While only a few miles from home, we tend to avoid Newport during the crazy busy summer months, but this has been on our radar since opening. The RI Food Fights TacoMania competition & tourist season starting to slow got us over the bridge to try early on a Saturday evening. Arriving just after opening, we had our choice of tables in an empty room. That was a good thing since, by the time we left, the place was jamming! The server, who was welcoming, enthusiastic about the menu & and handled the ever-growing crowd on his own, told us that we could always call ahead for a table. Good to know since we didn't see a way to reserve. The little place is comfy & lovely! The decor perfectly suits the Newport scene and includes a welcoming food bar area that would be perfect for enjoying their international tapa-like street-food inspired offerings. A small patio is available to overlook Memorial Blvd in nicer weather. While they do not have a liquor license, you are welcome to BYOB and we did, finding the $3 per person corkage fee very fair. Now, about the food... WOW! What a explosion of fun flavors! With choices of snacks from around the world, you can jump from one intense palate to another, over and over. Three of us shared five small dishes & one large and we loved them all. The Nduja Shrimp Dumplings were delicate and fresh and loaded with flavor. The tacos that we were here to judge were fantastic. The pork was juicy & flavorful, and, though we were afraid the vegetable tacos would be boring - they were anything but. We'd eat these all the time! Bravas Frites were a fun twist on traditional Spanish Patatas Bravas, using fries as a base rather than cubed potatoes. Again, delicious! But, our favorite of the small plates had to be the Brussel Sprouts. We almost didn't get them as they've been so over-done, but felt vegetable guilt & threw them in. OMG - the best prep of these tiny cabbages ever! Finally, the pièce de résistance was the Lobster Fried Rice - a perfect way to top it all off. Buttery, umami & loaded with chunks of fresh lobster meat, my mouth waters now just thinking it. So glad we finally stopped here. A great Tacomania contender and we can't wait to return to eat our way through the rest of the menu! read more

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Our first visit on a Friday night. They don't take reservations. Few diners but they have only been open a few weeks. My review is not favorable but I think knowing this is a Pasta Beach effort - it will be a hit in a few months. It is in the original Pasta Beach spot next to a Dunkin' Donuts for whatever reason is open late at night. The positives - plenty of nearby street parking, modern and cozy space, and very good staff. I should mention that after we ordered, our 5 appetizers arrived starting in 5 minutes and all were served within 10 minutes. We did screw up by forgetting we were at BYOB. OK - the killer - the food. Of the 5 appetizers we ordered only one was a winner! That was the Brussel sprouts which were outstanding and a large portion. All the other dishes were about the right size for sharing by 2. Realize they are striving for "fusion" but they missed it on the pulled pork dumplings. The lamb skewers were a struggle to eat - tough (and certainly could not be eaten off the skewers) - but the saving grace was the dipping sauce. The big failures were the prosciutto croquettes - a real mess with a sliver of meat on top of mainly onions - and OMG - the Korean chicken wings. The latter came slathered with a sticky and spicy, sweet, red sauce (too hot for my wife) and some sort of dipping sauce. A mess to eat. We had to request paper towels and dip in our water to clean up. Damages with tip was $90 and we only had a tea and sparkling water. We may try it in a few months, but their current menu did not work with our palates. Food 2/5 Service 5/5 Value 3/5 (average) Cleanliness 5/5 Noise 5/5 (lack of) Décor 5/5 read more

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Stopped in today for lunch. We were the only diners at the time, so no problem with seating and service! Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, explained the menu and concept. We decided to try a few small plates and split a sandwich. We love dumplings, so we tried the French onion, nduja shrimp and the pulled pork. Really underwhelmed by these; the pulled pork did not have flavor in the filling and would have been better sitting in a bowl with a good amount of spicy red chili oil. The French onion filling kinda tastes like cheesesteak and again, would have been better in a bowl with some French onion broth and caramelized onions on top. The nduja shrimp was excellent though, nicely accompanied by the spicy mayo. We also tried lamb skewers; described as spicy garlic but didn't get that flavor at all. We split the tonkatsu sandwich-- this was the best part of the meal! Perfectly cooked, rich honey miso was nicely contrasted by the crunchy pickle and slaw. Cute place, has potential.... and byob is a plus! We won't be likely to return though. read more

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Overall, a solid place to grab an elevated bite to eat. I came with a friend on a Thursday at lunchtime and there was plenty of seating. The location was formerly Pasta Beach and the interior/decor remains very similar. To order, our hostess/waitress Camryn gave us a paper menu in which we used a stamp to indicate what items we want to order. The restaurant is BYOB and the drinks listed are all non-alcoholic. We ordered a Mexican coke and Mr. R's Highball. Both were delicious and refreshing. For small plates we ordered: Risotto Cake, Shrimp Kataifi, Prosciutto Croquette, French Onion Dumplings and Shrimp and Nduja Dumplings. Everything came out hot, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Everything was delicious, so picking a favorite was hard. When it came time for dessert, the options weren't listed on the paper menu. In fact, the online menu had options that weren't available. Another waitstaff came over - James - and we told him about the discrepancy. Luckily, he is the head of beverages so hopefully the dessert milkshake will be offered soon! The two dessert options available we ordered: the "Takoyaki" and Matcha-Misu. The name "takoyaki"is misleading because it definitely does not contain "tako" or octopus. The preparation is similar, but more reminiscent of the Japanese snack/dessert "dango" as they come on a stick. Regardless, IT WAS DELICIOUS. The "tiramisu" was interesting. I liked the matcha cream, but the coffee flavor was too strong for me. There might still be growing pains with the menu and I would recommend including a knife with the table setting, but overall 5/5 stars! I will be coming back! read more

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Mr. R looks like an unassuming spot from the outside, but they have good food inside. Got the shrimp sausage dumplings, Asian BBQ sauce ribs, and the lamb skewers. The dumplings were delicious - a good mix of spice and flavor. The ribs were amazing; the meat was tender and fell off the bone. The lamb was very flavorful - a bit chewy but good with the yogurt sauce. Oolong tea was lovely. Overall, it was a very good experience; it's BYOB, but they have mock-tails and teas. Service was great. read more

Mr. R - two plates of food on a table - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

The menu promises a little bit more than it delivers, as there were some hits and misses, but I do like the concept and approachable space/décor. The dumplings were the biggest misses, as they were average at best, but the tonkatsu sandwich was an absolute flavor bomb. The wings were also succulent and flavorful. Somehow the star might have been the street corn. Look, we've all had elote at this point, and it is stellar, but their take was Middle Eastern-ish, and the yogurt really drove the dish over the top. read more

The food was amazing. I love how small and intimate the space is. The waitstaff was very friendly and welcoming. I will continue to go until I've tried everything on the menu. I will definitely be a repeat customer read more

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On paper things looked great but the execution was bad. There's potential here, but it was not met in any way shape or form. It seemed like whoever prepared the food was not trying at all. Just an incredibly mediocre experience overall. The knife cuts were the worst I've ever seen. Do you know how bad knife skills need to be to merit being mentioned in a yelp review? Real bad read more

Decided to do our own taste of Newport experience and we're so grateful we put Mr. R as one of our stops. The inside has a hip, fun vibe...sort of upscale diner meets chill cafe! We enjoyed small plates with generous servings of calamari, roasted Brussel sprouts with Gorgonzola, fried risotto, and pork dumplings. They were all delicious. It's BYOB so that was a bonus. Our waiter was so welcoming and helpful. Definitely coming back next time we're in Newport. read more

Mr. R - Small plates - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

I stopped by Mr. R for the first time ever as part of the RI Food Fights Tacomania event. This place was located a little bit away from the main tourist area of Newport but well within walking range. The restaurant was quiet, but began to fill up after I arrived. The server was nice and took the time to explain the menu and how to place an order; they give you a stamp that you use to make your selection. I ordered the pork tacos with oolong tea. The tacos were amazing, and I ended up ordering a couple more. The manager was nice and told me they plan on participating in more RI Food Fights events, which is great! I highly recommend this place and will return. read more

Mr. R - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

Such a cute restaurant and great concept!! My husband and I went for dinner on our last night in Newport. We had eaten so much seafood that we were looking for something different. Mr. R's did not disappoint. We decided to just try some of the small plates rather than ordering whole meals. We ordered 4 small plates to start and ended up ordering a fifth because everything was so good!! Our favorites were the Nduja Dumplings and the Prosciutto Croquettes but everything we ordered was delicious. Service was fast and the staff was wonderful. read more

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What a great restaurant. Food & service were great. Food has some heat & menu is Asian fusion with a touch of Italian influence. Eclectic food with some imagination & creativity . Staff is very friendly. Had the small bites & everything was tasteful & prepared well. Most items have a bit of heat to it. Will definitely be back. Thank you for an enjoyable evening. read more

trendy, immaculate, sweet spot the croquettes and boy choy is must! ask for Sam we were lucky to get in read more

This place was awesome. The food was excellent and everything had intense flavor. The plates were shareable which was great because we were able to taste a variety of food. Would certainly return here in the future. Staff was polite. read more

Mr. R - Side French Fries Brussels Sprouts - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

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5 stars for the people, who were truly amazing and couldn't have been more hospitable! 5 stars for the walk-able location en route to and/or from 1st Beach and the Cliff Walk. 5 stars for the shrimp dumplings and 5 stars for the very large portion of brussel sprouts. But the rest of the food just didn't measure up to the menu descriptions or the beautiful atmosphere. I'd probably give the food overall a 3.5. I would return, but I probably wouldn't rush back for any specific reason. read more

Very friendly staff. Food was solid. I would recommend the rice gnocchi and pancake dessert

Loved the vibe of this restaurant. The staff were friendly and the vegi taco was outstanding. Taco Mania with RI Food Fights helped my find this gem. read more

Stopped to pick up takeout on busy Saturday at noon. Biggest problem as in much of Newport, parking. Restaurant filled with a young crowd. I tried the lamb skewers tasty but tough cut of meat , steamed pork dumplings odd but okay and favorite the risotto cake - delicious. read more

Stumbled on Mr. R spending a day in Newport. The food was delicious and unique. We got the eggplant dumplings and the prosciutto croquetas... both fantastic. Service was top notch too, anytime I come back I'll be stopping here. read more

Came here at 9:50 on a Saturday when they were closing at 10. Brad and team took care of us and helped us burn the midnight oil. We ordered 90% of the menu and it was delicious, quick, affordable, easy to share and a spectacularly fun time. The dumplings are a must do especially the pulled pork! Crew was extremely polite. The space is fun and revamped. Ropolo's have done it again #Pasta read more

Great fusion of Asian, Italian, American cuisines! Enjoyed the small plates, especially the Brussels sprouts, and the noodles with sauce were also great! read more

Today was my first time trying Mr. R; sadly ï was quite disappointed! The restaurant itself looks clean, new, and has ample seating; the host gentleman, potentially the owner, is friendly....but where they lacked was: service time, price, and portion size... ï was pretty unhappy when I called ahead for pickup, was told 10-15 minutes...arrived about 15-20 minutes after calling...and upon arrival there was only one couple in the entire restaurant and you can see that there was only two tickets in the cooks window...yet I waited another 15-20 minutes ontop of the time they had from when I initally ordered... ok.. I'll wait for a few... but for there to be no other tickets/people waiting for food...over a half hour is a long time to cook up a couple dumplings..and I do mean a couple.. Meanwhile I'm waiting and two workers are at the counter quite LITERALLY staring off into space, twiddling their fingers, internally wishing the cooks would hurry up with the order, cause it's a state into space showdown up front here... girl...never is that okay either! "If you got time to lean, you got time to clean!" she should have been busing the table of the people who had just left it checking in with the one other couple in the building if they were good, or SOMETHING! I've worked restaurant..There's always something! ANYWHOOOO when I got my food... I immediately was upset...I paid $30 for two orders of dumplings... an order only comes with 5 small dumplings.. to which is not specified on the menu....that is an insane price for such a small portion..that's not even a snack, let alone dinner! Ok..bit my tongue.... Now when I ate them annoyed at this point..it only got worse when ï but into the dumpling and it was flavorless! Plain ground beef. Slightest hint of sesame oil that they must have been seared with. And chopped scallions thrown ontop...... the only saving Grace of that disappointing mini snack being the little cold sauce they put with it....Jesus.. never ever again would ï waste my money there. And I wanted to like it so badly because it appears to be a small quaint business of someone just trying to make it in the restaurant world...but good grief that is unacceptable . Since they are new, hopefully they get it together before they go under! read more

Superb food - no kidding. Tried all four hand made dumplings - all excellent though the pulled pork was extra special! Lamb skewers... YES PLS. And the street pancakes are warm and absolutely perfection! This place would stand the test of SoHo on a Friday night! A must try. (And no, they didn't pay me for this review, and I don't know the owners :-)). read more

Super cute space and staff friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, the food was terrible. I had the small plate lamb kebabs and they were so overcooked I could not chew them. Perhaps if someone orders they should specify not to overcook? The chicken wings were just okay and six dollars for a small bottle of sparkling water seemed a bit much. Unfortunately, I have not had good reports from other friends who have also tried dining here. read more

incredible incredible! the whole time we were eating here i was at a loss of words of what to write! very cool menu style, great food combinations and incredible service. we had Sam who was an absolute delight and the nutella pancakes were to DIE for. & they give you a postcard to take home! overall, 5 stars without a doubt read more

Mr. R - Asian Fusion Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

We stopped mid day for a bite. The food was very good. Loved the dumplings and the Prosciutto Coquette. Great service. Nice atmosphere.

One of the best experiences my family has had eating out ever...food and service were amazing! We shared many dishes amongst a group of 7...all were delicious. The only negative is acoustics were not great and the restaurant is loud, so it was a bit hard to hear from across the table.I did ask and the music was turned down, but it was still loud and other guests' voices drowned out our conversation. read more

So DISAPPOINTED! First time ordering from here as I picked up an order for Pasta beach for a friend & saw they had cards for the MR.R wh menus! Ordered last night on a busy weekend night & no wait, but that's the ONLY positive thing I will say! Ordered 3 menu items & was beyond disappointed that I tossed ALMOST ALL OF IT! Pulled pork egg rolls - Dry no sauce inside, you have pulled pork but no bbq sauce & all it's offered is a nasty oil sauce! The dumplings very very thin & fry as well Chicken wings - with a Asian bbq sauce that say are fried? No WAY! The skin was so rubbery that after one bite I put down! No one wants a rubbery chicken wing! Sauce was super spicy which they should put that on the menu, & last was the potato & cheese croquettes! These are so oily & flimsy! The potato inside is super starchy wh no cheese! They fell apart as soon as you pick it up! A croquettes should be fried to perfection so every item stays inside! Overall spent over $40 for all waste! Ended up eating ice cream & going to bed! Would NOT recommend! read more

Came to check out Mr. R on a double date and the food was fabulous!! The lobster roll was SO good. The shrimp are probably my favorite! Really cute decor, I also love that it's BYOB. read more