Enjoyable experience featuring well-prepared dishes, good flavors, and smooth service. The welcoming ambiance and attentive staff made it a reliable option for casual dining with friends or family anytime. read more

For a place that's tucked away on the second floor of a nondescript-looking building in Olney, Cafe Liz is a hidden gem to find in Philly. I didn't know what to expect before going there, so I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. Cafe Liz offers excellent food in a charming, intimate setting and the service there was amazing. Our table ordered a variety of appetizers to share, including shrimps with garlic sauce, Portuguese sausage, clams casino, and fried calamari. Out of these, the Portuguese sausage made the biggest impression on me with its (literally) flaming hot presentation and flavor. Granted that I haven't been to a Portuguese restaurant before, this has set a shiny standard of what I will expect of the same dish at the other establishments. Interestingly, the sausage also paired well with the shrimps in garlic sauce. The other appetizers were just blah to me compared to these. What stole the show during the pre-entree course, though, was their bread. For something that was provided for free, each loaf was such a delightful treat with its crunchy golden exterior and warm, soft center. I wouldn't mind eating a dozen of them in one sitting since they were that good. As for the main dish, I opted for their Paelha Valenciana which came with a mix of seafood along with chicken, sausage, and pork. This dish was fantastic, but their clams were a bit overcooked since they were a little hard to chew. I still loved everything else about it though. For dessert, their flan was silky and delicious. I loved that it wasn't overly sweet, so it served as a great finale to an equally great meal. Service-wise, we had a world-class gentleman who provided us with great care throughout the dinner. He was always attentive in replacing our dinnerwares and refilling our water efficiently. Our food also came out pretty quickly after we ordered them. I'm thrilled to find this place and I'd love to try out their other dishes next time. read more

See all

Great service and very good memories to be had here! Also the alcohol is not highly priced and the restaurant is always clean and very well taken care of!! I highly recommend and suggest this place to anyone because there are home cooked decent meals here read more

I have been going there since to the 90's. Its beautiful inside but they lost their crowd. One of the reasons is that 4 margaritas and 2shots are $75 freakn dollars!!!!!!!! No food just those drinks!!! UNBELIEVABLE. Its time for them to close! Our neighborhood can't afford to go there!!! read more

Great service, great fish. Walk to second floor. Not be in a rush. Full bar. I enjoyed rodaballo and liked it.

First time here. Wonderful food and service. Its a must to call first for the correct times. Times on yelp are not correct. Highly recommended! read more

Simply said, this place never disappoints. Great service and even more amazing delicious food. read more

Cafe Liz - Portuguese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Good service. Good food. Variety of drinks. Friendly staff. The menu is great. I've tried a few menu items and have yet to be disappointed. Though the food may take a little while to arrive it's definitely worth the wait, as it's cooked to order. read more

See all

Impromptu spot for hubby and I. It was AMAZING! Service was as great. Meal was awesome and good price for portions. Drink menu was also a great value. Must do if in the neighborhood!! read more

See all

Fancy food. White tablecloth in a neighborhood I didn't expect to find that in. Authentic flavors. Recommend the fish and the pork. Probably a taste of home for Portuguese. It was almost empty at lunchtime during the week. Lots of takeout business I hear. High quality. read more

See all

Is not just a restaurant or a regular bar this place is everything you can ask for the owner and the staff is super friendly and respectful this is the right place to have a few beers or a bottle of wine the food is always delicious I'll have to go back to get some food I believe is a great place to go and relax and enjoy the food like your family don't forget to get your delivery or take out thanks for comeback and stay there for us we the great food lovers miss you read more

Good stuff....will revisit many more times...Seafood platter is filling as well drinks are tasty

Don't judge a book by its cover! This doesn't look like much from the outside, but the restaurant upstairs has outstanding truly authentic Portuguese food. And yes, it was well worth the drive up from center city Philadelphia for dinner! It is casual but comfortable, with a small dining room and good service. The traditional dishes were great - just like being back in Portugal. The bolinhas de bacalhau and sizzling chorizo appetizers were excellent. I had bacalhau a bras as an entre (salt cod, eggs & potato), which was really outstanding. Everything else we had at the table was good. Modestly priced - including the wine list (limited selection but just fine!). I used to drive up to A Taste of Portugal on Rising Sun - which was also very traditional Portuguese food - but it closed a few years ago. I also loved Koo Zee Doo in Northern Liberties - a bit more upscale and innovative - but it also closed. I had never tried Cafe Liz before now, but I'm glad I did. It doesn't look like a "destination" restaurant - but if you are craving traditional Portuguese food, its the place to go! read more

An incredible restaurant with HUGE portions. The seafood is a must. The chorizo is a must. The steak is a must. Whatever you get will not disappoint you. Everything is done with with excellence. Make sure to end it with a cafecito (a coffee with milk). The parking will be a little tough unless you park at the PNC back off hours. The interior is nothing remarkable but the food will more than makes up for it. The service is a little slow but the waiters are incredible kind and accommodating. We had Eddy for a server and he was on point! This is a must for anyone who loves flavorful, latin cuisine. read more

Cafe Liz - Yes! - Portuguese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Amazing Portuguese food . Place just got remodeled and looks great . You can eat upstairs or downstairs . I love the clams in red sauce well it's more like the sauce is awesome ... Lol grilled salmon fillet is so good , garlic shrimp .. If you are a seafood eater then this is the place to be . Prices are reasonable for the amount of food they give you . Parking is always a problem but it's definitely worth the time going around the block a couple of times . (; read more

Cafe Liz - Clams in red sauce, The sauce is amazing !!!!!! - Portuguese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I love it here. I love their seafood Paella, the shrimp in garlic with rice, fried plantain and salad or veggies. I love their bread, their chicken. I have yet to order something here that I did not like. Usually when hubby and I want to go somewhere for a special occasion this is the place he chooses. Overall great! read more

This place was delicious. authentic Portuguese food in the dining area upstairs. Downstairs is a full sports bar where you can also dine. We ordered the Traditional Cod and it was fresh and amazing. Portions were fairly big too! For dessert my friend ordered the espresso and said it was awesome. read more

Cafe Liz - Portuguese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

OMG ! I had the best time here!! The food , customer service and they have a bar downstairs ! You can dance some Spanish and Portuguese music.. Me and my husband enjoyed it so much we going back again !! read more

See all

The food is very good!!! Have been there 3 different times and tried different things all were very good. The staff is very friendly and wager to please. The vegetable soup is delicious. Lastly, you get a lot of food!! read more

Chef Jose is the real deal, don't miss out!

Absolute fav place ever! The family ambiance, delicious sangria, top quality steak, Its all perfection. The bar on the first fl. Is cool if you want to dance and smoke hookah, and drink a little more. Prices are affordable. I had my bday dinner here for several years in a row because I wanted a guaranteed positive experience, and this place is it! read more

There are no Portugese resturants in our area so when we travel we search the internet and just pick. The Cafe Liz is a gem. Don't be daunted by the downstairs bar, transport yourself upstairs to a Lisbon culunary delight. Delicious. I wish we lived closer. Try the maricosa seaford stew. You will not be disappointed. The Portuguese wine selection is cery good. Yummy. read more

Great Find As some one who spent almost a half year in Lisbon, I found this cuisine to be quite genuine. My wife and I shared an appetizer of shrimp in garlic sauce, and the fabulous "porco alentejano," pork, clams and potatoes in an authentic gravy, perfectly cooked, and served quickly. The atmosphere was extremely pleasant with white tablecloths, and a nice, quiet dining space. The service was helpful, efficient, and unintrusive. The waiter spoke Spanish and English, and was highly professional. He was assisted by a woman who did the set up (break, butter and olives), and brought us extra ice for our water. The wine was very reasonably and generous and of a decent quality for the price. The neighborhood is working class, and I suspect many of the other clients were Hispanics from nearby, but I drove from Canter City, and found parking to be no problem, and there is bank across the street with ample space. read more

Best Seafood Paella in town! From the best chef Ilidio... Good food, great prices. My favorite dishes are paella, Bife a Portuguesa, garlic shrimp, caldo verde soup. Enjoy! read more

The neighborhood might spook some and the parking is tight. Otherwise this is a cool place to eat if you appreciate traditional Portuguese food. The downstairs bar on a fall Friday was packed with soccer-watching fans. The upstairs restaurant is a pleasant corner room with four windows, well-trimmed walls, a TV screen with the same soccer game, and perhaps 10-15 tables with tablecloths. Both upstairs and downstairs clientele were predominantly Portuguese-speaking. The pace and accomodation of the service (one waitress) was very good. The menu was a full variety of fish/seafood/meat that all local Portuguese restaurants feature. Prices are neither too expensive or cheap compared to the competition. There is a regular menu and a list of specials, from which I had a grilled Dourado fish filet ($15), requesting salad and vegetables. They were all prepared correctly and were tasty, with enough left over to take home for the next-day's lunch. Olives and toasted white roll came out before the entree. White wine by the glass was only $3. Flan ($3) was a nice-sized triangle, sweet and creamy. Espresso was $2 and properly prepared. The rest room was tidy. Only one negative surfaced midway through the meal: smoke from the kitchen, which has an open window in view of diners. It did pass, and my fears of a greasy/smoky shirt when I got home did not materialize. read more

Our group of 5 all ordered different appetizers and entrées. Each was better than the last. Absolutely delicious seafood. Interesting and well - priced wine list. Friendly and professional service. This has turned out to be our favorite Portuguese restaurant outside of Ironbound Newark, NJ. Can't wait to return. read more

Only tried the pork chops, but they were amazing. Can't wait to go back and try more.

My uncle rented out this whole restaurant for his birthday party this weekend. When you walk into this place, first you are in a divey soccer bar. But if you make it upstairs and can overlook the scuzzy appearance (seriously, I would never have thought this was a good restaurant from the outside) there is a nice, welcoming restaurant upstairs. We had a true Portuguese feast! Because my uncle had a 3 course meal with tons of different dishes, I got to try a lot of the food at Cafe Liz. I'm not a huge seafood eater, but I enjoyed a lot of the dishes, even the ones that were heavy on the seafood. Highlights of the meal were the fresh home-made potato chips, seafood stew, and chorizo. This is probably not a great idea for a romantic evening since the atmosphere has much to be desired, but it is a great place to try Portuguese food in the Philly area. read more

Love this place. The grilled jumbo shrimp are phenomenal and the employees are very hospitable. I have to dine here every time I'm in town. read more

Cafe Liz - Grilled steak and shrimp - Portuguese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is my all-time favorite restaurant in Philadelphia! Amazing food, impeccable service, a beautiful interior (don't let the exterior fool you, and remember to go upstairs to the restaurant - a friend of mine didn't realize there was an upstairs and took a girl on a date to the bar downstairs). Get their appetizers (my favorites are the clams in green sauce and the spicy shrimp in garlic sauce), get their entrees (Portuguese steak, or grilled lobster, or bacalau, or well, they're all good), and definitely get some dessert (the flan and the Gypsy, are notable). They also have the best espresso I've had in Philadelphia. read more

Great food! Don't let the appearance fool you, the service was perfect! Will definitely come again in the near future.