'Why did all these great places close?,' she said. Raised in Monroe, and now a resident of Helmetta, Cindy Shapter lamented the closing of her local favorites. READ: 5 Central Jersey towns for family-friendly fun READ: 5 things to do with drink in hand in Central Jersey

After much debate, we settled on five favorites. We asked readers, colleagues, friends and family what restaurant they missed the resulting list was long and full of longing. It saddened us to see them go and even decades after the closing, these restaurants are still remembered with fondness. Some catered to families and others favored a date night or more adult crowd. But, all of them, after a good long run, were no more.

Some of these restaurants were chains, others one-off establishments. They were staples, whether because they were places to hangout with friends, a family favorite or simply, that good. Watch Video: WATCH: Arooga's Grille House and Sports Bar opens in East BrunswickĬENTRAL JERSEY – Thinking back, there were many restaurants in our hometowns that seemed like they would last forever.

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