Just like a regular service area, but with the added bonus of having some James Gandolfini pictures and information around. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not only a big fan of The Sopranos, but also of the late, great James Gandolfini. Once I saw there was a service area named after him, it was only a matter of time before I'd end up stopping there - and that day finally came. I hardly ever stop at service areas, but this time it was worth it for me. The general area is typical - there's a convenience store (A-Plus), gas (Sunoco), rest rooms, an overpriced gift/general shop, and some eateries (as of this writing, Burger King, Nathan's, Dunkin (Donuts), and an Auntie Annie's). There's some general seating/tables inside - the tables weren't the cleanest at the time I was there. There was some of James Gandolfini signage and pictures around - including a nice display inside and a smaller one inside one of the entrance areas. There was also a picture on each side of the main building. I made a poor choice to try the Burger King inside due to a lack of options and headed out to eat in my car. There is plenty of parking around, though some of the areas are a little busier and littered with terrible drivers, so use caution. Overall, worth checking out if you're a fan of James Gandolfini - otherwise it's just a typical service area/rest stop. The extra star is because of James Gandolfini. read more

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First visitor rest stop from the tippy top of Jersey!! Gas, restrooms and food/snacks! This rest stop honoring Jersey born Actor James Gandolfini! read more

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Highway services in the middle of the turnpike named for "SOPRANO'S" Actor James Gandofini. It had everything you need: gas, food and clean restrooms. Its certainly.a place to stop.and get your needs taken care of. read more

James Gandolfini Service Area - Rest Stops Near Me - Montvale, New Jersey

Nice little rest area with a dunkin, burger king, Annie's, Nathan's, vending machines, and a mini mart. Clean bathrooms, and nice seating area. Don't do a super lot of traveling but it's definitely nicer than the rest areas in Maine and Connecticut. read more

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This rest stop has been renovated, though to be honest, it's hard to tell the difference. Its quiet here. Not much foot traffic if any. That said, the bathrooms are clean. It's not really a place you'd go to for a good meal or snack--the Dunkin, Nathan's, and Burger King options are there, but most of the food feels stale. Still, it's the only rest stop before entering the New York state area, and for that reason alone, it serves its purpose. It does its job, and that's good enough for a solid 4.5/5. read more

Not great. Very outdated. Women's bathroom smelled bad and more than 5 toilets didn't work. Towels were gone. Dirty. Only reason why this gets 2 stars is that there were multiple stalls and there is good you can buy. Food options: Burger King Dunkin donuts Auntie Anne's Nathan's famous Travel mart with snacks and drinks read more

James Gandolfini Service Area - Rest Stops Near Me - Montvale, New Jersey

I stopped at the James Gandolfini Service Area this afternoon in Montvale while driving North on the Garden State Parkway. Pros: - rest area is accessible from both North- and South-bound lanes (like the Jon Bon Jovi one further south) - in recent years, named in honor of Sopranos series legend and Rutgers alumni James Gandolfini - ample parking - has a variety of fast food options - Burger King, Nathan's, Aunty Anne's, Dunkin' Donuts, and some pre-made grab-and-go items inside the Travel Mart - spacious Cons: - bathrooms were a little scary (women's as seen by my own eyes; men's as verified by my partner) - tbh in need of a renovation In short: This rest area marks all the checkboxes for what you need in a rest stop, but would be nice if it were upgraded. read more

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I have been traveling this part of the GSP for many years and was happy they closed it for renovations. It appears that the large common area did not get much change and the bathrooms got an overhaul with new stalls and plumbing. Unfortunately, stalls are smaller than ever before. On a recent trip on 6/1/25, I stopped here in the late afternoon only to find most of the bathroom cordoned off for cleaning, as was the case two days earlier. Both days ALL OF THE HANDICAPPED STALLS WERE CORDONED OFF. Ridiculous. read more

Neat and clean rest rooms. Reasonable variety of food services. Good directions for parking and reentry back onto thruways.

Just before the dinner hour, I stopped into this service area for a quick bathroom break and to stretch my legs. It is consistent with others that are operated in New Jersey - there is a coffee shop, a fast food burger place, a convenience store, and a gas station. Bathroom was busy and needed some attention. About what I would expect this late in the day with heavy traffic. Masks are still required in New Jersey and everyone I saw in the service area was wearing one. Even though the highway is limited access, the fuel price here must be contractually pinned to prevailing nearby prices as it was not excessive. [Review 15148 overall, 650 of 2021, number 82 in New Jersey.] read more

James Gandolfini Service Area - Montvale Service Area - Rest Stops Near Me - Montvale, New Jersey

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This is the first service station once we enter GSP coming from CT . We generally don't stop here.. today we did . It's good to have a service area of this size in Garden state parkway . They have some good food joints , fuel and good rest rooms .. dunkin donuts , Nathan's , Burger King etc.. we don't eat here much , because it is slightly overpriced and also because there are so many restaurants in all exits of GSP. Parking facility is good . Sunoco is expensive... about 30-40 cents more than Costco/ Bjs. Overall an average experience ... read more

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Excellent service at the new APlus Sunoco ! Bathrooms are clean , overall great experience !!! read more

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This is your basic rest area, I found nothing profound here, most of the shops were closed so it was more of a "time to take a break stop" for me. I decided to go inside for the restroom and found the entrance was accessorized with a unique arcade looking device, this my friend was the most interesting part of this stop. This device named "Peso Exacto" translation is "Exact Weight" according to Linguee. It provides vital information as well as some entertainment before entering or after exiting the facilities I guess it's location could be referred to as the bathroom lobby. The list of features is impressive. Digital accurate weight Weight capacity of up to 500 lbs Flashing LED lights English, Spanish, or bi-lingual Battery life of 2 years with battery switching technology Lucky lotto numbers Minimum floor space required for machine Optional digital speech Optional personal good luck message This amusing device has almost everything except a hand sanitizer station next to it - I mean do you really want to touch this thing? I personally opted not to but apparently it does have a purpose and could provide some valuable data - I guess. For those that over indulged at the food court could get a weight before entering the restroom and then again upon exiting the restroom - I guess this could help you establish some sort of benchmark. I could use a lucky set of lotto numbers I guess or attempt to raise myself esteem with a random personal good luck message but I think l'll stick with the random lotto numbers and trust the last fortune cookie I cracked open to seal my fate... read more

James Gandolfini Service Area - Rest Stops Near Me - Montvale, New Jersey

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We wanted to get some Nathan's hot dogs so we tried to get some dogs at Nathan's located at James Gandolfini Service Area area and it was the worst service we have experienced in a long time. It took over a half hour for somebody to take our order. The person that was taking orders was also manning the grill and did not talk to anybody that was in the order line for example saying that "I will be right with you." To us service and engaging with the customer is key for any business. We suggest that the owner of this establishment look it what needs to be fixed because a couple of the people gave up on waiting and switched to other food services like Burger King. We hope that this post will help the owner. read more

In long drives I try to time it to hit Jersey rest stops. They are usually well laid out, reasonably clean and have good hours for most of the restaurants. This stop was not clean. The gas station is a long walk from the rest stop. Annie's and Nathan's were both closed at 740. The convenience store had exactly one salad left and was picked over. There was a dangling gooey something hanging with flies stuck to it under the drink drain at BK. Upsides: a ton of cool vending machines, including two for ice cream. The BK staff was friendly. Plenty of outside seating. read more

This place. The last rest stop on the GSP before hitting NY (or the 1st one coming in from NY). It is pressed between the northbound and southbound lanes, giving it a claustrophobic feel, especially during busy times. There's a BK, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Nathan's, Auntie Anne's & a "Travel Mart" inside, so there's lots of choices. It is generally fairly clean. Unfortunately, every single person working here I have ever come in contact with is absolutely miserable. Every. Single. One. I don't know what they do to these people, but I've never seen a group of people in bigger need of a team building activity, or a stiff drink. They also had ONE recycling bin in the entire place when I stopped in most recently. Pathetic. One bonus star for prominently displaying the wife's designs for the NJ Lottery. read more

James Gandolfini Service Area - Buy NJ Lottery tickets! - Rest Stops Near Me - Montvale, New Jersey

Must be getting ready to demo. Most of toilets not working, others latches missing, rest had no tp. Had to look at over 10 in 3 aisles to find one useable! Find another stop until the new one built. read more

POOR JAMES GANDOLFINI !! NO HONOR IN NAMING THIS REST STOP AFTER HIM. If you are traveling on a Saturday morning, be advised that the Dunkin Donuts does not open until 7:00 am. Your coffee option is Burger King and that is also your only breakfast option. If you are traveling and stop on a Friday night at 8:00 pm, don't expect to find more than ONE clean bathroom stall for women. Yes that's right, only a row of stalls were open as the others were being cleaned. The 6 or so that were open were filthy except for one. The place looks deserted. I guess people have finally decided that they will "hold it" rather than stop. We have used this rest stop for at least 20 years. It has definitely declined in all aspects. EMBARRASSED NJ resident. Management needs to take a field trip to PA, or MARYLAND and learn how to improve this one. read more

Bathrooms were clean. 2/3 of the food was closed at 5pm on a Sunday. The one spot that was open had a very long line. Plenty of space to sit. Plenty of parking. Gas price was reasonable. Handicapped parking is at front entrance (but you drive in next to it so there is parking too, just no ramp access). Men's bathroom is at the complete opposite end of handicapped parking. So those with disabilities were not thought of when this place was built. That's a little disappointing. read more

Went to the Starbucks inside and I ordered three drinks which the cashier repeated to the barista named Richard. Richard made two of the drinks right but made the wrong one on the third order. I let him know what I had ordered and apologized but he didn't say anything to me, just threw the drink in the trash and made me a very liquidy caramel frapp with almost no coffee in it and barely had any caramel when I had even ordered EXTRA caramel which I paid extra for. I recommend not getting your coffee at this Starbucks. It is not worth the bad attitude and half-assed made drinks for the high-priced coffee. read more

It's 11pm on a Sunday night and as shore traffic heads North... If your happened to be unlucky enough to end up here for a bite to eat you'll be very disappointed. #1 the only place open is Dunkin Donuts & #2 all they offer is actual donuts so if you're not trying to get a huge sugar rush your SOL because there's no bagels to be had! #SoHangryRightNow! Grrrrrr read more

James Gandolfini Service Area - Rest Stops Near Me - Montvale, New Jersey

Not a bad layout for a rest area. Always a fan of median locations since they serve both directions with one complex and I especially like being able to change direction of travel on a whim. this plaza is a giant rectangular roundabout with dining options, outdoor seating, and indoor plumbing. Grab a bite and then head back the way you came, it's not like there's physical barrier separating north and south so feel free to change your mind and direction. couple of commuter lots on the north end in you'd rather not drive. I don't know where the bus goes or when it leaves or what it costs but lurking in the shadows and accosting people from behind should get you rousted by the cops who will then explain it all at great length. ...put a drive in movie screen on the south end of the lot and it would be perfect. read more

We always seem to stop at this Rest Stop before heading back into NY and over the Tappan Zee. Prices for all the food are jacked up, and like other Yelp reviewers have reported, the staff at these fast food establishments are "less than stellar". It is what it is, a place to take a quick bathroom break and grab something to eat on the road. read more

Very clean and lots of staff on hand. Your standard rest area with a nice selection of vendors.

Rest stop in the middle of the Garden State Parkway at the northern end. Entrances and exits for both directions of traffic, it's relatively well-kept and large enough to handle the bus crowds on the way up to Woodbury Commons. Clean bathrooms, although multiple stalls are broken. read more

What can one say about a rest stop ? Not Much really. However what I can tell you is this one is easy to get on and off. The bathrooms are clean and the tables and chairs inside were clean too. My only complaint is that it was suffocatingly hot in there and there was no way I was going to stay there and eat. read more

Not a bad place to stop. Come here for the gas if you don't want to pump it yourself. It's the last station on the Parkway before you pass into New York. You'll come up to the tanks first and then the actual rest stop. Within the building itself, you'll find some super unhealthy food options, like Nathan's Hot Dogs (which was, of course, my choice), Burger King, Sbarros, and Dunkin Donuts. You'll also find a smoothie place and a little store to buy things, including mementos from NY *and* NJ. The bathrooms were clean when I was there as well. And that's really all anyone can ask from a rest stop. read more

If no Stars was an option, I'd select that. My family and I stopped on our way back from the shore, only because the previous rest stop was closed. We would have been better off going straight home. When going inside, we first attempted to grab a bite to eat at Nathan's where we were ignored for 5 minutes. I then left and got my son a stale pretzel from Auntie Ann's before returning back to Nathan's to only be given the warmest welcome: "what do you want!" We tried to order the bacon ranch fries, but were told they were out of bacon, next we tried for a chili cheese dog, also out. So then I said we will take 3 hot dogs, then the woman behind the counter proceed to very nastily tell me they were out of everything and to look around (at the disgustingly dirty grill with 4 hotdogs left). Still being hungry, we went to sbarro where the gentlemen behind the counter was nice, but the pizza was meh. My son, still hungry after his stale pretzel, asked for a donut. So the adults decided to get coffee as well. The service at Dunkin' Donuts started great, but soon diminished. We had to ask for our change, and then waited for our coffees, which no one seemed to want to make. After another gentlemen came from the back and made our drink, we finally left with what turned out to be stale donuts. If you have no other choice but to stop here, then may the lord be with you. You will leave more enraged than someone brake checked in a road rage match. read more

Last rest stop on the GSP before New York State. Pretty compact venue - so it gives off a very crowded feeling. Stores consist of Dunkin' Donuts, Burger King, Nathan's, Freshens Smoothies & Yogurt, Sbarros and Starbucks. Also a little travel mart. If you have to stop here ... It will serve your needs, but if you can wait awhile longer, I'd recommend you do so. read more

James Gandolfini Service Area - Rest Stops Near Me - Montvale, New Jersey

Always stop here when I travel north. It's a bit out dated compared to other rest areas but generally clean. Not a lot of dining options but you've got DD and Starbucks so you're travel coffee needs are met. NJ has been renovating rest areas it's just a matter of time. read more

If you're brought to this rest area in need of a tow from your insurance carrier, beware! The NY state police will dispatch a towing service who will get you here, but your carriers tow will not be able to tow you from the highway. Have the tow bring you OFF the highway to a store parking lot somewhere off the highway and THEN your carriers tow will do the rest of the towing for you. read more

This is normal rest stop with different fast food eateries and coffee shops. It is on the GSP of NJ adjacent to the NY State border. The bathrooms are large and clean. Any time I stop here, I see someone around cleaning. The food court and main areas are also clean. There is a TV in the food area so travelers can see current breaking news. However, I agree with the previous poster that the staff here are miserable. I guess its not surprising since they are probably working minimum wage to clean people's garbage and to clean the bathrooms. read more

If you've been to a rest stop you've been to them all...there is nothing really special about them, it is literally a place to stop and rest before getting to your destination. There were different choices of fast food to eat at, a gift shop, restrooms and a dining area with tables and chairs. read more

Don't use your credit card. We stop regularly for coffee at Starbucks on a trip to our family and had our credit card copied/spoofed while using it there. Pay in cash! Food options are meh and bathrooms are what you expect for a rest stop. read more

Good enough service plaza. They have the usual stores but not too many options to choose from. The big selling points for me where the following: - option to choose between Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks for coffee and treats. Always a plus when I have those kind of choices - restrooms were clean and well maintained - parking lot / spaces: for a smaller service station like this one, the parking lot was big and it was rather hassle free to park. A few other things to consider: - Burger King and Sbarro are the only main food options here. I am not a die hard fan of either but it is what it is. - A smoothie shop (I forget the name) is the healthier option for those who can avoid fast food during road trips For the very first service station after you cross Tappan Zee bridge on to Garden State parkway southbound - this one is absolutely worth a pit stop. read more

This is the worst place I have ever been in terms of service. Each person working the various stores here is more rude than the last. NEVER a smile, thank you, or kind word. EACH AND EVERY person acts like you are an annoyance and interruption of their work...rather than the purpose of it. We have been going to this travel plaza for over 20 years. Why? Because it's exactly half way between our home and my wife's family in CT, and there's not much else right off the highway. It was apparently sold about 6-8 years ago (not sure exactly when), but whomever bought it hired the worst staff possible. That said, again, the convenience and variety of offerings gets them the second star. read more

If you are driving along the Garden State Parkway and wondering where you can pull off the road, stretch your legs, gas up and see wildlife look no further than the Montvale Rest Stop. I was traveling with friends and family to New York when we stopped here. We pulled off of the Garden State Parkway and observed several Deer in the wooded area surrounding this rest stop. We were able to use 'clean' bathrooms and gas up our vehicle. The gas was just about $0.10 - $0.15 cents more at this rest stop than a local gas station. The parking lot is a quite interesting set up, when you pull into the parking lot keep your eyes on the road because the setup of the parking is a dangerous one. There are blind turns / curves and if you are not paying attention you could inadvertently be playing a game of 'chicken' with an 18-wheeler and you will lose. I was happy to see barely any trash on the ground which is nice especially when you are surrounding the wildlife's home. I am not in the area often enough to say I will ever be back here but it is good to know where you can stop, have lunch and just get out of your car for a few moments. read more

Montvale is the first or last rest area on the Parkway in New Jersey depending on the way you look at it. We often stop here on our way to New England to refill our gas tank and use the restrooms before continuing north. Since New Jersey only updates the price of gas once a week, has far less taxes on gas than New York and you don't have to pump it yourself, it is cheaper to buy even on the parkway than going into NY with half a tank. The facilities and dining options aren't great, but the Dunkin Donuts line is always a mile long. It suffices as far food, coffee and mildly clean bathrooms go. read more

They are not enforcing face coverings! When I said something the cashiers response was not my job. And the other employee had his mask UNDER his nose and mouth!!!! read more

Dirty, poor service and very rude people. This is by far the worst rest stop experiences I have had.