Besides the price is quite high and the scallops I had were quite overdone, I like this place. It's not fancy, but fancy enough. Good for family dinners. The portion is HUGE so people usually pack leftovers. The paella was delicious---perfect and flavorful rice soaked in the sauce and seafood juice, nom nom. You get a decent amount of seafood as well---lots of shrimp, clams, mussels, sausage, and a half-cut not so good lobster. Sangria wasn't fruity enough tho. Desserts are ok. I don't get why you would have coffee after your huge meal. But people do order them. read more

I have no idea how this place stays in business. The food is terrible! People rave about the sangria but honestly I make a WAY better one at home. I won't be returning to this establishment again. read more

Came here on a tues night, it was pretty empty. Tried the sangria, it was good. Ordered the paella with the chicken, sausage and seafood, the porterhouse, and the egg breaded chicken in tomatoe and wine sauce. For appetizer we ordered the avacado which was yummy. The paella was ok, was expecting better, kind of bland to me and rice was dry. Everything else was great tho. Waiter was nice and didnt rush to get us out cuz we sat there and chitchatted for like an hr after dinner. We had alot of leftovers since the plates were pretty big. the bill came out to 125 ish which wasnt bad at all. I will def. come back again. read more

See all

Came here for lunch with a couple other coworkers and the food did not disappoint. The portions were good and the flavors were right on point. The sangria wasn't the absolute best but besides that super good and would definitely eat here again read more

I have been going here for 20 years I simply cant say anything bad about this place. Ever thing is always good..... I am a regular here.. Don Pepe 2 and Don Pepe steak house. read more

So this is one of our favorite local places. We come here often and have eaten many things on the menu but here are a few you can definitely NOT go wrong with. Starters Garlic Shrimp. (Yummy!) Seafood stuffed avocado. (Oh Yeah!) Chorizo sausage! (Somebody call me a doctor!!) Dinners Paella a La Valenciana (Chicken sausage and seafood paella) Mariscada Don Pepe (Seafood stew with tomato based sauce) Fresh Lobster with seafood stuffing. (Enough said) They have the best staff. Manny Tony Steve Christopher (Manny II) Kevin Their Red Sangria is the best we have ever had. Desserts are good but the coffee drinks are even better. Don Pepe Coffee and Tropical are our favorites. Thanks for the many enjoyable evenings we have spent at your establishment! read more

Delicious. My family has been coming here for years and we always thought the food was just "good", not amazing, but good enough for us to return from time to time. We came here last night for a family birthday and everything we ordered was better than usual. We ordered the Chorizo, the Stuffed Scallops and the Shrimp in Garlic Sauce appetizers, which were all delicious. For our entrees we had the Shrimp in Garlic Sauce entrée (which consisted of a huge portion of jumbo shrimp), Shellfish Casserole in Green Sauce, Veal Cutlets in Lemon & Wine and Veal Cutlets in a Sherry & Mushroom sauce. Everything was great, including our waiter who held it together with a great attitude during an extremely busy night. read more

Top notch meal at this Spanish style seafood steakhouse with great wait staff who accommodates every need. We decided to start off with their speciality shrimp in garlic sauce which was exactly what they said special. Great decision wasn't to much garlic and the shrimp was cooked perfectly. For drinks we decided on the red sangria which was awesome and the waiter was great every time we needed a refill he would be by and fill us up. The other people in my group decided to share the 2 stuffed lobster dinner which worked out perfectly with a 6 dollar share fee which was completely reasonable price for the plates. Our meal came with these fried chips which were great and tasty. I decided on the shrimp lobster meat rigatoni in a vodka sauce. It was awesome meal definitely a great place to come for a occasion but either way great spot and left satisfied read more

See all

Great Chilean Sea Bass! Excellent Portuguese selection in general. Highly recommend. Good service as well.

I realize it's Mother's Day, but they refused reservations for even 4 PM. Then, when calling for a pickup order, we were put on hold four different times for over ten minutes. And the order was ready 45 minutes later than promised. When we asked, they kept promising 5 minutes. The owner laughed at us when we suggested a free drink while waiting for our very late order. The food wasn't even that good. Never going here again! read more

Been a while and there was no real food in the house so drive all 3/4 of a mile to get the best cold seafood salad, bread and paella on the planet as take out. Having a glass of sangria while I wait and all is well with the world. read more

Sorry folks this place needs a revamp. I feel they need a cleaning and countability over hall. We have been there many times in the past and we were thinking .... why do we come back ? The lobsters ! Awful ... how horrible and the first not even looking edible. They then ... decided to get me another... worse than the first looked awful and it tasted and looked mushy. I showed them. Apparently didn't care. I ate what I could and left it. I would usually take it all home. The ice I asked for ... aaa smelly Apps just ok The Bill had the lobster on it but comped desert and coffee Not enough for our patronizing ! This is a job for Robert Irvine and restaurant renovate. !!! read more

This place is great. The food and service are very good. Food comes out quick and the service extremely on point. It's nice having a restaurant like this around the corner. Check it out read more

Looking for a taste of good old Portuguese food but not wanting to travel down the mountain to Iron Bound section of Newark we decided to hit Don Pepe II the sister restaurant of the long famous spot in downtown Newark. Having not been to this location in quite some time I've read the reviews and hoped it lived up to its counterpart as 4 of us ventured out this past Friday Evening. Sitting up on the Hill in Pine Brook with Plenty of free parking in back, a small bar adorns the front while multiple rooms with plenty of seating now matter how busy this place might get it is enormous inside. Nice basic style to the place for what you are expecting it fits the bill. We have a small pitcher of Red Sangria at the bar with Manny while we wait for friends and the Sangria is quite good and Manny is very nice. Finally we are off to our table. Portuguese rolls are provided with butter as we start with the Shrimp & Garlic $13.50... Good but not fantastic... Shrimp were good but something was lacking in the sauce.. Couldn't put my finger on it but I wouldn't call it disappointing just OK. The sausage Spanish Style $11.95 were sliced pieces of pork sausage in a tasty sauce, quite plentiful and of the two appetizers this was surprising the better of the two. 3 Entrees split among 4 persons... Broiled Filet Mignon $36.95 Ala Carte was a bit pricey, but it was top quality meat with a nice flavor it certainly did not disappoint. Veal Cutlets in Sherry Brandy & Mushroom Sauce were 3 pieces of tender veal with a very nice sauce $23.95 by very good, tasty, fresh and worth the price point. Broiled Pork chops in Garlic Sauce $20.95 two large chops with a very good sauce, unfortunately they completely overcooked the chops and they dried them out. Really a good quality chop a shame they cooked it to death. The 3 entrees came with platter of Spanish Yellow rice and their famous hand cut potatoes. The rice was luke warm and their potatoes were under cooked and greasy. A Excellent Triple Chocolate cake was tasted by all with fresh hot espresso. Pitchers of sangria continued to flow all evening and the service was excellent. Good but not great and a step down from the Newark location if I had to compare the two. Some dishes excellent, some OK... sides already described while their price points were high for some dishes, reasonable for others but really over priced even if it was good were the pitchers of Sangria. All and all a good experience but I'd probably bite the bullet and travel the 20-30 Minutes to Newark next time I have the taste for Portuguese food... Close but no Cigar. read more

I had high expectations for this place since it came so highly recommended. The service is absolutely top notch but the food is absolutely middle of the road. If you specialize in seafood then it should be fresh. I promise you, I know fresh seafood. This was not fresh. What it was... was a huge disappointment. The Garlic Shrimp App was mediocre. It is apparently something they are known for? Very middle of the road (if said road is gravel, has potholes & traffic). I also had the paella ($24) which consisted of half a lobster (overcooked and dry), clams (fishy tasting), mussels (meh), chicken pieces (overcooked) and andouille sausage (the only redeeming factor). The rice was cooked perfectly, although not impressed. All in all: Wont return unless a supplier treats me to another free lunch. read more

This place is freakin' great! I've been going here for over 15 years and the food is constantly wonderful. It is a great place to go with family and/or friends for a special occasion or night out. Portions are quite large. I recommend the red sangria, garlic shrimp and the chorizo appetizers, and the seafood paella (clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp, lobster). The baked stuffed lobster, two lobsters stuffed with shrimp and crabmeat stuffing, is also very good but it is obviously one of the more expensive dishes on the menu. Entrees come with these circular crispy potatoes that are somewhere in between a chip and a french fry and are sooo good. read more

Have been coming here for years but have never written a review, which is definitely long overdue. Was here on Saturday, December 11, 2021 arriving about 3 PM. There was a large party in the first room, maybe 50 guys and a small wedding reception in the rear room with various seats also taken in the first room. Our favorite table for two was available and we were seated by Tony F, my favorite waiter here. We started with a large pitcher white sangria, then later to a small one, always very good sans some of the ice. Started with Shrimp in Garlic sauce, always delicious. Sometimes the Spanish sausage or others, all very good. the seafood Paella is my favorite and chicken on the bone is my wife. Steaks are quite good, veal chops as well. Actually never had a bad meal there yet. Desserts are good and their coffees excellent, to each his or her own, but I like the Caribbean coffee. The service and courtesy from when you are greeted at the door to ordering to cleaning up and to have half of your food wrapped, the portions are enormous, is unbelievable. I always look for Tony F, he is always fantastic and on the ball, but then, what I have always observed, it is a well oiled restaurant. The steak house in Newark and also Pine Brook are nice but this one slightly off Route 46 W, is our favorite. Norman Nitschke read more

I came here for an early Sunday dinner with 2 others. We found the place to be underwhelming for price to value. The food though large portions (entrees and appetizers we ordered a single order was enough for 3 people). The menu is pricey but the flavor and quality of the dishes is average at best. The service is friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is more formal with bright lighting. Not my taste of ambience. We ordered: 1) Fried calamari ($12.50) large portion enough for 3 or 4 people. Excellent preparation though the marinara sauce was a bit watery. 2) 2 orders paella marinara ($30.50 entree price) large portion. One entree is enough for at least 2 people. Scallops are excellent. Shrimp, mussels, and lobster tail a bit dry and overlooked. Rice is a bit on the wet side (decent at best). Dish is lacking in quality and flavor. 3) paella a la Valencia ($30.50) same comments as above. Chicken and sausage is over cooked as well 4) Large pitcher white sangria ($22.50) strong and excellent 5) Bottle Pinot Grigio ($24.50) nice white wine Tip- share the dishes. Don't over order. The leftovers taste even worse. read more

See all

What can I say about this place but I'm home!!! Awesome food, awesome sangria, fresh baked potato chips I meant the works you name it!! The steak and fish are to die for!! A bunch of old school Italians running around with pinky rings add a touch of class to the ambiance in this place. I usually order the the fillet and when I'm feeling squirly, and really hungry, the porter house steak. This steak is some ridiculous ounce like 32 or something so you better be hungry to eat this guy! Every steak is cooked to perfection. Their steaks run a little salty so be prepared for that too. I like my steak with a little flavor and seasoning as long as the salt doesn't over power the flavor, I'm good. The white and red sangria are awesome, the garlic shrimp and sauteed mushrooms are amazing sides to compliment any of their steaks. Their lobster tail is also very good. They offer valet service and take reservations though I have never waited longer than 15 minutes to sit in this place. I eat here as frequently as I can because the food is that good and the price is well worth what you are getting. Average price per plate including an entree, appetizer and a drink $40 a person. I highly recommend this place if you love a good steak or cut of fish! read more

I've never had a bad meal here. Although there are a number of spanish restaurants i frequent in Newark, Don Pepe II is much more convenient and never disappoints. The garlic shrimp and chorizo are mandatory. I usually get the Paella but the steaks are also great. And dont leave here without having the Red Sangria. Yummmm! read more

A snowy Jersey day caused my family to cancel dinner plans and get takeout from Don Pepe. After getting takeout from here for years, I can honestly say that the food has gone down hill. I'll start with something new to our order: the championes a la espaola or "mushrooms Spanish style" for $11.50. You get five tiny mushrooms stuffed with seafood. If they want to make this dish better, I would suggest either bigger mushrooms or throwing some melted cheese on here. Next appetizer: gambas al ajillo, neustra especialidad for $12.95. According to the menu, the shrimp with garlic is their specialty. While this used to be a good dish, it was forgettable. First, what restaurant forgets to devein their shrimp?? That's inexcusable. This dish is also supposed to contain garlic and lots of it. They should rename it to shrimp in oil with a splash of garlic. This dish was really lacking in flavor. For the main dish, we split an order of chicken. For takeout, the chicken is enough to feed an entire family of five if you have appetizers. However, the pollo al ajillo/garlic chicken on the bone for $19.95 could have served ten this time. We barely touched it. The chicken was DRY. Luckily, it has a great sauce for dipping your bread into. The sauce helped this place earn another star from me. The rice was just eeeh too. Now the order of chips did help Don Pepe redeem itself. I found the super greasy soggy potato slices to be enjoyable, especially when I sprinkled a little salt on them. I'm not sure if they were as good as I thought or if I was just desperate to really like something other than bread dipped in sauce. There is one thing that this restaurant always does right; they serve great mints by the door. If they ever take away their mints, they will go way down in my book. read more

Don Pepe does not disappoint! I was here moons ago and then twice again recently. So it's beyond the time for me to give Don the thumbs up! About a month ago I joined my buddies the Mad Dog and Jughead for a fantastic dinner. And then back for a catered lunch party. The appetizers are really top notch. The mussels marinara, shrimp in garlic sauce, Yum, and the stuffed mushrooms double YUM. Sangria is very tasty here; as are the after dinner coffee's. Winding it back to the dinner. The seafood is well seasoned and fresh! The steaks are cooked to your indicated perfection choice and are of great size! Then recently I was here for lunch party following a ceremony. Wow! the same terrific portions and appetizers awesome. Sangria flowing! And for the entree I chose the veal and it was terrifically flavored and tender. The customer appreciation from the staff is evident as well. Everyone is well taken care of at this Don Pepe! Go and enjoy ! read more

Sad day for Pepe's. The fun times have ended. The Food is good, but the main reason we went was Manny made eating at the bar more fun than even going into the restaurant. Unfortunately, Manny is gone and so is the fun! read more

horrible. I went there for a nice fresh lobster dinner, but instead went with the soft shell crab done w garlic oil, the entire 3 crabs were completely soaked in some ? sauce that was very watered down and old fishy tasting. then the rice piao was old clumps of rice with old fishy seafood and very dry lobster then the "fish soup" 5 dollars was a horror, some thickened corn starch with extremely old fish taste no identifiable fish in it. the Spanish antipasto was some sliced up pieces of goat cheese, salami and overly soaked asparagus and pepper. I will never go back there 90.00 for 2 and I am sick to my stomach read more

You know a place is good when it's packed on a Friday night. Don Pepe II is indeed a descent restaurant in the area. Overall, it's a simple, homey, and authentic with a solid menu of good and tasty food. Menu is nothing fancy or pretentious creative. But with generous portion and descent service, no wonder the place is packed on the Friday night we visited. I don't care for valet parking -- but if that's your thing, Don Pepe II offers private valet parking. Upon entering the dining room, we are welcomed with a large open dinning space and a busy energy. The room echoes noises well, but without overhead music, we can actually carry a descent conversation (I can't remember the last time a restaurant without loud and inappropriate music). The appetizers arrived promptly, our mussels were really tasty, hearty, and flavorful with plenty of garlic punches. The staff were fairly attentive, but on a busy Friday night, we did have to wait a little for our entries. Out paella was pretty good (taste and value). It's not the best I've had (in Barcelona), but it's descent for Northern Jersey. You could share an order of paella between 2 people, but be aware that Saturday has a minimum order of 2 paella per check. Overall, it's a descent meal. Funny observation though, it is of older crowd. So I guess Don Pepe II is more of a family restaurant. Few families with young kids here and there, but it's definitely not a joint if looking for trendy or hot spot. It's just a simple family restaurant with descent food -- reminds me a lot like one would see in the backdrops of mafia movies... read more

Hadn't been here in a while but the food and service is a good as ever. Portions are generous and service is very attentive and friendly. Water, bread and drinks were refreshed without us having to ask. Must start with the shrimp in garlic sauce, a standard there. Make sure you have plenty of bread to dip in the sauce. Garlic chicken (took the off the bone option) was delicious. I did the paella with seafood, chicken and sausage. Huge portion and very tasty. Amazing that they get the shrimp, clams, mussels, lobster, calamari, scallops, chicken, sausage all cooked perfectly along with the rice. Had a great Makers Mark Manhattan , generous amount. My wife had a white wine very similar to a sauvignon blanc based on our waiters recommendation. It was very good. Chocolate Lava cake for dessert, yum. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

Don Pepe II is one of our favorite restaurants. It is very close to where we live and we have been going there for years. My husband and I usually go there for our birthdays and our wedding anniversary. We love their garlic shrimp appetizer and the Paella Marinera and usually split it with a pitcher of red sangria. The price is good and the food tastes fresh. The portions are huge and we have left overs for a couple of days. read more

Delicious! Went here the day after my sister's college acceptance. Deciding on this restaurant, we set out after doing some Christmas shopping. The exterior was pretty, but the parking in the far part was kind of sketchy looking. Anyway, we waited about 7 minutes for a table, and were seated. Our glasses were filled, but service seemed slammed that night since the restaurant was very busy. After chatting with another patron and our server coming, we ordered. For an appetizer, we had the shrimp and garlic. This came out quickly and was very good. For the entrees, my sister had a paella, my mom had a fish, and I had this tender chicken in a sauce that i can't recall the name of. This took a little while to come out, but in the end, was worth the wait. i fell in love with the paella and the seafood inside tasted fresh. The bill came out well under what we expected. We will be back! read more

Don Pepe II is great. I'll preface with this: I am a picky eater. I don't like much and I'm not very adventurous. I LOVE thier boneless chicken breast with garlic sauce. A typical order come with 3 large pieces of chicken, yellow rice, bread, and home made potato chips. This could easily feed 2 normal people or one ME! The order costs around $18 and is a GREAT value. We fed 15 people AND added the appropriate amount of salad to the order for around $120. Excellent. I am deducting one star for the lack of white rice....told you I was picky! read more

Good Food, Big Portions, Friendly Staff, Nice Experience! I've been coming to this suburban version of the Newark classic since I was a kid. They have been able to maintain their quality of food and service for all of these years. I remember when they first opened in Pine Brook. My parents were really excited, as were many of our friends in the area, having all been big fans of the original in Newark. In those days, there was an hour wait WITH a reservation. It is much quieter now, and the restaurant has not changed much in the last 20 years, which I consider a good thing. They have been able to keep up their quality of food and service. It is all classic...aka...old fashioned. If you are looking for somehtng more modern and interesting, this isn't the place. However, if you want good, classic Spanish and Portuguese food, Don Pepe II is a great option. read more

Went there last week for dinner. Seafood in green sauce was great! Enjoyed the garlic shrimp, sausage and mussels. Everything was cooked well. I had cherries jubilee for dessert - sooooo good (you've gotta try it!)! I can't wait to go back there again soon. Good food, good atmosphere = two thumbs up! read more

Don Pepe is our go-to spot. The sangria is my favorite (obviously) but the food doesn't disappoint either. The seafood dishes are delicious, try the garlic shrimp app! The paella is really good too, flavorful and fresh seafood, not too moist and not dry. Portions are shareable as well! The waitstaff is friendly and talkative as well! Sorbets are my favorite part, partly because I'm a carb and dessert person.... The coconut flavor was amazing and it's served in a coconut, makes it feel like you're in Cancun! read more

Drove 30 minutes to this location after reading all the positive reviews but I was sorely mistaken. Upon arrival, we got a table right away which was awesome. We placed our orders and the food came out at a decent time. The calamari was tender but was missing some seasoning. The stuffed lobster was hot but not fresh. The meat was stringy and tough and overcooked. Not the definition of fresh! Tasted like it pre-made and then heated. The waiter didn't even bother to check on us once. The carrot cake didn't even taste like carrot cake. Store bought, chewy and tasteless. Complete waste of time and money. read more

This is my local restaurant that I eat at all the time. The garlic shrimp and twin lobster tails I order ever time and it's always delicious. The staff are the same guys since I have been coming and are always nice and super friendly. This is my favorite restaurant in the area read more

We used to take visiting groups here almost every week when I worked in our Parsippany office years ago. It was our "big" night out and everyone looked forward to the Paella and Sangria. I had a chance to go back recently and they are still holding up to the same level of quality and service. Love it! If you have a chance, don't miss out on their Mariscada seafood dishes. They're kind of like Paella but without the rice (I know, stupid description). I guess they're kind of like a seafood stew but absolutely delicious! read more

Service friendly and great. You try to complain, they take care of it right there just to make you happy. Satisfied! read more

See all

The food here is decent. My family has been ordering take out from here for years. We almost always get the paella, which comes full of seafood (mainly shrimp). It is a little bit dry. I prefer paella with some crispy rice and a bit more juice. I like the lobster in it and only wish there was more! Most recently, we also ordered the sea bass. It was very thick and slightly overcooked. I love the crispy fries/potato things that come with it. Overall, it is a solid option in an area that is severely limited in good food choices. read more

A "go to" place for our extended family for what seems like a hundred years. And it hasn't changed much at all - same generous portions, reasonable prices - even the same waiters, mostly. Good Spanish/Portuguese comfort food. Paella is always a good choice, but they do a good job on steaks (which are huge) and shellfish (including lobsters) too. Menu hasn't changed much at all in 30+ years - but I think that's what my mother-in-law (age 91) likes most about it. Full bar -- including sangria, of course. read more

Haven't been here in years, and it's nice too see not much has changed. The food is still just as good as it was years ago - only better. Had Manny as our server, and for an incredibly busy Saturday night, he never missed a beat. Our appetizers came out and there was plenty of time between that and dinner, which is nice. So many times places bring out your appies, then two minutes later out comes dinner. We had a great time getting together with old friends here, and will be returning soon. Highly recommend the clams casino. 6 people, appies, plenty of drinks, dinner and dessert. And everything was perfect. read more

Rib eye cooked Medium is worth the price! A pitcher of House Sangria with the Rib Eye is the perfect combination for me. Quality food, well worth the price ! read more