Thought that maybe the experts here on the NJ board could steer me to a good Sloppy Joe sandwich. We plan to visit family in the Basking Ridge area soon so somewhere not too far from there would be ideal. Of course you know I’m talking the kind with the coleslaw, not the sandwich with burger meat that those of us elsewhere know as a Sloppy Joe.
P. S. Suggestions welcome even if outside my target locale of Basking Ridge. Sometimes we find ourselves visiting other family and friends in the state.
Mr. J’s in Cranford has been serving sloppy joes for decades. platters are a staple in our family for all parties. Dearborn Farms also prepares them as individual sandwiches and platters.
You said anywhere…those are my two recs!
CJ’s Deli in Madison has been making fantastic sloppy joes for DECADES. Go!!
Further west, Millburn Deli also makes excellent sloppy joes. 
Thanks for these recs, Rooster! On our drives to NJ, we often find ourselves farther afield than we expected. And I am delighted to learn that Sloppy Joe platters are a thing.
Wow, thank you. I figured that you all would know where to find good examples of the Sloppy Joe. 
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I’d like to give our hosts a break from feeding everyone, and take out or a sandwich field trip could be just the thing.
My pleasure and it’s a great question. I’m always game to learn about other places and compare.
CJ’s platter is what you want. FOR SURE.
I know there are some mixed feelings on the board, but I really like the meats at Harold’s Deli in Edison. Not really a sloppy joe for one, or even two or three people with normal appetites, this is one humongous sandwich. You will leave with enough leftovers for another meal or two. One big bonus is that you can choose which 3 meats you put on it. I always think it’s well worth the 85 bucks.
Mr. J’s sloppy joe platter runs about $45. each for any combo of meats or salads. Typically our party orders consist of a roast beef, turkey, ham version and another platter that consists of egg, tuna and chicken salad sloppy joe. Extra slaw and mayo for guests that really enjoy a super moist sandwich and a tray of pickles. $105.00 complete.
Thanks for the tip! We might find ourselves in Edison along the way, so this could well come in handy.
Deli King, Clark, NJ is another place that serves delicious made to order sloppy joe platters neat or wet. Must have for chopped liver, potato pancakes and rice pudding too.
Neat or wet? Might you explain those terms to this unenlightened person from Massachusetts?
Neat, less slaw, less mayo, less moist.
Wet, extra mayo and slaw, messy in the hand…but delicious.
After a few hours or leftovers wet makes the bread very soft. We order SJs on hard rye bread to keep the bread from falling apart, the sandwich is just as moist made wet without turning into a glob.
Millburn Deli, not kosher style with cheese
Nana’s Deli, Eppes Essen and Livingston Bagel all in Livingston
Like them all ( a lot)
We hit up Harold’s for the massive BLTs. Four people to polish off one sandwich!
Hickory Tree Deli in Chatham is my “go to” place for NJ Sloppy Joes. www.hickorytreedeli.com
Closer to Basking Ridge ,too.
Your choices are. 1) Millburn Deli. 2) Millburn Deli. 2). Millburn Deli. 3). Millburn Deli. 4) Millburn Deli. 5) Millburn Deli. (Pro tip…order ahead and pick up.). It’s all about the bread. If the Deli doesn’t slice their own rye (thin!) then you are wasting your money and caloric intake.
Tips like this—plus all the others that people have shared—are why I appreciate Hungry Onion. Getting schooled on the New Jersey Sloppy Joe is making me hungry and it’s not even lunchtime yet. 
Makes me want to do a SJ crawl. If I was in Millburn, I would def. sample one given the 3-4 raves. Growing up in NJ, the SJ was one of those sandwiches that had a loyal following and everyone had their favorite.
The bread is absolutely critical but so is the slaw. Sample the slaw and then decide.
CJ’s Deli it was! CJ’s turned out to the favorite choice in the area of family members who had eaten Sloppy Joes before. Also convenient to have scrumptious sandwiches for dinner the night before Thanksgiving.
I am going to keep track of this thread for future trips. Thanks, everyone!