their first date to Redberry. Beware! If you go between 10:50-11:35 a.m. (yes, lunch at 11 a.m.) on a weekday you might find yourself in a parking spot war with a high school senior, rushing to eat lunch in under 45 minutes. P.S. Allegedly, the soft serve is a great addition to driving around your talking stage’s neighborhood and indulging in a minuscule amount of stalking with your friends—an activity I definitely haven’t participated in…
Must try: cream puff (the chocolate is my favorite)
El Jalapeño: 3800 Quakerbridge Rd Suite 15, Trenton, NJ 08619
Here is where I indulged in my first ever birria pizza. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that the pizza was essentially just a huge birria quesadilla cut into triangular slices. My friends and I discovered El Jalapeño after driving to the nearby Shell to indulge in the ever familiar, fresh taste of a Cool Mint Flair and getting hungry. Their food is delish, the prices are fair. In case you need to stock up on rotisserie chicken or Cutwaters, Costco and Glendale’s–the liquor store whose owner brought his eight-year-old son to Bring Your Child to Work Day–are right down the road.
Must try: birria pizza
P.P.S. If you do end up traversing the unknown and into my hometown, do let me know your thoughts!
Arianna Huang is the only suburbia guide you’ll ever need.