I cannot say enough about La Portena. Fantastic atmosphere. Great servers. And the food is fantastic. My wife had to go back to Philadelphia at the last minute, so I brought my 9 year old son. He ate the adult menu (even though a kids option is available). Our meal was perfectly paced, interesting and delicious. The steaks were cooked perfectly.That night they were offering an egg plant side dish. Though I am not a huge egg plant fan, this dish was superlative. The best part of the story is that my neighbor sat two tables away that night. When we spoke the next morning, we agreed that this was our best meal of the summer. read more

An incredible dining experience! Incredible flavors, excellent service! A real gem here at the Jersey shore!!!

This is a place that reminds you food can be an act of care-the kind of place that makes you slow down. The menu reads like a love letter to the region -- Stone Circle Farm spinach, Sickler Farm eggs, Jersey asparagus, local tuna. This isn't farm-to-table as aesthetic. It's farm-to-table as commitment, and you can taste the difference. We started with the picada. The deviled smoked trout egg with trout caviar and micro chive was quietly spectacular -- the kind of dish that makes you stop mid-conversation. The grilled Ludlam oyster with koji BBQ butter and braised collard greens was deeply satisfying, Southern and coastal at once. For mains, the wood-fired grill is the move. The hanger steak (Entraña Gruesa) from Creekstone Farm was everything a steak should be -- robust, tender, properly marbled. Paired with the tallow herbed fries, I had zero regrets. I also got to enjoy king salmon aged 6 days, full of flavor and excellent to share with a table mate. The strawberries with lemon soft cream for dessert were the right ending. Simple. Perfect. In a shore town full of places coasting on location, La Porteña is actually trying. And succeeding. I've been 3 times so far and can't wait to go back. read more

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Beautifully decorated inside. Comfortable seating. Everyone was very friendly. Nice service by Sherri. However it was a really long dinner (over 2 1/2 hours with some noticeably long waits between courses at times). Flatiron steak was a bit tough but accurately cooked to medium rare and had tremendous flavor. The Argentina salad (so fresh!) and French fries were delicious. The special Tile fish was pretty good. Only disappointment was the gnocchi. It had nice lobster chunks but the gnocchi tasted oily. read more

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Extremely expensive for the food served. My husband could only have one of the appetizers because he didn't like crab or ceviche or gazpacho. The steak was an up charge and sub par. Will definitely not go there again and we are Argentinians. 300.00 for two people and our own wine. read more

Everything here was superb. You are greeted at the door by the owner, and made to feel welcome the moment you walk in. We had a table with a view of the kitchen. all I can say is that the food is superb fairly priced and well presented by an ever ready staff trying to please. This will be our go to in Stone harbor whenever we visit. I'll put them up against many Michelin star restaurants in the Nj Ny. Area. read more

Food here was great we loved all of the dishes! The atmospheres very cute and we would definitely come back for sure! read more

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What an incredible addition to Stone Harbor's downtown! We had a fantastic meal and loved the variety on the tasting menu--every single dish was delicious. The staff was also incredibly accommodating, especially since we had our two young children with us. We highly recommend giving La Porteña a try! read more

Stumbled upon this little gem while spending a birthday weekend in Stone Harbor. The atmosphere was warm, friendly and romantic. The service was top notch. And the food was excellent. As a foodie, I can honestly say that this was one of the best meals I have ever had. The menu was Prix Fixe with a choice of entree. We had 4 courses of small plate appetizers that were extremely unique and tasty that the chef changes every two weeks. We had the hangar and bone-in ribeye steaks that were cooked to perfection followed by a unique pre set dessert. Don't forget to bring your favorite bottle of wine as they don't serve any alcohol. Highly recommended and we will be back for sure. read more

Excellent new restaurant in Stone Harbor. Chef Lucas Manteca delivers! Wife Deeana kills it with a great atmosphere. This is a prix fixe menu that costs $90 - an incredible bargain for this area. First came an empanada stuffed with ground beef and spices, a little amuse bouche. Then a salpicon - a little mix of local shrimp and squid, avocado, other vegetables. Next came a watermelon gazpacho with burratta, thai basil pesto and pistachio. Yum! My favorite came next, jamon serrano in little cubes with morel mushroom moussaline, asparagus, bottarga. On to the mains. A choice from a veal chop, different cuts of meat from local farms, and for the vegetarians, homemade gnocchi with lobster. A delightful dessert in a cup, I can't remember what was in it though! This was one of the best meals I've had a long time, even more impressive because it is hard to find a great restaurant in this area that isn't completely overpriced. Highly recommend! read more

Lucas Manteca isn't just a master chef, he's an artist. We sat at his chef's table earlier this month and were basically stunned by the *eleven* courses he served us. From the always on point traditional Argentinian empanadas to the delightful dessert, this meal rivaled (and surpassed) many of the Michelin starred restaurants we dined at on three continents. The local NJ oysters with watermelon mignonette were perfect in size for folks like me with texture issues. I was delighted to be able to enjoy raw oysters for the first time! The tomato bisque with scallop ceviche was luscious - the sweetness of the scallops married perfectly with the richness of NJ tomatoes in season. His take on prosciutto and melon has both elevated the taste profile and ruined the dish for me forever after. Lamb Kofta course was delicious, but the Tacos Turcos were amazing - the blend of pork, mango and Turkish seasoning was a taste sensation I was *not* expecting. Ricotta gnocchi wowed, as always, as did the absolutely perfect Ribeye. And dessert.... Oh Dessert! Panqueques con Dulce de Leche brûlèed, with blueberry compote and whipped cream was a delightful conclusion to an Amazing meal. We cannot recommend La Porteña highly enough - they deserve *all* the Michelin stars and are overlooked only because of their location on the Jersey Shore. read more

Tried La Portena in Stone Harbor for the first time tonight. Exquisite. Absolutely wonderful. Dishes that my wife and I never tried before that left us wanting more. A quaint restaurant that hit a home run. The menu changes every 2 weeks. You won't be disappointed. 5 Stars! read more

Fantastic atmosphere and food. The set menu is exceptionally good Great service and mojo The best restaurant at the Jersey Shore read more

We took an early reservation at La Porteña after hearing good things from some friends. From the start, service was excellent, with a personal touch and very attentive staff. The meal is structured such that the table gets to try the entire "for the table" section of the menu, then everyone selects their entrees. Our table selections were an empanada, ceviche, gazpacho, and a corn dish. All were excellent, taking fresh, high quality ingredients and elevating them to a level I couldn't make at home. The mains were similarly excellent, with steaks cooked on their open fire grill (visible in the open kitchen), and a pork dish that was so tender and perfectly spiced. We will absolutely be back again soon. read more

I can not say enough good things about this place! The food is so delicious! It's truly a culinary experience from appetizers to desert! We have been there twice before with a party of 4 and 6 (everything was fabulous) and last night there were 23 of us and it was perfect! The steaks, scallops, fish....all the amazing apps, one was better than the next!! The empanadas are a fan favorite and I loved the beet gazpacho last night!! Deana and Lucas did it right! The place is beautifully decorated too. Next time I would love to sit at the chefs table!! Highly recommend! read more

Lucas Manteca and Deana Ebner, beginning with Sea Salt in Avalon 20 years ago, continue to elevate South Jersey beach town dining well beyond the typical shore experience. In a remodeled space (formally Marabella's) in Stone Harbor with warm vintage tones, an open kitchen and world music vibes, an excellent staff serves a menu based on Argentinian classics with a modern flourish. Kudos to the entire kitchen team for creating flavors and plates that will captivate your palate and provide the ultimate satisfaction in every bite. Prix fixe and byob, we'll be returning at every opportunity. Highest recommendation. read more

My wife and I own a little place in SH and were very much looking forward to trying this new restaurant. We had an excellent meal. The only issue was our server. I have to say not only was the meal wonderful but the atmosphere is very welcoming. (except our server). The appetizers were all different. For us, the empanadas and the corn chowder were amazing. The chowder had a combination savory/spicy/sweet taste that was different but excellent. We both had the steak, her a 8oz strip and me the ribeye ($15 up charge) with the lobster and blue cheese crust (amazing, $15 up charge). The fries served with the steak were just fantastic. The salad less so bc they left some of the harder bitter ends in with it so you had to work to get them off. Nevertheless I still enjoyed it. I loved the dessert which was different but again very tasty (a cream rhubarb rice pudding). More dessert options would be amazing but again nothing to really complain about. Everyone working in the restaurant was friendly, lively, welcoming (including the owner/mger who came over twice to chat) except our main server. This lady (middle age/blonde/hair tired in a clip) was just not having it. You could tell she didn't want to be there. I asked her questions about the menu. She clearly doesn't know the menu or refused to engage. I had read good things about the pork and asked. She said it's pork loin (like duh, pork), they add salt, pepper and lemon and then grill it. She didn't recommend either why or say anything. Similar answers came from similar questions. There was also a pasta special we overheard that she never told us about. Everyone else in that restaurant was incredible. We will certainly eat there again and encourage others to do so. It's a $95 pre-fixe which is not out of bounds for this area. I hope we get a different server this time. read more

If you are visiting Stone Harbor, LaPortena is your place to go for dinner. What a wonderful addition to our charming Stone Harbor. As you step into the restaurant, a supper-club vibe yet very charming and warm. Deanna greeted us and we were given a choice for our seating. Our waitress guided us through the menus and answered all our questions. The food by Chef Lucas was absolutely fantastic, amazing and delicious. The presentation with each course was outstanding. This Argentinian steakhouse by far is the best , you will not be disappointed. Get the steak, delicious, full of flavor, juicy and tender. We will be back... Deanna, your hospitality and warm welcome is exactly what Stone Harbor needs.. read more