Food is average ! Not gourmet. The Cooks are from one low budget restaurant to the next. Bar tenders, lack enthusiasm to greet customers. It's average. Not value based Many better places in Newark or New York. When you go out to eat as a family, you go to ac special place! This is definitely not it ! read more

Came here looking for a new spot to try and what we have is a newish restaurant that would be right at home in the Ironbound of Newark huge portions of spanish food and pitchers of sangria. Since the portions are not only huge, the prices sort of reflect this so it was all about apps. Calamari, garlic shrimp and chorizo. All very good, brought out fast with decent presentation too. I see the holes in the service though. We were lead inside and then the host just disappeared so we waited a few minutes kind of awkwardly before were told to take a table across the room. Shouldn't host lead you to a table. From there we waited some more before the bar lady came over to take orders. She was friendly which helped but the service overall seems like it could use improving. Also the patio area currently is wasted space. So many places now are going the heat lamp route to keep up business as the cold creeps in as well as help with pandemic outings. Why don't they have any?? I mentioned it to one of the servers but who knows. So this place was ok, if you don't want to go down to the Ironbound for this kind of food you may like it here for it's convenience but I don't think it surpasses any of the spots there in food or service. read more

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Went to Lagar in Union on Saturday with two friends. We had an 8 PM reservation and were seated after about 10 minutes. Unfortunately, service was disappointing. Our server Marcelo barely checked in, ignored our table while visiting others, and didn't acknowledge the long delay--our food took 45 minutes and the appetizer came out with the entrées. When paying, one of our credit cards was misplaced and later found on the floor after he insisted it had been returned. The food was good, the ambiance was nice, but the service needs serious improvement--especially for the prices. read more

The food was amazing! Granted, my palette isn't so diverse, but the ambiance was wonderful! The service was nice and accommodated me and my partner well! read more

This restaurant has amazing sangria. However The food is very average. Either way you will not be disappointed . The service and atmosphere is good and they have a parking lot. (The outside patio and bar is comfy. The inside dining room is sort of formal) I usually visit this restaurant monthly for their sangria, but on this day I grabbed some lunch with coworkers. I ordered the stuffed crab flounder fish with a side salad (the fish could have been grilled longer). Overall this restaurant is a Portuguese cuisine which would be great for a casual lunch ,dinner, or date night. read more

Lagar Restaurant - Menu - Portuguese Near Me - Union, New Jersey

The staff is very attentive and friendly. The ambiance was beautiful, inside and patio seating. The food was great, affordable, delicious and big portions. Definitely will be back. read more

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Stopped here to have dinner and it was not that great. I had a Dirty Martini and it was almost all Vermouth. Don't believe the hype on Instagram about this place. If you want really good Portuguese food I would recommend Solar do Minho in Belleville, NJ which is 10 times better. read more

Hidden gem with great food, beautiful decor, and a fun-friendly vibe that makes you feel like you're at family party where everyone actually likes each other. My friend and I had the pork and clams, red snapper, french margarita, snowflake martini, and chocolate mousse. All of it was so flavorful and lovely that I can't wait to come back. The drinks were part of their seasonal holiday selections but their regularly offered drinks also looked very enticing. Their Paraiso seating area makes me want to chat, sip, and eat forever. I didn't try the other dining areas, but I could hear the great energy emanating from the back party rooms. The service was also attentive and helpful! They have a free parking lot across the street which is always an amazing perk, in addition to street parking behind the restaurant. I hope this place never changes, especially the chocolate mousse (best I've ever had) and my pork and clam dish. read more

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Ambience and food was excellent service was also great they were very attentive making sure you had drinks and that the food came out as expected. The manager Boris also came out and introduced himself and made sure that everything was as expected. Thanks again guys I'll definitely be back again. read more

Lagar Restaurant - Portuguese Near Me - Union, New Jersey

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My wife & I decided to check out some new restaurants. We went to this restaurant on Friday what day was that 11/15/24 for dinner. The area we sat in, was very cold and asked the manager to turn the heat up. They were having some kind of party on the inside and we were to the outer enclosed dining area to eat. Little confusing on which one was our waiter, but the food was so so. The soup wasn't bad and the salad was pretty good. The appetizer shrimp with garlic sauce was poor at the best. I had asked him to hold up on the appetizer which was going to be a main course till we were done with the salad, but they both came out of the same time. The size of the appetizer was very small then we finally asked for the bill and I've been to many many restaurants and I always tip minimum 20% and more if the service is really really good, I got the bill & was about to pay it and add a tip on and till my wife mentioned to me that the tip was already added at 20%. It was just a two of us and I took that a little strange. The manager said it post all over. I missed that. I guess my idea of checking out new restaurants is definitely check the reviews and ask questions first, I don't think I'll be back at this restaurant in the future. I called and talked to the manager and the best he could do is offer me a few drinks when I came back. I don't drink so that would be a waste. So all I can say for people looking for a new restaurant and something that's good. I would definitely stay away from this place. I don't think it's worth the time or money to come here and there are a lot better Portuguese restaurants around. I wish I could give less than one star but that's the minimum I would give -2 stars. Oh yeah to add I think the manager was too busy entertaining some friends at the table next to us then to really care about I guess the paying customers which I will not be anymore. read more

It was good food and had nice open outdoor seating! The streak was delicious as well as the garlic shrimp. Service was good read more

The food along with the service was great, a Big shoutout to our waiter Vinny, for providing excellent service throughout our meal.

Went to Lagar Restaurant over the weekend for a birthday dinner. We were a large group and they were able to accommodate us. Barbara was our waiter and was very accommodating during our entire dinner. We had started with some calamari. And we were also served freshly baked bread and olives. Calamari was freshly fried and served with a marinara dipping sauce. I had ordered the grilled skirt steak topped with melted manchego cheese and served with a side of rice and Spanish fries. The steak was cooked as I had requested and the melted manchego on top was delicious! The Spanish rice was okay--a little bland. The potatoes were good--and no lie I was dipping them in the extra manchego cheese I had in the gravy boat. My boyfriend had ordered the filet mignon and it was served with steamed vegetables. It was cooked just as he ordered but it didn't wow him. Overall it was an okay dinner. They have plenty of street parking and a lot across the street. It got pretty busy on a Saturday night so def make reservations or call ahead for larger groups. read more

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Don't let the ambiance fool you. The drinks are watered down I thought they forgot the grey goose. The food wasn't special to me. The bread was the best thing they offered. I should have walked out when I looked at the menu but you won't know until you try. Thanks but no thanks read more

Went here on a Friday night with my family. They had live music which was a plus. Service was on point with Vinnie, he was friendly & took care of us and made sure we had food come out in a timely manner. We had the grilled skirt steak (medium rare) and the sirloin steak and they were really good! Perfectly seasoned. Their Sangrias never disappoint! Would definitely come back here again. read more

Had a wonderful lunch with family .. our waiter John was very attentive and good with the service ... food was very good and came quickly

We randomly decided to give this place a try. The outdoor seating is great & that's about it. The waitress barely checked in on us, we all ran out of water, my friend never received her cocktail. All while the manager watched and didn't do a thing to help. His response "nobody wants to work right now." Ok?? I ordered the beans and asked if there was meat in them & her response was no. To my surprise I put a spoonful of beans & pork in my mouth and spit it right out. I haven't eaten meat in about 8 years!! My dad ordered a special without asking price (his fault) but it came out with 4-5 prawns or whatever costing $50-$60. It was really comedic. I would NEVER eat here again. Maybe a cute place for cocktails, but that's it. read more

Food was average and overpriced. There's an automatic 20% gratuity (regardless of number of guests) and a service charge added to the grand total. Please read the fine print on the menu, because this place will rip you off! read more

Can't handle a online order during a slow lunch time, don't provide a service if you are unable to handle it.

Very good restaurant with great food and affordable prices. We ordered a few dishes and most of them were very good taste and big portions. The restaurant looks like fine dining, and the food does too, but price is medium. I will recommend it to people around. read more

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Don't waste your time with this Lagar place, horrible Service and sub-par food! Few months back after complaining about the POOR service I received on a regular bacis, I was told not to come back threw a third party. They couldn't even say it to my face that night. I did write a poor review a few days later after my several time experiences of having food orders arriving not as ordered and sometimes waiting for orders that never were processed, only to get an, I'M SORRY! I was emailed back by someone from management who asked that I call them to discuss my poor experiences at Lagar. Funny, never did they take a moment to contact me to resolve my previous negative complaint about them. The staff that takes your food order mostly don't speak English, they are all mostly unqualified and lack the skills of the industry standard. So, forget Lagar Restuarant, take an extra five minuet ride to Newark for a great dinner experience by those that are professional, better servers and better food, they have the ability to deliver. I'm not allowed back but I'm happy for that! Newark is the real deal for better food and service. Thats where I've been going! Barry D. Laraway Union, New Jersey Some others posts! The event space manager who name is Boris should not be in this line of work. His unprofessionalism is remarkable. He does not know how to speak to paying customers. He cuts and interrupts people as they speak, particularly women. He does not care for the guests that he is serving. This particular event was servicing an older crowd, he was asked to adjust a table seating (literally just sliding the table up) due to the table being directly next to the band (there was less than an inch space between the chair and the drum) . His response was "no, You should of said this a month ago". He then proceeded to scold me as I am informing him about customer service. Then had the audacity to say can he speak after continuously cutting me off. Overall the experience, even though brief, let's me know the type of person he appears to be. He appears to not know how to separate his emotions from professionalism. Which is sad, because this is a customer service based business. If it was something he really could not do, his response should be professionally stated and we could of moved on. However if emotions cannot be handled correctly then it is strongly suggested to find another field of work. Again this is solely for the event space service in the back, not the restaurant. Proceed with CAUTION! read more

Great food, very authentic to Spanish cuisine. The ambiance around the bar is also great, feels like your local pub, with subpar food!

This is the first restaurant I've been to since the quarantine began and I was very disappointed. Of the many service staff serving the food, preparing the drinks, and seating patrons, only one was wearing a mask over her nose and mouth. The others wear their masks completely under their chin or partially over their mouth. I complained to the manager and they corrected the problem for five minutes and then returned to wearing the masks improperly. This restaurant is an ongoing super spreader event. It took a long time for the food to be served. The filet mignon was under cooked and the shrimp was not deveined. I recommend you find another place to eat. read more

Lagar Restaurant - A non clean shrimp. Was overpriced, dirty, full of condiments. - Portuguese Near Me - Union, New Jersey

If I could give it 3 1/2 stars, I would but I can't. Food is good. I asked for fried pork chops and they gave me grilled, not a deal breaker, but the pork chops were over cooked. I have eaten here before and it was good. I need to go back and hopefully, move it up to 4 stars! My biggest issue was this; The bartender played a Bruce Springsteen album on her phone, song after song after song. We asked her if she could change the music or possibly turn the volume up on the tv since Monday football was on. The volume didn't go up much and she continued to play Bruce from her phone. read more

Lagar Restaurant - Portuguese Near Me - Union, New Jersey

A must!! Everything was delicious. I will definitely be going back. Very flavorful and the drinks are good and strong. Great decor. I would've given them 5 stars but customer service wasn't great. After we were seated, we had to wait 15 mins before anyone came to us. And that's only because i stopped the bus boy and asked for my waiter. Gravity is added on. Maybe that's why their customer service was slow. Food came out fast and hot. Don't expect to see your waiter much though. read more

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This was a horrible experience for a first communion gathering. The food was very unappetizing, the service was poor. The women's restroom was out of order. The worst part was the manager didn't seem to care. I will not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Great place to have a decent meal and hangout with friends. When the weather is nice it's a great place with good entertainment.

Both the food and the service were wonderful! It was my first visit, but I plan to go back again!

This is the best food I've had in a very long time. We came during the pandemic for my dad's birthday, and started out with some Sangria to get the night going. Off the bat I will say it was the best sangria I've ever had! Perfect amount of sweet but still a little dry. There were 3 of us-- we ordered 2 soups, 2 appetizers, and 3 entrees... and it was the perfect amount! Of course the complimentary bread was delicious especially if you dip it in the oil with the olives and crushed red pepper (if you can handle the heat). The veal was to die for-- so tender and perfectly cooked and balanced with a slightly acidic sauce. The skirt steak was also delicious as well as the mahi mahi with risotto (and I don't even like risotto). The service was fantastic. Between Boris and Brian, everything was perfectly attended to. I ordered a glass of wine to have with dinner right after my sangria and it came on time and chilled just how I like it. And since it was my dad's birthday, they brought out a complimentary after-dinner drink and cheesecake. It was the perfect celebration. Can't wait to come back! read more

Great varieties, fresh seafood, nice service, clean and comfortable atmosphere. Will definitely come again!

Food was great. I highly recommend the crab avocado appetizer. Musics was very loud though. Not a great place to eat and chat on a Saturday night. The acoustics are poor read more

The event space manager who name is Boris should not be in this line of work. His unprofessionalism is remarkable. He does not know how to speak to paying customers. He cuts and interrupts people as they speak, particularly women. He does not care for the guests that he is serving. This particular event was servicing an older crowd, he was asked to adjust a table seating (literally just sliding the table up) due to the table being directly next to the band (there was less than an inch space between the chair and the drum) . His response was "no, You should of said this a month ago". He then proceeded to scold me as I am informing him about customer service. Then had the audacity to say can he speak after continuously cutting me off. Overall the experience, even though brief, let's me know the type of person he appears to be. He appears to not know how to separate his emotions from professionalism. Which is sad, because this is a customer service based business. If it was something he really could not do, his response should be professionally stated and we could of moved on. However if emotions cannot be handled correctly then it is strongly suggested to find another field of work. Again this is solely for the event space service in the back, not the restaurant. Proceed with CAUTION! read more

I went to the "LAGAR" in Union New Jersey with my daughter, we sat in the area that also has the bar area.... the restaurant is Portuguese but the owner is Brazilian, very loud music with no respect for the costumers ......we waited a lot...the girl came and took the order I asked for tap water never came .... I ordered bread never came ... finally came the food .... Meat came on the tile ... with almost no side dish .. three potatoes and two very small vegetables ... the waitress never came to the table again ... I ordered something to drink it came after a long time ... my daughter got hungry and so did I .... The dish was quite expensive for what came ... it's not worth it ... the owner has no fall for the service area ....... Very disappointed... read more

We were the only guests there for lunch on a weekend. We were looking for a casual lunch on the patio. The bread basket was a nice touch (love warm rolls). The food was ok, they seemed to dump an entire bag of arugula on my chicken breast and I do wish they would've picked the bad bits out. It could've used some dressing. Be prepared, there's a $4 service charge and they automatically give themselves a 20% tip which did not say "tip" so we had to verify that's what it was. read more

Casual, delicious, solid dining experience. We went while Bonnie and Joe happened to be playing fabulous selections of classic rock - which was excellent. Live music while having dinner added to the overall experience of being there, at Lager. The food was fresh, extremely good, and everyone w me had a pleasant experience. (Their paella is very good, and I personally liked the bronzino with truffle mashed, alot.) Consider them for a dining experience in Union. read more

We reserved a private room in the restaurant to host our 40 person reception. The staff and Manager Simao were very attentive and amazing! They were on top of our party, making sure everyone was fully cared for with drinks/ appetizers and dinner. Thank you, will definitely consider O Lagar again for future dinner parties. read more

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Had my sons first birthday in the small party room. Ordered the family style and the food was very good and served in good portions where no one was hungry. The server Ana was amazing and very attentive and made sure that we had everything we needed. Would host another party there read more

The service was amazing and it had the best Portuguese food!!! I appreciate the options of seating offering different vibes and ambiance's!!

The service and food are second to none!!! We have been eating at this establishment for years and they never disappoint! The outdoor patio area provides a great ambiance for fun and dining! read more

Day 3 of outdoor dining post Covid shutdown (Wed night). I understand service will be slower & staff was less, but after 2 hours we had to pack up our family and leave because we still didn't get our food. I was kind enough to take it to go because walking out would've been more appropriate. Forgot our drinks, cost me somehow 100$ and when we got home they forgot to pack 2 items in our order. The food looked horrendous. I've been there before for drinks with no issue, but this was legit the worst restaurant experience of my life when my husband and I just needed some joy after 3 months. Our first time out, too, so disappointing. read more

Lagar Restaurant - Personal pizza - Portuguese Near Me - Union, New Jersey