True, that part of US-1 / around the shopping centers are full of chains, and nowadays it’s hard pressed to see an independent restaurant inside a mall due to the competition/expensive leases/high cost of running business. Probably Seasons 52 would be the “best” option available in that area if I had a similar choice in the area if you had to avoid downtown Princeton or the University as parking street side or in a garage could be an inconvenience.

Princeton Junction (West Windsor) near the train station has a few options too, like PJ’s Pancake House, Terakawa Ramen, Asian Bistro, or Shanghai Bun, then again, a lot of them maybe are just casual for people who live in the area and/or commuting to/from Princeton, Amtrak or NJ Transit.