Salumeria Ercolano Moves Into Historic Miss America Diner Space

The smell of fresh mozzarella still hangs in the air. But now it drifts through a doorway that once led to a 1940s diner counter.

Salumeria Ercolano, the Italian deli that’s been a quiet anchor on Jersey City’s West Side Avenue for over a decade, has moved. Just a few blocks south — from 1072 to 322 West Side Avenue — but into a space with much longer roots in the neighborhood. The new home is the former Miss America Diner, a piece of roadside Americana built in Elizabeth in the 1940s and known for its sleek “Streamline” Art Deco exterior.

The deli opened its original location in September 2010. For nearly 14 years, loyal customers came for the house-made mozzarella, the Calandra’s bread, and sandwiches named after local streets — Sip, Bergen, Montgomery, Grove. That building, an industrial property, is being folded into phase two of the West Side Square development, a larger plan to blend retail and housing into a mixed-use complex.

So the deli had to find new ground. And owner Vincenzo Ercolano chose a spot with history.

The building at 322 West Side Avenue started as the Joe Cherico Diner in 1942. For decades after, it ran as Miss America Diner, its chrome-and-porcelain facade a familiar sight for generations of Jersey City residents. Now that diner counter is gone, replaced by display cases of prosciutto and provolone. But the bones remain — the art deco lines, the seating, the feel of a place that has always been about gathering.

“The new space is smaller, but it still has that same warmth,” says Maria, a customer who has been coming since the early days. “You walk in and it smells like your grandmother’s kitchen.”

For regulars, the relocation might feel like a small heartbreak — losing the old corner. But the menu hasn’t changed. There are still the paninis, the wraps, the daily hot specials that rotate. The mozzarella is still made fresh every morning. The bread still comes from Calandra’s in Newark, same as it always has. The cheesecake and carrot cake are still from Calandra’s too.

The deli’s sandwiches remain a love letter to Jersey City. Each one is named after a local street: Sip, Bergen, Montgomery, Grove. It’s a small touch, but one that connects every bite to the pavement outside.

“We wanted to keep that sense of place,” Ercolano said in a statement shared with customers on social media. “The names are a way of saying thank you to the community that has supported us.”

The deli still offers significant indoor seating — a tradition from its original location that sets it apart from many sandwich shops. Salumeria Ercolano is open Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. except Saturdays, when it closes at 5 p.m. It’s closed on Sundays.

What comes next for the old property? The West Side Square development will continue to take shape, bringing more apartments and storefronts to the area. But for now, the deli’s move is as much about the future as it is about preserving what works.

You can follow them on Instagram at @salumeria_ercolano. Or better yet, just stop by. The fresh mozzarella is waiting.