I can see myself becoming a regular here. I wanted to try a new restaurant in the Ironbound and found Casa Vasca after reading some other Yelp reviews. We sat at the bar because we didn't realize that there was more seating in a back room, but we were very comfortable and given attentive service from the bartender. Tonight we had the White Rioja and Pinot Grigio to drink; Garlic shrimp as an appetizer, crab stuffed salmon for an entree and cheesecake for dessert. The crab stuffing for our main dish was the highlight of the meal. Extra tasty when eaten with the complimentary bread! Wine selection was meh/so-so (however reasonably/generously priced) but the reason for the high rating is that "moms cooking" comfort food style dinner + great prices. Looking forward to coming back and trying new dishes. 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 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

This is the real thing. Go in via the bar, and you feel you're in Southern Europe: tiled walls, some people chatting at the bar over a glass of wine, only one TV screen with invariably a soccer match in a corner. I actually prefer to eat here than in the restaurant on the other side of the bar, even though the menu is much shorter. But no matter which side you eat on: the food is excellent and the prices reasonable (note that a bowl of soup of the day is included). The people who run this place are not Basques, as the name may suggest, but Galicians. Or as they state: they are the original Portuguese which in fact is historically correct. The menu is therefore more for fish than for meat lovers although I ate a succulent conejo al ajillo (rabbit braised with garlic) there. The menu changes regularly, so it is hard to say what you should eat. Try out anything: you'll never be disappointed. And it will make you want to return as soon as you're back in New York. read more

I dream of garlic shrimp and paella valencia. My family and I have been eating here for the last 25 years. This is probably the ONLY restaurant I can name that has remained consistently excellent throughout those years. We would book flights out of Newark instead of airports closer to us just to have an excuse to eat here. The red sangria is what I have compared every glass of red sangria to I have ever drunk after. When you come here it is not uncommon to see the owner herself come out of the kitchen and greet friends warmly in the dining room, sit at their table and share a meal. The dining room is always full of older spanish couples and families who probably are there on regular nights of the week since it opened. The soup at the beginning is always amazing. And ask for fried potatoes, they are like gigantic homemade potato chips and are not on the menu. And like I said, the garlic shrimp here makes every other garlic shrimp you have ever had very very sad in comparison. read more

We came here with a party of 17 people - from youngsters to the elderly - to celebrate a hs graduation. We could not have been happier with the service, the atmosphere and the food. Every course was amazing - from the soup to the appetizers to the entres and desserts. We will definitely be back. (The owners are solicitous and charming as can be.) The price was quite reasonable, given the quality of the experience and the quantity of food. We left with at least one full meal for our family to have the next day at home. 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

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

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

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

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

Great food, sangria is awesome, definetely coming back. I ordered Merluza a la Vazca, and cremee brulee was out of this world read more

Casa Vasca - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I'm not a big fan of this type of cuisine. If you are they you will enjoy the food, oversized portions and the service is excellent. I recently had the shrimp and rice. The Spanish rice was creamy and very good. The shrimp was barely peeled and not cleaned or deveined (gross). The positive is that I probably had about 2 doz. shrimp in my meal. If you can get past the poop vein in your shrimp you will be fine. read more

Went here for the first time tonight on a whim and the food was amazing ! The service was even better. Defiantly worth going too! Super food and tasty ! Had the pork chops and veal, both were really good. Will defiantly be going back. read more

Casa Vasca - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Tight fit in small restaurant but the food and service was excellent. Soup and rolls are part of the meal. We had seafood, tripe (very tender) and a special - rabbit stew! Parking available in a small lot around the corner. You always can expect the best. One of the best restaurants in Ironbound section of Newark 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

This place is awesome. Home setting from start to finish. The best service. Their soups are delicious. I love this place it's excellent from meats to seafood dishes. Their Spanish omelette is to die for. Their ham croquettes are amazing. The sangria is yummy. Their egg custard brings it all home. Highly recommend read more

The best authentic Spanish cuisine in Newark. Casa Vasca is leaps and bounds ahead of the other Spanish restaurants in the city. Casa Vasca's character, staff, and food are incredible, and absolutely the real deal. Casa Vasca is also a great place to take a group, or celebrate special events with family and friends. Anyone that is interested in grabbing some authentic Spanish food in Newark would do themselves a favor to check this place out. read more

I have been going to this place for years and it is one of my favorite restaurant. The food is tasty and the service is excellent. My concern is the portions size of the appetizers. The price is steep with the quantity provided, at least on this visit. I am hoping they go back to the previous portions size for the price now quoted. The dinner portion is excellent for the price paid. The Sangria is soft on the liquor side. read more

By far the best Spanish restaurant in Newark and the surrounding area. I have been going to Casa Vasca since my parents first brought me there. The owner is a doll and she will treat you like you are her child or grandchild. The ambiance is pleasant yet not overstated which lets you focus on the important element of the food. Great, authentic Basque and Spanish food made the simple and unpretentious way like any tavern or "Plato's combinados" place would make in Spain. This is the real deal for those of you who want to experience authentic Spanish food. Never left this place with anything but a smile on my face and a satisfied appetite. read more

My family and I have been eating here since 1985(before they even had a lot and you had to find street parking). In all that time we have never left disappointed. Even a simply prepared piece of grilled fish is delicious due to the freshness of the seafood. Honestly- the fish, shellfish and meats are all top notch. Maria is always a gracious host and the wait staff are all very accommodating. If you have had something there before and it is not on that nights menu they are always willing to make it if they have the ingredients. This is my favorite restaurant. I agree with some other reviews that it is best to go during the week to avoid the crowds. read more

Visited Casa Vasca on 8-8-17 with two colleagues. We had the Paella, Octopus with Shrimp, and Stuffed Flounder. All our meals were excellent. The ambiance is warm. Seating is a bit tight, but okay. It's a busy place, but still comfortable to hold a normal conversation. Looking forward to my next visit. read more

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The food is absolutely delicious. The waitstaff is extremely friendly and the entire restaurant has a very homey feeling to it. The sangria is out of this world good and you won't be able to stop drinking it! The prices are extremely reasonable and the ambience of the entire place just makes you want to stay awhile. read more

Popped in for dinner at the bar based upon Yelp ranking. This nice restaurant is a few blocks away from the main drag of the Ironbound, Ferry. The front door opens into the smallish barroom, with a few tables and a 12 (?) seat bar. There is another door that opens into the restaurant section which I did not check out. It is an authentic neighborhood joint with a small group of local old timers hanging out. The bartender only gave me a short bar/specials menu for some reason so my choices were limited. I ordered the soup of the day and grilled garlicked baby squid. The soup was excellent and while I was taking my time savoring it, the main entre came out. The squid was good, kind of plain, more like a regular Portuguese meal as opposed to a fancy mariscada. The veggies of rice and small boiled potatoes were good but I'm opposed to two starches. The food and two Estrella Galacia's, a great Spanish beer, cost $24. Good value. The bartender and owner (?) both asked how the food was with sincere pride in the cooking. I give the place 5 stars as I enjoyed the ambiance and the meal, and will go back! read more

Casa Vasca - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

If you really want to try Basque and Spanish food give a try to this place. An excellent place to go and have 1st class European foods at a very reasonable price! Nice atmosphere and nice people! Highly recommend. read more

My favorite Spanish restaurant. My favorites are the lemon chicken, garlic shrimp, and the fried calamari. Staff and the owner, Maria, are very nice. I usually go here on New Years Eve, but I came once on a weekday, and it was dead. Whenever I'm in Downtown Newark or the Ironbound, this is the first place on my mind. Highly recommended. read more

Great place run by very nice family. Nice traditional food from spain.

Slightly off the beaten path of Newark's Portuguese, excuse me... Ironbound district, they serve up a MEAN paella. And if you can't break yourself from ordering it there every time (I wouldn't blame you), do make room for manchego y chorizo, rabbit stew, or some of their sumptious Basque specialties, and you probably couldn't go wrong with anything with garlic sauce on it. read more

My coworker and I came here for dinner, and had amazing food. We started with some black bean soup, and octopus and shrimp. Our main meal was salmon stuffed with crab meat. All the dishes were very tasty, and they even fry their own potato chips! read more

I love the Basque food I eat in Casa Vasca. I am a Basque woman living in the USA for many years who loves eating Basque food, and speak in Basque. This is the only restaurant that I know you can do both things in the USA, because Gema, the owner, is Basque. The best croquetas de jamon I have eaten in my life are there. The bacalao al pilpil is delicious. Service is good, and there is a parking for the customers. The restaurant is old, but the food is worth. I don't need to travel anymore to the Basque Country to eat Basque food as I used to do it. Janari ona, benetan. On egin ta disfrutatu. read more

My Spanish grandparents venture to Newark frequently. They always stop and eat at Casa Vasca so I decided to to take the trip with them. The Caldo Gallego was slowly cooked to perfection. Must have been the soup of the day because I don't see it on the menu. The seafood was fresh! The staff could have been a little less arrogant but the food was so delicious I could careless. read more

Disappointing. The best dishes were the cod croquettes and the garlic shrimp. The latter was loaded with more garlic than I've ever seen on this dish. My paella valenciana was basically inedible. I took it home to be polite and promptly threw it away. The lobster in the dish was not fresh, the chicken pieces were dry, all in all, a huge mess of a dish. My husband ordered the rabbit stew, dry and stringy. Best dish on the table was the tripe dish. Very sad right now because I was looking forward to his dinner and it was just not good. read more

I had the garlic shrimp appetizer and seafood paella. The paella entree is enough for 4 people. Both the garlic shrimp and paella was delicious. read more

Really great dinner here. All the seafood dishes were fresh and flavorful. They even have a free parking lot!

Great off-the-beaten path spanish place down neck. More affordable than Fornos and tastier. Friendly staff, especially the owner, and great portions. read more

My favorite Spanish restaurant next to the Spanish Pavillion. Price, portion, service, Sangria - all top notch. The food is excellent and they have dishes that bring the western euro culture to Newark. Must try . read more

This restaurant is authentic, family owned and a great break from all the corporate restaurants out there. Although not everyone speaks English well who works at Casa Vasca, the prices are reasonable, the menu is huge, and all the employees go out of their way to be helpful. Dishes are not only delicious, but can be made any way you want regardless of if they are on the menu or not. One server went out of his way to recommend Osso Bucco to me which was not on the menu. He told me all about how it cooked for 3.5 hours and how the kitchen had little Osso Bucco left. The Osso Bucco which they cooked for 3.5 hours was amazing. The portion was double or triple as big as most portions I've seen (it included 2 huge bones) and was sold for the reasonable price of $24 (which included soup and unlimited potatoes and rice). read more

3.5 stars. We decided to try a different place down neck (ironbound) instead of our usual spots. We ended up at Casa Vasca. You walk into the bar and make your way into the dining room to the left. We were greeted warmly by a lady whom I imagine is the owner. The staff is friendly and attentive without being overbearing which is a balance many places can't achieve successfully. My lady had garlic chicken and it was very very garlicky ( which I think was great). Lots of yummie sauce to put the bread to work. I ordered lechon asado ( roasted suckling pig.) it is not my usual go to anywhere but I wanted the crispy skin. It is my favorite part ( my girl thinks its nasty). They certainly delivered on the crispy factor. The oven pl roasted potatoes also had a wonderful crispy skin going on. Unfortunately I can't say I enjoyed the rest of my lechon as much as its crunchy epidermis. It was overcooked and underseasoned. Sad part about it is that I kind if expected this when I ordered It. Like I said, I wanted the skin!!! If the rest would've been good, I woulda considered it icing on the cake. Due to my previously set standards I wasn't too disappointed. I would return again to allow Casa Vasca to redeem itself and in the eyes of my pallet my ordering something I normally would. read more

Uh oh, my most recent visit to Casa Vasca was a bit disappointing. I wonder if they are slipping in quality. The shrimp in green sauce was not up to its former level of excellence. In fact, it was bland and tasteless. It reminded me of Fornos or Iberia or a similar factory-style tourist-trap restaurant. However, my companion enjoyed her red snapper, and the complimentary soup was as great as ever. Has Casa Vasca decided to rest on its laurels? I would like to go back and check again to see if they were simply having a single off night, but I may not get a chance -- too many other places to go, too many other things to try! read more