HORRIBLE MOTHER'S DAY EXPERIENCE!!!! I called in early to make an order that was suppose to be ready by 4pm. I get there to pick it up and I waited over two hours. When I complained to the manger he was so rude and extremely disrespectful and said I could not get a refund because the order was already placed but keep in mind the food was no where to be found nor did he go to the back to check. I left without $200+ worth of food - this is not the first time I have a bad experience with this place the service sucks the management needs to be more respectful. NEVER COMING BACK. I called my bank and canceled the transaction. read more

The food was delicious and the service was great... nice place to eat out doors as well. read more

Sol-Mar - Grilled lobster & Grilled Sirloin Steak - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

As always an excellent choice. Have been going there for many many years. The food still as amazing as the first time. It's the only good place left in Newark that's Portuguese. All the others have become tasteless or very Americanized but not this gem. The owners are always there. They always have daily specials. Last night I had the polvo a lagareiro and the amazing bacalhau à Brás. For dessert I highly recommend the pear in the port wine. You can't go wrong with this gem. read more

Sol-Mar - Polvo a lagareiro - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Great atmosphere and great food. Always very consistent with quality and tasty food. The service also very consistent and very good. Today's dish was delicious seafood with white bean and rice.. simple but super tasty. And whiting and shrimp in a red sauce read more

Sol-Mar - Seafood white bean and a delicious sauce served over white rice - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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My family and I went to to this restaurant because we heard it was a good, we didn't expect was great. This establishment is family oriented and it was the best choice. Even though we are brazilian. This Portuguese restaurant is great to gather your family and have an amazing sea food experience. read more

Sol-Mar - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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The portions are large. We had the mariscada. It needed a little more flavor. The caldo verde needed flavor too. It was packed so I think that's why it took long to take my order. read more

Sol-Mar - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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We had the seafood rice, codfish Bras style, and pepper steak, with the Portuguese sausage for an appetizer. Had the rating been focused on just the food, I would have given this place a three, possibly even four because of the jolly host who seated us and checked in several times. I will warn, however, the codfish dish A Bras is supposed to use fresh, thick filet pieces of codfish that are then shredded, but this place uses the all-too-common cost-saving tactic of using "codfish pieces" pre-packaged at the supermarket. The parallel is using hamburger meat instead of a fine fillet that is THEN ground. It's become a common practice, unfortunately, among some Portuguese restaurants in the neighborhood. Here is where the 3/4 stars becomes a two. The practice of including tip in a receipt and then printing a credit card receipt for one's signature WITH a blank tip line is sneaky and dirty. Restaurants can easily print a credit card receipt with the pre-determined tip amount already included to make clear that tip is already included, but this place does not. Unless you pay close attention to the itemized bill - and many don't - one could easily double tip without knowing it. The service was also slow. Our appetizer came out shortly before our main entree. We had hardly been through half of it before the other dishes appeared. On the plus side: the sausage was generously portioned and delicious. The owners (a Portuguese couple) work the dining room, which I think is always a good sign. I grew up just across the street from this place, which is why I was all that much more disappointed in seeing the dirty little tricks with the bill and cutting corners on the quality food. read more

Love crossing off another restaurant on my list to try in the Ironbound, especially when it's great! Just a note that this is a review of the formal restaurant, not the adjacent diner style one. I need to start off with the decor. This restaurant is very spacious and beautiful. The Christmas decorations this time of year just makes it even more charming. I think they successfully mimic a courtyard in Europe, the feeling of sitting beside stone walls and even next to a street lamp. In the back kitchen area there's an overhang of Portuguese red clay/ceramic roof tiles. The portions like many of the restaurants in this neighborhood are grand. Our party was 11 in total. They start you off with olives and bread with a ricotta style cheese (not sure). We ordered a few appetizers. The shrimp in garlic was fantastic. We also had a delicious calamari, soft, super fresh in a nice light batter. Oysters were good, too. Their chorizo is delicious and, of course. flambéed in front of us (see picture). I'm a fan of Spanish over Portuguese, but I very very much enjoyed this one. For dinner, I had one of the evening's specials. The grilled steak. When I said the portions were huge, I was NOT kidding. My plate had a mountain of steaks. When I say mountain, I mean 4 semi-thick cut pieces (duh). The flavor was above average, although the first cut was way more well than I would have liked, and the second one I put a dent in, medium rare to my request and more tasty. My co-worker sitting next to me had the lamb chops and they were exquisite, especially the gravy. I like how all your sides are communal (sliced fried potatoes, Portuguese yellow rice, and red beans) so we're passing around food between everyone while each of us still has our own main dishes. Everything else was tasty. I had a caipirinha which was definitely up to par! Service was decent. They don't come check on you that much and kinda have to fish for attention, but that's consistent with other restaurants here. You're sitting a courtyard in Europe. What do ya want?! Can't wait to come here again! read more

Sol-Mar - Flambee fun! - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

My sister chose to go here for her birthday, I was a little skeptical at first but this place is amazing! The food was tasty, the drinks are strong and the staff is extremely friendly. The owner stopped by our table to make sure everything was to our liking. We've dubbed this place our new birthday spot. We will certainly be returning! read more

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Friend who lives in newark invited me to dinner, the Food was above average to good, I have never been to a Resturant & ranted about the bread but the bread they served was fresh and delicious. Potions are very generous , I had to have them pack my leftovers to go but I still kept eating the bread while my friend had dessert. Waiters were more interested in watching tv than paying attention to customers was the only slight annoyance but experience was still good overall, definitely a must dine at in Newark. read more

Went to Sol-Mar with another couple and their baby on the Saturday night before Easter. The place was packed. It was actually the second place we tried that night (first was Fernandes Steak House--hour+ wait) and we only got a table because the guy we were dining with was a family friend of one of the managers. C'est la vie. We were actually seated quite quickly. There are two rooms for dining: the main area around the bar and the back room called "Villa Novo," and both were packed. And when I say "packed, " I mean like sardines. There was nary 18 inches between chairs and around tables in the dining room where we were seated. Don't get me wrong, the dining room is charming; decorated to look like a Portuguese village ala the Venetian in Las Vegas. I would have really loved it, were I not right on top of the people behind me. When the waiter was preparing our Chourico Assado, I was terrified that he was going to set a passing old man on fire. The bar area on the other hand is so white and brightly lit, it looks more like a school cafeteria. And it's weird- there are several different doors you can enter. One led to a room decorated for a party (I'd have thought they'd want to fill that with the diners that were waiting for a table, but what do I know?) another two to the bar/dining room and then a weird stone pass through to Villa Novo. There's no host/hostess stand so you basically walk in and wait for someone to notice you. Weird. Like I said, we had the Chourico Assado and it was very good but the sausage was cut into uneven chunks and some were blackened and others not. I get that it's supposed to be rustic and that's cool but one piece had this gigantic glistening hunk of gristle-y fat in the middle. It looked almost like an eyeball. It stayed on the plate. We also tried their Caldo Verde which was a fairly tasty and oddly reminiscent of something I had at the Olive Garden once. This is a staple Portuguese dish and I just felt like it could have been better. Plus the menu said it had kale and I'd bet that what was in our soup was collard greens. We were offered the complimentary $4 sausage bread and turned it down. For our entrees, my fiancé had the ubiquitous shrimp and garlic, a standard on Ferry Street and its environs. Sol Mar's offering was tasty. I had the Veal Scaloppini with Porto Wine Sauce. The veal was tender. There were about 5 pieces and they were served in a sweet brown gravy with olives. It was like a very well executed Veal Marsala. I'd like to note that the stone floor, like another reviewer noted, was EXTREMELY slippery. Our service was mediocre. It seemed like we were waiting a lot and that there were numerous service staff bumping into each other all around the dining room with no real task. I'd go back to Sol Mar if someone I was eating with had their heart set on it, but it wouldn't be my first choice. read more

There's only one thing to order here : Seafood Platter for 2. It comes with a medium (2lbs?)sized lobster, halved, 2 Large Prawns, about a dozen Sea Scallops, 10 or so each of Mussels and Clams, 2 large Fillets of Fish (really tasty), probably Flounder, about a pound of large peeled shrimp. Start with the bread paired with Goat Cheese, and wash it all down with White Sangria. read more

Sol-Mar - Seafood Platter for Two - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

This place is the tits. Awesome seafood, authentic feeling. Lots of hot Portuguese and Brazilian women with drawn butter glistening on their lips. I left feeling like a Sangria drunken glutton which is basically what I am right now. Highly recommended. read more

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Returned Memorial Day weekend. Frankly not like I don't come often but this was a great time! Starter shrimp in garlic sauce. Was ok tasty. Flaming sausage was delish. Hubs and I split the seafood Parilhada which was all grilled mussels, clams, a full lobster and side of rice and fries. Our friends had the garlic chicken which was a solid 4.5 experience with the diner declaring not enough garlic. I think I smelled it heading over but ok. Another one of our friends had the house style cod. I've had this before and it's like a grilled version of cod then stewed in a rich combo of potatoe peppers onions. It's a very rich dish. Doesn't look like it coming out but it's very filling and succulent. Deserts were Chocoloate mousse, creme brûlée with the appropriate amount of sugar crack! read more

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I went to Sol Mar with my lunch group that meets up once a month. Deciding to stick with places on and around Ferry Street, because of location issues, we found Sol Mar. The places was a little hard to find, as if your using a gps it will take you couple blocks further down the road. If you're looking for a landmark this is right by the Wells Fargo. The parking lot is also located in the strip mall lot with signs for Sol Mar parking only. It's a little odd but its free parking so, why complain. As for the Restaurant and food, the place had a healthy lunch time crowd with is always a good sign when looking for a good place. There special menu was pretty large, taking up about a full page. I ordered the shrimp and clams alfredo, which was an excellent choice. I was surprised by the quantity of seafood in the dish. I expected it, as with most places, to maybe get 4 shrimp and clams. I was pleasantly surprised to find way more than that in my dish. I was barely able to finish the whole thing and left feeling satisfied. My only regret on this lunch outing was not leaving room for the Crème Brule I spotted on their menu. But it will leave something for next time. read more

Second visit last night....first time was just as disappointing..... only reason we went back was to avoid getting stuck with Groupon we bought months ago. My daughter ordered a filet and it was london broil or something......no chance it was a filet. My pork chops were dry. Shrimp appetizer is good but calamari was rubber. I complained to waiter on steak and didn't do a thing.....other than offering a glass of wine on the house. Waiters hustle you bringing cheese and sausage bread to the table and offering it as if its' complimentary.......and then charge your bill. Really tacky and turnoff. Too many good Portuguese and Spanish places to go in Newark to settle. read more

I ate here two times and both times the food was great. The person who said that they are nazi's and ask for vaccination card is a lie because they never did to us. I recommend this restaurant. read more

I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. I went with a group of friends for lunch (y of us) and found the wait staff to be helpful and pleasant. Only one of us was from Portugal, so together with our waiter we came up with a number of traditional dishes to share. Portions were very generous and we enjoyed everything we ordered, including the complementary 'chorizo bread' at the beginning, and the rice pudding for dessert was incredible. We ordered a number of dishes ranging from seafood to pork. I think my two favorites were the fried bacalao (cod) and the duck fried rice. Oh, and I don't want to forget about the clams in white wine sauce, which rivals those served at French restaurants. It's a pretty easy walk from Newark Penn Station, and I plan to go back! read more

Sol-Mar - bacalao (left), rice & chorizo (right), 'seafood platter for two' in the center (we were 7 people), clams with pork (front) - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Absolutely love this place! It's a family tradition to have a meal here every New Year's Eve. read more

Sol-Mar - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

We came here by mistake. We thought we were going to a place we thought was called sol-mar but it wasn't unfortunately. We ended up staying and trying it out. We shared the paella. Obviously it's a famous rice dish with seafood in it but I thought it could have used more seafood. The other thing was we sat outside and people from the street kept walking under the awning of where the outside restaurant seating is supposed to be. A couple of people in bikes, a kid, a couple. Lol, I mean , walk around it, not under it. The Bread they serve you in the beginning was warm and delicious and if they offer you cheese with the bread get it. Cheese was delicious. read more

This is not Portuguese. This is the equivalent of a tourist trap. I am Portuguese, born and raised in Lisbon, and if you want Portuguese food, avoid this one. There is an abundance of good Portuguese restaurants in the Ironbound, but this is not one of them. The place is cute, but it has no atmosphere and the hostess, with her painted on smile, to maximize space, really packs you good and tight. Save the olives and bread they put on the table, the food was mediocre and that's being really generous. But they do give a lot of it, and I would say that perhaps it is to distract you from the lack of quality. My mom had "cabrito" (goat), and my dad "arroz de tamboril" monk fish rice, both were uninspiring and eh... my husband and I shared "Parrilhada de Marisco for two" which they had the gall to charge $99. On the menu it did note MP, but... c'mon!!! One lobster 1 1/2 pounds, 8 clams, 8 mussels, 2 jumbo shrimp, 2 small crab stuffed with bread crumbs, a handful of frozen shrimp and two pieces of flounder. Everything cold and rubbery, and they charged $99. Take note that this review is not because of what I paid. I don't mind paying for good food. But because it just wasn't good, but... you live and learn. Honorable mention, their "torta de laranga", orange roll dessert was very good. read more

Service was decent, I came alone. I actually didn't make a reservation on a busy Sunday night, but was seated immediately in their nice dining room. I stayed with a safer choice, their bitoque. Solid flavor with a cozy atmosphere. Great location for a romantic dinner. If they do simple food right, worth another try. read more

My family and I have been coming here for years. I had my sweet 16 here, my sister had her bridal shower, and we have had many family events here. The owner and service is great to work with- very friendly. I've never eaten bad food here. Of course, the sangria is great. The Portuguese steak, seafood, calamari, clams, paella- everything is good down to the coffee.... we usually park in the lot right across from it, and we're fine... Try it out! read more

Love this place, if you looking for a seafood restaurant. Definitely recommend the food is amazing and the drinks on point. Everytime I leave this place I'm already looking forward for the next time. read more

Sol-Mar - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Food was great. The service was excellent. very friendly. Food quantity is also good. I expected some of the dishes to have some gravy. At least the fish dishes but I suppose that is how the Portuguese dishes are- without any sauce. Nevertheless taste was wonderful. But the main complaint for me was the service. Very slow. It took a good half hour before the food was served after ordering. They did replenish our bread basket when it got over but the wait was too long. They also should address heating concerns. The place we were sitting the temperature rose all of a sudden and it was very uncomfortable to sit and wait for the food to come. During the course of the dinner there was multiple instances when the heat rose suddenly. read more

Sol-Mar - Salmon - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Let me start by saying, this restaurant is very typical in Portuguese style. The food is very typical of Portugal. The owners are Pleasant from the moment you arrive until your departure. This is why it pains me to write this review solely for their food. I have been here many times before and the food was very good. That is not the case on this visit which was March 17th 2018. We had made a reservation and we were seated within 15 minutes. We were seated by the window. As soon as we sat down, a man from outside came by the window were we where seated. Making obscene gestures. He was there for a while as we waited for our meal which made us very uncomfortable. We notified our waiter and where informed there was nothing they could do. This whent on for about 20 minutes which brings me to our wait. We ordered stuffed salmon with crab meat and bacalado dish ( cod fish) with eggs and potatoes. We were seated at 8 pm our meal came to our table at 930 pm. One and a half hour wait. Well we were straving and so looking forward to our meal. What a disappointment. The salmon was dry and burnt. The vegetables were boiled in water. Tasteless and full of water. The bacalado dish basically was scramble eggs with a little bit of cod fish in it. Everything was horrible. The cod fish scrambled eggs were 24 dollars and the dry burnt salmon was 26 dollars. Total disappointment. Next time I am going to a local diner. They must have new Chefs or may I say students. The food was horrible. read more

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My favorite Resturant in Ironbound area I have been coming here since I was a child. Everything on the menu is very good. Sitting at the bar is my favorite because I feel the guys there are more attentive than the waiters. read more

Sol-Mar - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

after being a customer for over 30 years,,,was very disappointed last Friday. me and my wife had dinner there got the bill and thought it was kind of high.... but paid it anyway with a 20 percent tip....on the way home discussed the bill....we got home and looked over our bill.... well they added on the gratuity on the bill without saying a word.....so they ended up with a $50 tip....i called and left a message no return call.....wont be going back read more

Food was delicious. Service was fast. Place was neat and elegant Had the calamari for an appetizer which feeds a total of 4. For the entree had the steak strip salad. Also order the chicken breast and shrimp covered in vodka sauce. It came with rice and potato slices. Pork chops with vegetables was also tasteful. Overall good quality food and service. read more

Ok! Let's Get Cracking! I arrive at Sol Mar with my girlfriend and no one even noticed us standing there waiting to be seated. Finally when someone did come over to tell us someone was leaving soon, magically another couple that was nowhere to be found waiting got the table. They def need to invest in a hostess. I can understand waiting for a table but have some type of organization for sitting people. You have people sneaking to steal a table, thats how sad it was. Once we got our server, he was very apologetic. He took are order promptly My Second issue I have is what happen to filtered tap water? I just didnt understand the bottle of water unless its on the house. The water is the best. But, their charging me for water. So, I decide to just get a big bottle of water. In the end I paid $7 dollars just for water. At least ask me bottled or Tap.. Onto the food. Its your traditional portuguese - american food you'll have here in New Jersey. I ordered the Camarao em Molho de Alho (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce), very very delicious I had the twin lobster tails stuffed with crab meat. Delicious! I had creme brule for dessert, that was amazing as well. If it wasn't for the sitting experience and the water issue, this might have gotten 4 stars read more

For authentic Portuguese food and great Sangria this is a hidden down neck Newark NJ spot. Their Octopus (pulpo)served on a roof tile is probably the best tender pulpo I have ever had other than being in Barcelona! Octopus can be cut with a fork as it's always tender and fresh. Family run business husband wife hands on greet you at your table. Been coming here for years locals eat there and watch soccer at the bar which speaks volume. Sangria is authentic can catch up with you a pitcher can hit you when you you stand up!! Skip the restaurants by the prudential area and find this place. Decor is not high end, a bit noisy but fun place, your there to eat! read more

Sol-Mar - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Very disappointed Had dinner 2 adults and 2 kids They add tip to bill automatically wow for 4 people Shame on me for not checking bill only noticed when I got home after I tipped an additional 20% Shame on me and them read more

Business colleague & I were staying the night in Newark for a biz trip and we wanted to try a local restaurant. Yelp ranked it fairly high so we gave it a try. Broiled sausage appetizer was good and came out on fire...very cool! Friend had fish & I had chicken with pineapple. My friend didn't like the fish very much; my chicken was eh. The older waiter was nice, other waiter/host was rude after we ordered water (I guess he was mad we didn't order alcohol?) Not as good as it sounded on Yelp :-/ read more

Sol-Mar - Broiled Sausage - Careful, it's hot! - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I go here constantly....red sangria, shrimp w garlic sauce and the grilled octopus are my go tos and I've never been let down. This spot is a down neck staple if you're looking for an "ol reliable" and aren't a tourist who gets excited over Iberia. read more

This is the best restaurant i have went to hands down. Once i got in i thought that it was gonna be bad but I guessed wrong also when i came in their was two men and they sang happy birthday to me the service is amazing once the food came we all were just shocked by the way the food looked read more

Sol-Mar - Lobster, shrimp,crab,salmon - Portuguese Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Worst service and food I've ever had, the oven roasted veil is disgusting, the mash potatoes are not fresh. They're literally hungry jack boxed mash potatoes. Jorge is a terrible server and the owners don't care about the quality of service. I would recommend go anywhere but here. All of the food is terrible and cooks are drunk while cooking which may account for a lot. If I could give 0 stars I truly would. read more

The BEST seafood paella I've ever had. Food overall is very fresh and delicious . I love Portuguese food and this is my fav place

First time in this place. And it will be many more visits in the coming days. I have to say I was afraid a little bit because of the low ratings. They only have three and a half stars in yelp. They should have a least four. But I'm glad we went! Everything was great! The food was superb, and the service provided by our waiter Ramon was excellent! We asked for some recommendations, and he recommended some of the best dishes. The Rack of lamb was great! And my friends got the paella for two, it was delicious loaded with lots of seafood. They couldn't finish the whole thing. I had to help them, and still took some leftovers home for tomorrow. We didn't want to waist some good food. It was my friends birthday and Ramon brought us a flan with a candle and they sang to her. Thank you Solmar and Ramon for making a wonderful night for all of us. We'll be back soon! read more

Great seafood paella, friendly staff and I loved the ambiance. My second time here with a business partner. I've been here with my family. Wonderful for both. Easy parking in a lot across the street. read more

Authentic Portuguese food the way it is supposed to be. My home away from home #1 portuguese resturant in New Jersey. New York unfortunately has nothing close. read more

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