Taste of Portugal

Mixed beef plate very good. Service and attention even better. Owner gave us an oporto on the house. That’s the kind of treatment you deserve. Highly recommend it.

This place really impressed me. It’s authentic and inviting. We had dinner at the more casual bar dining room but they also have a more formal classic dining room. The owner stopped by the table twice and the waitresses offered the best service one could ask for. My fork fell to the floor as I was finishing cooling my filet on a stone and before I could bend down to pick it up from the floor I had a new one on the table.
Everyone at my table was very pleased with the food. The Portuguese sausage was really tasty and my filet was top quality including the extra sauce which was light and flavorful. The Portuguese style rice and beans were also well-​spiced.
I’m not going to take any stars off for the fact that the ambiance isn’t trendy or for the fact that the location is off the beaten path because this place is what it is and doesn’t pretend to be anything it is not. You come here for good Portuguese food in an authentic classic ambiance.

The filet on a stone was fresh, tender, and delicious. However, our other dishes were very so-​so. Also, they gave us cold bread and frozen butter to start. Definitely wasn’t happy about that. I didn’t care too much for the rice and beans that came with the filet either. A bit soggy and flavorless.
If it weren’t for the filet on a stone, this review would’ve gotten 2 stars max. Because it’s Newark, I’m a bit more lenient too.

Probably my favorite Portuguese restaurant in the Ironbound. Everything on the menu is great and yes I have tried most of it. I also really like the atmosphere it is a more modern Portuguese atmosphere.

Got there at 6p on a Saturday without reservations and was seated immediately in the dining room. Ordered shrimp scampi and octopus salad for myself. My friend ordered the stuffed filet of sole. Everything was delicious! Their homemade garlic butter is fabulous… as is their sangria! Their prices are very reasonable too. Will definitely be going back.

My husband introduced me to this place back when we were dating. This place is truly a hidden gem in the Ironbound section of Newark. The garlic shrimp and clams casino are delicious and have never let us down as appetizers. I get the filet on the stone every time and have never been let down. It is always delicious and the yellow rice and beans compliment it wonderfully. My husband tends to vary what has and has never had a complaint about what he had. They have a fabulous wine selection. The red sangria is a great fresh addition to your experience/​meal. The service has always been great even on the busiest of nights. While we have never sat at the bar it always seems to be busy. I would highly recommend Taste of Portugal to anyone.

This place is a hidden gem that has great food, great service and great value. The Portuguese Shell Steak is awesome… tasty, well cooked and topped with ham and an egg… with a salad, sautéed potatoes, onions, peppers and gravy… all for $ 20…are you fnkm??? Killer!
Wine is $ 5 a glass too.
Run dont walk here.

We visited A Taste of Portugal this past Saturday evening. The filet on the stone was amazingly delicious. Two of my party ordered the stuffed lobster tails. They were totally overcooked and the stuffing was not crabmeat stuffing as was advertised, but something like a mashed potato. We told the waiter about the lobster and was not offered another entrée nor was it taken off/​discounted off our bill. Another person in our party had the swordfish which was very fishy. The tres leches dessert was the best I’ve ever had. If I go back, I will definitely get the filet on the stone and the tres leches for dessert! Hold the fish!

Service was O. K I ordered a dish from the special menu chicken breast with shrimp. The shrimp was over cooked the chicken had no type of seasoning. The only thing that was good was my son’s chicken fingers. My husband ordered the stuffed lobster which was mediocre at best.

Pretty setting, spacious, clean dining area and brightly lit. Kind and attentive service. we went on a Thursday night and only two other tables however the bar seemed busy. I had filet mignon on a stone — meat was not as tender as I’ve had in the past and a bit fatty. The red beans and rice were bland and starchy. Mom had the red snapper and sister had the kebobs — both were ok, however just didn’t hit the mark. Bathroom could have used a nice scrub–
Parking stinks and don’t even bother trying their parking lot!

Place as quiet and clean. I took 2 clients for lunch. One had Portugal Prime Rib, the other a grilled Prime Rib, I had liquid and shrimp calamari. The grilled Prime Rib was little tuff. the other meals were very good.
The service was very very good. Drinks were cold. I would return again.

Great food and great atmosphere. I have dined here twice with friends. Don’t be discouraged by the shortage of parking in the area. The great food, warm environment, and hospitable staff more than makeup for the parking challenges. I can tell you we have always been greeted within a few minutes of walking in the door. Last night was especially busy and we enjoyed a drink at the bar while waiting for our table. Our table was dressed with two linen clothes, silverware, drinking glasses, and linen napkins. Several servers took care of our table throughout the evening making it easier for us to place drink orders, appetizers, get extra bread and water, etc. A pitcher of sangria is a must! We have ordered the following: red sangria, filet mignon, Chilean sea bass, grilled salmon, paella Valencia, seafood paella, seafood linguini, and the Pork and Clams dish. Every entrée was delicious and every portion generous. Plan to leave with a doggie bag. The drinks were also top shelf. Grey Goose Martinis and Absolut Citron for the lemon drops. The only thing that ever disappointed us was the dessert. The flan surprising lacked flavor, but the tres leches cake was remarkable. You can’t go wrong with the entrees but ask your server for their take on dessert! This is a wonderful family restaurant well worth the trek into the residential section of the Ironbound.

Great lunch with friends. Best salmon I ever had, cooked perfectly. The owner and staff are great and service is always excellent.

Both the ambience and food were great. The service was wonderful. I highly recommend this restaurant.

I met some friends here for dinner. Every menu item has meat, fish or some kind of dairy in it. Every single item. As a vegan, I always review the menu before going to a restaurant and I figured this was going to be the kind of place that only offered salad for vegans and I was prepared for that. To my delight that wasn’t the case here. The chef prepared me a special Vegan Paella the was absolutely to die for. I loved it! And the sangria? Delicious! Best I’ve ever had and I’ve had plenty. Will be back for sure.

Went there with my husband and another couple last night for dinner and it was fantastic! I’ve been there years ago and enjoyed it and I knew my friends would enjoy it also. I ordered the broiled octopus with onions and peppers as did my friends boyfriend and we both enjoyed it very much. The octopus was cooked perfectly and the onions and peppers were soooo goood. My husband ordered the garlic chicken and he was also pleased. I dipped some bread in his garlic sauce (lol the Portuguese in me made me do it) and I looooved it! My other friend had the mussels in a spicy red sauce at her meal and it was also delicious. For dessert my friends ordered the flan which they loved. I ordered the orange sorbet. I heard that they order the sorbets from nastos in Newark. Everything at nastos is awesome and so was this sorbet! My husband had the strawberry cheesecake and he enjoyed that as well. I took a bite and thought it was pretty good! Overall a great night! The place wasn’t crowded (which I thought was weird for a Friday night). The parking lot was full so after going around the block once we found a spot across the street. The restaurant itself isn’t in the nicest area but it sure is worth going!

Pretty good, but too pricey in my opinion, especially in the Ironbound where great eats at better prices can be had. Some of the dishes also aren’t authentically Portuguese, but I can’t knock them because chicken drizzled in creamy sauce always make me happy.
In short, Taste of Portugal is okay. For Portuguese food, I still prefer Portugalia on Ferry Street.

This is a decent Portuguese/​Spanish restaurant among many similar places in Newark. The food is quite good, although not outstanding. I do recommend the sangria however. Service is very friendly, but can be painfully slow on a Friday or Saturday evening when it’s crowded. The dining room is also VERY loud on weekend nights, with large groups talking & laughing loudly. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good place to go and have a group dinner, especially if your friends & family are in high spirits. The prices are reasonable, and parking is a breeze right across the street. I would recommend any of the seafood dishes. The shrimp cocktail was a standout in terms of the quality of the shrimp. The sauce was mostly catsup though. I’d go again, as long as I wasn’t planning a romantic, quiet dinner for two.

Oh man, get the Beef a la piedra. It. is. fantastic. Garlic butter, a great cut of meat, and it sits there sizzling while you eat.
I’ve also tried the sole, portugese sausage, the octopus and rice (not for me), and the ham plate. Aside from my own personal misgivings (texture, not taste) about the octopus, all were well prepared and had great taste!

I’ve known Pedro (the owner) from when he worked at O’Connor’s in Kearny so I’m biased.
But this place is killer… their ‘steak on a stone’ could even get the CEO of PETA to re-​think their position.
I’ve had a slew of good times here (even if I can’t remember half of them).