Capon’s Chophouse opened its doors in Hackensack, New Jersey on October 21, 2025, and from the very first night, it has felt more than just a new spot to eat. Led by owner and chef Josh Capon, the restaurant has quickly become a place where familiar faces gather, conversations spark, and the warmth of good food brings people closer. What began as a long-awaited opening has already grown into a true community hub.
As word spread through Tenafly, families, students, and longtime locals began making the trip to the Riverside Mall, not only for the food but for the feeling that Capon’s Chophouse offers. Almost every time people from Tenafly stop by, they run into folks they know. It’s become almost expected that a visit to the Chophouse means seeing a table of friends, a group of parents, or families finishing off their night together.
What could’ve been just another restaurant has turned into a place where Tenafly shows up in full force, filling up the space with familiar faces and true community energy that turns an ordinary mall stop into a shared local experience.
Over Thanksgiving break, Capon’s Chophouse was the first stop and most requested meal for many Tenafly graduates, making a dinner out with family feel just as much a reunion among classmates.
Capon says the decision to open the restaurant now came from opportunity meeting history. “I always wanted something closer to my home in my backyard, so to speak,” he explained. “Great people came into the picture, and we just took advantage of it.” To Capon, location matters, but familiarity matters even more.
When asked to describe the atmosphere, Capon didn’t hesitate. “It’s fun. It’s lively. It’s energetic. It’s inviting and comforting, but also elegant and sophisticated,” he said.
Capon also shared what it has meant to him to see the Chophouse evolve into an unplanned Tenafly town square. “Listen, it means the world to me,” he said. “It’s a dream come true. It really is thirty years in the making.” He spoke about not only his journey, but the collective effort behind it, which involves his partners, chefs, and staff. He admitted, “I get a lot of credit, but it’s on the heels of so many people’s hard work. We’ve built something special and we’re just getting warmed up.”
His favorite part hasn’t been opening night or Instagram excitement; it’s been watching his team step into their potential and learn new techniques as well as seek their very own experience. Capon compared building his staff to drafting a championship sports team. “One of my favorite things is building a team,” he said. “That’s what we did here. We drafted one.”
For Tenafly guests, that growth shows up in the service, the energy, and the constant reunions. “Every night I look at the reservation report, and I know at least 50% of the tables personally,” Capon said with a smile, calling his restaurant “an extension of my home and joking that he’s the “Shamu of the Chophouse,” something people come not just to eat with, but to see.
One of those regular Tenafly faces is Josie Goldberg (’27) who says the Chophouse has quickly become the new meeting spot for everyone. “The second you walk in, you already know you’re going to see someone you recognize,” Goldberg said. “It’s like the whole town somehow ends up here at the same time.”
As Capon’s Chophouse continues to grow, so does its role in the community. With its familiar faces, energy, and spirit, the Chophouse isn’t just serving dinner; it’s dishing out neighborliness with a side of sociability.
