Everything you need to know about getting into New Jersey’s best secret restaurant

Somewhere in New Jersey sits a secret restaurant and if you want to grab a bite to eat, you'll probably have to wait weeks, if not months and almost no one will ever complain about that.

As national restaurant chains like Red Robin and On The Border continue to struggle, this eatery seems to be thriving. Its larger-than-life mystique certainly helps.

Now, this restaurant isn't huge. It's not on a big highway or even on a main street. Thousands of people pass it every week without giving it a thought — that's probably because there's no sign on the building. You also won't find any billboards for it, there's no website, and no social media pages.

So far, everything they do would instantly make it a failing business, but this place has been around for 100 years.

Oh, and you can't just walk in. You need a reservation and it has to be backed by a credit card.

As one reviewer said, "Find it if you can, good luck getting in, unless you have a reference."

To visit this restaurant, our travels take us to Atlantic City. 111 South Albion Place, to be exact. There you'll find Chef Vola's.

Albion Place is squeezed between the Boardwalk and Pacific Avenue, roughly between Tropicana and Boardwalk Hall. There's no foot traffic here or really any car traffic, either.

Towards the middle of the block, you'll see what looks like a well-kept black and white house with a green cover over its front patio. Again, no sign and nothing to say this is a restaurant.

But inside is one of the most exclusive restaurants not only in Atlantic City but in the entire state.

History of Chef Vola's in Atlantic City

According to atlasobscura.com, before it became a restaurant in 1921, the building that now houses Chef Vola’s was a rooming house owned by brothers Joe and Pina Vola. Joe took to cooking nightly dinners for their tenants while selling liquor in the basement.

Fast forward to today, Chef Vola's pulls close to five stars on any restaurant website that you can find. This is even more impressive given that it's in Atlantic City, surrounded by casinos that try to out-restaurant each other with any famous chef that they can get to open an eatery in town.

Should you find yourself inside Chef Vola's the portions are nothing short of huge (you're eating Italian here, after all), and their desserts are what dreams are made of. Their veal dishes are legendary. Everything is. Eggplant parm, crab cakes, salmon, Chilean sea bass, lobster tails, and more are all typically on the menu. And BYOB.

How to get a reservation at Chef Vola's in Atlantic City, NJ

To start the process, you need to call (609) 345-2022. You'll most likely need to leave a message. Based on what other people have said, they will call you back at some point to make your actual reservation. You'll need to hold it with a credit card. Some people have said they didn't have to wait too long while others have had to wait several weeks or even a month or two to get a table.

Go there hungry (don't eat all day). Bring your favorite bottle of wine and some good friends, sit back, and enjoy one of the best restaurants in the Garden State.

And be sure to save room for dessert.