15 years later- we're still having fun trying new Portuguese restaurants in and around Newark. Stopped here for lunch on a Saturday and it was bustling with customers, many, I'm sure were regulars. We sat at the bar and were greeted right away by the bartender. There were so many options on the menu in addition to the specials that it made it difficult to make a decision but we opted for the vegetable soup, a garden salad and a pork loin, shrimp & sausage combo and of course, the obligatory pitcher of sangria. Everything was delicious. The soup instantly made you feel like somebody's grandma slow cooked it for hours. The simple garden salad was dressed perfectly. The complimentary bread was tasty as only Portuguese rolls seem to be. The pork was full of flavor as was the shrimp. It's served on a bed of fries that soaked up all of the meat juices nicely. There was a little smattering of pickled vegetables on top. We leisurely enjoyed our meal, finishing our sangria pitcher and topping off the whole experience with some type of potent appertif. Great meal, great prices, great ambiance. read more

Portugal Express - Pork loin shrimp sausage and fries Garden salad Pitcher Sangria - Seafood Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Have the steak sandwich. Any of them are delicious. The fries are on point and the for cannot beat the price. Quality is just as good as the price. The bitoque and carne de porco alentejana are also very good. Not crazy about the bbq chicken but it's not terrible, just not my thing. Place is simple, service is good and the drinks are good. Parking sucks but it's worth it in my opinion. Try it out! read more

This is a neighborhood Portuguese restaurant in town. Been here for along time and has pretty decent food. Service is good and the tea is clean and neat. Looking for a quick bite or even a drink it's worth the stop in. read more

Portugal Express - Arroz de cabidela - Seafood Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Disappointing Experience - Would Not Recommend My son had been raving about this Portuguese restaurant, so we decided to try it for lunch around 2 PM. At first, the place looked very nice and we were seated promptly. However, the experience quickly went downhill. Our waitress took our order but brought the wrong dish. She eventually corrected it, and I was served the shrimp I originally ordered. Unfortunately, the shrimp were absolutely unacceptable--uncleaned, gritty, and overall unpleasant. When we brought this to the staff's attention, another waitress (since ours was eating at a nearby table) casually informed us, "We don't clean shrimp here." That was shocking. We told her to take the dish away, got up, and left. The service was unprofessional, and the food was not only disappointing but also unsanitary. I also, noticed flys. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. Poor service, poor food handling, and a lack of care for customers. If I could give zero stars, I would. read more

I didn't really have expectations coming here but even then this was way below expectations. I ordered the steak which was watery and not cooked how I requested which was medium. The biggest issue here I had was the service, I was uncharged about 7 dollars unknowingly, which was separate from the receipt charge. The following day when I went to speak to the waitress who served me and I told her about the upcharge she was able to tell me how much I was charged and offered a cash refund. First off I never gave you a dollar amount, second to take accountability for it that quickly without much fight was insane because now I'm led to believe that this is done more often than not. I absolutely do not recommend at all. 0 stars! read more

The food sucks, the shrimp in garlic sauce didn't have any sauce or garlic. I was stuck in this join because of my son. His steak was so small and the Price I got piss off, could of have a bigger steak at Burnet BBQ in Union for less money. One of the old Man waiter kept walking by me and rubbing his fingers in the nose. Finally when I look in the kitchen Mexican cooking and you tell me genuine Portuguese. This experience turn me off so bad that I would never again in my life would walk in a Portuguese Restaurant again. read more

Great food! Great service! Friendly staff and patrons!!! Everything we had was delicious: the cod with baby potatoes, the paella, the seafood stew, the sangria, and the clams! The only drawback is the parking, as it is street parking only. read more

Great portugues authentic food! Highly recommend. Reasonable prices. Friendly staff and lovely restaurant.

Terrible service, unseasoned and cold food. They took an extra $15 from my card without my authorization. I do not recommend it.

Horrible and cold food, service horrible. I am not recommend that place. They take more money in your debit card without your authorization.

Portugal Express has delicious Portuguese food. I am called Mrs. Paella because that is my favorite dish there. My husband loves fish like the grilled red snapper. We always order the garlic shrimp. The desserts we like are the flan and the rice pudding. I have taken friends and family to this restaurant and everyone has savored their meals happily. The waitresses are wonderful, very friendly and professional. The atmosphere is homey. My husband' s family is from Caldas da Rainha so coming to this restaurant is like visiting family. We have been coming to this restaurant for many years. We appreciate them. Carmen Pereira read more

A favorite for me and staff for lunch during work. Food is really good, and the portions are nice.

The food here is always just ok. I was very hungry and ate it all but did not love it. The soup was not good. I did like that then gave us an entire load of bread. I asked for hoy sauce and they gave me none read more

Portugal Express - Short ribs, chicken, rice, fries and broccoli - Seafood Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

So when I walked in I was seated immediately and my order was taken. This might be because I was the only one there but hey a compliment is a compliment. My food came out quickly and I would say everything was good other than the chicken. The chicken was fried too hard for my liking and it was just a lot of bones. I would go here again but I would not get the garlic shrimp and chicken. read more

Portugal Express - Garlic chicken & Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Today I was having lunch by the time I has finish I has ordered two soups and a plate I ask for my check and notested that I was charge for two soups when I should be one, it is not the $ 3.50 for the soup it is the way they charge and no one knows how to give you an explanation. read more

The food is mediocre and the service is atrocious! I do not recommend this spot even if you are about to starve to death. Do not waste your time or money here, I cannot emphasize how egregious the waiters are! read more

The dish size was enormous for the price. I was very excited until I tried the first bite. Despite swimming in a bland "garlic" sauce, I find it extraordinary they were able to take all the moisture out of the chicken. That's impressive! My mom has that ability too. It was mostly throw away chicken bones with very small amounts of actual . Any meat that was attached had been fried beyond recognition. You have to do better than this. read more

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Chef's great,...!the food was fantastic. Ty Except the customer service so bad, poor service and such a rude bartender (Susana). read more

I came for drinks with a few colleagues and I can't find anything bad to say. We had a a couple of pitchers of red sangria and my coworker order garlic shrimp. She enjoyed the shrimp and we al liked the sangria a lot. I'd need to try more of the food but I had a good experience with just the drinks and an appetizer. read more

I ordered food from grub hub twice. First time they sent the wrong sodas. Just now, I forgot to ask for toppings and hot sauce on my sandwich. I tried to get them to add that to my order, but they were kinda rude and said they were busy and and I had to pay and to contact grub hub. Grub hub did nothing. So rather than give me free onions and peppers, which is an extra $1.50 which is outrageous, they'd rather lose my business. Got it. read more

Very average food, service is a slow and they make seem like you're asking them for free things. Not really a place i would go back to.

The best of Portugal in Elizabeth! I love the friendly and loving staff. You feel at home when you go there and take a bite into any of their delicious plates. The Sangria made by "Sangria Girl" is the best, her read more

my family and I went to this restaurant. the food and service was horrible. the chef has no idea how to cook Portuguese food. we have no idea what he was trying to do. upon trying to explain to the manager about it, he just walked away. we couldn't believe it. don't ever go to this restaurant. if you want good Portuguese food try Craven BBQ. We went there afterwards and were delighted how good the food was and how wonderful the service was. We spoke with the manager who appreciated our comments. If you do make the drive to Portugal express do yourself a favor and eat at the Burger King across the street. You will have much better food and service. If you want good Portuguese food go to Craven BBQ. Do not got to Portugal express. Before I end this review, there was a woman bartender who was very professional and asked if we wanted to order differently. She was very nice and respectful. The rest of the place is horrible read more

Came here with my boyfriend last Sunday and I was pleasantly surprised. He ordered a chicken sandwich which was quite big and very affordable priced. It was delicious! The chicken breast was fresh and the sandwich was complete with lots of add one. I had the pescadinhas fritas and they were delicious! The rice was a little salty in my opinion, but I don't typically cook with much salt so most restaurant food tastes salty to me. The waitress was super friendly and attentive. Everything was super affordable! And I loved the bread and olives they gave us while we were waiting! Good spot for a good meal! read more

Portugal Express - Pescadinhas Fritas - Seafood Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

While in New Jersey I have been to this place twice. They serve some average bread and olives before the meal. I order some giant prawns in garlic sauce which I can say with absolute certainty are the biggest and best shrimp I've ever had. Service is decent also.. The big shrimp entree is phenomenal. My only complaint this is a $28 entrée. Debatable whether it's worth the money to you or not but they are so good. Please see my pictures read more

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I'm usually not a fan of Portuguese food. The food never sits well with my stomach. I went here the other day with my date, and I was pleasantly surprised by the location. We each ordered a pitcher of sangria (it was super affordable, and we wanted different colors of sangria). They gave us some fresh bread with some butter, which is always delicious. Then for my meal I ordered some pork chops with rice. While I wasn't a fan of the rice, I really enjoyed the pork chops. The meal was overall extremely delicious, and sat extremely well with my stomach! Out of all the Portuguese restaurants nearby, I have to say that this is one of my favorites! read more

If you love fish/seafood, this is the place to go! I will usually order whatever the grilled whole fish special is; usually sea bass or red snapper. Their side dishes are fresh and simply sautéed in oil and chopped garlic. Their bar is complete and their service is prompt, attentive and friendly. It's a good date place but can handle families as well. Parking can be a challenge but not impossible. Enjoy! read more

First of all our waiter was WONDERFUL!! Almost like eating at a relatives home (And I am Cuban) Delicious Portuguese food Starting from the extra Virgin Olive oil. It's so delicious with salt Smeared on bread YUM!!!!!!! We ordered shrimp with chicken in garlic sauce and Pork cubes with Portuguese sausage and potatoes. Side dishes were yellow rice and Spanish-style potatoes. What more can you ask for! Sangria was strong and delicious And for dessert We ordered the tres leches an flan. Everything was tasty. Pub feel with great Portuguese food. I Recommended it. read more

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when me and my boyfriend walked thru the door no one paid attention to us . We sat down for 10 min and had to ask for a menu . When asking what they recommend it seem like we were doing too much asking for too much we sat at the bar and the guy behind the bar was rude . seem a bit Racist to be honest never felt this terrible service in my life . BESIDES THAT CHEF COOKED AMAZING FOOD read more

Great food and service, everything is reasonably priced. The staff is friendly and accommodating, I definitely recommend going and I'll be going back. read more

My friends and I eat here twice a month. The food is always very good and the sangria is the best. The service is always top notch. Susana and Fernanda always take great care of us everytime we are there. It is a restaurant that I enjoy going back to and would recommend it to anyone in the area looking for a good meal and friendly service. Five star all the way Keep up the good work read more

Very affordable prized for a platter of food. I bought the combo misto that comes with fries, rice, chicken, 1 strip of rib and 2 cutlets. The chicken tastes great and 3 ate from this plate. But the pork cutlets had a funky smell, when pork has a bad smell it means is no longer good, the rib we cut it in half and what a disappointment, it was bright red, and mostly fat! It was not even rare so we didn't eat it. We did take out so no opportunity to return the food plus it was snowing. The food was cold and yes $12 but we stuffed ourselves with fries and rice! I think there's better bbq places in the area. I have no idea why this place has 4 stars, I guess is the beer and late night hours, is the only nice looking bar in this area. read more

Portugal Express - Beyond rare! Couldn't eat the rib - Seafood Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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My husband has been trying to get me to go to Portugal Express for months (he's a regular there for takeout lunch during the work week). I've been a little hesitant, as the last few times I've tried Portuguese food, I wasn't impressed. Well, apparently Portugal Express is Portuguese done right. I highly recommend the skirt steak. The rice and fries that come on the side are excellent and the 2 very jumbo shrimp (with heads, even better) are the perfect accompaniment to this excellent meal. Be prepared to take some home, I made 2 extra meals out of this after our initial trip. The red sangria was also a great addition to our evening. The service was quite slow, but that could have been because it was absolutely and utterly packed to the gills. We thought we were wise to go at an off peak time (around 3:30), boy were we wrong. I'm not complaining though, I like to see good restaurants that I frequent getting a lot of business, and I will definitely be frequenting Portugal Express! read more

Portugal Express - Porterhouse with fried egg, rice and french fries - Seafood Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

The service was really bad. All the seats at the bar were filled up and there was one table left. Server told me she could not give me the table because I was by myself. I then got food to take out and the meat was over cooked. So many good places to go in the area. Do not waste your money here. read more

This is a spot that is clearly loved by locals. I went for lunch on a weekday and it was packed. The bar was full of people and most tables had 2-4 people at them. This immediately told me that this place was going to be good. It took a few minutes to get a table (because there was a sign that said "Wait to be seated" but nobody came to seat you) which was one of my few complaints. Upon being seated, they give you a basket of tasty bread and some olives. I love crusty Portuguese bread- if you have gone to other restaurants in the area you've probably had it before. It was a nice start to the meal. Ordered the skirt steak special and sangria (they don't have glasses, only large or small pitchers). The steak was perfectly cooked. It was slightly salty, but other than that, extremely delicious. It came with rice which I really enjoyed even though I normally do not like rice. The rice was seasoned (maybe with chicken broth, not sure) and had a few vegetables. It also came with some fries and the steak was topped with an egg (cooked fairly well). The portion was HUGE. Easily enough for 2 people plus leftovers. This made the price of $18 worth it. The sangria was also really good and quite strong. I have had sangria at a bunch of places in Newark and Elizabeth and this was definitely some of the best. A good balance of still tasting like wine and being strong. Overall, I highly recommend this place for a casual lunch or dinner. It can get pretty loud but it's clear that it is clearly loved by the people who frequent it. Prices may seem high but you will get a TON of food so it is totally worth it. read more

My friend and I decided to meet up for lunch somewhere midway since we live an hour away from each other. We were shocked at how good the food was. Like other yelpers said, this is not an "express" restaurant - this is more like tavern style. This is not a big deal but if you are not from the area, parking can seem a bit sketchy since you have to park on the street (no parking lot available). The first time we ordered steak and shrimp to share (HUGE PORTION). It was amazing. The steak was well prepared with a lot of flavor and the shrimp was huge (with head on). We came back and tried Seafood Casserole and Suckling Pig. Seafood casserole has a lot of flavor and it was delicious. Suckling pig fell a little short compared - it wasn't anything special. I would recommend steak and seafood anything. Next time, we will try chicken and ribs. read more

I did not realize that i pass by this corner store every time I come home I honestly enjoyed my garlic chicken. It came with fries and rice. Big serving good for 3-4 people depending on how hungry you are. The place is very cozy, friendly and if you just want to sit and enjoy your drink, they've got that too. read more

Portugal Express - Seafood Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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Traveled 40 miles, one way, ordered 3 orders and this is what I received or $76.00. Shoestring fries and bones. I totally understand times are rough but this is bad. Maybe it's because I ordered to go and I would only see it once I got home. Very disappointing read more

I wasn't sure what Portuguese food entailed, but if this is it, it's really good! My dad got garlic chicken with rice and it was such a pleasant surprise! I can imagine myself regularly going out of my way for this. The sauce was so good on the yellow rice. it also came with fries, but i think beans would have been a better combination. It was only $7.50 too! I got fried calamari and my mom got pork chops. The serving size was huge!!! And I was so happy that the food was delicious and very fair in price. I do think the calamari sauce should have been thicker, but they were big and juicy. Not a fan of porkchops though. (In general) I really did think it would be expensive and it didnt look appetizing at first but totally wrong! And the waiter was very friendly. He was patient and entertained all my dad's obnoxious questions about the soccer championship on the monitors and about Portuguese food. He smiled very warmly and seemed genuinely happy to be there. read more

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The worst Bacalhau a braz I ever had!! I ordered 3 orders of bacalhau a braz and so sorry to have to admit the truth it was awful. The cod was fiber dry and tasteless and I feel as if I paid for a big tray of mushy frozen French fries. I never had this dish without black olives included but my order came without them. I was embarrassed to present this dish to my guests. Don't think I'll be going there anytime soon. Total yuk read more

Portugal Express - Seafood Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey