I love coming here after Church on Sundays! I've gotten takeout, eaten at the restaurant in person and gotten catering. Each time I've eaten here the bbq pork short ribs have been so delicious! Ambiance: - a couple of tables, open kitchen where you can see all of the BBQ happening right in front of you - simple no frills decor Service: - if you dine-in staff takes your order at the table. All staff are friendly and patient when explaining the menu items Food: 1/2 size portion is perfect for 1 person and a full portion can comfortably feed 2. Ask for hot sauce- it goes great with everything - BBQ Chicken: perfectly charred, chicken was a bit dry. - BBQ pork Short ribs: tender and juicy, bbq sauce was tangy and sweet - Brazilian style beef: tender, juicy and seasoned well - bbq beef short ribs: tender, well seasoned, has a nice char read more

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So I spent $17.57 for 3 ribs and 2 pounds of unflavored rice! Never again! If you like bland food this is your spot. They could learn from Algarve in Elizabeth and Craven in linden. The meat and rice are flavorful while Craven has the same portion of meat its still cheaper and Algarve is cheaper as well as giving 4 ribs! Wasted money I couldn't even eat it! read more

My review is based on takeout only: I've been wanting to try this place for sometime, I decided to get take out, because I don't live in the area and I was passing through. I got 2 orders of their bbq chicken with rice and I chose black beans instead of pinto beans. Hot sauces are a must. The portions are a nice size. The chicken was grilled and then finished in the oven. I was watching them cook it while I waited. The grilled chicken had good flavor. The rice and beans were very good too. The staff was nice. They do have a dining room with some seating. There is street parking, and small parking lot for a few cars to park Hamilton BBQ has a nice variety to chose from on their menu. All in all it was pretty good. (Beware if you use a Credit Card they will charge you an additional 3% on your order. ) read more

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I've been trying out different Portuguese BBQ places around the area and this is my opinion on Hamilton. The place itself is located right on a corner with plenty of space for dining and parking. At first appearance, it's organized and clean. I've heard from a few people that Hamilton transitioned away from Portuguese ownership but is still offering many items you'll find at other Portuguese churrasco (BBQ) joints. The place was filled with patrons and had a busy vibe to it. Service wasn't super fast but acceptable. I ordered a whole chicken and a whole beef short ribs tray with a large salad. The portion of rice and fries is huge. They're offering delicious yellow rice. The only thing many places have failed to master is the French fries. From transporting the fries home, they will always get soggy and this is one thing that drives me nuts. Also, many places use a low-quality frozen fry and it's not one of my favorite things. The chicken and short ribs were delicious. Little fat on the ribs but that's a minor issue. The salad was delicious and simple. I recommend dining in and if you're lucky you'll get a whole chicken right off the grill. They don't finish the chicken and ribs in the oven from what I read from another review, that's just to keep the food hot. Overall I paid around $72 which hurts the wallet but that seems to be the common theme right now with the cost of goods high. The good ole days when a whole chicken tray was $12. Over the years it's been increasing to $15, $18, $20, and now $24. Beef Short rib was $36 I believe. The food was packaged well and don't forget the hot sauce! Nothing still beats BBQ from Newark but I'll keep searching. read more

This is a place that my friend introduced to me a while back in college, and I've been coming back ever since. Food: We always get one of the combo platters (Different meats and two sides- usually rice and beans). FYI, these combo platters are huge, so either come really hungry or come with 2 other people to help you eat it! In terms of taste, the meat is juicy and tender, the rice is well seasoned and flavorful, and the beans were the right amount of starchiness. Environment/Service: The restaurant itself is kind of small, but I never had an issue with seating. The servers are all friendly and happy to help you with picking food recommendations. Price: For the amount of food you're getting, it is well worth the price. (especially if you split it with friends) Overall: For the quality and quantity of food you're getting at the price point, Hamilton BBQ is well worth your time and money if you're ever hungry and around the area. read more

Hamilton BBQ - Portuguese Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

Very solid pork ribs and chicken. not dry at all. please extra portion of bbq and hot sauce, which i like a lot. they cut the ribs in half which is unique to this restaurant. read more

you can never go wrong with this place. Super friendly and always makes the food so delicious and quick. This is definitely a family owned restaurant which makes the place so welcoming/comforting. I've been going here for years and that BBQ always slaps. read more

Food is really good, spot very busy! My only concern is that they charge 3% if you pay by credit card, 1 star off because of that. La comida es muy buena, ¡lugar muy concurrido! Mi único problema es que cobran 3% si pagas con tarjeta de crédito, 1 estrella menos por eso. read more

Hamilton BBQ - Menu 04/2021 - Portuguese Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

*Based on takeout* I can't believe I've been here all these years and I've never come here. From order to pickup time, I spent 20 minutes, which was pretty good, considering the restaurant was pretty packed. The staff was kind over the phone and pleasant to speak with at checkout. First of all, let's talk portion sizes. They don't play around here with food. I noticed the huuuuuggee plates in front of the dine-in customers. They gave me enough food to last me 3 satisfying meals - no exaggeration. I chose the 1/2 order of BBQ chicken, rice, and fries. Seasoning was perfect, meat texture was just right, and price point was awesome, considering the amount of food they give you. This place is a hidden gem! read more

Hamilton BBQ - 1/2 BBQ Chicken w/ fries and rice - Portuguese Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

I had not ordered from here in a bit. I had an old menu and went to order. The price had increased and the portion seemed to have decreased. It was still yummy, but a little too expensive for the quality and quantity. read more

Food was a bit over priced. They give a lot of rice. Meat portions ok. They charged extra for using my debit card.

Let's start with a warning; visit Hamilton BBQ with a big appetite as the portions are mammoth! My combination dish of BBQ chicken and BBQ pork spare rib combination, which comes with rice and one selectable side (I chose black beans), was equally large in size and deliciousness! I loved the simple preparation applied to both proteins, seasoned with just salt, pepper, and cooked on a charcoal grill; the natural flavors of the meats really shined through along with a pleasing smokey charcoal flavor. The BBQ pork spare ribs were nicely sized, meaty and fatty, and cooked to a tender and moist texture. BBQ chicken comprised of a drumstick and large thigh were moist and had an awesome crispy skin. Bountiful portions of yellow rice was very flavorful and tasted like it was cooked with a bit of chicken broth. My black bean side order was delicious too; properly starchy and very filling. My sister chose the full sized Brazilian style beef (Pichana) platter and generously provided were several cuts of beef laced with strip of fat at the edge (note that Pichana is a specialized cut; known for that pronounced strip of fat the edge). She enjoyed the beefy flavor and ridge of fat of the Pichana steaks, but mentioned they weren't the most tender (temperature of the steak was medium). Her side of French fries were enjoyable as well; thin and crispy, and reminiscent in look to McDonald's fries. We added some healthy greens to our meal in Hamilton BBQ's salad which was just lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and plenty of white onion slices. Each vegetable was fresh and provided a welcomed cool lightness to the rice and proteins. Service was very friendly as our waitress was very friendly and timely with serving our food. read more

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Decided to go to Hamilton BBQ so we wouldn't have to cook dinner on a Thursday and it was a bad decision. She have went home and cooked and saved my $25 because it was not good at all. 1st we got the beef ribs and chicken combo and they only give you 3 ribs which was tough as a fight with Mike Tyson, not seasoned at all and more fat than a little bit. They were almost not eatable. The half of chicken tasted a bit burnt and the thigh was not cleaned very well because I was spitting out fat and cleaning the veins from out of it. 5hey call this place a BBQ spot but no BBQ sauce was on the meat but they give you these very small containers with 2 BBQ sauces and 2 hot sauces. Oh and give you a whole pan of rice which would feed a family of 6. I recommend if you going to spend $25 it would be better to go around the corner and get KFC. At least you know what you getting because if they keep this up with this sub par food they going to be out of business. I would have felt better if I gave my $25 to a homeless person i would have been fill of joy because I'm now eating potato chips to get full read more

Hamilton BBQ - The rice festival - Portuguese Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

Very generous portions and friendly staff. This restaurant has been around a long time and they offer a very relaxing and welcoming environment. I friendly get the ribs, but there is a full me of items to choose from. Eat in or take out. read more

I. Love. Hamilton. BBQ. I bring my friends here ALL THE TIME to eat the great BBQ here and I'm sure all my friends know I'm practically a regular here. Let's just start by saying the portions here are HUGE and they do not skimp on any meat at all. Not only do they give you a lot, the food here is great! I almost always get the full order of the ribs combo (both short and spare) and never once have I been disappointed. A full order can easily feed 2-3 people and a half order can stuff the average person. The meat is juicy and cooked perfectly, with the most amazing seasoning. It comes served on a heaping bed of delicious yellow rice with a side. For first time diners, note that the vegetables on the side of the rice are picked, so don't be surprised if you bite into it and get a tangy crunch! I also recommend trying their fried plaintains, as those are always a nice way to end a meal. The restaurant itself is small, but I have never had any issue with seating, but I also come slightly off-hours, so I am not sure how seating is during peak hours. Regardless of my party size however, the staff is always very accommodating to us. I have come here with parties ranging from 2 to 12, and have never had an issue. Giving this place a 5/5 is automatic for me, though I wish I could give it 6. read more

Hamilton BBQ - Spare and short ribs full order - Portuguese Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

Didn't get to try the ribs because door dash sent wrong order. Was charged for Ribs and got chicken. Very disappointing. Person at store blamed door dash but this has not happened before. Won't be ordering from here anymore read more

Everything at Hamilton BBQ is really salty, so be prepared to have a lot of water handy. The Portuguese sausage was super oily, sour, and salty all at the same time. It's served as an appetizer but you definitely need something to go with it - like bread, rice, or salad. The sautéed pork cubes were overcooked. The meat was a bit dry. But at least it wasn't as salty as the sausage. It also comes sautéed with potatoes, which were pretty good. Surprisingly, the pork actually tasted better the next day, right out of the fridge - no reheating needed. The spare ribs were just okay. I've definitely had better. This comes with rice, and your choice of salad, beans, or french fries. I think this was my first Portuguese food experience. It won't be my last but it will be my last time at Hamilton BBQ. P.S. If you decide to come, get ready to shoo tiny flies away from your food during the entire meal. read more

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Great food, great portions, good prices, amazing smells and service! I always enjoy eating here whether I'm having the pork ribs w/rice and salad or the seafood, chicken, and more. read more

Hamilton BBQ - Portuguese Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

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Fresh flavorful bountiful authentic friendly hidden gem delicious ! So glad they are in the neighborhood, smells great driving by !

Wow! Excellent! Food was delish! Pork and steak was excellent quality cuts! A must! read more

Always excellent customer service and the food is great. The ambiance is basic but the food makes up for it. The huge portions make it definitely worth it!!!!!! I love the family environment. 10 out of 10 for me! read more

You guys used to be the best customer service and very good food but lately I don't know what's going on!!! Please don't stop caring for your customers!! I know we are in rough times!! read more

This is my second time ordering food from here. Very similar to my first experience which was a few years ago. Ordered 1 pan of chicken, rice and black beans. 1 pan of beef ribs, rice and plantains. Compared to other Portuguese restaurants this restaurant is mediocre. 1. The beef was tender and had good flavor 2. Rice had very good flavor 3. Good customer service 4. Food ready on time However the chicken was dry. And the plantains were terribly burnt. I definitely will not rush to return back. read more

Hamilton BBQ - Plantains - Portuguese Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

Bussin large amount of food The ribs could've been more tender Rice is good tho 6.5/10 read more

Amazing food and great service. Their chicken and ribs are out of this world, ask for the hot sauce!! Highly recommended!! read more

If you like burnt and dry meat than this is your place. I didnt really enjoyed the placed. I had so much better portugues food. I asked for BBQ chicken and ribs and it was just grilled meat. Not sure if they messed up my meal but it discouraged me to not wanting to go there again. The only positive note I have on this place is that they are clean including their bathroom. read more

Hi all - when I moved to NJ one of my first places to live was Down Neck in the Iron bound Newark. Correct! The Portuguese section known for food, flavor, festivals and all around bbq heaven. We went here based on reviews. The place was set up for in service at the restaurant and there was little to no ambiance. The staff weee not Portuguese they appeared to be of Central American descent. Nonetheless that was not a deal breaker as people may cook a variety of food with expertise. We ordered 1/2 chicken with yellow rice and French fries and appetizer size garlic shrimp and serradura (sawdust pudding). All of the food was packaged properly, cooked through and it was hot. The food was slightly seasoned. The serradura was not prepared correctly with portioned ratios bring wrong from cream to the crumbled Maria crackers. The food was far from flavorful. Most importantly the shrimp were inedible. They were cooked with the poop in them. Absolutely gross! This is not a recommendation. read more

A good place, open daily 11AM-9PM. Credit cards accepted. Jim was craving barbeque, I was craving something I don't usually make at home, so Portuguese sounded good. The last time we had Portuguese food was in 2006 in Newark. The first thing you'll notice is the incredible smell of grilled meat when you step out of the car. The second is that this place is really busy. There were people sitting around everywhere waiting for their takeaway order. Know that this place only opened 13 days ago, and it's already doing brisk business. We were seated immediately and given menus. Appetizers include soup of the day, shrimp in garlic, clams in garlic, and sausages. We opted for the soup (caldo verde--kale, potato, linguisa soup) and clams. We ordered water and waited. Make sure you have patience, for there will be plenty of waiting during your dining experience. When the water arrived I ordered and then we waited again. Eventually a basket with a room temperature but fresh roll and butter was served. The soup was a bit salty for me, good for Jim. It was warming, and the linguisa was real--not the polish sausage like pieces most places serve, but genuine linguisa. Slightly smoky with a good paprika flavour. Finished our waters around this time. The clams needed more bread. Very hot and salty, plump and tasty. We were still dipping bread into the garlicy oil when the server decided it was time to take it away, but then offered to pack it for us to take home. Sure! Then we waited again. All of the sudden this enormous platter was served--enough for a hungry family of 4. 2 steaks with riblets, 8 pork spare ribs, tons of fries and yellow rice. I ate my steak and 1 rib, and was full. The steak was juicy with a great charred flavour; the pork had a tangy tamarind like sauce and was incredibly juicy. The rice was good, a bit salty but not the least bit mushy. We probably should have ordered the salad instead of the fries--which were fine--as some vegetables would have complemented the feast and our overstuffed bellies. We had a large doggy bag to take home. The food was good, the service really nice but very slow. The crowd is very mixed, which is refreshing. A bottle of wine would have been nice with the meal. There's a small parking lot, but it will probably be full when you get there. Plenty of street parking, however. $28 including tax and prior to tip. read more

Hamilton BBQ - Beef and pork platter - Portuguese Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

Came in for dinner. Ambiance: a bit run down, like a sports bar / dinner. Only about 10 tables, soccer on the tv. The place could use a facelift. Food: now that's what I'm talking about!!! Fatten your botty up these are the portions your Portuguese grandma tries to force feed you. HUGE! The food was awesome. Beef ribs (see pic) were huge, and came with a mound of rice and another side. I had half the plate to take home for lunch and I got the half order. Awesome rub on the meat, nice flavor and only $9.5. Steak sandwich, my bf loved. It was very basic Meat And bread a little lettuce and a mound of fries.$7.5. They seemed really busy for take out. Awesome spot, would definitely recommend it. read more

Hamilton BBQ - 1/2 beef ribs - Portuguese Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

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I love this place. It's authentic and the food is delicious. This is a great place to order from if you are having a small gathering and want to have good sized portions and not break the bank. I love the camarones ajos (garlic shrimp) with beans and rice. The chicken and ribs platter is tasty! If you call ahead, they will tell you 20 mins... Arrive in 30-40. They will have you waiting if it's busy. Other than that the food is awesome and everyone I bring there enjoys the food as well. read more

Been here twice. Good to very good value. Staff is very friendly. Food is very good. New garlic chicken sandwich could have used a bit more chicken but was delicious. Drink selection a bit thin. Desserts are good. Portions are generous. Only drawback is seating is limited. Out of the way for me but worth a detour. read more

I live in somerset from 2006 and i walk pass and drive pass this place for year, no lie the food smelled so freaking good. Finally last year i told my girlfriend to stop by and get us food and she's from PA, ever since that day we been ordering food. I just say this everything on their menu is delicious food, mouth watering ok. I'm too busy eat when i order to take pictures. Amazing staff and food from the heart. Lets keep this place going through this tough pandemic time. read more

I love this place. Nothing fancy, but the food is great. Prices are fair. My favorite dish has to be the beef ribs & the seafood paella. Only thing that really sucks is that they don't deliver. Hopefully they'll work on that soon. (wink wink) read more

Hamilton BBQ - Portuguese Near Me - Somerset, New Jersey

It's summer and one cannot help but develop a for barbecue. My part of town is not really known for it and I have had rhe pleasure of trying texas barbecue, so you might say I suffer from high expectations.Nonetheless, I decide to venture outside my county and come across Hamilton Barbecue. Hamilton Barbecue is a portuguese style barbecue so I am not expecting ot to taste like Texas. First impressions are the place has a neighborhood feel, it has a great corner location with parking and as I walk in I see people either picking up lunch orders or coming in for lunch. A great sign that this place could be good. I order a combo of beef ribs and short rins. The order comes with yellow rice, which I think the same rice they use for paella, you can choose a sidw dish of fries, beans, or plantain. I chose plantain. For dessert, I noticed a statement on their menu that says that desserts are home made, so i went with the flan. I mean whi doesent like flan? I liked the barbecue flavor, it wasnt overpowering but it was there. The meat was good but a little more effort needed im chewing simce I am used to the slow smoking process of Texas barbecue which makes the mest fall of the bone. As for the flan, it was excellent ans made a grear complement to the meal. Inam definitely going to become a regular customer.Hamilton Barbecue and Restaurant read more

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Nothing to rave about here. Average chicken, below average pork ribs, which were tough with an slightly unpleasant smoke flavor. Rice and red beans pretty good and plentiful. They must be doing something right because they stay fairly busy, so, if you go expect at least a 10 minute wait. We didn't order ahead so we could watch them assemble our meal. Parking can be an issue but you can take your chances and park on Hamilton Street. You can get a less expensive, better quality version of this style BBQ if you don't mind traveling to Elizabeth. We've been eating at Costa's for years and have yet to get a shitty meal. There's a place named Algarve's that we used to eat at in Elizabeth also but their food and service went downhill as their popularity grew, which I suspect is what Hamilton is experiencing. Anyway, judge for yourself. read more

this is specifically a review of the chicken. The odors as marvelous. the dark meat is ok. The white meat will unfortunately be dry, on multiple occasions. :( if they can correct that process i would reconsider. o/w head for a near by peruvian rotisserie instead, less dry. read more

I will be honest and say I do really like their food! I live about 2 minutes from this place and can always smell their chicken cooking, smells great! That's all the good I can say though! You HAVE to check your bill!! And keep a menu on your table. They will change prices if food, charge you tip, charge you if you use one of the carry out boxes( if you want to take your extra food home). I have never ever everrrrr seen a restaurant charge for that!! I was in shock! The owner can be rude ad heck, you never know what her attitude will be like. Her waiters...smh they are more preoccupied with what's on their phone then to check on customers. it's a shame because their food is really good! Will not be going here anymore...... read more

The food is ok, last night I went in after having ordered take out (chicken, ribs, rice and beans). Should have known the order was going to get screwed up when the girl answering the phone couldn't understand my name. Get inside no ribs for my order, so they say can you wait ten minutes we'll get you some. I say ok. The manager asks the girl who answered the phone if I ordered ribs she said no he got red beans and got an attitude. I should of just left.... read more

This place is terrible expensive, don't go with their online menu prices, they charge me $17 for 2 pieces of beef, I was laughing when I opened my order, couldn't believe I got ripped off. little food for the prices, I always got to Dunellen barbecue, excellent place, you get a lot for the money and great food. Don't go to Hamilton Barbeque, they will ripped you off with food, there prices way to high. First time and last time there. read more

Great Portuguese BBQ, the pork cubes and potatoes are my favorite; just the right flavor and texture, and the paella is a close second. Staff is courteous and efficient. read more