Jersey City Chopped Champion Celebrates Restaurant Ribbon Cutting

JERSEY CITY, NJ — A Chopped champion with Jersey City roots celebrated the official ribbon cutting of his restaurant, Freetown Road, in Journal Square.

Claude Lewis, a Jersey City native and renowned local chef, is bringing the West Indian flavors he grew up with to Journal Square with his new restaurant. Lewis was the winner of a 2019 episode of Chopped and is the former executive chef of Porta. Lewis is also a graduate of Hudson County Community College, where he finished his culinary degree.

Lewis' restaurant is located at 640 Newark Avenue and is inspired by the food of his parents' hometowns in Antigua and Barbuda. The restaurant name is a combination of his parents' village names — Lewis' father was from Freetown Village and his mother was from Old Road Village.

"I feel that bringing this to Jersey City is something that's needed and something new that I feel that everybody should try," Lewis told Mayor Steven Fulop in an interview.

Freetown Road opened in January 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic out a delay on the official ribbon cutting and traditional opening. Lewis had been serving his signature West Indian dishes through his catering business, "Freetown Road Project" since 2015, but the 2020 restaurant opening was supposed to mark the beginning of a new journey for the chef.

"Many businesses have closed, never to reopen. So many dreams smashed just like that," the restaurant wrote in a Facebook post, "Yesterday we had our official ribbon cutting — we are officially here to stay!"

The menu includes a variety of West Indian staples like stewed oxtail and Red Snapper fish as well as new creations like coconut milk Sunday toast for brunch or a cookup quesadilla filled with halal beef, white jasmine rice, scallions and Caribbean seasonings.

Freetown Road is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Freetown Road is a BYOB restaurant and provides mixers for patrons who bring their own alcohol.