In this post-COVID and inflationary world, many of us have shunned white tablecloths for just a simple, and hopefully affordable, mouth-watering meal.
That’s why we know you can find food worth writing home about in food halls, food trucks and fast-casual counters.
And the latter is where Yelp found one of its top 100 restaurants for 2025 in Central Jersey.
For the second time, Yelp has named Fresh Tiki Bar in Somerville, a counter-serve creative dessert shop in Somerville, as one of its best restaurants in the U.S. The colorful shop on the Division Street pedestrian mall was named No. 62.
In the Garden State, Cha Cha Cha Cuban Cafe in Kenilworth and Tim’s Po-Boys and Wings in Hawthorne also made the list.
To craft the list, Yelp evaluated the rating and number of reviews each restaurant had, and also considered its local food scene. Then, the reviewing site narrowed the contenders to create an eclectic and varied list.
A small-but-mighty sweet tooth’s paradise, Fresh Tiki Bar offers unique handcrafted desserts, with new options added all the time. Holidays are especially festive, as seasonal delights are always on the menu, too.
Just a few of its creations include waffles on a stick with warm butter glaze, toppings and drizzles; ice cream sandwiches tucked between donuts or bubble waffles; and hot cocoa in flavors like Nutella, butterscotch, and mint.
Hot chocolate from Fresh Tiki Bar.
Fresh Tiki Bar: Fresh Tiki Bar: Somerville’s island oasis fueled by a 14-year-old dream
Desserts are served in a space just as fun as the menu. Pink walls are adorned with tropical touches in every corner, including neon flamingos, fluffy pink rugs, wicker chairs topped with plush pink cushions, and palm tree backdrops.
Fresh Tiki Bar is about letting loose and relaxing, but owners Aimee Suprenant and Matt Lewis take their craft seriously.
“Having survived COVID-19, Matt and I losing everything in Hurricane Ida [at our house] and facing an extremely tough economy the past few years, Fresh Tiki Bar has continued to consistently work hard for our Fresh Tiki fam providing the absolute best quality ice cream, desserts and sweets in Somerville,” the shop wrote on Instagram announcing its Yelp win. “We are a small business made up of just two individuals who shared a dream 20 years ago … a dream we get to live every day thanks to all of you.”
Inside Fresh Tiki Bar in Somerville.
More: You’ll never guess which Central Jersey restaurant was named one of the best by Yelp
Suprenant and Lewis opened Fresh Tiki Bar in 2017 after the space next to Lewis’s Division Street Music Shop opened up. There, they envisioned a walk-up window catering to people enjoying downtown Somerville entertainment events.
After brainstorming different ideas for the space with inspiration from their travels to Turks and Caicos, Hawaii, Miami, Key West and other tropical destinations, the pair came with the idea for Fresh Tiki Bar — an idea that they had on their first meeting.
“The night Matt and I met, I told him about how it was my dream to own a food establishment that would have a community feel to it,” Suprenant previously told MyCentralJersey. “Every day that I turn the key in the lock on 15C Division St. and open the door, I get to live my dream in our town, Somerville. There is no better feeling in the world.”
Go: 15C Division St., Somerville; 908-307-6002, instagram.com/freshtikibar.
Jenna Intersimone.
Contact: [email protected]
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, although she’s a lifetime Jersey girl who considers herself an expert in everything from the Jersey Shore to the Garden State’s buzzing downtowns. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Yelp names Fresh Tiki Bar in Somerville one of best restaurants in U.S.
