Ecuador vs Germany: Match-Day Restaurant Guide
Another weekday afternoon match. 4:00 PM on a Thursday. Ecuadorian fans have Elizabeth, one of the largest Ecuadorian communities in the entire United States. German fans have beer halls and a legendary Pompton Lakes restaurant. Two very different food cultures, both well-represented in North Jersey.
Where can I find Ecuadorian food near MetLife Stadium?
Elizabeth, NJ is the Ecuadorian capital of the East Coast. The city has one of the largest Ecuadorian populations in the United States, and Elizabeth Avenue reflects it. Restaurants, bakeries, and street food vendors serve everything from ceviche to hornado to encebollado. Passaic and Paterson also have Ecuadorian restaurants, closer to MetLife.
Elizabeth (Elizabeth Avenue)
Elizabeth Avenue Ecuadorian Corridor
Elizabeth Ave between Broad St and Elmora Ave, Elizabeth
This stretch has the highest concentration of Ecuadorian restaurants in New Jersey. Ceviche, encebollado (tuna and yuca soup), llapingachos (potato cakes), hornado (roast pork), and seco de pollo (chicken stew). Walk the avenue and pick what looks good. Most are casual, affordable, and fast.
Ecuadorian Bakeries
Multiple locations along Elizabeth Ave
Empanadas de viento (cheese-filled, fried, dusted with sugar), humitas (sweet corn tamales), and tres leches cake. Quick, cheap, and satisfying. Perfect if you are eating fast before heading to the stadium.
Cevichochos and Street Food
Elizabeth Ave, Elizabeth
Ecuadorian street food includes cevichochos (chocho beans in citrus), choclo con queso (corn with cheese), and bolon de verde (green plantain dumpling). Some restaurants serve these as appetizers. Others are street vendors, especially on weekends. On match day, expect the avenue to have extra activity.
Passaic and Paterson
Passaic and Paterson both have Ecuadorian restaurants mixed into their broader Latin American dining scenes. These towns are closer to MetLife than Elizabeth (10-15 miles vs 20 miles). If you want Ecuadorian food with a shorter drive to the stadium, start here.
What to order if this is your first time.
Encebollado is the move. A tuna and yuca soup with pickled red onions and chifles (plantain chips). Ecuadorians eat it for breakfast, after a night out, or anytime they need to feel alive. It is the dish that defines the cuisine. Most Elizabeth Avenue restaurants serve it.
Where should Germany fans eat before the game?
North Jersey's German heritage runs deep. The community is less concentrated in a single neighborhood than the Ecuadorian community in Elizabeth, but the restaurants are established and well-known. Pompton Lakes has the landmark. Hoboken has the biergartens. Bergen County has the delis.
Platzl Brauhaus
Pompton Lakes, NJ
The German restaurant in North Jersey. Schnitzel, sauerbraten, bratwurst, spaetzle, and German beers on tap. The dining room feels like a Bavarian beer hall. About 30 miles from MetLife, but worth the drive if you want the real thing. Call ahead. Match day will be busy.
Hoboken Biergartens
Hoboken, NJ
Hoboken's bar scene includes biergarten-style spots with German beers, pretzels, and sausages. Pilsener Haus and Biergarten in the Heights section of Jersey City is the largest dedicated beer garden in the area. Hoboken is a quick NJ Transit ride from MetLife via Secaucus.
Bergen County German Delis
Various locations, Bergen County
Bergen County has German and Austrian delis selling cold cuts, sausages, Black Forest ham, and imported breads. Good for stocking up on match-day picnic supplies. These are neighborhood shops, not restaurants. Go early in the day.
Two fan cultures, one match day
This match puts a South American street-food culture against a Central European beer-hall tradition. In Elizabeth, the energy will be on the sidewalk. Music, vendors, yellow jerseys. In Pompton Lakes or a Hoboken biergarten, it will be communal tables, steins, and songs.
Both communities are deeply established in North Jersey. Elizabeth's Ecuadorian corridor has been growing for decades. German institutions like Platzl Brauhaus have been here for generations. The World Cup is not creating these communities. It is putting a spotlight on them.
What should I order at an Ecuadorian restaurant?
Encebollado
Tuna and yuca soup with pickled onions and plantain chips. The national comfort food. Start here.
Llapingachos
Potato cakes stuffed with cheese, pan-fried until crispy. Served with peanut sauce, fried egg, and avocado. A plate of these is a meal.
Hornado
Whole roasted pork, slow-cooked until the skin crisps. Served with mote (hominy), llapingachos, and curtido (tomato-onion salad).
Ceviche Ecuatoriano
Different from Peruvian ceviche. Ecuadorian ceviche is soupy, served with crunchy corn nuts (tostado) or plantain chips. Shrimp is the most common version.
How do I get to MetLife Stadium from these restaurants?
From Elizabeth
NJ Transit Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line from Elizabeth Station to Secaucus Junction, then the Meadowlands line. About 45-55 minutes total. Driving is 20-30 minutes via NJ Turnpike north, but there is no parking at MetLife.
From Passaic/Paterson
Drive south on Route 21 or Route 17 toward East Rutherford (10-15 miles). Use American Dream Mall parking ($225) or the official shuttle from Hackensack Meridian ($80). NJ Transit bus connections are available but slower.
From Pompton Lakes
Drive south on Route 23 to Route 46 to Route 3 east (about 30 miles, 40-50 minutes). Or take NJ Transit from Pompton Lakes station on the Montclair-Boonton Line to Secaucus Junction. Plan extra time for Thursday rush hour if leaving after 3:00 PM.
From Hoboken
NJ Transit from Hoboken Terminal to Secaucus Junction to Meadowlands. About 25-35 minutes. The most straightforward transit option for this match.
No parking at MetLife Stadium.
Same as every match. The lot is FIFA operations only. American Dream Mall ($225) or the Hackensack Meridian shuttle ($80) are your options. NJ Transit is the default. On a Thursday, commuter traffic on Route 3 and the Turnpike will be heavy from 3:00 to 6:00 PM.