Paulo's BBQ Steakhouse was an amazing experience! The rodizio was the highlight, a fantastic variety of perfectly grilled meats, served fresh and with great flavor. Everything was delicious and cooked just right. The service was excellent as well. The staff were friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal. Great food, great atmosphere, and outstanding hospitality. Definitely a place I'd recommend and happily visit again! read more

Had an amazing experience at Paulo's BBQ Steakhouse! The food was absolutely delicious, especially the grilled meats and Brazilian BBQ. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and cooked perfectly. The atmosphere was great, and the staff was friendly, welcoming, and attentive throughout the entire meal. Definitely the best spot in NJ for Rodizio. I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you're a fan of steak, ribs, and authentic BBQ. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

my favorite spot. especially for happy hour. the Frango pasarinho is always a go. The service is always on point

Good service Fast , clean and great atmosphere Food delicious and the drinks also very tasty . GUILLERMO was excellent at making sure our table was satisfied with our requests . Really all the waiters were great and attentive ! Definitely will be coming back and recommending this place . read more

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Our dinner group decided to try this place. I haven't been in years and we all were in agreement it's great. It's lovely inside. The waitstaff was terrific. We decided on all appetizers and we were not disappointed. Clam, rodizio, rice, dessert. Some things are a little pricey but everything was delicious. And the sangria was great. They mentioned an 'all you can eat ' buffet on Wednesday's so we will definitely be going back. A nice night out if you're in the area . read more

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Excellent place for rodizio. Service was great and servers continued to bring out food constantly. Celebrated my birthday and did not disappoint. The meat was excellent and will come again Our waiter Ruben and Guillermo who served the meats were awesome. read more

Absolutely not worth the hype. We tried this place after seeing numerous praises on social media. We made reservations for Father's Day and I was excited to try this spot out. I was thinking the experience should be good since it should be more personal than that other hit-or-miss big chain Brazilian Rodizio. I was wrong. The decor was nice but the waiting area was oddly situated where people could be in the way of the food coming out of the kitchen. We were seated at the far end of the main dining hall. My 2nd son and I ordered the Rodizio. My wife and daughter ordered the Picaña steak, my eldest son had the Skirt steak. The first three Rodizio choices came out early. They were the chicken wing, the sausages and a BBQ Ribeye. The chicken and sausages were flavorful. The BBQ Ribeye was dry. Then, the other steaks came out. They did take awhile. They were supposed to be medium rare. My wife was medium, close to medium well. But, we were so hungry, we let it slide. Her steak was was under seasoned. Meanwhile, the Rodizio meats weren't making to our table. 10 mins passed since the last meat received and nothing came by. We'd see tables closer to the entrance and behind us receive the steaks on the skewers or the grilled pineapple, but not us. What kept on coming by were the chicken and the sausages again. There was a lamb brisket, that passed by. I tried it, it was bland and dry. I complained to the waiter about not getting any good meats. To his credit, he did say he'll do his best to get some to come. A manager came by and apologized and said that they were busy and they're trying to get them out as soon as possible. Another 10 mins and only shrimp came by. While the shrimp was being served, we saw a brand new batch of picaña come out and served to the table right next to us (who were just seated). Then, my table was skipped. It never circled back. I asked the waiter what's going on and mentioned about the Picaña skewer. He apologized again and said that he'll do something about it. But what was coming by us were the same chicken and sausages. We were almost two hours into our dining and still no good meats coming by. By then, I had enough and just asked for the bill. The waiter could tell I was far from pleased. By the time I signed the check, the Picaña and skirt Steak showed up. I tried them just for the heck of it. They were well done and dry. Afterwards, we stood up and left. $340 down the drain. No effort from management to try to appease a disappointed customer. We left utterly frustrated. If it weren't for our waiter who was doing his best, this place would have gotten a one star. Never coming back to this place. read more

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Paulo's was a great experience. A large venue with multiple section and its own parking lot. Ramp style entrance to get in, & then it has a take out order area, a bar area, & a main restaurant area which also has a small bar in it. Service was super fast & efficient. Servers were all polite & professional. The drinks were perfect & the food was incredible. We had the Rodizio and absolutely no part of it disappointed. This place definitely has made my list of places to suggest for work parties &/or retirement dinners. I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of everything. I won't do individual Grades this time, as Rodizio is a non-stop assortment of meats & cuts. There was no "weakest link" in this. Disclaimer, I did not eat any of the sides that came with the Rodizio, cause I didn't wanna use up any stomach space, lol. So I can't vouch for those. Grades: Peach Sangria: A Paulo's Old Fashioned: A Rodizio: A+ read more

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Great dining experience and awesome place to have dinner with friends. The only thing I could take a picture of was the salad, because as soon as the food started rolling out, I was focused (we did Rodizio). First of all, the service here is the best I have experienced in years. The employees make you feel welcome, almost as if you are joining them at home for dinner. This place is 1000% made for meat eaters. My favorite was the Chicharron, chicken wrapped in bacon, and the lamb. The French fries were delicious. The sweet plantains were a nice touch and I couldn't get enough. Honestly, I can't say I ate anything bad this night. I look forward to being back. read more

Paulo's Barbeque - House Salad - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

Ambience other than the untrained wait staff was nice. Food was pathetic. Calamari appetizer was probably from frozen and rubbery, not crisp at all. Rice had no seasoning as didn't the mashed potatoes. The Brussels sprouts could've been decent if they were par-boiled a couple minutes before grilling them. They were pretty chewy and definitely not a pleasurable experience eating them but I love them and know they're good for me so I choked them down, oh and btw I choked on the damn calamari twice too! Steaks as I've seen in other reviews, were lacking seasoning and a proper sear on the grille. Also charged us for 4 cokes, I guess you don't get a free refill. $12! Was on my way to Texas Roadhouse and saw this place and should've just continued to Texas, would've been $50 cheaper and waaaaay more tasty. My 2 star rating is generous!! read more

Paulo's Barbeque - Unseasoned hard to chew ribeye, chewy Brussels sprouts and unseasoned mashed potatoes. - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

I came here as a party of 3 around 5 pm on a Saturday when it was still pretty quiet. By the time we were preparing to leave, it started to get a little busy in the dining area. I ordered the Paulos Picanha & Yucca as an appetizer and the Red Snapper with Brussel Sprouts as my entree. The yucca was a little dry; however, the picanha is worth getting again. The snapper was prepared as a whole fish, but I requested the head to be cut off prior to it hitting the table which they were able to accommodate. I had the Blue Moon draft as my beverage. Everything was very good, and I had enough leftovers for me to enjoy once I made it home. For dessert, I tried the Pineapple with 43 (grilled pineapple, cinnamon flambeed with Liquor 43) which tasted exactly how it is described, refreshing, not heavy at all, easy to put away after dinner. Service met expectations. I would return! read more

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Back again and this time i must say....it was just as great this time. The food 10/10 the ambiance always a plus. And the server we had this time Heshmat was such a sweet kid. For being new he did an amazing job! They know i will be back, if your in the area i would 10000% check it out! read more

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I gotta ask... does anybody running this place know what the word "STEAKHOUSE" means? Four of us came in for the $50 rodizio, expecting all-you-can-eat STEAK. Instead, we got a never-ending parade of chicken hearts, chicken wings, chicken legs, chicken wrapped in bacon, pork sausage, and shrimp that still had the damn vein in it. If I wanted a poultry sampler platter, I would've gone somewhere that didn't call itself a steakhouse. The steak? What steak? Between FOUR grown adults, I don't think we were served more than 12 ounces total over the course of TWO HOURS. And when it finally showed up, it was dry, overcooked, flavorless, and had the texture of beef jerky that had been sitting in a glove compartment since the Clinton administration. At one point, the manager comes over with a smart-ass attitude and asks, "Is something wrong? Do you need something?" Yeah... some steak. You know, the thing you're advertising? I said it while choking down what had to be the driest chicken wing ever cooked. Eventually they brought over a couple sad little slices of leather pretending to be beef, and the server looks at us and goes, "Happy?" Like we were somehow being unreasonable for expecting steak at a steakhouse. That pretty much summed up the attitude of the entire staff. Speaking of service, one server dropped two pieces of meat onto one of us, shrugged, said, "My bad," and just walked away, leaving the food on the floor like nothing happened. To top it off, they took away drinks that were still half full and then charged us for refills. Nice little scam! The whole time, it felt like the employees were staring us down like we were inconveniencing them just by being there. We spent TWO HOURS waiting, convinced they were intentionally dragging their feet instead of bringing out actual beef. Eventually we gave up and asked for the check. Even that took another 25 minutes. So after spending over two hours being ignored, nickel-and-dimed on drinks, treated like we were the problem, and served enough steak to make a toddler ask for seconds, we got the privilege of paying an outrageous bill for one of the worst dining experiences I've had in years. If you're looking for unlimited steak, this ain't it. If you're looking for unlimited chicken parts, attitude, and disappointment, you've found the place. I wouldn't come back if they offered me the meal for free. read more

What an amazing place to host a party. With a large upstairs room that easily held 50 people had private bathrooms had dance floor area and a bar. This place is a find the staff goes out of their way to make sure you are happy and have impeccable service frequently asking our guests what they needed and bringing specified items to the table for them. They let us arrive early to decorate and we're so helpful unkind. The food was amazing and plentiful. The house sangria was surely a hit. They even provided a musician who was perfect for her baby shower occasion. Think of them for your next party it is a great place both for food and location and service. read more

Paulo's Barbeque - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

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I went there a couple times to try and give a fair observation. The garlic shrimp the first two times was excellent. One time I went there. I got the steak sandwich. It was all fat and gristle and then I ordered dessert. It was rock hard like it was in a display case for two weeks. This last time I was there the garlic shrimp definitely had a burnt flavor to it and I got grilled chicken and it tasted like lighter fluid. Honestly, I'm done with this place. The prices are ridiculous but if the food was good, it would've been worth it. It's not stay away. read more

Disappointing second visit--quality and service have dropped.This was our second time visiting Paulo's BBQ Steakhouse, and we were incredibly disappointed. Our first visit in May for my husband's birthday was outstanding--the food was amazing, and the staff was attentive and nice. Because we had such a great time, we decided to return with our daughter for an early Father's Day dinner in a party of six.Unfortunately, this experience was the exact opposite. All of the meats served were medium to well-done with absolutely no pink. We asked for rarer cuts, but we never saw any the entire night. To make matters worse, we sat waiting for over 15 minutes just to get the grilled pineapple dessert. When I brought these issues to the attention of Joe, the acting manager, really didn't seem to care. It is a bit of a drive for us, and it is far too much money to spend for a table of six where not a single person enjoyed their meal. We will not be coming back. read more

Phenomenal experience! Food was excellent. Tiago and Edwin were superior servers. Great environment and price is well worth it! This is definitely a spot worth visiting. read more

We chose Paulos over several other restaurants. I had been there many other times with my husband who is career firefighter in a neighboring town. Today, we came with our children. The rodizio service was way slower than what is typically expected. As a result, we needed to get our son home for summer school the next morning. After spending over $200 with slower than expected service, the manager who clearly did not care about families, told me to my face, he would rather throw my son's food out than allow us to take It home for him to eat later. The plate had 3 pieces of meat on it. Disgusting. Disgusting. Disgusting. read more

All the food was excellent and Mara, our server, was the absolute best! Great family atmosphere at the restaurant.

Had a confirmed reservation for 7:00 pm at Paulos on my phone. For some reason, it was not showing on the host's iPad. Instead of handling the situation professionally, the host rudely pushed the iPad towards my face to prove it wasn't in the system. When I asked to speak with a manager, he informed me that he was the person in charge. I responded by asking him to get the iPad out of my face and he wasn't doing a very good job. We then left and went to Spain Inn, where we had an excellent meal and outstanding service. Mistakes with reservations systems can happen, but there's no excuse for treat customers with disrespect. Paulos should seriously reevaluate the professionalism of the individual managing th seating. read more

To begin with, the service was terrible. I had to ask for menus. They served us old reheated bread. As a matter of fact, all of meals seemed like they were reheated. The only good thing we had was the pork belly appetizer. The steak and chicken were dry as well as the rice. Not sure why all the good reviews bc our experience was subpar and we will not be going back. read more

Paulo's Barbeque - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

First time here which is an all you can eat buffet They come around and stop at your table and cut your pieces of meat off the skewer. They come around every few minutes with a different skewer of meat and you can ask for extra pieces, but we took our time so we could sample all the different skewers that came around. Places clean and nice employees are very friendly and food was excellent. We will definitely come back here now, knowing what my favorites are. read more

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I had some extra Cash App money to use, so I decided to order DoorDash since it's linked to checkout. I came across Paulo's while browsing restaurants. The food arrived fast and hot. I ordered the fish fillet sandwich, chicken and beef empanada duo, mozzarella sticks, and carrot cake. Everything tasted great, though one of the beef empanadas had a wad of fat... not ideal. read more

Absolutely love Paulo's. The pichana apaulito is a go to of mine. Such an awesome price for such a flavorful piece of pichana! I have not had anything from this restaurant I have not loved. Additionally, the staff, servers and even the people who sit at the bar are just all around great, welcoming vibes. Food brings people together, Paulo's does just that. Pro tip: ask for the house made garlic hot sauce read more

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Food was amazing. Rodizo was fresh and tasty! Service was very nice as well. Definitely will be coming back again!

Horrible experience!! Went for my daughter's birthday. Served left I. The middle service and never came back. They sang happy birthday to other people and never acknowledged her. Our food was messed up and they promised us things that never came. They just ignored us and when I spoke to manager he said sorry you feel that way and walked away . Please don't let these People ruin your special event!! read more

Been going here for years today I ordered a Brazilian steak sandwich with french fries it was pretty good a pieces of fat in the meat but nothing too bad and the french fries was good as well. My waiter was very attentive and nice and the food came out in a decent amount of time. There's a main dining room and theres seats in the bar area so you can have a nice romantic dinner section or a hanging out section. They also have out door seating in the warmer months. It's definitely worth a visit if you are in South Plainfield read more

Paulo's Barbeque - BRAZILIAN STEAK SANDWICH - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

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Avoid Paulo's Barbecue, I spent $250 on a large order, got home, and realized the entire order was wrong. When I called, they apologized and told me to come back and they'd fix it. Sounds simple--but it wasn't. When I returned, the manager was shockingly rude, unprofessional, and outright nasty. Instead of taking responsibility for their mistake, I was met with attitude and told--in a confrontational tone--that I needed to bring all the incorrect food back before anything would be corrected. No apology, No accountability. Just hostility over their own error. Mistakes happen, but treating paying customers like this--especially after a $250 order--is unacceptable. Terrible customer service and a manager who clearly doesn't know how to handle basic issues. read more

To begin they gave our reservation for party of six to another party. Service was lousy. Three of us ordered Rodizio-- three ordered meals and were finished before we received 3 small helpings of Rodizio. Do not waste your time and money go to Fernandez 2 on Rt 35 So Amboy. Tony A read more

We were huge fans of this restaurant. We always got the best service but tonight was not good at all they only got like 8 different kinds of meat and that is being generous. Main concern was how rude and dismissive they were to us even after we have brought several people to their restaurant read more

Absolutely wonderful staff - so friendly- been coming here for years and they make you feel like home. Kenny owner, son is Thomas and the staff- Mateo, Rick, and everyone on the team is so customer friendly and personable. Highly recommended especially if you are local. read more

Paulo's Barbeque - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

Food is Good, perfect and delicious. Waitress was very kind and very knowledgeable of the food that we wanted to order. The ambience was perfect, good vibes felt!! Paulo's nowadays is a good place to eat lunch or eat from the menu if you wish. This place is amazing!! read more

Food here is amazing, and cannot be beat. My girlfriend and I discovered this place about 2 weeks ago, and we've been back for seconds. We went to Fogo De Chao (Bridgwater), about a month ago, and was disappointed by their dismal meat selection and service, then discovered this place which is superb. The staff here is super friendly, and attentive. The meat carvers come by non-stop to the table, with a wide assortment of meats. Definitely a great place to check out if you're craving good quality meats, and come with an appetite. read more

The meals where perfect, as usual. The service was spot on, thank you Thomas. And attentive. We really enjoy Paulo's. We will be back. read more

Paulo's Barbeque - Birthday dinner with family. - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

The food is amazing. Delicious! And when you go, ask for William. He took very good care of us!

We came for a birthday party, we had a big group. The service was impeccable and the food was wonderful . Special shout out to Will who was our main server and the rest of the team that took great care of us. We will be back! read more

This manager moved my drink while I was in the bathroom to give it to these people and when I asked why he said he didn't think it was a big thing and it was tight on the end @paulosbbqsp I have never seen anyone move a drink to give someone else a seat second picture was where they could've sat cause it was another seat at the bar I come here all the time I ordered food and a couple drinks and never seen this and when I mentioned was it because the color of my skin he got all upset yeah I need to talk to Kenny never coming back read more

Paulo's Barbeque - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

The first time I came to this restaurant was a great experience. I even left a good review but it won't let me edit my review so I'm going to talk about my experience here. This is my third time here. The second time I came, I came with about eight people and we were upstairs and the service was not great and I just thought it was because we were upstairs. We were constantly waiting for meat rotations and us not having tongs was a constant issue. Today was the third time I came to the restaurant for my sister-in-law's birthday and this was one of the worst restaurant experience I've ever had in my entire life. Not only did the two families that came after us get serviced first before us, but our waiter disappeared for his break 30 minutes in. He never came back to apologize or acknowledge us whatsoever. The meat wasn't rotating well amongst the tables, and we were constantly waiting for meat. There were about three birthdays at this establishment and not once was the birthday girl at our table acknowledged. When my father in law Spoke to the manager, the manager said " sorry you feel that way" and walked off and didn't ask us what he could do to make anything better. I am in the entertainment business and I use to work in customer service.... this was not it. A lot of the meats were out of stock and it felt like we were neglected. We will not be returning to this place at all nor will I recommend it...... read more

Our first visit here was nearly flawless, great service, the manager sat with us and was very personable and spoke with me and my family for a while and made a personable impression. I recommended this place for a friends night out with 7-10 people and we were put upstairs and weren't given tongs for the rodizio, so there was no heat upstairs, and the rodizio servers would usually forget to bring tongs for our table so they would have to double back downstairs and get tongs every.single.time. It was very embarrassing and didn't compare to the first service that I experienced. Despite that, me and my family came for my little sisters birthday and our waiter went on break/lunch and left our table hanging with no service for 30-40 minutes without a waiter to pick up his table. On top of that they did not sing my little sister happy birthday or even acknowledge my little sisters birthday despite the fact my father called it in ahead of time. When my father addressed the bad service to the manager he said "I'm sorry you feel that way" and just left the conversation at that and didn't even try to help make things right or at the very least acknowledge that the service may have been subpar. We weren't looking for a comped dinner service, but just some sort of acknowledgment of the service we received was not very well. Me and my family will not be returning here after tonight's service. read more

Always outstanding! The fried pineapple to end the night is fantastic. Get the the all you can eat but don't expect to bring anything home. It's clear on the menu, no doggy bags but still totally worth it. As long as the restaurant uses the leftovers.. read more