wrong review - ignore post, that was for Mario Tuto Bene argh!! Casa Vasca was great, food was delish. read more

Found this place because I was in the mood for seafood. We were not disappointed. First: the food... we had the grilled red snapper bilbao style and the mariscos in red sauce. Super! The seafood was well cooked and the seafood broth was to die for. Second: the service was efficient without being rushed. Definitely impressive! Caveat: it was a Monday night so my friend and I are planning an encore at a busier night. Stay tuned! read more

Very impressed. I had the Filet Mignon and Shrimp and it was delicious. The service was great. read more

Casa Vasca - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Finally made it back here for dinner on a Saturday night. The place was packed by 5:30PM, however, the food was not nearly as good as I had hoped. The complimentary chicken rice soup was only fair, it was underseasoned, and tasted almost like it came out of a can. I had shellfish stew in green sauce, and my wife had grilled red snapper. The shellfish was totally overcooked and rubbery. The sauce was watery and tasteless. The snapper was a whole fish, bones, head and all. OK, maybe that's the authentic way that it is prepared, so my bad for not ordering a filleted fish. Even the caramel flan dessert was pretty mediocre. The little Cuban restaurant near my house makes it so much better. I don't know what magic our friend pulled out of his hat to get us such a spectacular lunch on our previous visit. We obviously did not order the right dishes this time around. Sorry to say this, but next time I have dinner in the Ironbound, I'm going to try a different restaurant. read more

Casa Vasca is my choice for a great Portuguese/Iberian meal. Soup starter was a very satisfying chick pea, very close to an italian escarole and bean. Appetizers were good portions, we shared garlic shrimp, clams in verde sauce, and chorizo. Entrees of scallops, suckling pig, and veal in spinach sauce were very good. Try the merluza a romano, which is whiting steaks fried to perfection. Quality expresso, great flan, and a nice glass of port to finish off the evening. The lovely owner checked in with us to ensure our experience was going well and has her servers on point. Attentive without being obstructive, bread/water always filled, dished cleared instantly, and very friendly group of staff. The private parking lot is an added bonus in an area where parking is tight on the street. Casa Vasca, tops in my book. read more

We had the most amazing baby squid. The preparation was perfect, and it was absolutely sweet and tender. We also had kidneys in wine sauce, though it's not everyone's cup of tea. But if you like it, it was delish. Service was great and the sangria was yummy! read more

I have mixed feelings about this place. The atmosphere and the service is outstanding but the flavor falls a little flat. We came here on Mother's Day for a bit of a mystery date. Not knowing what to expect we walked into the bar area and felt a little lost. You have to walk through the door to the right of the bar to find the restaurant (which I love). It had a real local feel! The sangria is great and they keep it flowing and the bean soup was a really nice touch before dinner. From there the food went downhill. We had two different paellas and for the amount of seafood in them and different meats we assumed that they would be bursting with flavor but, you really couldn't taste anything. Totally needed some hot sauce, which I feel guilty about saying. Overall although I loved the service and the atmosphere I don't think I would come here again because of the blandness of the food. read more

Food is sooooo good and you can tell because the place is always packed! We've gone on Mother's Day and Father's Day and you definitely need a reservation. Even with one, you'll probably wait a bit. Get a pitcher of sangria at the bar and the wait goes by quicker. We visit the Ironbound district of Newark often and this place is one of our favorites!!! They have a small parking lot but you could easily drive by it. read more

Random find. Service nice soup starter. No Resv we were seated immediately. Only mile to Prudential Center. read more

Casa Vasca - Dining room table - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Been here many many times. A little place w/a big flavorful taste! Absolutely love it! Food is delicious, portions r quite big, they always give soup of the day which is spectacular. Staff is also always very friendly & super nice! ;) Going there tonight!! read more

Truly an authentic feel-both the food and ambience. The seafood Paella was great and could easily feed 2 people! read more

3.5 stars. So. Much. Food. Did you get soup that you didn't order? That's on the house. Awesome and always very tasty. Moving on: Casa Vasca is a bargain and a great place for tasty Spanish/Portuguese grub. Their steak and shrimp dish is excellent, and you can never go wrong with some chorizo for appetizer. The restaurant is always really crowded and there's never much room to move around. If you can get past being packed in tightly, you'll enjoy the good service and solid food. However, if very crowded restaurants annoy you (like they annoy me), Casa Vasca may not be the place. We've been here at least five times and have yet to leave disappointed. Not a place I would go out of my way to go to unless I was in town, but good nonetheless. read more

Didnt like anything about my experience here except my company. Food wasnt great. Service was just okay. Thumbs down

Came here for a retirement party so this review is for food that we didn't get to pick out. The restaurant is pretty small but they had us separated in the back room from the rest of the restaurant. We got there early and they immediately let us sit and filled our water glasses. The bread basket was filled with delicious warmed bread. Seriously...the rolls were really good. The octopus appetizer was awesome. It was cooked perfectly and very tender. Definitely would recommend it!! We also had a bean soup which was really creamy and we'll seasoned. For dinner there was a choice of 3 items. I chose the seafood paella. The portion was very large. I enjoyed the shrimp in it. They were a nice size and also cooked perfectly. There were scallops too. They were the small bay ones. I didn't eat them but my husband said they had a funny taste. For dessert, the owner got an ice cream cake from Nastos. That was the best part of the whole evening!!!! read more

I have been coming to this place since it first opened as my first cousin, Mili, was married to one of the partners (Avelino- in command of the Bar) who opened it with his childhood friend (Juan- Jefe de Cocina Vasca). Avelino and Mili retired to Spain and left the place to Juan who unfortuantely passed away not soon after leaving the current owner, Gema, to carry on raising two sons (very successful in their own right) along the way. Bottom line is that the place is as good if not better than when founders first opened the place due in large part to Gema being an fabulous host and business woman and Basque herself. As compared to other Spanish restaurants in the Metro-NY/NJ area, it is by far the best and the only Spanish restaurant that compete in term of food quality is the Taberna de los Alabarderos en Washington, DC which is beautiful and very expen$$$$$ive. My favorites are the Ternera a la Vasca; La Mariscada; if you are a carnivor you'll love their steaks and chops; the soups are always homemade from scratch and excellent; and having peeked behind the curtain more the once (in my youth I was the third string, emergency waiter since I lived a block away on Elm Street) all ingredients are fresh as provisioning is done multiple times pre week. read more

We have eaten at Casa Vasca a couple of times, each time is very yummy and it remains among our very favorite restaurants. This place is very cozy, the atmosphere is great, from the bar room filled with friendly locals enjoying drinks and plates of appetizers at the bar to the dining room. The menu represents the diversity of the Spanish kitchen, from fresh and rich seafood dishes to hearty meat dishes. All meals come with the soup of the day, which is always a delicious. The portions are big. We were so stuffed we didn't even finish our entrees; we had to take them home. Don't miss the opportunity to try it for yourself at Casa Vasca. Highly recommended. The only complaint is the wait for a table even with reservations. read more

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Wow! By the venue itself you would never expect such a delicious experience! The service was fabulous, sangria everything you would expect & more, and the food was flat out tasty! Ran into a group of Newark judges celebrating as well! I recommend the shrimp in tomato sauce with peppers and opinions! Holy cow it was awesome! Tip - get it made with big shrimp vs small shrimp! read more

Good paella, sangria and chorizo... I'm still partial to my hubby's paella... But this was close... Great service! Will definitely come back! read more

Authentic Spanish cuisine with excellent service at very reasonable prices. We live in Washington, DC and this Newark restaurant is a high point on all our trips through New Jersey. read more

Great great great service. Always topping my sangria, water and filling my bread. The sea food is exceptional. The meats are fresh and cooked to order and perfection. Highly recommended and very affordable. read more

The food is always fabulous. I have been coming with my coworkers and my students for 10 years. Maria, the owner, is such an amazing person. She is so warm and friendly and runs a great place. read more

Stopped in based on their reviews. Great place. SMALL, you may have to wait 20 minutes in the bar. Gemma, the owner, takes pride in her food, and the comfort of her guests. Food was exceptional, and as my followers know, I am very critical. The calamari appetizer was tender and delicious. The soup was chick pea and vegetables, which I had never heard of- Great! The stuffed scallops and crab meat was 2 HUGE scallops filled with a mixture of crab meat, scallops and spices. Fabulous. I talked to other diners, and NO ONE had a negative word to say. The prices are low, compared to the other "McDonalds" like portuguese restaurants in the area. This is a Top Notch restaurant with low prices and high quality food and service. It is starting to become quite well known. read more

I can't say enough nice things about Casa Vasca, the service, and the food! I've been here twice and I've not been disappointed. The service is as good as it gets, the wait staff work extremely hard. They are so, so attentive and are always passing by with refills of either drinks, bread rolls, or soup. Absolutely as good as it gets. For the food.. there's is just no competition. Very generous portions, tasty, homemade, etc. The stuffed salmon with crab meat is perfection as is their paella. Always ask about the soup of the day- never lets you down! You will absolutely leave with left overs. Some on here say service is slow-- I would say it's more of an atmosphere, as in unlike most restaurants, they're not rushing you out and want you to enjoy your meal and companions. Do yourself a favor and visit Casa Vasca for wonderful food and service. read more

CLASSY RESTAURANT! Delicious food! Great staff! Great owner! Always a favorite of mine read more

I chose Casa Vasca for a family dinner because of their Yelp reviews and we were not disappointed. The service was wonderful, the sangria was good, the food was yummy and although parking was tight we were able to park in their parking lot. I would suggest making a reservation. read more

The parking helps in the area. The portions are massive and the food quality is generally very good. There are dishes to get and those to avoid. The inconsistency knocks 1 star away. Avoid the monk fish, tasted frozen. The service is good and the staff is knowledgeable. The owner is a lovely person. read more

Everything is absolutely amazing! Food is great and the service is outstanding. We had Paella Valenciana, Cod Croquettes, Stuffed Scallops,Garlic Shrimp... No Complains what so ever, DELICIOUS! read more

We came here for dinner before a Devils game. The wait staff was attentive. I heard from my friend that this was rated as the best restaurant in Newark, according to Zagat. The menu was vast with many meat and seafood selections. I was drawn to their daily specials. A few items included Baccalà aka salted cod, but what really caught my eye was the stewed skate. I had tried to make skate at home via poaching (ok tasting), so I wanted to know how they did it. Right after ordering, the soup was served: a leek and potato soup with a tomato base. The soup was warm and satisfying, but somewhat on the salty side. Food came in large portions. My skate stew came with waxy potatoes and sauteed sliced red bell peppers and onions. The skate was like a I imagined, stringy. Although the seasonings were pleasant, still salty. My friend ordered the Baccalà with garlic sauce. As you know it, it, too, was salty. Maybe they should have rinsed it out a little longer or soaked it in milk...whatever. read more

Good food, excellent service. The chicken soup served in advance of our meal was very fresh and very obviously homemade. I had the stuffed shrimps, and it was a very generous portion, served with yellow rice. Others in our group had the salmon and shrimp with champagne sauce (a hit), whole grilled pargo fish (a hit, but lots of bones) and the filet with peppers. My friend wasn't totally thrilled with the filet, I didn't have a chance to taste it. The owner is very kind and has been there for years, she greeted every person that walked in, which was very nice. read more

I took my aunt and uncle here last Sunday to celebrate their 33rd Anniversary and I have to say I was very impressed with the quality of their food. This place is a little bit hidden away and does not have the same prominence of location that the other more famous ironbound restaurants like Iberia and Forno's have. It is however needless to say still a quality spanish restaurant. The restaurant apparently specializes in cuisine from the Basque region of Spain although I myself am not well versed enough to be be able to tell the difference. Altogether we were five adults and we ordered the following dishes: Appetizers: 1. Garlic Shrimp 2. Stuffed Mushrooms Main Courses: 1. Roasted Goat 2. Grilled Monkfish 3. Sole with shrimp 4. Salted Cod For beverages we only ordered soft drinks and we did not order any desert. With the exception of the Salt Cod all of the dishes were excellent and it was apparent that the chef really knew how to bring out the flavors in his food. The bread given at the begining of the meal was especially good with the sauce in the Garlic Shrimp appetizer dish. As far as the interior of the restaurant is concerned I found the lighting slightly darker then I would like it but it was'nt so much so as to be offputting. The table service was very good and the waiters went out of their way to be prompt, efficient, polite and accomadating. Our total bill including tax and 20% tip for the items listed above came to $140. Which I think is very good value for the money. All in all this is a great place to enjoy a date or a family meal read more

Excellent food ! For an appetizer I had my go to favorite Shrimp in garlic sauce. Very flavorful. For my entrée I had the Octopus Galician Style, which is prepared very simply, but was so tasty! The texture of the octopus was like butter, which for anyone who cooks knows octopus is very easy to turn into rubber. The place is small, and parking is a bit difficult, but id totally return if im in the area ! read more

We had reservations for a busy Sunday before Thanksgiving weekend with a HUGE party of 13 people (five kids) and that they were able to seat us, and the other large parties of 8-12 people was like tetris moving tables and chairs - despite that, everyone was in a great mood, waiters were fun and accommodating of the kids, their drink orders, our sangria orders, appetizers and we all enjoyed the amazing soup. We stuck to the familiar - seafood in green sauce, paella and lots of chicken dishes. Food was not particularly amazing, but the atmosphere of family was - everyone had good food, lots of kid time and we would definitely go back read more

I give it one star because I have no choice. EVERYTHING from the service to the food was a disaster. It's my second time going there with a group and I have never seen such horrible service. The older man that was the waiter was extremely rude, screaming at people calling out the names of the dishes. The younger waiter just followed his lead and was making tasteless jokes. I'm assuming they don't care because they already get tipped with a big group and because they already have a good reputation they don't care about anything anymore. The food all tasted the same, from the seafood to the chicken all tasted the same. Garlic was burned and not fresh. At one point they were moving tables behind us bumping into us. Just bad, really bad. Worst Spanish food in the area. NEVER AGAIN! read more

All of the food was amazing. The complimentary lentil soup and warm bread was a great start. The lamb was cooked very nicely. I love the family style rice and other sides. The seafood stew was delicious. We had so much great food for the price - will definitely be back! read more

Our dining experience on Saturday night was very disappointing. Our waiter seemed annoyed and did nothing to engage or be pleasant. The tables are small and cramped. Every meal comes with the house soup which was rather bland. We ordered mussels as an appetizer which were huge and a little too chewy. I ordered the grilled bronzino which came out dried out and overdone. It was completely tasteless and dry. My husbands paella was huge but also rather bland. My friends filet mignon which she ordered medium was well done and tough. We then were rushed to leave to open up the table. All around just a terrible dining experience. We will not be back. read more

have a travel route that often takes me to EWR with a long layover. I was dying to try Ironbound so found a friend who met me and then brought along her friend and her charming hubby. I arrived first for our 7 15 dinner res. I had a laptop case, pillow blanket and carry on. I pushed my way thru the mobbed bar area to find Maria. She told me my friends had not arrived so I found a bar seat and waited. The gang came at 7 30 and Maria seated ups 7 45. I had called ahead explaining two of us had a flight to catch so she honored a res for 4. She could NOT have been more helpful. There were many large groups and a few parties with cakes and what not. The wait staff was very friendly and eager to assist. I asked our waiter to choose for me explaining I wanted seafood and something very popular on their menu. He recommend the flounder and crabmeat. My friend had the same and owlwoman had suckling pig and her hubby ordered some sort of chicken dish. The bread was great. Mr. Owlman shared his clams casino with us. The clam was whole covered in a nice crumb cover. I removed the bacon. It was a tasty clam. Our entrees came. Let me say my food was DELICIOUS..but, I was bummed. The flounder was the exact same thing I could have gotten in an American restaurant. it was rolled with a crab stuffing. I really wanted something local but again it was LOVELY. Boiled potatoes and fresh broccoli came with the meal. Everyone liked their food. We shared a flan. It was ok, not great. It was rather grainy with a lot of air bubbles. Will head back to Ironbound again but would like to sample something different... Thanks Maria and all at Casa Vasca read more

Cute small place at private parking. Food is delicious. I had order their seafood paella as someone had recommended to me earlier. I'm glad I took her advice. My girlfriends had ordered pasta and one had ordered another seafood and chicken dish. Both look very appetizing and something I would try when I come back again. read more

Delicious Spanish style food. A starter of soup, and then Bread and rice is served with every dish. I loved my seafood dish in the green sauce - it is cooked with clam juice, so while I enjoyed this, my dining partner felt like it was too "sea" tasting. The shrimp was a little overcooked, but the scallops, clams, mussels, and lobster were cooked to perfection. Really amazing seafood for a great price. I wasn't a fan of their veal and sausage in a wine sauce personally, but I think their seafood dishes shine. Definitely more than enough for leftovers. Their sangria is tasty as well! Service was a little hit or miss - we weren't given menus for 5 minutes after we were seated & it took a while to get water and drinks. Once our meal was ordered, the service was very attentive, read more

Casa Vasca - Delicious seafood in green sauce. Great for seafood lovers. - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

12/3/12. Arroz con Pollo. Black Bean soup. 12/4/12. Chuletas de cerdo a la plancha. I like Casa Vasca and the portions are HUGE. read more

DELICIOUS! We went on Mother's day and waited a real long time for a table in that cramped little space which smelled so delicious you'd want to eat the walls while waiting! But the long wait was expected as every restaurant in that area was bombarded with droves of hungry people celebrating the one day of the year where you are supposed to be nice to all the mother's in your life. When we finally sat down, we got 2 baskets filled with freshly baked bread. Very good. One thing I like when I'm hungry is getting to sit down and being presented with dinner rolls (and tasty ones make it even better). I ordered the Seafood Paella and enjoyed it. It was not as tasty as my wife's Seafood Combination entree but just as good as any quality Portuguese seafood restaurant would make this very well known dish. It didn't stand out to be better than any paella dish I've ever eaten.. though my wife's Seafood dish, again, was Incredible!!! I'd go back, just for that. The portions are very big. I brought home more than half of my paella and the same with my wife's dish. The sangria was ok... nothing too special, but not bad. I will definitely go back to this place on a less crowded day. 2 Thumbs up! read more