All roads lead to shopping, dining and entertainment in Woodbridge Township.
Woodbridge Center, the third-biggest shopping mall in New Jersey, is located in the fork where U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 9 merge. The New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) is just a quarter-mile to the south and the Garden State Parkway just a half-mile to the west. Hundreds of stores and about 70 restaurants can be found in either the mall, in the various communities’ downtowns, or along the streets and highways connecting the township’s communities together.
Some stores and restaurants are part of major nationwide chains. Others are family- or independently-owned small businesses, shops and salons unique to the township. One of the newest is a truly unique interactive aquarium.
Eating a la Woodbridge
Dining options are endless in Woodbridge Township. From neighborhood favorites to fine dining, fast food, barbecue, coffee shops, pancake houses and delis, the township offers something to please any palate. Casual, fine dining and everything in between can be found nearby, from well-known chains to unique eateries, from international cuisine to classic American favorites.
Many of these eateries are clustered along the Route 1 corridor. The recent opening of New Jersey’s first Dave & Buster’s location, at Woodbridge Center, tops the list of newest full-service dining adventures. Other popular new dining establishments include Bar Louie and Blu Alehouse.
Tried-and-true national restaurants such as Bonefish Grill, Dave & Busters, Wendy’s, Bar Louie, John Smith Subs, Panda Express, Chick-fil-A, Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Applebee’s and Red Robin are complemented by locally-owned and curated favorites such as Il Castello’s, Ristorante Venezia, Chris Michael’s Steakhouse, Pino’s Pizza, Mulberry Street, LaParilla de Manila, Chicken Galore, Moby Dick’s, Dominics RC, Roosevelt’s Deli, Knot Just Bagels, and Strawberry’s Pub and Pizza.
Shopping & Entertainment
With so many choices so close at hand, there’s rarely a reason to venture outside the Woodbridge area, even for those shoppers with the most eclectic and discriminating tastes. Thousands of shoppers visit Woodbridge daily to browse through the area’s charming shops and large-scale retailers. Everything from small, cozy boutiques to big-box retailers, bargain-friendly outlets and Woodbridge Center’s vast array of stores and retail establishments, dot the metro landscape.
Woodbridge Center
Anchored by Dick’s Sporting Goods plus Boscov’s, JCPenney, Macy’s and Sears department stores, the 1.9 million-square-foot Woodbridge Center’s two floors are packed with apparel, accessories, sporting goods, shoes, electronics, health and beauty items, home furnishings and specialty stores.
Built in 1971, Woodbridge Center is divided into six department areas and boasts 160 stores. Kid-friendly attractions include the popular Tiny Town soft play area, a trackless train, a carousel and multiple family activities and events such as the Woodbridge Center Santa Parade.
One of the mall’s newest and most unusual attractions is the SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium. Visitors can journey “through five continents” to see, feed and touch more than 300 species of animals in one day. They can snorkel with stingrays, feed birds and reptiles, marvel at the sharks, take selfies with the snakes, and more. Exhibits feature sea life, rainforest reptiles and tropical birds.
Another popular new venue, All In Adventures, challenges guests to escape from a locked room using intuition, observation and detective skills.
Yet another entertainment option is the new Dave & Busters, a 34,000-square-foot, family-friendly entertainment and dining venue offering food, beverages, state-of-the-art simulators and an array of video games.
Woodbridge Center also features a number of specialty children’s stores, including Crazy 8, Stride Rite, Carters and Journey’s Kids, and a large number of footwear retailers, including Sketchers, Famous Footwear and the 11,000-square-foot Encore – Shoe Dept.
The popular destination shopping attraction has 8,600 parking spaces. NJ Transit buses also come directly to the mall and connect with the township’s railroad stations.
The mall is open from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.
Whether it’s an afternoon snack, a hot cup of coffee or a relaxing meal with friends or family, shoppers also can enjoy a break to recharge, refuel and indulge in a variety of dining options at Woodbridge Center.
From a delicious smoothie to yogurt, pizza, sushi, canapes, freshly-popped popcorn or giant pretzels, you’ll find taste-tempting treats galore at one of the mall’s kiosks, alongside six full-service sit-down restaurants and 10 fast-fix eateries. Family-friendly sit-down dining options range from juicy all-American burgers at Johnny Rockets, Red Robin and Applebee’s, to Caribbean-inspired food and handcrafted tropical drinks at Bahama Breeze, to the Italian cuisine of Olive Garden and the wings, steaks, salads and ribs at Dave & Busters.
Looking to add a little exercise to your day? The popular Woodbridge Center Mall Walkers Club is open to men and women of all ages and offers a safe, climate-controlled environment where you can get your exercise by walking The Center.