Surf and turf was delicious. Great service and great sangria . Little chocolates given to the ladies tonight for Valentine's Day.

Thank you to Ria Mar for providing lunch for teacher appreciation day! It was a wonderful meal! Thank you so very much. read more

Avo's Ria Mar - Chicken Francaise - Bars Near Me - South River, New Jersey

The restaurant is beautiful. The staff is excellent. The food, well I've had much better. I ordered the skirt steak which was tough. Husband had the lobster tails, and they looked strange. He said he's had much better. Sangria and flan for dessert were good.. Not what we expected but you can try it. Just order something else. read more

We came here to take out my in-laws for a nice place to eat. I was interested to try Portuguese cuisine. The inside is very pretty and this would be a good place for any event or date night. Our waiter was nice and the staff was attentive. If you come here, you MUST get the Sangria. They have both red and white. We got a pitcher of the red. It was strong and absolutely delicious. There was enough for all 5 of us to have several servings. They started us off with salad and HUGE bread. The salad tasted like it only had olive oil on it as a dressing. Be careful when eating the black olives, they still have the pit inside. I got the seafood paella. The rice was very moist, but didn't have much flavor. I guess I was expecting herbs or spices... But perhaps this is normal for Portuguese cuisine ? I don't know since this was my first time trying it. The seafood also didn't have much flavor, with the exception of the scallops. Those were fantastic. I tried a bite of the chicken and sausage paella and it was good. Same types of flavors. My husband got the veal chops and omg those were A-Maz-Ing ! Truly the star of the meal. Such dynamic flavor. They were moist, meaty, and had the perfect seasoning. You MUST get these. The portion sizes for everything are huge ! I will definitely have enough for a SECOND dinner. Really, you could just order one paella dish and share it and be fine. For dessert I shared what seemed like a Portuguese tiramisu. It was ladyfingers soaked in almond liquor, mascarpone, and carmel. It was light and good. They also got the apple tart and said it was a normal expectation of a tart, nothing special. This is a very nice place and if you order the right items, you will have a fabulous meal. read more

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Hoping that the construction affected the experience...the food and dining experience was disappointing. The bread, though rustic was terrible. The squid appetizer was rubbery and made from frozen. The shrimp as well. The Portuguese chorizo was the best part of the meal. Also had the veal medallion and the sauce though plentiful was cold. Salad was brown edged and the sides were made from frozen veggies as well. I'm all for large portions but no amount saffron rice can make up for where the other food comes up short. Desserts were above average and good. But everything else... 3 stars for dessert and service. Hope post construction things get better for who goes there. read more

I'll start off by saying the food here is very good. They have a fresh selection and while it may be on the pricier side, it's what you might expect to pay for well prepared and fresh seafood on the East Coast. But here's the problem. I came in on a Friday night in January 2021 for a pickup. The owner/manager (I presume) was not wearing a mask when I entered and he directed me to the bar area to pay for my pickup. Upon walking up the stairs, I discovered that there were dozens of people crammed into a very small space and not a SINGLE customer in the room was wearing a mask or observing any social distancing protocols whatsoever. To make matters worse, customers were very loud and shouting at each other from across the table in an effort to be heard in this small space - which as we know from the proven data, is a major cause of super spreader gatherings. In an effort to pay for my order, my only choice was to squeeze sideways in between two tables at the bar that were definitely not 6 feet apart (the patron would have bumped the person's chair behind them if they scooted back to stand up). For the first time in 10 months despite having been quite active in malls, grocery stores, and in multiple-dozens of restaurants for pick up orders during the pandemic, this was the first time I was legitimately concerned about my safety. Weeks later, I am still horrified at what I saw which is why I'm going public with this review. Despite having good food, I cannot in good faith recommend this restaurant and their clear lack of concern for their community. The behavior observed here including the lack of distancing, mask enforcement, and the fact that 45-50 people were packed in this small unventilated space is not only irresponsible and ignorant, but reckless and downright dangerous. If this is what is being practiced in full public view, what kind of protocols are being observed in the food preparation areas? I shudder at the thought. I had heard about health accusations many months prior on public social media circles. Specifically, I heard that the state was currently investigating Ria Mar for pandemic health violations. The owners insisted that none of it was true and that they would be vindicated. In all honesty, I completely forgot about the allegations until I stepped foot in the restaurant and recalled what I had read after I got home. Based on what I witnessed first hand months later after these charges, it seems they've learned nothing and are staying the course. If none of those complaints are accurate, there should most certainly be a case made against them now. Do not take your business to a place that puts the community's health at risk in such a reckless fashion. Shame on you, Ria Mar. It is establishments like this that are preventing us all to going back to 'normal' where we can frequent restaurants like Ria Mar on a daily basis without the risk of being infected or spreading the virus to other patrons. Either way, I will definitely not be spending another dollar at Ria Mar now or after the pandemic. read more

This was a unique experience for my family, and I don't yet have many other Portuguese restaurants to compare with. Nevertheless we were extraordinarily pleased. -Portions were intimidating. I think we would have had leftovers for more 2 days if we hadn't been aggressively diving into our dishes the night we dined. -Flavors came through on everything, particularly with the seafood elements. I don't have the expertise to comment on seafood quality, but it was never a deterrent. The dishes? The pork and clams Aletajana were eye opening with innumerable crispy cubes, still juicy with some rendered fat and the encompassing sauce. I was impressed by how much crab was in the stuffed flounder-- the fish wasn't a star for me, perhaps because the gravy was such a win. The paelha was intimidating -- it looks like a lot of rice and then you just KEEP finding creatures. Oh, the bread and sauces are a meal on their own. read more

My family and I have been patrons of Ria Mar for over 25 years. Consistently good food and great service. Love the pork picadino appetizer and the seafood options but have to say you can rarely have an issue with the food here. Plentiful portions and if you want to drink alcoholic beverages the Sangrias are delicious snd they pour strong drinks too. Many family events and milestones have been celebrated here. There's a more formal dining room as well as a bar area with lots of seating too! read more

Awesome food n staff Love going with my husband n friends. Great atmosphere n from the minute you walk in they are not letting you wait Will def go back read more

Great food, nice atmosphere, definitely worth checking out The sangria is amazing a must try.. read more

Avo's Ria Mar - Chicken Francaise was amazing - Bars Near Me - South River, New Jersey

I still want to visit Portugal and after eating at Ria Mar it makes me want to go even more as the Paelha, codfish and tapas along with the fantastic recommendations from Ricardo on the wines made the dining experience so enjoyable. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this place as we celebrated a birthday and caught up with a good friend. Definitely worth the drive to eat here. read more

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The food was great. The sangria was delicious. Service was great. All the tables were full but it wasn't a long wait for our food. We had the skirt steak, and broiled fish. Unfortunately the server didn't pack my sides to go and I didn't have rice for my leftover steak. Would recommend and will go back. read more

I ordered take out of Grouper,Paella and Picadonho for 7 adults and it was amazing. It came with mix veggies and 3 loafs of bread. Natalia was wonderful. I will definitely be ordering take out again. read more

Great place, food , quality, cleanliness, service , pricing , quantities were great and will go back with the family !!

RIA MAR is a wonderful Portuguese/Spanish restaurant Food is reasonably priced, portioned well and extremely fresh. My families favorites include the pichadillo with chorizo, stuffed mushrooms and garlic shrimp for appetizers. My wife swears by their paella valenciana I enjoy the veal ria mar tender veal medallions in a red sherry sauce Dinner includes fresh portuguese bread and salad. The red or white sangria is excellent quite strong Be careful it sneaks up on you The place gets very crowded reservations are highly recommended. there is a huge parking lot The bar is large with many seats, several televisions You are welcome to eat at the bar as well as the dining room Party rooms are available...the party menu and setup is second to none. read more

Avo's Ria Mar - Party room - Bars Near Me - South River, New Jersey

It has been a while since dining at Ria Mar. My husband and I stopped in early evening yesterday for dinner. We didn't know that the dining area had moved and were pleasantly surprised. It was beautifully decorated with a warm atmosphere. Our waiter (sorry forgot his name) was wonderful and our meals delicious. My husband had the shrimp and scallops in green sauce and I had the shrimp in yellow rice. Definitely worth a dining experience!! read more

Food has always been great there for many years that I've been going there. Servers always strive for the best they can give you. One of the best restaurants in town! read more

I celebrated my daughter's Sweet 16 recently and I'd give Ria Mar 10 Stars if possible! Natalia, Paul, Rui and their staff were phenomenal! They are very nice and accommodating. The food was delicious! The service was excellent! I highly recommend Ria Mar! Thank you again for such fine dining and service! read more

This place was great! Staff was very friendly and attentive. We ordered the red sangria and it was so STRONG, definitely worth the money. The rest of the food was awesome too. Everything tasted very fresh and the dinner portions are huge. Will be going back! read more

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A hidden gem off route 18. Great food, great service and an excellent atmosphere. This location is off the beaten trail but for lunch or dinner, it's a great choice!! read more

My go to bar... great service, friendly staff. Sangria is amazing. They have some really good daily specials.

Excellent birthday dinner for the wife. Waiter brought delicious Portuguese bread and salad to the table, even before ordering. (Only complaint is that the bread was cold.) Pitcher of red sangria was right on spot. We had the mussels in red sauce as an appetizer, but it was so good, I could have had 3 helpings as a main course. My wife had the Seafood in Rice Portuguese Style - Arroz de Marisco and I had the Stuffed Flunder. Look at the pictures and try to tell me your mouth is not watering! read more

Avo's Ria Mar - Seafood in Rice Portuguese Style - Arroz de Marisco - Bars Near Me - South River, New Jersey

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Perfect for date night. Big bar in the middle with regular customers. We love the grilled meat and seafood. Octopus is mouth watering. Last time I had a lentil soup and it was delicious. This our #1 favorite spot. read more

Been here a few times over the last few years and its been a pretty good dining experience each time. Quality of food is usually pretty good. Service is usually good and friendly. They're packed every time I've been here so that says a lot. read more

Went to Ria-Mar for first time tonight for dinner. From the minute we walked in very impressed......decor lovely. Seating well placed. Server was immediate and very attentive. First they serve you bread and a basic iceberg lettuce salad....dressing was delish. Not a fan of iceberg but it was enjoyable. I don't eat bread but hubby enjoyed it. Appetizer was calamari (as you will see from pic we ate it immediately) it was fresh....batter was tasteful. Sauce was spot on Main course. I had the broiled salmon with green sauce. It's served with boiled potatoes carrots and green beans....not impressed with the veggies but it was a nice compliment to the fish that was cooked to perfection. Hubby ate the steak...new York strip. Portion was huge. His served with mashed instead of boiled potatoes. He said it was delish We did not order dessert but we saw some go by and they all looked delicious. We will definitely be returning. read more

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We haven't been to Ria Mar since the construction. Our previous visits pver the years was never disappointing. We started eating in the Bar over the past 5 years. It is more casual, friendly and the service is great. Our recent trip on 11/11/2023 was no different except due to the construction and me being handicapped, getting into the bar would be challenging. Management understood my issue and personally escorted to the Bar area. I had the stuffed Flounder and Kim had the Skirt Steak. Both did not disappoint. No one makes Sangria Better than Victor. We have been going there for over 25 years and have never been disappointed. read more

To celebrate my aunt's birthday, the family decided to treat her to dinner at Ria Mar. Wow...this place was packed on a Sunday night no less (I think Monday being Columbus Day, with people maybe having the day off contributed) as the private parking lot was full, but I was able to get a spot within 3 minutes. The restaurant was decorated with many nautical themes, comprised of many paintings of seascapes around the dining area (which some were a bit chintzy), but overall nothing detrimental. My group was already seated when I arrived, and were quite comfortable in a corner area comprised of a booth benches and regular chairs. The complementary Portuguese bread was okay, with some of my group absolutely going gaga over it, but I was less enthusiastic; I found it a bit hard and dry. Though it makes a great dipping bread....more on that later. Ria Mar's salad was enjoyable as the tart vinegar dressing was to my liking, and all the vegetables were very fresh. Our table ordered three portions of Ria Mar's appetizer medley (not on their website menu) comprised of grilled Portuguese pork sausage, grilled pork cubes, grilled shrimp, grilled squid, pickles, and black olives. I particularly liked both the pork items and the shrimp, but the squid was overcooked and rubbery. For my entree I was debating between Ria Mar's Ribeye steak (again not on their website menu), and ultimately chose the Veal Portuguese style with rice and vegetables. I was pleased with my Veal dish, as my favorite part of the dish was the The Veal was cooked very to a very tender level, but Veal can be a bit of a blank canvas (lacking the flavor of beef), but that missing flavor was supplanted by the rich beef gravy full of garlic cloves and a pleasant taste of white wine. Served with the Veal were accompanying rice and vegetables which were both tasty, especially the rice when coated with the aforementioned beef gravy. My sister's Ribeye was average at best. It was cooked to her requested medium rare, but the steak was pretty bland and rather lean; lacking the delicious pockets of fat typical of a Ribeye. Adding to her assessment was the char on the steak which was pretty, but resulted in a slight burnt acrid carbon taste. Other family members ordered seafood dishes ranging from the Stuffed Flounder, Paella, Grilled Salmon, Red Snapper, and Sea Bass. They all enjoyed their dishes, so I clearly think seafood is the way to go here, as Portuguese cuisine is definitely more seafood-centric. read more

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Ordered Dinner for tonight's dinner food was delicious !! Staff was friendly and even helped Me to my car. read more

Been here various times. This review is based on my first time ordering takeout during the stay at home order. Picadinho Misto always fantastic. Chicken in garlic sauce was also great. Disappointed with the grilled skirt steak. Too thick, not cooked at the temperature I requested and flavorless. My real concern however was ordering and paying ahead of time so I wouldn't need to go inside the restaurant. Confirmed with staff that I'd be able to do curbside pick up. Gentlemen said "no problem. Call when you're outside and we will come out". Yes problem. When I got there, I tried calling 8 times in a span of 5 minutes. Busy all 8 times. Couldn't get through. My husband decided to go in. Confusion. About 4 people waiting in the vestibule. A couple more waiting by the bar area. No social distancing whatsoever. 5 employees around the bar surrounded by a numerous amounts of orders waiting to be picked up. No one seems to know what to do to. Customers visibly upset and frustrated. 2 of the employees wearing masks incorrectly. A better system must be set in place. We support our local restaurants a couple times a week. But I cannot support a business if I don't feel safe when takeout is this tedious and complicated. I know they can do better. read more

This restaurant never disappoints. Got a table easily without a reservation, food is excellent, drinks are amazing, service is top notch! The paella is my favorite!! Can't wait to go back. read more

I can't complaint about this place one of the best place in the area price is reasonable for food and service ... one of the best service ever read more

Booked a reservation on Valentine's day for me and my girl. First time ever going and heard nothing but good things and wanted to give it a try. Got seated at a table that was as small as can be. Couldn't fit our dinner and sangria pitcher on it all together. Very uncomfortable. Waiter was not very attentive, hardly ever came back to the table to check on anything. Had to literally lift my soda glass in the air 4 times and signal for a refill 4 times. Diner was good as we both ordered the same thing the "Sea food pelea". The sangria was ok. Now comes the part that made me write this review. We had leftovers that were wrapped to bring home. We wrapped both of ours together. I knew what I ate because I had an upset stomach and i didn't eat much of the seafood that was in the pot. I ate the lobster and crab but left the mussels and clams which was a lot left over, and even spoke about having lunch for tomorrow with my girl. And she also had a few clams and mussels left over. Fast forward to now and I open the left over that mind u was taken from the table and wrapped in the back by the waiter. There is 2 clams in it and rice. None of the other seafood is in it. I know what I had left and it was def more then 2 clams. As u can see in the picture I posted there a good amount of seafood. I'm pretty disappointed in our first experience. Also any restuarant that charges your for a refill on a soda should be banned. Its not the 80s. Be happy people are eating at your restaurant and stop charging $2 for a refill on like 6oz glass. read more

Avo's Ria Mar - Seafood paella - Bars Near Me - South River, New Jersey

This was a pleasant surprise. My daughter continues to celebrate a milestone in her life so she decided on Portuguese food tonight. The place is huge but the ambiance makes you feel like you are at home with friends. We dined at the "bar." We started off with two huge pitchers of Sangria one with and the other red. Omgoodness. No wonder they are famous for the Sangria! Followed by some Misto Portuguese, which is a variety of meats marinated and grilled to perfection (we left out the seafood bc one of our guest does not eat seafood)! Next came the order of octopus salad followed by the clames in white wine sauce and garlic. (Sorry guest, heehee). The entrees were all different types of chicken dinners (we had to be nice to the guest). All in all the food was delicious and plentiful. Worth another visit soon read more

This place was nice but not as quiet as i would have like it to be, went here on a date and really enjoyed the food and its quality. Portuguese food is one of my favorites and i plan to go back soon. The Sangria was also amazing. I did notice they didn't have any women waitresses working or maybe they were just off for the night. Either way it was all good food was hot and fresh bathroom was clean and that makes for a great review. read more

Went there on a Sunday; got the clams ria mar(a bit salty), octopus salad(with onion and parsley), and garlic shrimp(not garlicky). Sangria is good. I had sandy clams in my mariscada ria mar but got 2 lobster tails. Steak was overcooked. Stuffed flounder was good. cappuccino was nice and hot and good strength. The almond cake with masapone cheese was served in a cup; not expected; it's ok. The raspberry tart was decent. It's a big restaurant; nice decor. parking lot is a little bit small for the size of the restaurant. It was nice overall. read more

So I would definitely start by saying that I'm not the biggest fan of Portuguese food; I don't eat seafood or fish and I find the flavors in their dishes to be just about average. I should also say that I also don't frequent Portuguese restaurants because the menus are usually filled with meals that don't excite me. That being said, this place was a little different. When we walked in and seated ourselves, we were greeted by a waiter who was very friendly. This place is run like the old school Portuguese spots I go to Down Neck. I really enjoyed it. My boyfriend and I shared a filet mignon and a picadinho appetizer as well as a large pitcher of sangria. My favorite thing about this place was that we were left alone when we wanted to be. We finished our food and still sat for another hour and a half finishing our pitcher of sangria and weren't rushed out. Because of this, I would definitely come back for this reason alone. They know what they're doing. read more

Ria Mar is awesome! Part of the restaurant is under construction for upgrades but go in the back entrance and up the stairs and you won't be disappointed. Pat the bartender hooked us up with the skirt steak and bronzino fish dinners with an appetizer of raw little neck clams. Intense flavors, fresh quality. Then wash it down with a pitcher of Pats smooth Sangria!! Get there and celebrate any occasion! read more

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Ok so here is how it went down......... I arrived around 6pm with fellow yelper Linda H. (aka Mamma Dukes) and my little bro for a graduation dinner for a friend of the fam. We left at 11pm....so what happened inbetween? Well 1. Sangria 2. Chicken, Pork & Sausage 3. Sangria 4. Clams & Mussels 5. Sangria 6. Garlic Shimp 7. Sangria 8. Calamari 9. Sangria 10. Chicken Orzo Soup & House Salad 11. Sangria 12. Crab Stuffed Flounder 13. Sangria 14. Ice Cream Food was amazing, company was amazing, party was amazing! read more

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Good food and one of the best sangrias around! Steaks are made to perfection and garlic shrimp appetizer is to die for!

To start. If you can avoid this place do yourself a favor and avoid it. Besides waiting over an hour for our food ,literally everything we ordered came out either wrong or missing. I ordered the paella with no scallops and muscles but instead substituted for more shrimp. The order came out with the muscles and scallops. The waiter said he was sorry and would fix it. It came back exactly the same but looked like he had just tossed it around. Our sangria came out tasting like straight jet fuel and after taking literally a 1/4 of a cup out of the pitcher the waited said he would take it off the bill and apologized ... minutes later he came back saying the owner would not take back the sangria because he "couldnt resell it" ... so Is that what they do when a customer complains about their dish? Or do they say screw you you're paying for it anyway.... overall I wouldnt walk across the street to eat at this place if it were the only thing open. Ps . If you find yourself in this place I pray you bring your own cups because the ones they provide are filthy with lipstick stains. Atleast the Coke was good. read more