Hudson Grill in Jersey City: Not your average American-style restaurant

Steven Rodas | For The Jersey Journal

Hudson Grill looks and sounds like your typical American-style food joint, but upon closer look, you'll find a number of unexpected surprises.

True, the new Jersey City restaurant ? which will have its grand opening Aug. 17 ? mainly serves traditional diner fare like buttermilk pancakes, baked meat loaf and a cheese burger deluxe. But on this menu, you'll also find Colombian-inspired delights like empanadas, arepas, chicharron, and chorizo.

"(Since my sister) worked over 10 years in American-based restaurants, it felt right to create a menu that she was comfortable with," said 24 year-old Maria Gomez, speaking about her sister Claudia Arciniegas.

"Still, we could have not forgotten about our roots and added a few Colombian options (and) other than our love for coffee, you will also see the liveliness and welcoming that Colombians have for each client. We will treat each customer like family."

Gomez, a recent graduate of New Jersey City University, said it has been a dream of her family to open Hudson Grill for many years.

While this is the West New York family's first restaurant in the U.S since they emigrated from Colombia in 1999, they have previously owned multiple bakeries and restaurants in their native country.

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