Spanish Tavern

Having not been down neck Newark for dinner in some time I was looking forward to hitting The Spanish Tavern before a show at the Prudential Center this past Sunday. With the Show early we arrived at 4PM for our 4:30PM reservation and decided to have small pitcher of Sangria with Fernando at the bar while we waited for a table. Make sure to ask for it a little «Forte» and Fernando will kick it up a notch with some Blackberry Brandy & Triple Sec the real secret Ingredients to the best Sangria.
Small 10 seat bar as you enter with main dining room off to the left and more dining areas downstairs for larger parties. Once seated timely by John, we enjoyed an ample order of Shrimp in delicious Garlic sauce that was enough for 3 or 4 persons at $ 10.95. The Rolls and butter were excellent for dipping as well.
More Sangria and it was complimentary Escarole & Beans soup. Certainly not my mother’s but it was quite tasty anyway. Moving on to Entrees first was Boneless Chicken Breast in Garlic Sauce. If it had had the same sauce as the shrimp this would have been a winner instead it was a bland watery type sauce that did absolutely nothing for the good quality chicken breast provided this dish unfortunately failed.
Medallions of filet mignon (20 oz.) sautéed with onions, garlic, and mushrooms were out of this world with great quality meat and delicious sauce on top, both entrees came with house rice cooked to perfection and homemade potato chips which were just delicious.
Desert was a sinful chocolate Oreo cake that was simply out of this world while espresso was hot and fresh.
All and all great ambience Chris our waiter an Fernando at the Bar were great servers, good solid quality product, great Sangria and a very nice option prior to any event in Newark or for that matter a designation in itself. Only knocks off for the bland chicken but 4.5 Stars is our barometer here.

Well, I feel a little bad about posting a 3 star rating because some portions of the experience would be rated a 5. Also I must consider that this was my first Portuguese meal and it may be more of not being ready for the new flavors.
I was staying at the Marriott at the airport and the Resturant has free pickup at the hotel and a return trip after the meal. That was great and the shuttle driver could not have been nicer.
When I arrived at the Resturant I chose to sit in the busy, close tabled, dining room. It was nice as most folks spoke Portuguese and it was interesting to hear them converse.
First came the delicious warm bread… it was so delicious, even though the butter was served in little plastic covered mini butters which you had to tear open.
Next came some non ordered «yellow split Pea Soup. It too was bland but with lots of pepper, delicious.
My main course was the big disappointment. I ordered filet and whole lobster. (52.95 which was reasonable)
The lobster was dry and very chewy tough. The drawn butter had a strange taste to it, which I attributed to my lack of a Portuguese taste.
The filet, which was large, had a bacon wrap which screamed «freezer». It also was very tough but, with added salt and pepper, was palatable.
I left half the lobster and almost the whole steak.
The service in the Resturant was extraordinary and the décor was nice. It was fun to listen to the conversations around me and they ALL seemed to be loving their food. SO, take my review with a grain of salt as I may not quite have the taste buds for Portuguese.

The customer service and food quality is great. What else do yiu expect ?! You should definitely try there. The amount of food is huge, so prepare to share!

Spanish tavern on a Friday night after work was nice and chill. Plenty of space in their private parking lot at 530p.
Jorge was our waiter and he was just awesome… I rate him 5 stars, but the fried calamari we had was a bit soggy… I like it crisp.
Shrimp in garlic sauce… mmmmmm dip some bread in butter in that bad boy sauce… delish and addicting!
Their paella marinera was tasty and it fed the 3 of us ladies with lots of leftovers… well we did order a pitcher and a half of white sangria… oh man that was good! Because of the sangria I was getting full.
I wasn’t fond of their cinnamon apple cheesecake and their chocolate cake was just ok. I’m a dessert freak so I was a bit disappointed.
Like I said, my review was based on the service. He really was great… always on top of everything and I appreciate that.
I can always come back here.

Okay, so me and my sister randomly just stumbled upon this place while we were in New Jersey handling business. I had Unilocaled some restaurants near by and it popped up I quickly scanned the reviews and said «Let’s try it.» We get inside and it’s all fancy looking I’m like uh oh hopefully we aren’t under dressed and our wallets might take a hit. So we sit down and the prices were really affordable. We were pleased! Our server George was really nice. They gave us complimentary soup that I fell in love with then me and my sis shared stuffed clams for appetizers YUM! I had the paella dish that came in a pot. I couldn’t even eat half I was so full. The food had so much flavor I was very satisfied. The pitcher of sangria was yummy as well. I live in Manhattan but Spanish Tavern, Newark will be seeing me again!

I was staying at a hotel near the Newark airport and what I knew with absolute certainty was that I didn’t want to be wandering around Newark not knowing where I was going. The Spanish Tavern has a complimentary shuttle from most of the area hotels, just let your front desk know and they will arrange it for you (FYI — Driver works on tips).
Strangely, no wine menu. They have wine but no wine menu. I ordered a chardonnay. Don’t do that. It wasn’t very good. That was when I noticed that all the locals had ordered the Sangria. So bring on the Sangria! Absolutely delicious.
Having never been before, we each ordered an entrée and an appetizer to share. OMG! So much food. First, they bring you a huge basket of bread and a bowl of soup. I forget what it was called but it had potatoes and collard greens. It was really tasty. We ordered the chorizo for our app. So perfectly cooked.
By the time the entrees came out, we still had a half plate of chorizo left and were already feeling pretty full. But we powered through. Bacon wrapped filet, which was one of the most tender steaks I have ever had. My dinner companion had the crab stuffed shrimp which looked great. Although each of our entrees had a starch and veggie on the plate, we were also served a plate of house made chips and rice.
I highly recommend the Spanish Tavern if you are a local or just passing through. The portions are enormous. If I could go back, I would eliminate an entrée and share.

I had this craving for paella one weekend, so my BF and I decided to swing by the Ironbound to pick up some food on the way home from the city. I was pretty hesistant to order from Spanish Tavern, having not tried them before, but their star rating on Unilocal helped sway my decision. Having been just the two of us for dinner, I had ordered the PAELLA MARINERA. I had also ordered a side salad and questioned if the paella came with a side of Spanish Potatoes (potato chips) and bread. The gentleman on the phone said that they didn’t come with potatoes but yes to the bread, so I left it at that.
I told that my order would be ready in 20 minutes. By the time I had entered the restaurant, my bag of food was already on the bar counter waiting for me. The host who happened to be the same person on the phone told me that he was able to throw in the potatoes as well! When I got home to open everything, I was immediately impressed. The side salad appeared very fresh with bib/​butter lettuce! (Nothing is more disappointing that iceberg lettuce). The Paella Marinera was huge and practically filled a 8×12″ aluminum tray. The seafood wasn’t the absolute freshest, but satisfactory to standards. The bread was fresh and soft just like it should have been.
Spanish Tavern did not disappoint for my first try, and I can’t wait to try them again, perhaps dine-​in!

Second visit to Spanish Tavern within 12 months and the consistency of the food and service supports my 5 star rating. Not to mention the owner remembered me from my last visit. Try it out… I don’t think you will be disappointed. If you are, ask for John and he will make it right. The way a family restaurant should be.

They start you off with lentil soup and bread, very tasty :)
I ordered the lamb chops… they were awesome !!

The service is excellent. Very friendly staff. My maricada was amazing. My husband’s Paella was a bit too salty for me. Nevertheless, I was surprised by how nice this restaurant was inside, compare to where it is located. We stopped by here before the concert at the Prudential center.

The Spanish tavern is a nice place to go for a date and such but the space seems cramped up.
I got lucky and got a seat near the wall.
I got a New York strip steak and it was cooked the way I wanted but it was heavy on the pepper.
My date got the pollo al ajillo which tasted great
Overall I enjoyed my visit here.
Service is great and food is great.
Highly recomennded

Average food sold expensive here. I had a paella which was ok but but not the best ever! Also the first rule of paella making, use a flat shallow dish, was violated.

Lots of food for decent money. They didn’t have our reservation for 16 but were very accommodating. The waiters were extremely personable which made the whole experience that more pleasant. And that’s not easy with a few kids at our table. Food was great, service was great.

I’ve eaten here many, many times – my uncle is a regular – and every time I am blown away by the Spanish Tavern. Service is great and the food is worth detouring for. The pulpo and branzino were fantastic today.

Amazing great tasting seafood the lobster with the vegetables was superb. Service was a little slow from the moment we walked in to the moment we left. Restaurant looked beautiful but was a little over crowded with tables a little too close together. Overall i had a nice experience just wasn’t really taken to another level.

I was in Newark with my family to catch the auditions for AGT at the NJ Performing Arts Center. The hotel we stayed at recommended the Spanish Tavern. Since it was about a 10 min drive from the hotel we decided to go. Well we were very happy upon entering the establishment. It is an old school restaurant where the waiters still where waist length jackets and ties. Very relaxed atmosphere and low lighting make it a great place for a romantic dinner for two. The menu was extensive and everything sounded fantastic.
We started with the fried calamari, which were good. It came with a cold tomato sauce for dipping and a lemon wedge. The breading was tasty and the calamari was firm. Then after that the complimentary soup of the day was ladled into our bowls. The soup was potato, leek and chorizo. It was tasty and very light which was a good start to our meal.
Then came our entrees. We had Stuffed Shrimp, Baked Salmon and Paella Marinera. All of the food arrived hot and all were delicious. There was so much that we left with doggy bags.
If you are in Newark and in the mood for good Spanish food, then head for the Spanish Tavern. You will not regret it.

If you are thinking about ordering the following:
Garlic Shrimp
Paella Valenciana or Marinera
Stuffed Scallops
Rack of Lamb
Shrimp with White Wine
The Veal
Kahlua Cheesecake
Strawberry Cheesecake
Red Velvet Cake
Sangria
definitely go for it. We were very happy with those mentioned — especially the Garlic Shrimp.
If you are thinking about ordering the Octopus with Olive Oil. I say try it. I was left a little disappointed by it after reading some reviews about how good it was. This was my first grilled octopus experience and I was looking for something better I suppose. But maybe for someone else it would be more satisfying. I wouldn’t knock it down completely.
Do not order the vegetables. The vegetables were either $ 11 or $ 18 — I don’t remember. But whatever it was, it was DEFINITELY overpriced. All we got was this little plate of carrots and beans. We were definitely disappointed by it.
The restaurant is very nice. The service was very attentive. My party of 6 and I were impressed with the service. Sangria glasses were always getting refilled. Bread was replaced once it was done. They even came around with complimentary soup (which was very good by the way) and explained exactly what it was. They brought out the dessert tray to show us what we could order, as well. The only thing that bothered me though was when I asked how many people the paella could feed. The server told me it was enough for 1 person. I must have looked at him for a good 3 minutes waiting for him to say «just kidding» but he didn’t. The paella is definitely good for 2 or more people. There is no way that the paella is made for one person only. He said that the meat is good for one person, but there is a lot of rice. Even then, the meat is definitely not good for just one person.
So moral of story is, the paella can definitely feed 2 or more people. I would even say 3 or more people instead of 2.
I would go back to Spanish Tavern and recommend it to others. I really liked what we ordered minus vegetables, and the service. We were well taken care of!

So this old style Spanish restaurant holds true to it old style value, great quality fresh food and not short on your plate. The host quick to greet you, well the bar tender delighted to serve you up a sangria! My drink was a red wine suggested by the bartender, very nice!
I start my meal off with the house soup (Spanish sausage and vegetable) the first taste is warming and savory, next appetizer is a grille octopus w/​capers, potatoes & olive oil (chilly red olive oil) not hot. Octopus was excellent! Nicely chargrilled not over cooked but not too tender, perfect! Main entre the Cazuela de Marisco con arroz caldos. This is a two person meal you won’t be disappointed! The flavor from the saffron and all the seafood and peppers sautéed into the rice, there is where the flavor is held!
STOP READING AND GO EAT!

Staying at the Marriott near Newark airport to catch an early flight with no car. They come and pick you up which is a 10 min drive then take you back when finished. Food was very good and so was the service. Not in a great area so initially concerned when we got there, but inside was done up very nice. Highly recommend this place, you won’t be disappointed.

Was in the mood for something different and had to get out of my hotel. This place was a short über ride away.
This place is great. I was there a little early (530) with my group and it was pretty empty. We were seated and the staff did a fantastic job of not rushing us or pressuring us to make choices until we were ready. We got a ton of food and the portions are big enough to share. We got the tomato and onion salad along with the Spanish sausage.
They came around with free soup too. It was split pea. Tasted good, tasted fresh.
We got a fillet steak, pork chops, and seafood paella for everyone and it was amazing. Pork chips were slightly over done but the flavor was spot on. Steak was 20oz…20oz for a fillet!!! Cooked medium and to perfection. Paella was also great and flavorful, it came with a half of a whole lobster. Very good!
Deserts were basic, nothing special. We had tres leches and oreo cheesecake.
Great wine list and amazing prices!!!