Joe's Meat Market - Main Street in South Bound Brook, NJ
I became aware of Joe's Meat Market after seeing it on a Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives rerun that featured their antipasto bread. Now, our boy Guy claimed it was a "destination meal" and, considering it's only a 15 minute drive from my job, I figured that alone made it a must-try for me. I went with full intentions of trying the antipasto bread, but upon walking in was greeted with a pretty stacked pizza counter featuring a daily special of any 2 slices and a can of soda for $5. You read that right...ANY 2 slices. I just couldn't pass that up. I settled on a margherita and...some kind of shrimp slice? Pricewise, this meal is a steal. The slices were big and filling with good dough (both crispy AND doughy) and plentiful toppings. Not a ton of flavor on either though, but it's still hard to beat paying less than $2.50 for specialty slices in 2023.
I did eventually go back to try the antipasto bread because c'mon how could I not, and it was tasty...but I don't know if I would consider it a "destination meal." It's pretty much a calzone on steroids packed with antipasto meats that would be pretty impossible to finish in one sitting on your own. I got through about half and even that felt like too much. Additionally, while I'm not usually a fan of dipping stuff like this in marinara sauce, I've gotta say that Joe's marinara was actually pretty good! All in all, I enjoyed my experiences at Joe's, but I don't think it's worth traveling great distances to try. If you're local to the area though, I recommend stopping in. They have a huge selection so I'm sure I'll be back to try some more menu items!
