Went here for the first time after my graduation and it was delicious. The sangria, as everyone else has noted, is fantastic. The table shared two pitchers of white and we definitely were all feeling pretty good afterwards. Everyone at my table got lobster except for me. I went for the paella ria-mar and it was delicious. The rice is so well cooked and there is plenty of seafood scattered through. I would definitely recommend this, but if you order be prepared to share! I brought the paella home and after having some for lunch, I still can make at least two more meals out of it! read more

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

I came here for a party and had the steak. It was cold and completely unseasoned/salted. The drinks were good but the food was completely lacking. It may be due to the high/mass production but either way catering is catering. read more

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

Our family loves this restaurant. We have been coming here for almost 20 years. The ownership and staff are very friendly. We never have a bad experience. We have seen Ria Mar go through 3 renovations, and this last one really livens up the place. The food is nothing fancy, but the taste is always excellent. The price is excellent, and the portions are very large. You will NOT leave hungry. The salad reminds me of my grandmother's. Need to dip bread to soak up the vinegar. The sangria is very good. So good, that we argue who will be the designated driver. A great place for taking out the family. We go for all occasions. Birthdays, New Year's Eve, and when ever we get the urge for something great to eat. Our favorite items are: Appts Sausage Picadinho Squid Picadinho Mussels in red sauce Mixed Picadinho Entrees Shrimp Matozinhos - ask to mark extra spicy Steak Ria Mar Pork and Clams Baked Filet of Grouper Paelha Ria Mar Dessert AppleBerry Crisp Cake Tartufo Cappuccino read more

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

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Love this place, the food is amazing, the staff is kind attentive and respectful, the white sangria is just the best! Totally addictive!

Went there with 5 other friends, good service and atmosphere but 3 of us were sick the next day.

I don't know why yelp lists this as Spanish food, it's definitely Portuguese. The Ria Mar has a bar area and a restaurant area. They are well separated so even though the bar is casual and noisy, your dinner will be quiet. You can get most of the same food sitting in the bar as the dining room. Shrimp in garlic sauce is ~ah-may-zing~. Mariscade and paella are exceptional as well. Various veal options are pretty good, especially at their price point. Service can be lacking - drinks empty a little too long, waiter disappearing when you have a question, etc. Not too bad. Haven't had a rude / mean server. read more

Once the waiters get to you know you, you are gold. One word: Sangría. Get. The. Sangría. There are always specials on the board. Can get really crowded. Try to sit at the bar. In winter the sitdown tables near the windows can get cold. They have rooms in the back for parties. I'm updating my review which was pretty short. We were here last week and our meals were amazing. The best we've had. We had fried grouper appetizer. OMG fresh fish, the batter was light crispy and fluffy and not greasy. So delicious! Hubby ordered the pork stew. I couldn't keep my fork out of his plate. It came with some sort of flavored rice that was so good and string beans. I had the oxtail which tasted like you'd cook at home. Everything was well seasoned without being salty. The chef was popping that night! Greatly enjoyed our meals and the leftovers. I ate three nights on them alone. Every meal is served with crusty bread, which I wish they'd warm, served with plenty of butter and house salads. If they forget to offer, make sure you ask. Most meals come with brocoli rabe, some times carrots, and usually baby potatoes. Don't forget to order the sangria. read more

Avo's Ria Mar - Portuguese Coffee - Bars Near Me - South River, New Jersey

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Love the food!! Garlic chicken for the win! Chicken Portuguese style is AMAZING! Plentiful and tasty ... even with take out!

Simply the Best! We have ordered to go and we have eaten on site. We have always been treated with fast, amazing service every time. We always strive to dine local and Rui + company never disappoint. Definitely delicious all the time. read more

This is one of our most favorite places, the food and staff are excellent. Guidelines are in place and followed perfectly, don't hesitate to give this local restaurant a shot, they're wonderful people doing great things! read more

I would give 10 stars! They make you feel like family. All the staff work together, they welcome you , take care of you, make sure you are happy. Oh food is great! The specials are deverse; stuffed cabbage to quail, suckling pig, cod cheeks, I can go on and on. Love Rue, Paul, and beautiful Natatlia (I hope I spelt names right) we love you. Thank you for our 43rd anniversary dinner. Oh and very lunch and dinner we have there. Thanks agian for the great eats. read more

The food is amazing! Such nice staff the place is very clean and there has never been a problem. They get the food out very quick and are so nice. I would highly recommend this restaurant you will not regret going! read more

The worst Portuguese food I've ever had. We ordered pretty typical Portuguese dishes and honestly it tasted nothing like the ones we have at other restaurants. Never going there again, I recommend the other Portuguese restaurants in South River but skip Ria Mar, it was just a waste, terrible tasting food. read more

For Appetizers we had bacon wrapped chicken (so good) Entree (shrimp shish kabob) Hubby entree ( paelha ria mar) Drinks (sangria ) Dessert (dolce leche ) Everything taste great... We plan on going back again.waiter was polite and friendly. Establishment is big and not too crowded. read more

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We took my dad here for his birthday & weren't disappointed! I know they're known for their sangria...it wasn't anything special, but their actual food is really magnificent! I had the seafood paella...my dad had the arroz con pollo & couldn't be more happy! The portions are huge, we all took something home! Xoxo read more

Fabulous food fabulous service wonderful sangria. Everything you would expect from Ria Mar.

I've hosted many events, yesterday was a baptism with about 25 people they all were so happy with the food and the timing of everything and the service of the guys that were helping the event. Those guys were absolutely amazing! so extremely patient and helped with the centerpieces too (they were vases with water- needed to be filled and drained at the end) the whole event went so smooth and so perfect because of them. I've been going to Ria Mar for many years it never fails, EVER. Thanks again for an amazing event with amazing service. Simply the best and I hope this helps anyone who is looking to book something. read more

I love the paella. Great bar and service. Make sure to make reservations. Everything is delicious read more

Avo's Ria Mar - The Sangria is amazing! - Bars Near Me - South River, New Jersey

My first visit to Ria-Mar was excellent in both the outstanding service and excellent food. I highly recommend it.

I have been here twice in the last 6 months (and not by choice!!) - both times for an event (baby shower and a christening). If I could give this place a 0, I would! The service was HORRIBLE, the food was flavorless and cold! and the manager/owner was rude! When we first arrived, it took 30 minutes just for them to come around and bring drinks. After that, it took another 20- 25 minutes or so just to get soup and salad. After ordering food, it took about 50 minutes or so to finally be served. Once finished, it took them FOREVER to clear our plates and finally come around with dessert and coffee. By that time, guests were leaving without being served dessert and coffee. Not only was the food terrible but several of our dishes were dirty. When we complained, the owner/manager fought and argued with us making excuse after excuse. Horrible customer service. I would never recommend this place to anyone! Stay clear if wanting to plan an event or an evening out. So many better places in the area! read more

Amazing staff and great service. Awesome sangria. Drinks from the bar was on point. Definitely recommending this place to friends and family. read more

Avo's Ria Mar - Chicken in Garlic Sauce. It's just ok - Bars Near Me - South River, New Jersey

I totally enjoyed my experience at Ria Mar!! Took my husband here for his birthday. We had the red sangria (truly delicious), paella, and stuffed sprimp. Yum yummy read more

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This place was amazing! We sat outside under the tents and it was raining out but we didn't get wet at all. The service and food was amazing! I can't wait to go back! read more

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

Went there last night all excited and looking forward to a great meal and drinks. We order both white and red sangria which where both ok nothing special. Then ordered chops for main meal they where way over cooked and bland along with the rest of the food. The desserts where ok. The wait staff was ok. Everything about this place was average the only problem I have overall is your not paying average prices. At this price point the food, drinks and staff should be held to a way higher standard than it is. Wont be a return customer many, many other restaurants at that price point that are far superior all around than here. You definitely dont get your money's worth here. read more

I've been dining here for years with friends from near and far and the food has always been on point along with the drinks. If you're ever questioning if you should go here - the answer is ABSOLUTELY. I would recommend this 1000 times if possible. The Sangria is to die for!! read more

Live this place been coming here for years and it never gets old service expect acular

Such a cute spot ! They took great measures to make sure everyone was seated at a safe distance. The service was absolutely amazing - not a single moment where we felt that we were not being taken care of ! The food was beyond delicious. We ordered the fried calamari for the appetizers and stuffed shrimp (which had crab meat inside it) - both highly recommended! Will definitely go back soon ! read more

I have been going to Ria Mar for years. I was always satisfied with their food and service. Therefore I decided to go there for our 40th anniversary and was in the mood for lobster to celebrate. I asked the waiter what the price was for the twin lobsters. He did not know and had to ask. He came back with $39 for unstuffed and $40 for stuffed. So I ordered the lobster broiled and a shrimp dish. We received the fried shrimp dish and an order of Lobster TAILS delivered by the server, not the waiter. I told the server that I ordered whole lobsters. He took back the lobster tails and the waiter came back and apologized for the mixup and said that it will take a while to cook. I was ok with this because l was going to share the 2 dishes anyway. About 5 minutes later and told me that they did not have any whole lobsters left.. (I would assume that he would have told me that when I ordered them). I decided that I will have the double lobster tails that was originally brought over. The lobster tails were rubbery and had no flavor. I have had better lobster tails on cruise ships. My wife thought that they were lying about having no lobsters because they did not want to waste the lobster tails. I was also surprised that they did not comp a dessert considering they made the mistake. read more

Authentic food, attentive and friendly wait staff. Been coming here for 35 years always exceeds expectation. Leave with a happy and full belly. read more

I was taken on a date here on a Saturday night. When we first arrived, every table was packed and we had to wait 10-15minutes, though we had reservations. By the time we were seated though, it wasn't as crowded since it was a later time, at around 9:00pm. The food is amazing here! My date and I shared a seafood paella and the Portuguese style steak which had ham and eggs on top. We also got a half pitcher of red sangria (so good) and the meal came with freshly fried potato chips, bread, and a salad. We also shared flan for dessert. Overall the experience was good, but there were so many young waiters who were eager to take things away from the table. I felt watched and rushed at times. I would definitely come back here though. This place is great for a date, or for just a dinner out with friends. They also have a bar attached next door and a venue for hosting events like Sweet 16s. read more

I used to go to Ria Mar every weekend with friends for apps and drinks since I turned 21. So when my college graduation fell on Mother's Day and we were going to be a group of 12, I thought it would be fitting to go to my favorite restaurant. But I could not have been more disappointed. Despite the restaurant being half empty when we arrived on time for our reservation, we waited 20 minutes. But I was willing to see past that, as I understood we were a large group. We were seated in a back room, right next to the pounding music coming through the dividing wall of the banquet hall attached to the restaurant. I felt like I was in an episode of Jersey Shore. Every time a waiter opened the exit door that also connected to the exit of the banquet hall, I couldn't hear a word anyone near me was saying. We ordered shortly after sitting down and were immediately given salad and bread. The bread was terribly dry, but the replacement bread was not much better. After ordering, an hour rolled past. Our waiter (or as we later found out, one of our waiters...) did not even check in once during that time. We had to flag someone down who we had spotted taking care of another table in the room to check on our food. He came back and told us it was being prepared, but we received it 30 minutes later. Granted, the food was as expected. Ria Mar has always had good food and sangria and I can't fault them for that. However, there are occasions in which bad service ruins the meal and this was absolutely the case. In addition to the hour and a half wait without so much as a check in from our waiter, the seven empty banquet tables in the room, aside from my large table and the large table beside us, were being focused on. They spent two hours changing the linens and setting them, meanwhile, our group of 12 and another group of at least 10 went ignored. It was already 7:30 on Mother's Day and we had been asking for 30 minutes for a dessert menu. We had asked every waiter in the room because "our waiter" had not even acknowledged us and pleas to the manager went unanswered. I put "our waiter" in quotes because two hours of neglect into the meal, one of the other waiters in the room decided to tell us that he and the other five waiters all shared the room. So you mean to tell me that SIX waiters all had no time to check in on us? At all? We finally got dessert menus and were so disgusted by the treatment that only my little sister, who is 12, even wanted dessert by that point. You would think with such a large group, they would do their best to accommodate us, let alone, keep tabs. But as it turned out, the automatic 18% that was added on the bill as tip seemed to subtract all of their incentive for good service. Apparently, if you qualify as more than 8 people, don't expect good service. The WORST part of the whole night that cemented the fact that I will NEVER go to Ria Mar again was the fact that when we complained to the manager, he replied "I'm sorry you feel that way." No apologies, no attempts to assuage our anger. Basically, a big middle finger that said "I don't care about your business." And that's fine. Because I'll take my business to one of the other local seafood establishments or better yet, one of Newark's Portuguese restaurants for better service, better prices, and less aggravation. It was a really disappointing end to a day I had worked so hard for. read more

Had lunch on a Saturday afternoon, sat at a table in the bar section. Service is absolutely horrible!! Was completely over looked by not one but two waiters. Drinks ttok long to arrive and the food took an eternity. The complimentary bread was cold and quite ordinary. Where in the hell is the to die for Portuguese rolls that should be served. So finally the meals arrived and I ordered the pork and red beans stew. My date ordered the stuffed flounder. Both dishes were mediocre at best. I simply can't stand this place. It is an embarrasement to the Portuguese community. Do urself a favor, DON'T GO THERE !! read more

Service is excellent, the host and waiters were very responsive and friendly. Not sure why so many people liked this place. Disappointed in their food, all of our food came out cold, chips were stale and oily. All of our side plates vegetables were cold as it was put it on the side for a long time then served. I can probably cook better. read more

Disappointed would not even begin to describe my experience dining here. It seems most of the reviewers here rave about the sangria - maybe the sangria gets you drunk so you don't realize how awful the food is. The one redeeming quality was the wait staff was pretty nice and the salad was good (except it did have a hair in it). There was also a fly flying around our table for the entire meal, but I guess you can't really blame that on the restaurant. Here's the rest of the fiasco: First, we ordered fried calamari and shrimp in garlic sauce. The calamari was awful - like leather to chew and the marinara sauce tasted like warmed Tostitos salsa. I don't like shrimp to begin with, but I tried my fiancé's appetizer when he said it was bad. The shrimp had a weird crunchy film on it. As we were watching a couple that came in after us get served before us, we noticed the waiter served them *my* entree - the patron kindly told them to take it back. But nonetheless, I was still served this meal after it had been served to a table that was adjacent to mine. Anyway, my fiancé got what was supposed to be a NY strip steak. The cut of meat was not good and one side was completely charred black, though the steak inside was medium-rare when it was supposed to be medium-well. The worst part was the chef flipped the steak upside down on the plate so you couldn't see the blackened char. My fiancé had to cut this layer off in order to enjoy any of the meal. The chips that come with the meal were soggy and flimsy instead of crisp. My meal was veal milanese. It came on a plate as 3 fried slats of veal. No garnish or anything. It was so unappetizing (plating+taste) that I could not bear more than a few bites. I left feeling sick to my stomach. We did not drink any alcohol - had 2 sodas. The bill came to $80 (and was not itemized - just an amount written). I've had a better dinner from the local pizza joint for $12. Never again! read more

We had our wedding at the Ria Mar, and let me say that you will not find a place that gives you more for your money. The banquet rooms are beautiful, and modern. Natalia will help you find a menu that fits within your budget. Also, can we say unlimited sangria on EVERY table??? Flavio (spelling) was AMAZING, and he could not have been more helpful. The bartender was super friendly and was so much fun to hang with at the bar. The food.... nothing short of amazing. Our guests could not stop talking about the food. The place may not look like much from the outside, but trust me- take the chance and go inside. You will be amazed!!!! Thank you to Natalia who made sure our event was perfect, even with a little hiccup on the morning of the wedding day. -C&R read more

My friends and I are making the 1st Tuesday of every month, Ria Mar day. The clams in green sauce and shrimp in garlic sauce appertizers are spectacular. Main courses are large and wonderful and when you are done eating you MUST try the Spanish coffee, its to die for. Service is always good with a very attentive wait staff. The sangria is a wonderful addition tp any meal there. You just can't go wrong in this place. read more

I am writing a review based on the banquet/party section of Ria Mar. We had a baby shower there and for as many good things as I've heard about their parties I would never have one there nor even go for a meal there. We were there early to set up and while we were doing that the wait staff and management were walking through our room to get to the other banquet room that was hosting a wedding. We were setting up a balloon arch and they were stepping over balloons to get through. After a half hour of that I asked the owner (at the time I didn't know he was the owner, he told me that later in the day) if they would be doing that during our whole shower. His reply was no, you're still setting up and not ready yet anyway. The reply was full of attitude and was an extremely condescending answer for a valid question. The walking through continues until the starting time of the shower, and I refrained from saying anything right away (a lot of our guests were late) so I wasn't going to push the issue, and quite frankly I was hoping they would realize what time it is and stop. They did not, I eventually had to ask them to stop. And it's not that they were just walking through, they were walking through with prepared plates for the next room and coming back with dirty dishes. They never truly stopped, it got better but they would still do it. I didn't say anything while we were eating lunch (which was just alright. Not bad food but nothing I'd rush back for; and a waiter dropped rice all over the floor at the front table and just left it there the whole time) But once we were opening gifts and taking pictures I got angry. You are walking through, right in front of our mom-to-be and I have to pause my pictures because you need to walk through our shower with a tray full of dirty dishes? GO AROUND! It got to the point that when they would try I would stop them and tell them to not, one walked in with a cart full of dirty dishes and I shot him a glare and told him to not even think about it. How rude is it to be interrupting our party because it's easier to get through? And if you need to walk through our room to get to the other one, why set up the main focal point at the front of the room? Set the tables up so that the guest of honor is at the back of the room, everyone would be facing that direction and we wouldn't even see you walking through! When we started opening gifts our head guy asked us if we were ready for them to cut the cake and for them to bring out their desserts and serve coffee, that was roughly 3:30. By 4 we had no cake cut, no dessert and no coffee, although dessert was served shortly after. At this point I'm beyond angry and asking everyone that comes through where dessert and coffee are. And to tell them to stop walking through. We finally got coffee at 4:25 for a shower that ended at 4:30. Finally the owner walks through and I stop him, I ask him where coffee is and he says they're brewing it now. I was probably ruder than I needed to be, but I was extremely angry at this point. I replied that we had been told we'd be getting coffee for over 30 min at this point. And he tried to walk by and I said stop walking through (admittedly I was loud at that point) and he replied with even more attitude then earlier in the day I'm the owner and I need to get to my office. It was at that point that I swore I would never ever return to the Ria Mar. I get that no event is perfect but when management just doesn't care and is openly rude from the get go, then I don't care enough to return. read more

For years, my husband and I have listened to his sister (my SIL) and Bro-in-law RAVE about Ria Mar. Actually, we have sent them many gift certificates to this restaurant, which we've been able to acquire from across the country in California... so great that they have been able to accommodate us. Anyways, after so much hype, we were determined to dine here on our last trip to NJ. Sure enough, Ria Mar did not disappoint!! It's always a good sign when you walk into an ethnic restaurant and most of the clientele are of that nationality. We ate in the bar area, since it was lunchtime. What a fun, casual atmosphere. If I lived in the area, I would so come here all the time. Of course we tried the fabulous sangria (I had a couple of sips only since I'm pregnant, but OOOWIE, very strong and very tasty!) We also shared a few dishes: a paella dish, a seafood stew and a pork with clams & potatoes stew. My favorite was the seafood stew... chunks of lobster, crab, shrimp and clams in a fabulous buttery broth. Delish! I had ordered the pork with potatoes and clam.... not my favorite, but still tasty. We had tons of leftovers and apparently the portions were smaller since it was lunchtime. I can't wait to come back to try one of their sandwiches and of course drink many many cups of Sangria! read more

Family own restaurant in a little town called South River. This place is wonderful. My fiancé's family comes here all the time for celebrations whether it be a birthday or Mother's Day. We came here last night to celebrate my fiancé and her twin sister's birthdays. First off, the service here is impeccable. The staff is very welcoming and will cater to all of your needs. The food is amazing. The portions are huge and everything is made to order (that means you may have to wait a little bit for your food). Their appetizers are great. My favorite are the calamari and the clams in the red sauce. For the entree, I always get the paella which comes with all types of shellfish including lobster, crabs, scallops, shrimp, clams and mussels. The paella itself can feed a family of 4 (imagine that). A few other people at the dinner table got the surf and turf which too was huge. A large lobster tail paired with a nice big juicy steak cooked to perfection. The steak though is char grilled so it can look a little too charred. 2 others also ordered veal chops which they enjoyed very much. I've been to this restaurant countless times and the food tastes just as good every time and the service is always just as impeccable read more

While it may not be well known outside of the state, NJ is home to some great Portuguese restaurants - particularly in Newark and Perth Amboy. Ria-Mar provides a taste of that tradition with this family-run bar/restaurant/banquet room in South River, NJ (b/w Sayreville and East Brunswick) We reserved the banquet room for my sister's engagement party. Nice size (could fit 200). The decor is more apropos for an engagement party than a wedding. I got to sample a lot of their menu and liked many of the items. These include: Camarao ao Alho (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce) - The sauce makes this dish. Really flavorful - not for those who are gun shy about garlic. Vitela Madrilena (Veal Madrilena) - The port wine/brandy sauce reminded of Veal Marsala but I liked it better. Paelha Ria Mar (Seafood Paella) - Nicely flavored saffron rice with a whole lot of seafood in it. The grilling station had Prime Rib, Top Sirloin, and Pork Tenderloin and all were solid. Red and white sangria were both great. Service was solid. The setting up the arrangements and settling of the bill were handled professionally and courteously (we had just had a less than pleasurable experience the previous week so I paid more attention to this than I normally would). It definitely makes a difference when you work with a family-run restaurant (we dealt with one of the owners' sons) vs. a hired hand. I highly recommend this place for casual and semi-formal parties and, based on the quality of the food for a banquet (usually a notch below made-to-order table service), I'd definitely try it out for dinner. read more