What to do with a 7 hr. layover at Newark airport?

Some people suggest going to Newark for a walk and for food there. I haven't done it, so no info.

Restaurants at EWR are mostly inside security. I believe you're flying Continental. The "best" restaurant inside Terminal C is the Gallagher's Steak House. Food is okay, and it's definitely not cheap. Or for better value, the Garden State Diner.

An alternative is to go to Continental's Presidents Club. The one near Gate 120 even have shower. Free alcohol, but there's no food, only snacks. The daypass is pretty expensive at $45 each, but you can go to eBay and bid for some issued by Chase. They usually go for about $40 a pair - check the expiration dates on those.

You don;t have a 7 hour layover. You will want to be back at the airport at least 2 hours before you flight takes off (perhaps longer for security for Tel Aviv - check the requirement with our airline) and you need to assume some time from wheel down on your inbound flight to get out of the terminal (and check your luggage if it isn't checked through). So - you actually have more like 4 hours. You could take a cab - or rent a car - and go have a decent dinner, but you really wouldn't have time for much more than that.

rkkwan - thanks for the mention of the "best" restaurants.
nyt - yes, I am aware that we don't have the full 7 hours, but with 4 hours I figure a leisurely 2 hour dinner or so might be doable - anything you can recommend located near the airport?

Sorry -

I'm a New Yorker and only go to Jersey to the airport or see a client. Don;t have a clue about restaurants there. but I do know that much of Newark is an area you do NOT want to visit. Perhaps a local can make a reco.

Hi,

The area around Newark airport is not a place to be "going out for dinner". It's basically industrial. I agree with "nytraveler", most of Newark is not a place to visit.
There is a Marriott Hotel "in" the airport with a restaurant and lounge (never been)... meaning on the grounds (inside the loop airport road) near the terminals. Otherwise, I'd rather stay at the airport.

www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ewrap-newark-liberty-international-airport-marriott/

The suggestion above of going to Newark is fine, with some caveats below. The main issue for me is that you will be hitting the streets or trains at rush hour which means getting into Newark or elsewhere could take longer. (If the layover is Sat or Sunday then you should be OK).

Newark has some VERY insalubrious parts (I think it may be the murder capital of the US, but if not it is certainly highly ranked), so I would suggest taking a taxi to any restaurant and arranging for one to collect you, except for the Don Pepe mentioned below which is next to the train station.

Newark is known primarily for its Portuguese restaurants which are good. Many of the restaurants are located near the main train station, in the “Ironbound” section of Newark. (The train station is called Penn Station, not to be confused with the Penn Station in New York City). A cab to the Penn Station Newark from the Airport is about US$18, and takes about 15 minutes. You can also take the Air Train to Newark Penn Station, and then a cab or walk from there. Take a look at http://www.newarkairport.com/aviation/monorailframe.htm for info on the Air Train. Website for Newark Airport is http://www.newarkairport.com/aviation/ewrhomemain.htm

The closest Spanish/Portuguese restaurant to the Newark Penn Station is

Don Pepe Restaurant
844 McCarter Highway
Newark,
Tel: (973) 623-4662
http://www.donpeperestaurant.com/

This is literally across the street from the train station, so is walkable. I think the food is good, but it is not really as authentically Portuguese as the place below. It is more Spanish influenced. But the location is good.

Fernandes II Steakhouse
152 - 170 Fleming Ave.
Newark
Tel: 973-589-4066
http://www.fernandessteakhouse.com/

This would be about a 5-10 minute drive from the Newark train station. You could also take a cab right from the airport, would cost a bit more of course.

Another option if money is not an issue, is to take a cab to Westfield, New Jersey, a very nice suburban town with a downtown full of good restaurants. (I grew up there.). Without traffic, you can be in downtown Westfield in just under 20 minutes from the airport, the fare is about $60. Have the cab go to the corner of Broad Street and Elm Street, where there are at least a half dozen restaurants along either street, any would be good. (Ferraro’s or Acquaviv for Italian or Theresa’s for continental are three to consider, see http://www.westfieldtoday.com/ (You can take a train to Westfield from Penn Station in Newark, but this is probably going to take you more time that it is worth frankly, but see NJtransit.com.) Summit New Jersey would also work and has a nice downtown and would be about a similar distance. Have the taxi take you to Broad Street or the train station and look for restaurants from there or see http://www.summitdowntown.org/. Cranford is another possibility, I would try the Cranford Hotel there (downstairs pub has a nice fireplace, but upstairs is fine too), see http://www.cranfordhotel.com/

Issues with any of these would be that you hit commuter traffic right at the 5 pm rush hour. Again, on a Sat or Sunday this would be an easy trip. There are other suburbs to consider, I just think these three offer the nicest downtowns closest to Newark.

You could also arrange for something like a Dial 7 car to take you to Newark or elsewhere, see http://www.dial7.com/. Again, a service you pay for, but convenient and reliable.

I have suggested this to people before with somewhat shorter layovers, but if you are looking for a place to just hang for a couple of hours and have a cheap meal, you could also simply go to Ikea, which is across the highway from EWR. I don't know if wandering around a giant furniture store is your idea of a fun way to pass the time, but they have a cheap cafeteria selling passable Swedish meatballs. But I see the allure in a real dinner somewhere.

"You can also take the Air Train to Newark Penn Station, and then a cab or walk from there. "

This requires taking the AirTrain to its final stop--Newark Airport Station--and from there taking a New Jersey Transit train for one stop to Newark Penn Station.

There are also local Newark city buses routes that circle to airport terminals and eventually reach Newark Penn Station. This is the least expensive option but would involve lots of stopping for passengers to get on and off.

4 pm is right in the beginning of rush hour and you would definitely hit significant traffic going anywere outside the airport. Next to Ikea (which is very close to the airport) is an outlet mall if you want to have someplace to walk around. Otherwise, I'd suggest dinner at Gallaghers (in the airport) and then buy a one day pass to Continental's Presidents Club and hang out there.

I have taken a shuttle bus from the airport to the Jersey Garden Mall several times. I believe it's an outlet mall. There is a movie theater complex there and it's a great way to pass the time. Check the airport website to make sure the shuttle is still in operation.

I have also taken AirTrain to NJ transit and then walked several blocks to a Portuguese restaurant. Remember to leave plenty of time to go through security again. Lottie

The Gallagher's is probably the best waiter service option. There is a NJ diner if you want something more casual. With that long of a layover, you might consider getting a day pass for The President's Club. There are two in the Terminal.

Thank you all. This is very helpful information and gives us some options!