Nothing quite says Jersey, food-wise, like pork roll (or Taylor ham, as it’s known in North Jersey): a lightly smoked and cured pork product, akin to Canadian bacon.

New Jersey can claim a ton of firsts and honors, most of them not very flattering (first state to be charged with securities fraud, most maligned state, former toxic landfill center of the universe), but there’s no doubt about one thing: it’s the Taylor ham capital of the world.

These 18 restaurants aren’t simply the fanciest or most expensive restaurants NJ has to offer; because “great’’ doesn’t have to mean “high-end.’’ These aren’t restaurants that received the most positive reviews on Yelp, the highest Zagat scores, or most Facebook likes.