I came here on a Thursday night and sat at the bar. There were a few people dining in but it wasn't busy at all. We started with some olives and bread, which came out warm, but was hard because it was almost burnt. It was still tasty once I spread some butter on it. I ordered the octopus a lagareiro. It came with onions, peppers, baked potatoes and broccoli rabe. It was soooo good! A 10/10. The octopus was cooked perfectly and was a healthy amount. I will definitely go back just for this meal. My guy got the salmon steak cut. It was cooked perfectly. Overall it was good meal and great service. I can't wait to go back for the octopus! read more

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Service is terrible - not attentive, doesn't check on you, food takes forever to come as well as getting your check! The food is ok. I miss the old management - food was super and now it's either too salty or bland! Service use to be good too. I don't think I will be back anymore as everything went downhill! read more

I am updating my review, and it's not good. Don't order online. If you plan on getting take out, phone in the order. We waited an hour because they did not have the tablet turned on so the online orders were never acknowledged. What is worse, is the lack of remorse. A simple "I apologize" would have avoided this update. There are a lot of great Portuguese restaurants in the vicinity. read more

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I am writing to formally express my dissatisfaction with the level of service I have received. My concerns involve not only poor customer service, but also what I perceive to be biased and unequal treatment toward African American individuals. During my interactions, I experienced unprofessional behavior, lack of respect, and inadequate support from staff. Communication was dismissive, and my concerns were not handled with the attention or seriousness they deserved. This alone is troubling, but what raises greater concern is the pattern of treatment that appears to disproportionately affect Black customers. It has become increasingly difficult to ignore the differences in how individuals are treated. There seems to be a noticeable lack of courtesy, patience, and fairness extended toward African American customers compared to others. Whether intentional or not, this kind of behavior contributes to an environment that feels discriminatory and unwelcoming. Customer service should be grounded in respect, equality, and professionalism for all individuals, regardless of race or background. The experience I had does not reflect those values, and it is unacceptable. I am requesting that this matter be taken seriously and reviewed thoroughly. This should include evaluating staff conduct, providing additional training if necessary, and ensuring that all customers are treated fairly and without bias moving forward. I hope to see meaningful steps taken to address these concerns. Gostaria de expressar a minha insatisfação com a experiência que tive no Algarve, a qual considerei tendenciosa e marcada por um atendimento ao cliente pouco profissional. Durante a minha visita, senti-me mal tratado, especialmente pelo funcionário José. A sua postura e atitude demonstraram, de forma consistente, um ar de desprezo ao lidar com clientes negros. Essa conduta foi desconfortável e inaceitável. Além disso, observei uma diferença clara no tratamento quando clientes portugueses brancos ou outras pessoas brancas entravam no estabelecimento. Nesses momentos, o ambiente mudava visivelmente, tornando-se mais acolhedor e respeitoso. Esse contraste no comportamento evidencia um tratamento desigual. Essa situação transmite um forte tom de discriminação racial e um padrão seletivo na forma como a equipe atende clientes negros. Esse tipo de atitude não deve ser tolerado em nenhum ambiente de atendimento ao público. Espero que esta questão seja levada a sério e devidamente investigada, com medidas tomadas para garantir um tratamento justo, respeitoso e igualitário para todos os clientes. Atenciosamente, read more

My family and I celebrated my birthday here and we were not impressed with the service or the food (way too salty and red snapper extremely small). I've been there before on a date and had a better experience. My family however, had never been there so they were a little disappointed with the time it took for our food to come out. It was an hour before we received 2 appetizers. There was only one waitress and the "busboy" helping to bring out the food. The tip was already included in the bill so I hope he will receive a portion of that. I chose this restaurant for what i thought would be a nice family environment, quick and pleasant service, they fell short :-( read more

This was actually the first Portuguese restaurant that we tried in Newark probably about 10 years ago. After eating here we started discovering other places nearby from the same region. We loved the food so much that we took a family trip to Algarve in 2018 and we were not disappointed. While we still frequent here occasionally, we noticed, like others, that the menu has changed and the prices, too, and that the food has dipped a little in quality, but our last visit was great. I could smell the meat grilling when we pulled up and I knew that was going to be my choice. We opted for grilled beef ribs, beans and rice an Algarve salad and a pitcher of sangria. We've learned that sharing an entree and app works for us. It was plenty of food and everything was really tasty. I love how they always start off with hot rolls, too. We'll continue to spread our dollars around and recommend others check them out, too. read more

Algarve Restaurant - Grilled Beef Short Ribs Beans & Rice & Algarve Salad & sangria - Portuguese Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

There is a lady in the front taking orders and receiving calls. she is very rude and I've had multiple interactions with her and it never changed. Other than that the food is good. read more

the food taste good but the delivery time is horrible! why do I have to wait over an hour and a half for delivery?

Since there is a new owner the customer service at the bar is horrible. Tried to reach the owner to explain a situation but you can never get to speak with her and the workers block the call so you cannot put in a complaint at all. I have been going to Algarve for over 35 years and never experienced what I have seen. read more

Eating at Algarve's bought me back to my childhood memories when my parents would come home with the huge foil tin with the chicken, ribs and rice and we would all dig in! I haven't eaten Algarve's in a few years and I was very pleased when I ate here recently. I heard they are under new ownership so they are changing things up a bit. We ordered the platter (I think it's dine in only, as I don't see it on the takeout menu) I can't remember the name but it was $64 and came with beef rib, pork rib, chicken, sausage, 2/3 different types of steak and 2 sides. We ordered the fries as an additional side. Me and 2 other ppl shared this, very delicious and more than enough food! We didn't even finish it all in one sitting. read more

Algarve Restaurant - Meat platter - Portuguese Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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Maybe they just had a bad day and were also short-staffed because it was Father's Day yesterday. Came in during dinner service; the wait to be seated was 15 min, then another 15 min before we got a server to take our order. The drinks and appetizer came at a reasonable time, but the entree, 45 minutes for a steak, was too much. The food is good, but the service was bad. Asked for table water 3 times before it came. The steak came at the wrong temperature, and the sides were missing. No steak knife; we used the butter knife. You couldn't catch a waiter to assist with what we needed, so we did with what we could. The food was good. I've been here several times before; I guess they were having a bad day. But if you knew it was Father's Day, you should've prepared better for the service crowd. At least they knew their service was bad, and waived the automatic 18% gratuity, and allowed us to put our own tip instead. read more

The original hot spot (in my opinion) for Portuguese ribs, chicken, rice and fries. But people sell off and then expand. The restaurant is at the corner. The restaurant makes solid food. Sangria is a must when going. read more

Well, after 25 years of loyalty to this place I have to provide an updated review. This establishment has lost favoritism in many areas: Bad Food quality Bad Customer service Expensive Price point Everything had gotten much worst since previous years. Unfortunate. read more

Where do I start... I have lived in Elizabeth for 45 years and have gone to all the restaurants in our city. I have gave Algarve NUMEROUS chances and I am finally DONE!! I did not dine in I ordered for pick up. I ordered 2 trays for my family to eat and paid $50. (Which is fine). What's not fine is I walk in to pick it up, spoke to the lady, gave her the name, and she said ok and charges me. Then she walks away and I'm waiting thinking she is going to get it or maybe it's not entirely ready yet. After about 10 mins 4 other people come in and speak with another lady pay and grab their food. FINALLY the other girl noticed me and asked the name again and meanwhile it was sitting there ready the whole time. She gives me the food and I asked if there was hot sauce in the bag and she said yes. I checked because I had past experiences there where they don't put any. So I open the bag and there is 2 hot sauces. I kindly asked her for some extra because there is 2 big trays and 5 of us eating and we would all like some hot sauce. She replies "no" you only get 1 hot sauce per tray. (Apparently that's the policy there) Please explain how 1 little tiny ass hot sauce is going to do anything to a big tray of food.. And please explain how we are supposed to split it 5 ways!!! I left already mad. I get home and open the bag and there's a little bag in the main bag. I open it and there's 1 little tiny piece of bread. 1 ROLL!!!! I guess we have to split that 5 ways too. I have never went to a restaurant where the owner is that CHEAP!! Do you not try to make your customers happy?!! Are you really ok with losing customers for something so little?? I honestly feel bad for you. Are times that hard?!!! This is not the first time this has happened to me at Algarve and I spoke to many others that feel the same way.. and honestly shame on me for even going back again tonight. I should have known better. You are losing business and will continue to if you don't change your ways! You already lost me and a bunch of others that I know of already and none of us will be back. Bad business is what I call it. The food is average so to be cheap on top of it is worse. Anyone reading this if you are debating where to go there is a place down the street called Valenca where they treat you better. You ask for hot sauce and they give you handfuls of it. You ask for bread and they give you 10 rolls. They make sure they give you plates and forks and knives even if you don't ask for it and to top it off they open your food up to show you it before packing it just to make sure everything is perfect. And the food... way better. The restaurant business is a hustle and a competition and as of now Algarve, you're in last place. Once again.... You lost another customer. SMH read more

I purchased a order of beef ribs there was more fat on the ribs than there was beef when I complain to the manager about it or she could tell me was that that's how they sliced it off the cow I'll never order beef ribs from them again this was so disappointing read more

Lovely Portuguese restaurant! Cozy, intimate ambiance. Shrimp meal was tasty and a large portion of food which I greatly appreciated. The steak was cooked to my liking and a nice portion. Overall a great dining experience. FYI, parking is a tad challenging especially during high traffic times. read more

Algarve Restaurant - Portuguese Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Stopped in for lunch on Sunday. We were able to get a table right away. There is a parking lot but it is limited. Server took a while to get to us at first but after that service was good. We ordered sumol pineapple to drink. Cod fish fritters for an app. Chicken Marsala, chicken franaise and bacalhau a Brás for mains. Chicken Marsala - exactly what you would expect. Sauce was good 9/10 Chicken francaise - the sauce lacked a little bit of flavor but overall good 8/10 Bacalhau a Brás - very tasty! A pretty good portion size too. Overall decent food and atmosphere. Very large menu so lots of options. read more

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Service was good, the staff was very understanding and helpful. The food was just ok - not the best quality - in my opinion too salty to hide the quality of ingredients, however large servings and simple presentation helped alleviate the lack of flavor. I ordered the seafood rice (basically a quick wannabe paella but not) and we ordered steak & fries and garlic chicken and rice (also too salty). I have been to algarve in Portugal and I will not compare the food given the location but it did fall short or expectations. Prices are high for New Jersey. My in laws have been coming here since they opened decades ago. I do not think I will visit this establishment again for 2 reasons - price and taste. I was a little disappointed. Hopefully they can work on their flavor. read more

Came here with several co-workers after work. It was recommended highly by one of them that's been coming here for years. I want to say it was amazing. The food was delicious and the portion sizes are immense. Our server was super friendly and she was very accommodating. We all took most of the food home. It was that much. Price wise, it was fair for the amount they serve. Honestly it isn't that expensive. Can't wait to come back with my family to impress them as well read more

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While I was recently in New Jersey a quick Google search, for a good restaurant near my hotel, lead my sorority sister and I to Algarve. Algarve Restaurant states they are a traditional Portuguese restaurant with a modern twist. This restaurant is nestled into a residential community. The parking lot is small, so finding street parking might be difficult. I was lucky enough to park in the lot, in the one vacant spot. It was a Thursday evening, so I could only imagine patrons having to circle the block to find parking on the weekends. Algarve is a white linen restaurant, with surprisingly affordable dishes. Our waiter was pleasant. The food was absolutely delicious! The portion sizes are enough for two to three meals. My delicious meal consisted of the appetizer Clams In Garlic Sauce (Clams sautéed with garlic, cilantro, and white wine), Garden Salad (Mixed Greens, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, shredded carrots, house vinaigrette dressing) and Beef Short Ribs with Roasted Potatoes and Mixed Vegetables. read more

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On the good side the strip steak was flavorful and the portion generous. The green salad was fresh and the dressing good. The bread rolls were excellent. On the downside I broke two plastic forks and three knives trying the slice cut the meat. Maybe medium was too much for that steak. The yellow rice was very dry. Perhaps having the meal delivered to a hotel would be a hint I wasn't going to be a regular customer, but high price for low quality food is close to outright theft read more

The food was delicious, and seasoned real good. We went there at a perfect time because we were able to get a table right away & the server was on point. read more

Algarve Restaurant - rice and roasted potatoes. - Portuguese Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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I used to come here all the time or order takeout. Yesterday I went around dinner time let's say 730, the restaurant wasn't busy at all. We weren't greeted when we came in. Once seated the server didn't introduce himself just gave menus and left the table for the next 15-20 minutes. I had to wave the server over after waiting to receive a pitcher of tap water. After putting in our orders there was another long wait for the food. Mind you the restaurant isn't busy. When the food was brought to the table everything came out COLD. Not to mention one of the orders was incorrect. Overall bad service and bland food. If I could give 0/5 I would do so. I wouldn't recommend and will not be going back to Algarve again. read more

Came here with a group. Positives: chicken soup was super flavorful. It had lots of chicken. I had a chicken salad with goat cheese. It had large pieces of chicken. To me the experience was just ok. Prices were higher than other restaurants in the area. read more

Been going here for years and today was last straw. Ordered food online for a 5pm pick up and arrived at 5pm and nothing was ready. After waiting 30 minutes they wanted to charge me for an extra bread. Are you kidding me? I spoke in Portuguese even and they don't care. Another customer said it's new owners and place has gone down hill. Got home and the chicken is undercooked and pink. The pork in the picadinho is hard as a rock. Can't even tell what kind of meat it is. No one uses gloves to get the food and take money from people. Honestly the board of health should be called. Never again. Too many other good and REAL Portuguese places that don't treat their long time customers like merda. read more

Algarve Restaurant - Pink chicken - Portuguese Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

This restaurant was icing on the cake for a great week. I went here with high hopes and I was not disappointed. The service was great and the food was amazing. I decided to get some sangria to celebrate the weekend nearing lol. What I loved most was all of my request that I asked of the waiter was done with a smile and so much hospitality. I can be a picky person at times when it comes to the way I like my food but this restaurant did not disappoint. Will definitely come here again!!!!! read more

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We ordered take out ribs and rice with vegetables. The food is very good, they have two phones that respond to the phone orders. Unfortunately, we did not order from the right phone. The lady at the counter took care of us and all was good read more

Algarve is always fresh and delicious. One of those NJ staples that you just go to again and again. It truly contributes to the "good food in NJ" rep. read more

Great service sangria is always great restaurant has been there a long time and has changed owners over the years but the food is always great. Wide variety of dishes and the menu is just the right size. read more

Afraid to venture off the highway near Newark? I don't blame you, but if you don't like driving through seedy Row-house neighborhoods then STAY Away from NJ! Service was friendly and accommodating, playing Sinatra on jukebox. Food is superb, and with good reason: menu frequently changes based on the quality and availability of key ingredients. Not the easiest place to find and you're in NJ, Dorothy; don't expect Kansas! read more

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The food was amazing! That's it that's the review! Service was ok, and the overall ambiance was just OK. read more

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Just left Algarves restaurant very disappointed. My husband and I ordered chicken franchise Spanish fries and extra rice, because we split it they charged us "plate fee" of seven dollars. My children ordered shrimp Alfredo and the shrimp was not fresh at all. the temperature in the restaurant was colder then it is outside. We asked for the manager and when she came out she told us this is their "new policy" so they charged us $24 for a $17 dollar order. On top of that we ordered canned sodas and they served our drinks out of a 2L bottle yet still charged us the same fee as the can. I'm very disappointed in what the restaurant has come to, I would never attend here again. I only gave one star because 0 is not an option. I highly recommend Valenca, which is two blocks away! Perfect service; even better food. read more

Waited two hours for a lunch delivery and then you call and the worker keeps saying they are leaving now with your order. Ridiculous.

As I'm finishing my food, I have a couple critiques. It took a while to get glasses for our pitcher of water. Anyway, coming on a Saturday night is definitely sure to get a delay on your food. When we received our bread (after twenty minutes), our buns were frozen solid. Though the environment was clean and well kept up, I never got the waiters name, there was no amount of personal space when it came to our order being taken - she was hovering. The table next to us ordered and waited about an hour for their food to arrive. When I asked for more sauce I was met with confusion. Overall the whole experience was mediocre and I don't intend on coming back. Do not recommend - to the highest degree. read more

The food was so so. The service was terrible. We were a party of 5. People came in and were served before we even got our appetizers. The waiter was rude. We had to ask what was taking so long. Another waitress kept passing and saw us waiting and brought our appetizers to the table. We're still here. He's so rude and we are being over kind to him. We will never come again. The service was extremely poor. read more

Downhill since original owners sold it. Service is terrible. Food changed for the worst. Different fries. Chicken isn't as fresh. Steak sandwich was slim. Order was incorrect. Waited very long even though I called in advance. No one offered a concession: free soda, dessert, NOTHING. Got home and order was wrong. Called in and they told ME TO COME BACK and get it. Ummm NO! Where is the customer service? No apology either. I asked for new owner but they don't know when "Marly" will be there. Last and worst part.... Prices went up significantly!!!! ::::END OF AN ERA:::: read more

Very chill atmosphere and great food with plenty of parking. Food is really good. The take out section and service is really good and fast. The restaurant section is very inviting too. read more

This place has really gone down hill. The baby neck clams were really really good I'm not going to lie...but we didn't have a great experience. We asked our waitress for still water and even told her NO BUBBLES she ended up giving us sparking water. After dropping off the wrong water we were waiting for over 15 min and had to call another waitress over to get our still water. The soup was also good. For entree I ordered beef ribs I asked for the temperature to be med. it was way over cooked. Sent it back and it came back even more over cooked. I waited so long that I lost my appetite. They also told the couple behind us that they had to get up and leave because they were sitting at the table for too long....even though they were still ordering drinks! Bad service and kinda rude tbh. I don't think I'll be back. read more

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Horrible rock hard steak and chicken no flavor wat so ever !! $43 wasted. I asked for well done not dry rock hard meat !!! read more

Algarve Restaurant - I asked for well done but this steak and chicken was rock hard could hardly chew. For $43 I'm very disappointed no flavor wat so ever - Portuguese Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

I took my mother here for mother's day. We had went for my birthday the previous month. The food was good and the service was ok. For mother's day we sat at the bar because we didn't make reservations before hand. The bartendar gave us the mother's day menu and the regular menu. My mom and I both got 2 steak sandwiches with grilled onions on it. We got our food and mine had cheese and both had raw onions. My mom doesn't like the taste of raw onions and sent it back. They took it off and brought out the same sandwich but still no grilled onions for either. Now raw onions leave a taste in food. She wanted a different one, another bartendar came over n told us that the other bartendar shouldn't have given us the regular menu and they are busy. I now looked annoyed and said huh, so my mom said I don't want it n we both sent back our food. He said we'll you have to pay for your drinks and walked away from us. We asked to speak to a manager and he was far from understanding of how we felt. He just said she shouldn't have given us that menu and it's to busy to pretty much fix our issue. In all my years of going out to eat have I ever been made to seem that I am the problem because your bartendar messed up. N also being told that they were too busy to handle my situation. Like what the hell type of customer service was this and on a special day. I brought my mom and for her to go in happy and walk out mad was just wrong. Now have also have to find her something to eat because we were hungry. To make it seem like we were the problem just because it was a busy day was just rude. My mom has gone to this place for over 20 years and this will be the last time we will be back in that place. Customer service was not there at all. read more