So bet! I was randomly looking for a spot with decent reviews and solid seafood--and I stumbled across 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 read more

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My friend made me feel like I was Joey Chestnut for finishing my entree. He is an eater of more normal volume thus has had leftovers in our excursions there. I got an excellent top sirloin special, laden with enticing ingredients such as black-eyed peas. The meat was juicy perfection but I also enjoyed the collard greens. It was a tough call on whether to get this or the red snapper special. Fine sangria and cappuccino as well. Will be back soon. read more

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We ate here right before the game. to leave plenty of time we made a reservation at 5:30 for 730 game. We understand it gets busy. But from the moment our table of four sat down we noticed a distinct lack of service. We received one menu to share among the four of us, we're told our drinks needed to be ordered at the same time as our food and quickly realized there was a game day menu not what is found on the website. One hour after we ordered our food and noticing other tables around us receiving their food we inquired about our apps (a salad and mozzarella sticks). Immediately our server was frustrated by the question. No apologies. The lady in the front directed us to the menu which states 30 to 40 minute wait time and refused to let us speak with a manager. Explained it had been over an hour and others around us who sat 30 mins after us were receiving their food. There was clear lack of accountability, and it turns out the kitchen had lost our order. Only then, did we receive an apology from another server who wasn't even waiting on us and we were told our apps would be comped (the ones we never received). Ultimately wasn't about taking the apps or 2 drinks off the bill, it was about how we were treated. The food was mediocre. read more

The food was amazing. Prices are extremely reasonable considering what you are getting. Great ambiance. Cannot complain, definitely recommend.i had the Paella. It was amazing read more

Joia is the perfect place to eat before a Red Bulls match! Whenever we're in the area we are always looking for a place to grab food prior to the match. Joia came up on the trusty Yelp app and we decided to give it a try. As others have mentioned it's packed on match day. We were told the wait would be 25-30 minutes and we decided to swing it. Luckily a couple was leaving the bar area (where you can also eat) and we snagged that spot within 5 minutes of arriving! For food we had the garlic shrimp and the Portuguese sausage. The former was delicious! Very very flavorful with a sauce that I wanted to dip everything into. The sausage was also very good and came with olives. Beers are $5 which was a pleasant surprise! Staff is friendly albeit a bit slammed on match days. We'll be back. read more

I recently experienced an excellent happy hour at Joia! Everything was divine from the service to the food and drinks. I met up with one of my friends after work and we were shocked that the place was empty. It's a beautiful spot that really feels like upscale tapas and bar. We received stellar service from our waiter and our bartender! We had your basic appetizers from wings to shrimp and garlic but everything was cooked well and had quality ingredients. The shrimp was very much reminiscent of my Florida garlic shrimp tray order, cooked to perfection and well flavored! My friend who lives in the area could not believe she hadn't ventured over to this restaurant previously but made it known, this was her new spot! The service was very attentive, the drinks were excellent: we had spicy Palomas and strawberry Hennessys. Both full of good flavor and liquor. My only regret was not getting either servers name! Avoid all the traffic over the bridge and stop in today! read more

Joia Restaurant - Portuguese Near Me - Harrison, New Jersey

This is the second time we've come here. The first time, the food was great. This time, the Brussels sprouts were somehow both burned and undercooked. We waited a solid 20 minutes for the waiter to return after we got apps. Drinks were totally gone and he didn't come check. Then we ordered another round, didn't get it, and the waiter didn't come back for a solid 30 minutes to check on us. There was no crowd, no reason for this. Probably won't be back. read more

Joia Restaurant - Portuguese Near Me - Harrison, New Jersey

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The ambiance here is very nice. Bar area next to the kitchen. The food was great. For starters had the very good garlic shrimp with the warm table bread to suck up all them juices, hit the spot. The Cuban sandwich was very good. Packed with lots of pork, ham, pickles cheese and mustard in a baguette m. But the star of the show was the flavorful paella, full of seafood and served in a big pot. Was a hit at the table. read more

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We have ordered takeout twice from Joia. Food was terrific and the staff is delightful. Next time, we'll be dining in.

Asked for water and they bring out bottles of water. Then we find out they charge 4 dollars per bottle without notice. It's a grift. They also charge 4% convenience fee for credit card. The food is low quality ingredients. Things are either saturated in butter or dry like the Sahara. Whole thing feels like a scam. read more

We came here after work and I originally thought it would be a sports bar and bar food. We got a ton of appetizers and shared. The appetizers were standard. BUT they had octopus on their menu. Whenever I see it, I order it. And it was AMAZING. It was super tender and their portions are HUGE so share if you can. I would definitely come back just for the octopus if I'm ever in town again. read more

My girlfriend and I were in town and looking for a local spot to dine in and with COVID still going on, many local eateries only does take out. Luckily, we found a Joia Restaurant and first thing noted was available parking lot for customers. Awesome! We got seated pretty quick and the hostess was attentive. We got the seafood platter (that literally can serve for four) for both of us to share. I was quite impressed with the spread: lobsters, clams, scallops, mussels, and shrimps. It was served along with rice and some potatoes. The portion is large so of course we took the other two portions to go. I ended my meal with the chocolate molten cake with vanilla ice cream. Yummy! I definitely come here again. Food was delicious and service is good, parking is available. read more

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They called me to ask me to remove my bad review. W-O-W! How about you don't drunkenly yell at your patrons for finding a bug in their water??? read more

So I decided to meet one of my girlfriends for lunch for 2pm. I made reservations online. When I arrived I parked on the street nearby, they also had garage parking. When I walked in I was greeted by one of the managers and he sat me. We were served by Eiego and he was fairly new so he was getting helped as he went. He was really nice though and did his best. For drinks my friend ordered the spiked arnold palmer and I got the $3 mimosas under the brunch special. For our entrées I got the chicken masala special with shrimp and scallops. My friend got the crab eggs benedict. We both enjoyed our meals. The total came to about $80 for both of us. We had a good experience and will return because it is a really cute spot in a nice location. read more

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Hubby and I running around Newark looking for a place to eat and passed by Harrison. Harrison is up and coming slowly. Really nice area. We stopped by Joia Portuguese restaurant. Nice ambiance. Xmas decor and staff are friendly. Cozy and inviting place. Food is tasty will return. Thank you Thais For a exceptional service. read more

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We rolled up with a group of 18. 10 being children! We had a reservation and the waitstaff and manager were very accommodating. The sangria was delicious. We had a pitcher of both red and white and normally I choose white as a favorite but Joia's red was incredible. The grilled octopus over kale appetizer was garlicy and left me wanting more! The winner of the evening was the massive- and I mean massive paella for 4! It was impressive in both size and flavor. One complaint is that the portion of rice and vegetables served on the side was not justified in the amount needed for the paella. Could I have complained or asked for more, sure! But the seafood was so satisfying that we made it work. We had three kids aged 10 devour the pincanha- a steak dish. They each ordered their own. Their eyes were staring when it came out but they ate every last bite ! The mahi mahi that two people ordered was good. Not great. It was over cooked unfortunately. If you are going to an NYCFC game (which we were) this place is in walking distance and there is a parking lot you can park in! Please check out my foodie Instagram page for more recommendations @date_night_craves. read more

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Took four colleagues to lunch. Garage next to restaurant and free is great. Started drinks, then some apps to share. The chorizo and calamari were excellent. Mushroom caps were just okay. Everyone had a lunch entree and I had a salmon BLT, salmon was a bit over cooked, little tough, but bacon was good. Others enjoyed their lunch entrees. Shared three desserts - best was the orange roll cake. Ver orange tasting and great display. Finished with espressos and cappuccino. Service was good and the place was nice. Not busy, nice decor and not loud. Will come again, as hotel is nearby. read more

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$$$ The place has a great vibe, it's close to the red bull stadium so it gets crowded. The food was ok, the veggies tasted like they were once frozen. The cake was hard and dry. The pasta was tasty. The sangria was weak. read more

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Was there today on Father's Day at 2pm for dinner. Crazy busy day but staff was up to challenge. Service great and food good. Owner kept checking on us. Enjoyed the calamari appetizer and shrimp cakes. Mojito we're cold and tasty. Everyone enjoyed three entrees and desserts. Nice warm casual atmosphere. read more

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Great place to pre-game before soccer matches at Red Bull Stadium if your tailgating . Easy walking distance . The menu was limited given it was a match day when i went so i wasn't able to sample much . It seems like a good place to view any sport. Like most hospitality businesses post Covid they can use more staff . I will go back again to try the more Iberian favors . read more

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Stopped in before the Red Bull soccer match. They made a comment about us not having a reservation. It was busy as it was a game day but they still had a good few tables open. I can't give a complete review as we only had 2 apps and chicken tender/fries for the kids. Chicken tenders & fries $15 basic Sysco frozen order. Fried calamari super bland and tough. I joked w the wife, we had had such good calamari the past few random places, we were way overdue for a lemon. Well we finally go it. We also got the shrimp cakes which are basically mini empanadas. They were ok, but should def come w some type of sauce. The manager or owner (not sure) bald guy was super nice. The waitress and bartender were mizerabes. No personality or friendliness. I only comment on the bartender as he would bring the drinks over to the seated guest. I ordered a draft beer. He brings bottle over already opened. I said, "oh I wanted draft". He said, "sorry we are out." So he already knew, but still open the bottle to guilt me into taking it instead of offering me another draft selection. Then he proceeded to bring the wrong soda over, but was annoyed like it was our fault he brought the wrong soda. The waitress never once came by to see if we were OK or needed napkins or a refill or anything. Yes it's game day but there are tons of service staff there and her section was not busy. The icing on top, if you pay by credit card which 99% of the world does, they bang you for a 4% extra surcharge. Not even the standard 3% which is already a bs charge the place should eat. We were better off getting food in the stadium. Atleast we knew what we were getting and they actually have a more pleasant staff serving you. We know better for next time. Joia - Vey - out read more

First of all- Ive been in the wine bizz for 25 years- I've eaten lobster for about 50 years. I know food & I know restaurants and eat out several times a week and travel the country doing that for work. Rarely am I this negative about an experience. I ordered the Paelha with moderate hopes. $36- it should be OK. The dish was fine, the lobster on top was BAD. Inedible. It had gone off. Sitting at the bar around 4pm- the place almost empty, the bartender didnt check in with me until I was ready to leave. I ate around the lobster. She offered to replace it- but at that point- no. whats the point. I was done. I was traveling- wont drive with it in the car for hours. They offered no other options & charged me full price. wtf?!? Its not about the cost- its just indecent to serve bad seafood and not aplogize. Just overall a complete fail. DO BETTER PEOPLE!! date of the fail:7.13.22 left at 5:35 'table 7' order: 6193 read more

Joia Restaurant - Paelha and wine - Portuguese Near Me - Harrison, New Jersey

Good and taste good, I had a salmon, it was very well served and delicious ! Drinks are great also ! I will be back for sure ! read more

Joia Restaurant - Portuguese Near Me - Harrison, New Jersey

Service good ambiance all get perfect scores. Prices are beery reasonable ; actually great value for quality and portions of food. Typically come here w big groups and always a hit w the group and service never lacks read more

I've been to a number of stuffy, trying to be pretentious or at least aiming for that white glove service, places in the Ironbound and I must say this place is such a breath of fresh air. The restaurant is open and comfortable, the wait staff was great, very attentive and very accommodating. OK food... Hold on to your britches boys and girls because this place is the real deal. Wow talk about amazing... So authentic I felt like I spoke Portuguese after leaving, for real. Ok I had the garlic shrimp appetizer, bife Portuguese, my wife had the Seabass on a roof tile and kids shared a chicken penne vodka. All were completely great plates of food. Tbh I couldn't finish my steak I was just too full so of course I took it home. The bartender made me a cocktail they had never heard of before and it was spot on, ask for a naked and famous and thank me later. I don't give out fives often but when I do it's well deserved and this place deserves it. Best part of it all, we were here for our ten year wedding anniversary and this place shattered all expectations. Thank you for making our day that much more special. Salud and I'll be back soon. read more

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I've never been to a Portuguese restaurant in Virginia Beach, presumably because of the limited population. It's really a shame since it's well known that seafood is remarkable in that country. I was certainly not disappointed. I had the Portuguese sea bass, which was seasoned perfectly, and the skin burnt gently. Calamari appetizer was a bit rubbery, but a tangy, spicy marinara made up for it. High ceilings likely lead to non-restraint from customers who laughed and spoke rather loudly, perhaps a function of the afterparty of Redbulls soccer game a mile away. Otherwise, there is no trouble hearing our guests. The steak, bacalao (cod potato onion garlic casserole), and especially octopus were delicious and beautifully presented. I had two blue sangrias to round it all out. Truly, as the name joia (zh-wée-ah) suggests, is a jewel indeed. read more

Been here a couple of times. Loved coming here for their happy hour. Drinks are great, cocktails are strong and appetizers are good. A nice place to meet your girlfriends and hang out with good food. read more

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Came here with a group of six, upon arrival was immediately taken care of. Parking nearby is another plus. Sangria was great, appetizers was just as good had stuffed mushrooms, calamari, chourico. We all had a variety of different dishes and everyone was happy and had enough to pack for lunch the next day. Recommend this place to anyone in the area. read more

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Lamb chops with vegetables and rice, the food hit the spot generously portioned, seasoned well, the drinks were yummy too, service was kind and garage parking was free on the same block. Nice vibe. Everyone in my party was happy. read more

Joia Restaurant - Lamb chops, rice, vegetables - Portuguese Near Me - Harrison, New Jersey

What a great place! We ordered old fashioned drinks and I have to say it was delicious. The chorizo was so tasty and the olives were pickled. We also ordered the octopus with kale which was so light and flavorful. Entree was pincadinho ohhh man the meat was so tender and we added chicken too. Wow the sauce they cook that in was tremendous. Definitely coming back Service was excellent Gonçalo was super attentive and kept on checking in - We will be back! read more

Terrible! Let me say my family has come here many times (especially before a Red Bull or Gotham game). This last time will be our LAST. Yes, prices went up, but so what. Everywhere did. SERVICE- horrible. When we arrived there maybe there were 4-5 tables there. We waited probably 10 minutes. Not 1 server even acknowledged us or apologized for any wait. Then when she did come over she acted like she didn't even want to be there. No smile, no introduction. Nothing. FOOD: although prices went up, the food quality is the same or worse. Kids wanted mozzarella sticks for an appetizer. $12-13 I think and they gave FIVE very small mozzarella sticks. Seriously!!! The rest of the food was mediocre. TIPPING: Since service was terrible we were going to leave 10% but surprisingly there was already $29 on our bill for service charge. Really! We are only 5 people and NO WHERE on the menu did it say they add service charges on the bill for any specific number of patrons. So it makes sense. Why would these servers have to work for their tip when they can give crappy service and STILL get a good tip. WE WILL NEVER RETURN AGAIN FOR SURE. read more

Attended a small family dinner before the holidays and the service was EXCEPTIONAL. Christian made sure our glasses were always full and was attentive to everything. What a pleasure! We left happy and the food was good too. :) read more

nice chill but classy restaurant went MDW so wasn't as packed, but service was good and me and my sister tried a bunch of apps to share and it was all pretty good. The shrimp in garlic sauce was my favorite. Def would go back, it would prob be a good happy hour spot. Would love to try their sangria next time I'm back. We were so hungry didn't take a pic of everything when it came out lol. read more

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Seafood platter was delicious it was $119 for two people but believe me for people can eat from the plate, drinks was on point and our waiter Thiago was very good. I really recommend this place read more

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Generous portions, decent prices, I usually go to pick up takeout because Dina who runs the takeout counter is awesome and always has a smile on her face, but have dined in multiple times and service varies, on average it is okay, but don't go if you're in a rush because you won't be getting out quickly. Good daily specials and a great brunch special. Final verdict: Takeout preferred, get a daily special. read more

Joia Restaurant - Portuguese Near Me - Harrison, New Jersey

I requested food delivery. Paid for the delivery fee, service fee and gave extra tips for its delivery. I thought about giving cash so they had to come to me to get it, but I trusted them I didn't have to. This delivery guy called me saying he couldn't come up to my unit because there's no parking. He could have literally parked anywhere in front of the building for 2 mins of his time to come up! It's a lame excuse. So I had to stop what I was doing to get ready to go outside to get my food from him. When I went out looking for him, he said he left my food at the concierge. Such a waste of people's time man! If I wanted to grab my food instead of delivery, I wouldn't have needed you! Will never ever order anything from this place again. Food is okay. read more

This place is a great addition to Harrison's restaurant options. Food is amazing and drinks are on point. Came here on a Friday night and the service was excellent. We had the paella (which I highly recommend). The chef at this place is good, because that paella was to die-for. Please keep up the great service and excellent flavor. Like the terminator said: "I'll be back" read more

Joia Restaurant - Paella! - Portuguese Near Me - Harrison, New Jersey

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Food was terrible and the service was also. Location is great for the games. I wouldn't get anything besides the sandwiches. A lot of people were eating sandwiches, we didn't get the memo. The Portuguese entree, were not good. Plates went back full and they didn't even ask why. Waiter ordered my husband the wrong dish. Just a bad experience. I understand they are kinda new.... I Hope they get their business on track. Prefer to go further away from stadium and walk for better food. read more

The progression of "Harrison 2.0" continues with another excellent restaurant (surrounded by countless condos and developments) that was once a wasteland (the only reason you'd be traveling down this street decades ago would be to cross over the Jackson Street Bridge to get into the Ironbound section of Newark). You remember in old cartoons when a freshly baked pie would be sitting on a windowsill and the smell would waft through town and literally lift a character by the nose so they'd float to the pie? That was me when I opened the front door - the smells were so tantalizing they felt tangible (trying saying that phrase five times fast... after a few pints of Superbock). This is not the old rustic type of Portuguese restaurant just a stone's throw from Newark... this is a modern (look up - there's those intentionally exposed air ducts and pipes!) and hip (check out that cocktail menu!) and engaging (look at the open kitchen in the left far corner!). Being Portuguese food - you know the portions are epic (plenty of veggies and starches and they never skimp on the protein) and it was delicious (although the kitchen could ease up on the amount of salt they're using). My dining companion (from Portugal) said her bitoque was better than some of the old warhorses in Ironbound (but that the sauce was a bit 'off' for her). Very friendly staff. There's a parking garage (seriously a lifesaver). Nice bar (good beer selection). One quibble: serving our tartufo with a fork. If you don't eat it immediately it's akin to trying to shovel out of a snow storm with a rake... I'm already planning my next visit there. read more

So good! This place is literally right under my apartment complex! I'm so sad because I've lived here for over a year now, always talked about wanting to go here but I never did. Now that I finally went, I'm sad I was missing out this whole time! We went Sunday night around 8pm for dinner, no reservations needed, no wait time. We were seated right away. Clean restaurant, spaced out tables, staff all had masks on, and they had QR code menus! Pineapple Splash cocktail- really yummy. perfect amount of sweetness and alcohol actually. My fiance got the New Fashioned which he wasnt a fan of because he said it was too sweet...but I liked it because it had chocolate bitters which was interesting for me. Picanha- so good! Brazilian style where they slice it and serve you as you're ready, keep the meat hot in the back, allow you to take home any leftovers! We asked for medium-rare and thats exactly what we got. It came with french fries, rice, black beans and sautéed spinach...all good side items and I loved the rice flavor especially. Chicken something...this was on the Daily specials menu and I unfortunately dont remember the name. But it was chicken, shrimp, scallops with mushrooms, onions, peppers in a creamy dark (almost marsala) sauce. Came with potatoes and rice. Such good flavor and such a huge portion (had liek 3-4 flat chicken breasts) I actually liked it a lot, just wish I could remember the name ugh. Peanut Butter Explosion- good combo of PB and chocolate flavors. $2 upcharge (which I just wish she would have told me about earlier) for a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it an even better pairing. I really wanted the Creme Brulee or the Molten Lava Cake but they didndt have either. Return? Most definitely, cant wait to try out more specials and/or brunch here. Recommend? Yes of course, you wont be disappointed. read more