Terra Nostra Cafe & Grill

The owner of this place is very passionate about making sure that customers have a great experience. The chicken sandwich had really good quality chicken. My family had many dishes, all delicious. Highly recommended.

By far the best Portuguese in that area. I’ve tried @ least 5 of them on bloomfield ave. The chicken is amazing!

I tried this place out because friends from work live nearby the restaraunt and are always talking about it. They said the food was excellent and you can’t beat the value… Well they were right! I had the ribs and fries… The leftovers that I could not finish were nearly as delicious the next day! On top of it they threw in this tasty custard pastry for my first visit (there is always room for desert) that the owners brother had made that morning. The service was great, the owner came and introduced himself and asked how we heard of his place and was extremely friendly. The atmosphere was really nothing special which is why I gave it 4 stars and not 5 but the staff was extremely friendly and i really wasn’t expecting a fancy place anyway. Overall I had a great experience and you can’t beat the ribs!

We went here because of the 44 4 and 5 star reviews. We had half the roast chicken for a shared app, and then got the seafood platter in green sauce — enough for two — because of recommendations below.
The half chicken was really terrific.
We began on the seafood. The sauce was almost flavorless. The yellow rice was way too salty. And the lobster tasted BAD. We didn’t finish our meal because we were afraid of getting sick.
Before we ordered, I asked for some ice for my water. Our server told us that they didn’t have any ice!!!
This was Newark, folks… not some third world country. I’m 59 years old and have NEVER been in a food establishment that doesn’t have ice. THAT should have been our sign.
And speaking of signs… there was a sign in the window that said FOR SALE.
So…eat here at your own risk!

Terra Nostra is the best kept secret for Portuguese cuisine that NJ has to offer!!!
My friend recommended this place to me and to be honest with you, I’m very skeptic when it comes to Portuguese/​Spanish food… but WOW did Terra Nostra impress!!! We had the skirt steak (cooked to perfection!); the spicy picadinho w/​chicken (it really packed a punch!) and the pork chops (phenomenal). The portions are F’n huge! Bring your appetite! The food is only trumped by their service.
There are a ton of Portuguese/​Spanish restaurants in this area, but I’m GUARANTEEING you that none will leave as satisfied as Terra Nostra.

Ok, I came here to celebrate my last day in Jersey. The usual suspects were there: Los X., Daniel C., and Johannes R.
And as usual, we were served an immense amount of food.
The picadinho was superb – just the right amount of kick.
The shrimp apps nailed it again.
But the winner of the night was the seafood platter. Well, it was a trough actually. Clams, mussels, lobster, shrimp and scallops all floating in a cilantro-​infused broth. My God… This dish was soooo freakin’ good. I can’t say enough. I forced myself to eat more. No one could stop me. The other guys were telling me to relax; I didn’t pay attention.
This may have been the best meal I’ve had all year…

I love this place! Great family owned bbq (not Southern Style), very large portions for the money, love the spicy chicken and the vegetables (ok, so dad prefers the fries) but where else can you eat for 12 bucks? Three of use eat fine with a full order and there is still some left for lunch the next day!

It was my husband who introduced me to this restaurant. He initally went to eat there with friends and loved it. It’s on Bloomfield Ave. in Newark and so I initially thought, «A Portuguese restaurant away from the Ironbound section??? I hope this is good.» Then you arrive there, and it’s quite a small cozy restaurant and at this point I’m crossing my fingers that I can eat a decent dinner. Well, to my very pleasant surprise the food was simply amazing! In fact, it was so incredibly delcious that I decided to celebrate my birthday there with friends.
I am not sure if he has it in the menu yet, but the spicy shrimp with chorizo is to die for! Aside from the heat, which I am obviously a fan of, the dish packs great flavor and it hits you from every angle. My second favorite dish would be his mariscada in the salsa verde sauce. Again, his flavor combinations are just simply amazing. It has every seafood from lobster to scallops to mussels all swimming in this fresh tasting green sauce that will knock your socks off! I lick my fingers everytime I have this dish… so a must try for you Unilocalers out there. His chicken is fall off the bone greatness. It is truly that tender. But he manages to make the skin crispy. What!!! Superb! finally, his salad (yes, I am actually raving about a plate of greens) is also not to be missed. The grilled vegetables over the greens with the gorgonzola cheese and homemade garlic vinegrette sauce is quite refreshing and tastes absolutely great. The only criticism I may have… and I’m digging deep here, is the steak is a little on the tough side. I usually like my steak medium rare, and it was definitely well done. But do love it Portuguese style with the egg on top. Yumm!
Oh and the best part… it’s BYOB (oh, and there’s a liquor store across the street if you happen to have forgotten your bottle, yay!).
Lastly, the owner is an outstanding man. I have met him the first time we ate there and he constantly checks on us and makes sure our dining experience is up-​to-​par. Service is definitely good here too! Now that I wrote all this I’m quite hungry and on my way there to eat that shrimp =). Try this place out fellow Unilocalers… i guarantee you will love the food here. Better than any of those restaurants in the Ironbound section, that’s for sure!

With my suggestion, the owner of this establishment listened and decided to «unofficially» include Mariscada en Salsa Verde on the menu.
If the proprietor should decide to expand their space to accomodate larger parties, i believe that Terra Nostra will solidy it’s place among the elite Portuguese establishements in the Newark /​Bloomfield area. As a matter of fact, the pontiental of this restaurant to be better than anything that NJ or NY has produced thus far is very high. Terra Nostra has certainly exceeded any expectations that I have had in every visit.
And oh, i failed to mention from my initial review about their Dobrada… It’s only their signature dish! Pig knuckles & tripe just doesn’t get any better.
Dan, prepare my table, the VIP is coming.

Quaint friendly family owned bistro located in Newark’s infamous North Ward. Not your ordinary chicken and rib take out place. Portuguese food taken to a new level with a handful of signature dishes, fresh made soup and desserts, and a nice hot expresso to «top off» the dining experience. Everything on menu is competitively priced.

Great place! The food is amazing! Even though the decorations are simple, the food surpasses all expections. Try the seafood paella. The owners sometimes will be the ones serving and will sit down with you. Very hommy feel.