The vibe is warm and lively, service is friendly and efficient, and prices are fair. Whether for a…read morequick lunch or family dinner, this neighborhood gem delivers every time. Highly recommended!

[Over a decade since my original review... she's overdue for a refurbishing, for sure.]…read more East Newark basically consists of three things... Tops Diner, the (historic) Clark Thread factory (closed for decades and currently being made into a housing complex which is going to be insane for this area) and... Pic-Nic. (East Newark should be absorbed into Harrison, but I'll keep my nose out of zoning and redistricting and stick to the job at hand...) The sangria? Delicious. (But worth $30 a pitcher?) And only finding out when the bill arrived and we'd ordered two... ouch! The garlic shrimp appetizer? Yeah, still the best in the biz. (The sauce alone is worthy of a darn Michelin star.) We were a party of seven. We had a bit of everything when it came to the entrees. My chicken dish - brilliant. (The star might've been those roasted potatoes swimming in a delicious brown-garlic sauce.) The other adults all seemed to really love their dishes, too. But we need to discuss my kids' food. They're varsity athletes that run 8-10 miles a day. They were hungry and bragged about how much food they were about to put away. The older twin tried paella (for the very first time) and about halfway through? He had to quit. (But he really dug all the various seafood and proteins mixed in the saffron-infused yellow rice served in a tiny Portuguese cauldron of sorts.) The younger twin? Obsessed with steak. He ordered the "Beef à Pic-Nic" and... okay, anyone know the YouTuber 'Beard Meets Food' that travels the world to attempt ridiculous food challenges? That's what arrived at our table. Easily the most amount of food I ever saw that was technically for just one person. He went to work and eventually said, "Dad. Please do not make me breakfast or lunch tomorrow." (something I never heard before - all because he was THAT full right now) I looked over at his dish and... it didn't even look like he put a dent in it. When we asked for doggy-bags the two workers seemed to chuckle that we 'failed' the mission at hand. All things considered: the bill wasn't too bad for the amount of (tasty) food. (Overlooking the alcohol portion, of course!) Cool workers all around. Restaurant looks good. They have a (mighty small) lot and there's some street parking (if you're lucky). Recommended, for sure.

Since 1998 this place has been delivering taste and service. Haven't been here in quite a while,…read morebut the consistency shows. Filet mignon on a stone and the picanha are AMAZING! Very chill vibe for a summer Sunday! Highly recommend!

We went here twice this week on a business trip. We were very pleased with atmosphere, service and…read morefood. We loved the rosemary salmon and the stake on stone ! Very very good !

Ccame here for New Years December 31st 2019!…read more Huge place, and sat us down on a long table, forcing us to talk and interact with other human beings beside my girl (savages, don't they know I'm anti-social ). Well, we partied all night. They had a live band who played bachata, merengue, reggaetón, eve Colombian salsa del gran maestro Joe Arroyo. It was freaking nice!! The had a buffet of mostly Sea food-- but since I don't eat sea food (except lobster) I didn't try it but I saw many people eating it, happily Great vibes, great music, great layout- what else could I ask for!?!!?! Oh yes, Freemasons, I want to be a Freemason?? Do the allow Hispanics in?? ‍

This gringo dropped into this spot just lookin for a quick watering hole. Found a gem. Food is…read morePortugese, vibe is a blend, locals only.. but that invite strangers. Can't speak higher of this place. Will be sneaking back in very shortly.

We found this place by accident a few years ago on a work trip and had to come back again. It is an…read more"old school" family recipes, incredible service, fantastic food, and simply an amazing restaurant. My only concern is that they don't see to be busy enough for how good they are! We had 6 of us. Every single thing everyone ordered looked incredible. (I mean, I don't really care for muscles, but I could absolutely see the love cooked into even that dish.) I wish them every success and I'm already looking forward to visiting again next time I'm in the area!

"Would you like some lemoncello? Orangcello? Anythingvello?"…read more Angelo, one of the owners, is talking to the table next to us, but already I know I've found a second home. "You won't want to cook anymore" he tells us a bit later. He's not wrong. I had the fish special, cod, served puttanesca, with mash potatoes and spinach. He had the rigatoni bolognese. Perfectly cooked pasta. "Everything is homemade," Angelo explained later. Smart and fairly well-priced wine list. We asked why the 2020 Carparzo Brunello di Montalcino was so low priced, and learned the wine has been priced the same since their father closed their Upper East Side location and the kids opened in Newark. "New York food at NJ prices," Angelo explained. "I've never had tiramisu I've liked better", husband told me. "I've never had flan Ive liked better" I told him. (It is coconut flan.) Great service. Wonderful spot. And Bon Jovi has been in twice, most recently he brought his wife. Enough said.

After nearly 40 years, I finally returned to Spanish Tavern in Newark, and I am happy to say it is…read moreevery bit as wonderful as I remembered. From the moment we arrived, the service was exceptional. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and ensure everything was perfect throughout our meal. My wife ordered the salmon topped with crab, and it was outstanding--tender, perfectly cooked, and a very generous portion. I had shrimp with pepper sauce was equally impressive, packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. The sides of fresh vegetables, yellow rice, and the homemade potato chips complemented the meal beautifully. Dessert was the perfect ending to a fantastic evening. The flan was simply incredible--smooth, rich, and full of flavor. The chocolate cake was absolutely decadent and worth every bite. Spanish Tavern offers plenty of convenient parking and a warm, inviting atmosphere that makes it ideal for a date night, family dinner, or special occasion. What impressed me most is that after four decades, this restaurant continues to deliver outstanding food, exceptional service, and a memorable dining experience. Some places come and go. Spanish Tavern has stood the test of time, and for good reason. It remains a truly special place to enjoy great food and even better company. Highly recommended! I'd rate it 5 stars without hesitation.

We came here for dinner on a weeknight, a bit late, and were quite literally the only party in the…read morerestaurant seated for the rest of the night. They had a decent amount of servers and one or two parties at the bar when we sat down, but no one else came in to get seated which was interesting given how many tables they had and how nicely everything was set. The vibe of this restaurant felt a little more upscale than we expected so staff were in black tie dress, but since no one else was there, we didn't feel too out of place. Menu had a good selection of dishes and we shared a few for the entire meal. Taste was fine, solid and decently priced. I enjoyed the paella. Overall, not a bad experience, just felt a little eerie due to the lack of patrons. We enjoyed it nonetheless and wish Spanish Tavern more success!

The food is varied but amazingggg; so far my faves have been the churrasco, shrimp tacos, chaufa…read morerice and pikadera platters. They do all kinds of events every month but they also host some kind of theme or special all the other days of the week. Karaoke nights on Thursday's have been very entertaining to watch. Friday nights are house music nights and once evening hits it's less of a restaurant & more like a club/lounge. They have hookah too! So far I've been to their rodeo night, cigar events, back to school event & a few of the karaoke, brunch & house music nights.

I forgot to take more pictures but came here for a work event, to enjoy a drink and some apps. The…read morepatio area is very cute, they do drinks, food and hookah. It is definitely on a main corner if the area but somewhat in the cut as you do notice it immediately. The apps were good especially the quesadillas, I had a sangria and it was okay. Overall, the drinks seemed pretty week and I was told the hookah wasn't all that as well. It is definitely a spot for the summer to enjoy for some light drinks and apps.

Amazing self service all you can eat with great variety of meats and hot food…read more Service is great and friendly Best picanha in town

I visited this restaurant, which used to be called Delicias de Minas and is now called Sabor the…read moreMinas, for lunch and trust me, it's pricey! $$$ They offer Brazilian style buffet in which you serve your food, weigh you plate and pay by the pound. You can also add barbecue meat, chicken and other Brazilian churrasco. The food itself was good but I was surprised by the price. My wife and I paid around $25 each (no drinks) and excluding tips which is too much for a simple weekday lunch. We didn't even put that much food and our total bill was over $50. If we had had drinks, our bill would have been more than $60. When we go to other buffet restaurants such as Copacabana in Astoria, Queens, we pay around $12 each for the same amount of food including bbq. Brazilian buffet is another option in Newark much cheaper (they don't offer bbq meat though). Newark needs more simple Brazilian restaurants where you can grab a quick lunch buffet style with no frills for less than $15 during lunch time. Stop with the "all you can eat" and all the fancy stuff and leave the rodízio for the evening hours. I won't be back for lunch because there are many other choices such as Hamburgao and other Brazilian restaurants where you can have lunch for less than $15.

So bet! I was randomly looking for a spot with decent reviews and solid seafood--and I stumbled…read moreacross this little gem. The atmosphere was exactly what I wanted: relaxed, low-key, and welcoming. I sat at the bar and was lucky enough to meet a fantastic bartender. Super friendly, gave honest recommendations, and really added to the experience. I got there around 9-ish and my food came out fast--boom. Even though it wasn't crowded, the vibe was still great. Chill, comfortable, and no rush. Food-wise: The clams were tasty, though I'm usually more of a mussels person. The garlic wine sauce was flavorful and paired nicely. The stuffed snapper? Beautifully done. Well-seasoned, tender, and the seafood stuffing was a great touch. Definitely the standout. By the end, I was happily stuffed. Excellent service, great food, and a relaxed environment--I'll definitely be coming back

We visited Joia solely based on its proximity to the Red Bulls game…read more Parking: Due to the game, I can't speak to how street parking would be. We parked in a parking deck a few blocks away. Service: I made a reservation but didn't end up needing it for 6pm before the 7:30pm game (Wednesday). We were seated right away and that same host took our drink order. A waiter came to take our food order soon after. Our waiter noticed the sun was in our eyes so he pulled the window shade down for us. Both staff members were kind. Drinks: My husband originally wanted a Blue Moon draft but then was told there were no draft drinks available. He opted for a Peroni. I got the white sangria and was not impressed at all. It was basically orange juice with alcohol. Really disappointing. Food: Not the most extensive menu. Since we didn't want any leftovers being we were headed into the game, we both opted for the cheeseburger cooked medium which came with fries. I think the patty was a bit overdone and my cheese was not well melted and still held its shape quite well. Flavors were fine but not $17 worth. They only gave us half full little plastic containers of ketchup which was not enough to put on both my burger and fries. The waiter never came back around for me to ask for more unfortunately. Of note, there is a 4% credit card service charge so I would recommend bringing cash. Overall, it was okay and again, I appreciated its proximity to the stadium. The staff was nice enough but food and drinks were nothing special.