Kosher Food and Drink

If you are looking for a fun day for your entire family, American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, NJ, might make a perfect choice. Located in northern New Jersey, close to New York City, this sprawling mall is full of kosher food, including some chain stores that have a kosher location! So not only can you be entertained all day long with the loads of activities they have, you don’t have to pack food! They have meal food and snack food, so it’s great for a variety of needs.

THINGS TO DO

• DreamWorks Water Park*
• Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park*
• Dream Wheel*
• Legoland Discovery Center*
• Bubble Planet*
• Geoffrey’s Express*
• Ride on animals*
• Slide at Toys “R” Us*
• Big Snow
• Blacklight Mini Golf
• Angry Birds Mini Golf
• Legoland Discovery Center
• Sealife Aquarium
• Mirror Maze
• iMuseum
• Activate
• Paradox
• New Jersey Hall of Fame*
• TiLT 3D Art Experience
• The Rink
• The Escape Game
• Blast 7D
• Sesame Street Learn & Play
• The Gameroom

*See description and reviews on next page

KOSHER FOOD

• Bravo Pizza (CY)
• Candyland Shake Bar
• Chickies (meat)
• Cinnabon
• Dunkin’
• Falafel & Chips
• Geoffrey’s Cafe (Cholov Yisroel ice cream)
• Häagen-Dazs (2 locations)
• Mrs. Fields
• Oreo Café
• Red Mango
• Tanghulu

If you’re looking for a meal, the kosher food court (Level 3) has three options. Bravo Pizza, Chickies, and Falafel & Chips. Fish Grill is coming soon. There is ample seating (as long as it’s not an overly busy time) and washing stations. The kosher food court is located all the way to the right of the regular food court, above the skating rink.

Red Mango and Mrs. Fields are located on the first floor, just when you come up from Parking area A. Red Mango is a smoothie and acai bowl place. Mrs. Fields has cookies in many flavors and sizes, as well as brownies.  Tip: They will warm them up if you ask!

Oreo Café is on the top floor of IT’SUGAR, a candy store with a dedicated kosher section! Oreo Café is next to the waterpark and amusement park, so it’s a great stop when you’re coming or going from your activities there.

On the first floor of Toys “R” Us is Geoffrey’s Cafe. They have a variety of foods, including Cholov Yisroel ice cream! This is also just outside the waterpark and amusement park.

Next to Toys “R” US, on the first floor, is Tanghulu. Tanghulu is candy coated fruit on a stick. It’s one of the few pareve foods at the mall. They have a variety of choices, such as green grapes, strawberries, mandarin oranges, and blueberries. You can get them individually or mixed on a stick. It was delicious. The fruit was fresh and the candy coating was just enough for a sweet taste and crunch. Small is $6 and large is $10. Buy 4, get 1 free!

Candy Land Shake Bar has two types of shakes, as well as scoops of ice cream. The fancy shakes are absolutely beautiful works of food art. They were $18 each. The regular flavors were $10 each. Candy Land Shake Bar is located inside the Hasbro game room on the second floor.

Häagen-Dazs has many flavors and several types of cones. It was not cheap but worth it for quality ice cream. Häagen-Daz is located on the third floor, at the top of the escalators by the food court.

Cinnabon and Dunkin’ are next to each other.

REVIEWS

DreamWorks Water Park

If you like water activities and water parks, this is the place for you. There are activities for toddlers through adults. There is a large kid play area, with slides from small to medium, different areas to climb, and tons of water in which to splash around. Across from that are even more slides for younger kids. There is a height minimum, so an average 4-5 year old would probably be the minimum age.

There is a large wave pool that functions as a regular pool when it’s not full of waves. It’s a zero entry (sloping entrance) pool. A lazy river allows you to lay in an inflatable and go around while either trying to avoid and/or getting sprayed by water. There are two hot tubs right by the lazy river.

For older kids and adults, there are many large water slides.

There are lockers to hold your valuables, both in the changing rooms and out in the park, and there are many deck chairs on which you can lay your belongings. The earlier you get there, the more likely you will get a chair!  They do not provide towels, so make sure you bring your own.

Officially, food and drink are not allowed, but nobody is checking and there is no kosher food to buy inside the park.

Life jackets are available for those who need in a variety of sizes.

Certifikid has a deal that you can save 15% off tickets, but also check americandream.com to see if there are any deals. When booking ahead of time, you have to pick your date.

Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park

Nickelodeon Universe is a large amusement park, located next to the water park. You can buy a pass ahead of time, in person, or pay for individual tickets at the ride (with a smartphone). You do not need tickets to enter the park, just for the individual rides.

There are many options for different ages and sizes, so there is something for everybody. Roller coasters, swings, a carousel, small kids’ rides, and much more.  One of the food stands has kosher snack foods (“fresh” baked vs. packaged snacks).

Certifikid has a deal that you can save 15% off tickets (expiration 2/28/25), but also check americandream.com to see if there are any deals. When booking ahead of time, you have to pick your date.

Bubble Planet

Bubble Planet is not a long activity but has several fun and unique things to do and look at. There is a room full of balloons, a room with a giant ball pit that is great for all ages, and fun photo opportunities with unique bubble/water scenes. There are things a toddler could enjoy, but it’s probably better for ages 4-5 and up. There is a virtual reality option at the end of the museum, that you can pre-pay for or add on right then.

Dream Wheel

Located on Level 3, Court C is this giant carousel with 27 gondolas large enough for groups, or your entire family, as they allow 16 people in each gondola. The gondolas are climate controlled, with TV/music if you choose. The thrill is as you get near the top of this 30 minute ride as you see the incredible NYC skyline. Tickets available here.

Geoffrey’s Express

Geoffrey’s Express is a short train ride around the mall, located outside Toys “R” Us (second floor). You can buy tickets on the American dream website or at the train ride itself.

Legoland Discovery Center

Great for Lego lovers of all ages and people who just like to create, Legoland Discovery Center has Legos galore. You can build to your heart’s content, with colors and pieces you may never have seen before! They have a specific play area for toddlers. There are amazing Lego creations to view throughout the center, including the Statue of Liberty and many iconic New York City buildings. A small jungle gym play area and an area to color pictures are available. Your ticket includes a 4D movie. Certifikid currently has a deal for Legoland Discovery Center, with the price dependent on the day of the week. When buying tickets ahead of time, you pick a date and time. This activity is good for about two hours. Legoland Discovery Center is located just past the escalators when you come up from parking area A, near Mrs. Fields and Red Mango.

New Jersey Hall of Fame

You don’t have to be from New Jersey to visit this museum, but it will certainly give you some New Jersey pride if you are! Learn about athletes, inventors, singers, actors, and others from the great state of New Jersey. See actual relics from these famous people, such as Jon Bon Jovi’s jacket and Thomas Edison’s lightbulbs. You can watch a short movie about what people from New Jersey have contributed to society and then sing private karaoke with a singer from New Jersey! Teachers get in for free (show ID).

Ride on Animals

Across from Red Mango, when you come in from Parking area A, you will find this fun mall feature. You can pay for anywhere from 10-20 minutes or so and ride these electric “animals” all around the immediate vicinity. There is a weight limit. They do allow more than one child to ride on one, and if a child is under a certain size an adult must accompany them.

Slide at Toys “R” Us

On the second floor, there is a slide. It’s small but it’s free and fun! Toys “R” Us also has several play areas with different toys, near the slide.

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The mall itself is fun to walk around. There are activities for all ages, including many that you just view as you walk around. One example is a garden area with a fountain to walk through. Keep in mind that on Sundays, many of the stores are closed due to New Jersey blue laws. Some stores are open, as well as many of the activities.

Parking in area A will bring you right to Mrs. Fields, Red Mango, and the ride on animals feature. The activities are spread out throughout the mall, so you can easily check americandream.com for your most optimal spot to park.

The closest kosher restaurants outside the mall would be in Passaic or Teaneck (10-15 minutes or so by car). There are many hotels in the area. There is a Hampton Inn right next to the mall, if you want to be as close as possible.

If you or your family likes science museums, Liberty Science Center is only 18 minutes away. It is a fantastic science center and it’s free with Maryland Science Center membership, via their Passport Program! Plus, you can see the Statue of Liberty from the museum!

The Secaucus train station is just 10 minutes from the mall and is a short ride from there into New York City. 

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Fallon Saposnik is a mom, teacher, kosher food enthusiast, and founder of Camp Mommy (the go-to place for Baltimore family activities). She has a love of helping connect kosher travelers with various options for vacations or day trips. Fallon has a degree in culinary arts from the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts and loves cooking and baking for friends and family.  She leads a monthly Cookbook Club with local moms and enjoys trying new recipes from different cookbooks. Fallon is locally recognized as the go-to expert for any questions about kosher products at Costco or Aldi. She can be reached at fallon144@gmail.com.