Second time here. Â They close early for dine in - 8.30 pm so last seating is at 8pm. Â Came around 7 on Friday. Â It was initially empty but around 7.30 the place was packed!
Bitoque bitoque bitoque!! Â Grilled steak topped with sunny side up egg topped with a mountain of home made chips. Â And there is the brown sauce. Â SO GOOD.
Had fish here too... Definitely moist and tender but honestly I think next time both of us will each order a bitoque.
BYOB.
Love the food, my favorite is the Chicken a la jade (chicken and shrimp dish with a creamy sauce) - my favorite thing about this place is their Spanish chips. I can eat them all day. Plus I can order a fresh shot of expresso to go!
I usually order this with coworkers (I work in Union) - they deliver, but because they make everything fresh to order, it takes a little longer to get the food. Call early to order in case they are busy.
1st time here & just an FYI the setup is more like a sandwich shop--there are about 6-7 tables(incl 3 where one side is a continuous booth right under a TV) & for drinks you have to help yourself from the case. Â Napkins from the old-time diner holders though they give you a larger one with your setting--bare wood tables & chairs. Â I had to switch mine with one that was rickety but this was a Thursday nite so it wasn't full.
Parking on the street depending on when you go could be a problem but it was fine when we went.
There were a young what could have been brother & sister. Â The young woman was very polite. Â Bread brought was warmed so pretty good. Â We got the grilled calamari appetizer which was large thing rings in a garlic sauce with a bruchetta type topping. Â Calamari was very tender & tasty. Â It's a BYOB so we had soft drinks. Â Our entrees were beef short ribs & salmon. Â Both came with black beans/rice mixture with seasoned fries. Â Main dishes were very tasty, short ribs stood well on their own only 2 ribs but both very large with plenty of meat. Â My 1st time having black beans they were soft & mild, rice was tasty, fries seasoned perfectly-almost didnt need ketchup.
Desserts included flan & red velvet cake. Â Flan was dense but not overpowering, cake was fresh, icing creamy/sugary blend which could use a bit less sugar.
We both had cappucino which was in big mugs frothy to the end, not very strong but still tasty(for those who like it very strong it could have used a shot of expresso)
Service was ok--keeping in mind that our server was also servicing walk-ins as well as answering the phone.
Prices were appy $10, entrees $15 - $16, desserts $4/ea, cappucino $3.50--all of these prices are quite reasonable; Â however, our soft drinks were a snapple & iced tea in 20oz bottles totalled $5.80 which is a bit high.
So for 1 appy, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, 2 cappucinos with tax/tip came to $72 which is reasonable.
There are many other things on the menu that I would like to try so if my next experience could change my rating I will certainly adjust it.
I prefer to give a detailed rating as opposed to just saying I liked it or I didn't.
For me I rate a restaurant in 4 categories in order of importance:
Food
Service
Value
Décor/ambience/misc
If you're wondering why this is the order for me I rather have great food & so-so service than the other way around. Â You can always plan around a slower evening to make it just as enjoyable but not around mediocre food whether it's fast or slow paced.
My 3rd item I call value instead of price because based on the taste & serving portion of the item compared to similar items at other restaurants tells me if it's a good value. Â For instance the best steak I've ever had to date runs about $44 but besides being delicious(a way to tell is it stands on its own w/o adding any sauces) it is boneless & about 24oz so you get two good meals.
Food(2.0), service(1.5), value(1.0) & décor/ambience/misc(0.5)
I then take the # stars for each category & multiply by the # in parentheses then divide by 5 to get my final rating. If the final average is exactly 1/2 I'll round up or down depending on other reviews.
So my calculations are as follows:
FOOD Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4.5 x 2 = 9.0
SERVICE Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3.5 x 1.5 = 5.25
VALUE Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4 x 1 = Â 4
AMBIENCE/OTHER Â Â Â Â Â Â 3.0 x .5 = 3.0
Total pts 21.25 divided by 5 = 4.05 which rounds to 4
My co-worker is on first name basis with the owner (Sandra). It's an ok spot. The sunny fiesta is good. I'm a sucker for dishes with fried egg top over anything.
The Portuguese fried are awesome but I refuse to eat it.
I enjoy having lunch here ignoring my co-working and catching up on my news from cnn from the flat screen.
This place is a jem- and not many people know about it which is another plus. I've been here a total of 3 times over 2 years and don't know how it's managed to stay under the radar. But this will probably change things- the food is portuguese, and it's very good not like the overbearing glorified restaurants in Newark- this place is better.
Have the barbeque chicken, or the picanha (top sirlon), or the cod. Â You can't go wrong- just note this place is very low key. And it's a b.y.o.b
This place has a very warm feel to it. Â It's small and cozy. Â I had a wrap with fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers and grilled chicken. Â It had potential to be really good but the grilled chicken was bland. Â I don't even think it was seasoned. Â The fries, however, were delicious! Â My only complaint with them was they were sliced really thin so you had to eat 3 or 4 at a time to feel like you had one in your mouth. Â The person I was with had an appetizer with empanadas and cod fish and shrimp patties. Â His dish was delicious so the food definitely has potential.
Prices range from $5-13 dollars for appetizers, salads, wraps and sandwiches. Â They also have a dessert case with some tasty Portuguese treats. Â Worth a try if you're in the area.