Been to Don Pepe's multiple times. Compared to other choices available in the area, it's on the pricier side. They do make an attempt to justify the higher price point with some old school waiter service, as well as some nice bread to start you off before the entree. I find the food quality to be consistently average or just slightly above. They have daily specials, but be aware that some will easily set you back $30 or more. The specials are indeed pretty good. However, once again, it's tough to justify considering other options available in the area. Btw, no free refills... So watch out! All things considered, par for the course... read more

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This is the absolute worst restaurant I have ever experienced. First, the parking attendant was rude and angry we parked our car as we did not know it was valet. We decided to try the restaurant anyway. We ordered the garlic shrimp, which was extremely salty, and the stuffed scallops, which were old and disgusting. When I requested the items be taken off my check because I DID NOT eat the food, the waiter said NO. In addition, he added the TIP to the bill. When we asked to speak to the owner, the owner, in his own words, said, "I do not have time for you." I will advise people to save their money and DO NOT GO HERE. They are dirty, scammers, and rude people. read more

Management was underwhelming: didn't matter reservations were made and maitre'd couldn't handle questions about getting seated after he shared it'd be "a couple of minutes". Food was cold and orders not properly fulfilled. Net, net: negative, loud and messy ambiance; food underwhelming and overpriced experience. Spend your money elsewhere. There are plenty of Spanish and Portuguese restaurants that are worth your money and wait. read more

Excellent! Steaks, lobster and paella. I think the best of any Spanish restaurant in Newark! Sangria is a perfect blend, not too weak and not too sweet. A very well managed restaurant! read more

3.5 stars. Brick city staple. Been here a few times. Was super excited to come to celebrate my uncle's bday recently, and left kind of disappointed. The food, as usual, was awesome. But, We had a large party and our orders didn't come out as we ordered them. We had to send a plate back, and the gentleman that helped us actually fell. No worker in the restaurant made sure he was okay, and then they made him come back and clean what he dropped. It was a very uncomfortable moment for us at the table. For the 7 of us our bill was reasonable. We ordered two specials of the day, three appetizers, a pitcher of sangria, and 4 'normal' entrees. Our bill, with tip included, was about $325. Not sure if after all the years this is the 'new Don Pepe,' but it didn't feel as warm and comfortable as before. We went on a Friday night, and it was fairly busy, but it seemed as if they were unprepared. There was also a private party downstairs, so maybe that had something to do with it. Not sure if I'll be back. It seemed like the memory of Don Pepe was better than the actual experience. I lied. I'll be back. They're garlic shrimp has my heart. read more

OK. Indifferent, slightly rude wait staff. Bland, overpriced food (got the paella valenciana). There are better options in Newark.

Felt I needed to add a voice to the reviews given what I believe to be the unfair aggregation of scores currently represented. We've lived in Newark now for almost six years, and had the opportunity to try most - but not all - the Spanish influenced restaurants in the area, and Don Pepe's is by far and away our go-to for a consistently fresh, high quality meal and superior service, whenever we want to truly enjoy a "nice meal out". We have eaten both indoors and out (when it was available) since the start of the pandemic, and have found no diminishment in what we had experienced previously, albeit with a slightly different ambiance with masks etc. I particularly enjoy the chef's flexibility in "tweaking" entre's to suit someone's particular palate, as well as that little bit of extra seating space. . . even before protocols mandated more distance. I can assert with a high degree of certainty that you will not be disappointed if it's your first visit. . . read more

Don Pepe - Sangria is always on our order. . . - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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This restaurant ruined my Mothers Day yesterday! My family ordered five entrees from them. Our plan was to schedule a roof top socially distant picnic in my daughters parking lot. A lot of thought and planning went into this in light of Covid 19. Chairs, table clothes paper/plastic products, etc. were in our cars. I ordered and was told to pick the order up at 1:30. When I arrived, there were thirty people in line waiting for takeout with only two people in back of the counter. After four hours, I still didn't have my food despite being told to come back in an hr. Finally, I was told they had lost my order and the items I had ordered were sold out! I had begged them to go in the back and check numerous times to no avail. The owner told me it would take another half hr. I was so upset, I left before I blew up in front of thirty people. The day was ruined. We wound up ordering from a local restaurant near my daughter's apt. I've been a customer of Don Pepes for twenty years. I will not b back! We had to read more

Don Pepe deserves better than most people on Yelp are saying. I love Don Pepe. This is reliable not too fancy paella, jamon, mariscos, esparagos, aceitunas, tortilla.....based on 2.5 years living in Madrid, Don Pepe is excellent. read more

We like going here about once a yr.. as it is pretty pricey. Tonight i noticed they calculated their own tip and it was added in after the sales tax to come out as more. read more

With much anticipation we came here tonight before an event at the Prudential center. Since we follow no meat in Friday's during lent we thought that the seafood options here would make for a Good Friday night dinner. Ordered the garlic shrimp and the seafood paella. The waiter didn't read us any special, although I noticed he told the waiter did read them to the table behind us. When we asked for a drink menu we were told there was a full bar but no menu. Although they looked delicious both the garlic shrimp and the paella were very fishy. When we told the waiter he insisted the fish was fresh but was willing to take the paella off of the bill. Unfortunately not the place for seafood. read more

Don Pepe - Seafood paella, looks better than it tastes. Very fishy. - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Pros: Huge portion sizes, great ambiance Cons: A little expensive (but offset by the portion size). While pouring sangria, waiter told us "Pretend it's Kool-Aid". I was literally speechless. Also, unprompted, the waiter gave us the check before we were done eating. Hopefully we just had a bad waiter. read more

Quality of food has deteriorated over 30 years. Last time there, we were overcharged and saddled with an 18% gratuity... Even though there were just two of us. Never again! read more

The restaurant had a rustic feel. With the walls and the waiter it had an old school vibe. The food was incredible! They had a penne pasta with seafood that was delicious! I even enjoyed the leftovers the next day. The pitcher of sangria was perfect for two. Lastly, the waiters made the evening perfect for my boyfriend's birthday. A slice of cake with a candle and a song made for a lovely evening! The only thing that stopped it from being a five-star evening was the fact that the molten cake did not melt! A bit dry but still ok. read more

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This restaurant used to be one of my favourites , not anymore. On October 12th I dined here generating a $90.45 bill, pre-tip. The service was definitely sub par largely because of an obnoxious diner sitting across from me. Because he wasn't handled properly I was kept waiting for everything, not to mention me and my date was there first, and ordered first. We were on a fast timeline as we had tickets to a show at NJ PAC. When the bill finally arrived there was a $16 tip already added. I did not think the service warranted this tip and changed it to $6. I can't remember seeing anything on the menus saying the tip would be automatically added (as is normal with larger parties, not a party of 2). I didn't have time to argue with anyone as I had to park for my show. I just received my bank statement and they charged the full amount of the bill $106.45. As far as I'm concerned my dining experience was ruined and they can keep the $10 but they'll never see me again, at any of their three restaurants I frequent. read more

I was considering going to this restaurant and saw that they have vegetarian paella on the menu. I called to see if it could be made vegan (to confirm if there was butter or other animal products in it). They guy told me there's no butter. My gut told me to ask about chicken stock - he tells me YES there's chicken stock in the VEGETARIAN paella. I said "if it's vegetarian there shouldn't be chicken stock in it". I was told "that's just the way it is". I said "then it shouldn't be labelled vegetarian, and someone could even get sick". He told me "well, that's the way we've been doing for 40 years". So to sum it up - they're rude, their food is mislabeled, and they aren't concerned about customers getting sick. I won't be going! read more

I have been coming to this restaurant for over forty years. I had not had a chance to visit it for almost five years, but recently we were able to have dinner there. It did not disappoint. First, the food is wonderful as it always has been. The seafood was very fresh, and their Paella, is fantastic. It has spoiled all other Paella's for me. Loaded with seafood, chicken, and sausage. The portions are HUGE and even NFL line-backers walk out of there with doggie bags. The service, is fantastic. Especially the bus-people. You could not empty a water glass. They had provided a bowl for the shells for the Paella. That bowl was changed out for a new empty bowl close to a dozen times over the course of the meal. The flan I had for dessert was great as well. Add to this that they have free on-site parking, and that this one of the few restaurants where you can easily get a table for 12,15, or 20 people makes it a gem. I hope to return soon. read more

My son had a snow day the other day. It was the day after the "blizzard." Since the roads were not too bad, I thought we would resume a tradition my Mom started long ago. A great lunch on a snow day. Where to go though? Was in the mood for Spanish. Ironbound is nearby and I had always heard good things about Don Pepe. So off we went. The attached parking area was very much appreciated. No street parking for us. Friendly welcome and great bread and olive oil for dipping. Ordered two appetizers. Fried calamari and chorizo. The calamari was a dud. Crispy yet very chewy. The marinara sauce had little taste. But the chorizo was a home run. Awesome. Crispy, juicy, delicious. We both had shrimp for our entrees. Shrimp in garlic sauce. Shrimp in green sauce. Both were terrific and very flavorful. Lots of good rice to soak up the sauce. We missed out on the spanish potatoes. I guess you have to order them seperately. Everywhere else I have been they just show up. Oh well. A half pitcher of white sangria really hit the spot. We had a bit of room for dessert so we split a piece of chocolate chip cake. Yummy. What a nice way to spend part of a snow day. We'll make it back here soon. read more

Wonderful. Highly recommend. Garlic soup; delectable. Spanish prepared snapper: orgasmic.

The service was terrible. We were rushed throughout our entire meal. We brought home the rest of the paella. When we heated today, there was a large rock mixed in with the rice and fish. I called but they didn't really care. We were told we could bring it back so they can see it. We live 40 minutes away. We would expect a credit to our credit card. Was the rock even washed???? I doubt it because then they would have noticed it read more

Don Pepe - The service was terrible..were rushed through our meal There was a large rock in leftover paella I called but they didn't care. Never again - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Amazing escargot. I also had the paella which needed more seasoning but at least they give you a very big portion of that. read more

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Maybe my expectation were too high...This place has great lobster but let me tell you why I gave them a 3 star. We ordered a 4.5 lb lobster but it came in chunks instead of a full lobster. I was expecting a huge whole lobster on one plate. The whole lobster came in two plates and I'm not sure if they gave me a lobster that was actually 4.5 lbs or if they just gave me parts of different lobsters.... I just think that the presentation is KEY and could have been better especially for such a high price. I would assume most people would want to see a huge lobster on one plate instead of chunks of it cut into two plates. read more

I really wish I could give this place ZERO STARS! There was scrap metal in my shrimp and garlic sauce AND hair in the chips the food was disgusting I would never recommend or eat at this establishment ever again! Very disappointed! read more

I have gone to this location in the past and always had a good experience. Went last night with family and while two of our whole lobster dinners were fine, the other two ordered were hard as a rock and rubbery. I am very surprised at the quality, as this was the first time witnessing this. We complained to the waiter and he offered no compensation for the two meals and they were not even finished. I would not go back here again for Lobster. read more

I've been to this place multiple times. The food is quite good. However, last night I went with a friend and we were charged an automatic gratuity. I've been there with my ex who is white and from Spain and we were NEVER charged an automatic gratuity. We were having a lovely time until the check came. This event has a racial undertone because clearly the waiter assumed that because we were black we wouldn't tip well, and that we were gullible enough to not carefully review the check. We felt very disrespected and unwelcome as the waiter tried to debate with me. After i asked him if he was going to charge the white couple next to us an automatic gratuity he quickly removed the check and presented a new one without the automatic gratuity. Why must we go through this? Treat ppl with respect and don't make assumptions. read more

Delicious AND hilarious! Waiters run around like chickens without heads while barking order requests at customers, the maitre d' is nowhere to be found (why have a check-in station?), and the food is abundant and truly delicious. Customers don't seem to mind the service issue, as many were bonding/laughing over their inability to get their checks and the place was packed with happy people. We had the garlic shrimp, strip steak and red sangria. All we're well-prepared and delicious - portion sizes are huge, with many taking home food. Completely recommend - just think of it as 'dinner and a show'! read more

The food was inconsistent. The appetizer (shrimp in garlic sauce) was great. As for the entrees, the filet mignon was ok, and the chicken in wine and tomato sauce was very tough. However, what really put us off was the service. It was slow and rude. For the prices, I expected much more. read more

Came today for Mother's Day. Sangria tasted strange. After several glasses I realized there was very little or no alcohol. A party of 5 and everyone agreed it was weak and tasted strange. We had the pulpo and stuffed scallops to start. Pulpo was very salty. Stuffed scallops were probably the best thing about our meal. We had paella, garlic shrimp, and garlic chicken. The rice was very bland for everyone except from the paella. The shrimp was not great, the garlic sauce was good. The chicken was over cooked and dried out. Additionally, we had a reservation at 1 and weren't seated until 25 minutes later while people came in stating they had no reservations and were seated immediately. We were then sent to the basement dining room where the service was pretty crap. As though we were an inconvenience. None of us would ever return and definitely do not recommend. Writing this review from an Italian restaurant near home that has much better Sangria. read more

Amazing portions. Apps were all good. Stuffed scallops and garlic shrimp. Bread is served warm and with oil. Filet was perfectly cooked and upgraded to a 1lb lobster tail. Seafood paella was a huge portion read more

Don Pepe - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Went in last night with another couple. There's about 200 waiters you don't really know which is yours throughout the night. The bread they put on the table was good , no butter and only a bitter Oliver oil. We ordered a the garlic chicken and it was dry and was cut up chicken wings, it was more trouble to eat more than anything else. Ordered a T-bone steak and was absolutely disgusting. It smelled like wet dog. They told us it was because the steak was aged I call b.s. Stay away from them 2 dishes and you may have a better experience. read more

HORRENDOUS service at this restaurant. We made a reservation for 6 people for 5:30pm for my mom's birthday, and when we get to the restaurant, there are a ton of people waiting for tables. I tell the hostess we are here for our reservation and she tells us to wait a few minutes for the table to open up. Meanwhile, the owner is running around seating all parties of 2 and 4 even without a reservation, and starts yelling at the hostess in front of all the customers saying she's "not doing XYZ right, NONONO let me do it", snatching the phone / reservation book from her, etcetc. After 30 minutes or so, we try to ask him how long the wait will be and every time we try to talk to him, he cuts us off and responds with "PLEASE, if you keep talking to me I can't do my job and there won't be a table". He keeps telling us there is no table for 6 available and we will get the first one that opens up, except we made a reservation in advance. Tables of 2 and 4 are continuously being seated throughout this time; at least 10 parties have been seated from the time we arrived (why can't they just combine 2 tables for us? not sure). 6:15 rolls around and we're still waiting - every time we ask for the wait time, we can't get 2 words in before the owner starts yelling at us again to stand to the side and to stop preventing him from doing his job. One of my dad's friends needs a cane to walk and at one point we stopped the owner to try to ask him for a chair for him at least while we wait because we've already been waiting for 1 hour (it's 6:30 at this point), and the owner turns to my dad and says "DON'T TOUCH ME." W T F. We were just about to leave the restaurant when a table opened up so we decided to stay and sit. The seafood was decent and the waiter was actually pretty friendly and apologetic for the wait (how ironic). However, we ordered a NY strip steak cooked medium and it came way less than medium cooked. We asked the waiter and he tells us "this is medium. If you don't like this don't order medium in the future, order medium well." I've had enough medium cooked steaks in my life to know that wasn't medium. He offered to take it and recook it but I would not recommend ordering steak here. The seafood dishes were better but definitely not worth what we had to go through. Not surprisingly, we received no compensation for our wait time and an automatic 18% tip after tax was added onto our bill. It wasn't the fact that we had to wait for a table even with a reservation. I get it, it's holiday season and the restaurant was crazy busy. It was the attitude that pissed me off to no end. Respecting customers and your own employees should be basic etiquette any restaurant should have, no matter how busy. Your mood and attitude affects our mood and attitude. If you can't handle that many customers, don't take a bunch of reservations that you can't seat. At the very least, an apology would make us more understanding. I feel really bad my mom had to experience this on her 50th birthday. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion but this restaurant put all of us in terrible moods. Edit: After reading the reviews, it seems like many people had similar complaints about the staff / owner here (I probably should have read these before coming to the restaurant). Makes me wonder if the restaurant reads or even cares about what their customers think of them. read more

Great old school no nonsense restaurant. Dined there tonight with some companions. Service was attentive, portions are huge. I had the Paella Marenera which was delicious. Huge platter of rice with mussels,clams, shrimp, scallops and half a lobster. Went home with over a pound of leftovers. My friend had veal with mushrooms which was tender and delicious. My other companion had a grilled seafood platter. The dishes were accompanied by rice along with steamed vegetables, and oddly, a plate of thick sliced potato chips. We feasted for around $40 per person. Quite the deal. Large free parking lot makes this a great dining destination. read more

Don Pepe - Garlic Shrimp appetizer is de rigueur when dining st Don Pepe's. - Spanish Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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We were down in Harrison for a soccer game and decided on Spanish food for dinner. I haven't been in the area for 15 years or more. I was so looking forward to garlic chicken. Well, we were sited and first thing, the water glass, the flatware and the menus were filthy. First inclination was to leave, but I needed the garlic chicken. The bread was very dry even with the provided oil. I changed my mind and order garlic shrimp. My companion ordered garlic soup and the fried squid (calamari). Lately, it seems where ever I eat the food has gotten spicier. I do not like spicy food. The garlic shrimp had red pepper in it, but the menu did not mention it. I do not recall this from 15 years ago. Had I know this, I would have changed my order. As for the calamari, the dipping sauce, which looked like marinara, was also spicy. This was not eaten either, but the calamari were cooked right. I wanted dessert and ordered crepe brûlée. It was ice cold. The was barely any sugar, so not really carmelized on top. No crunching on top. I wanted to send it back, but my companion ate it. Really no flavor. I used to go here with my parents years ago and was hoping to recreate those days, but I guess I can't. read more

We love seafood so when we are in Newark for an event at NJPAC we always stop at Don Pepe for some shrimp in garlic sauce and whatever other seafood is on special that day. The owner is so friendly and the service is excellent. Arrive hungry, though. The portions are huge! read more

Got charged $5 for each additional empty plate! What a disgusting policy....if we allow this to be a new standard, charges for extra cups, tap water, utensils will surely follow..... How much more work is it to put a couple more dirty plates in the dishwasher?! Don't punish the customer just because they want to split their food....or they will never come back..... read more

The food is good but not THAT good. I will NOT put up with bad service. And the service here is abysmal. I was meeting a friend for dinner at 5:30pm She was stuck in terrible traffic. The bar was PACKED and I just wanted to have a quiet drink while I waited for her. The dining room was EMPTY. They sat me at a table. I ordered a bottle of wine. They brought me some bread. When she called again and said she was going to be an additional 30 minutes, I ordered an appetizer. THEY WOULD NOT SERVE ME. They said it was their policy that all food orders had to be placed at one time. They would rather keep pouring me wine and have me drink on an on an empty stomach & potentially get sick -or even worse- get into an accident after dinner??? My friend was exasperated when she arrived. She & her family have been eating at this restaurant for over 20 years and she said it was simply NOT TRUE. In fact, she was there just a few weeks prior and the table had appetizers (ordered separately from the main courses) because a few people were late. The waiter argued with her and said she was wrong. I will never eat here again. There are PLENTY of Spanish & Portuguese restaurants in Newark. I will take my patronage (and money) elsewhere. read more

My best friend and I had tickets to the Charlie Wilson concert. We decided to try the restaurant for dinner before the concert. Decor is respectable. Drinks - I ordered the Sangria based on previous recommendations. When the waiter took our order he did not advise it's cheaper to purchase a small pitcher than two glasses. As a frequent patron to New York's Cafe Espanol located near NYU, the red sangria can not compare. Order only if you don't mind adding sugar. Do not order the white sangria, unless of course you like the mixture of orange juice and wine. Do not anticipate your waiter to provide insight about portion sizes. It all comes down to the $$$$ here. Paella is enough to feed four. I watched as my waiter allowed a couple to submit a double order, knowing that was too much food for two. We order the Paella and Kobe Pork Chops. Dinner was ok. Just ok. This is not the restaurant to visit if you expect to be floored by culinary presentation or flavor. This is the place to visit if you want a meal but don't feel like cooking. My overall opinion. This was an overpriced meal for mediocrity. read more

My family and I have dined and had food catered from Don Pepe in Newark for over 30 years. We came early Sunday evening to celebrate Valentine's Day. As expected, the food was excellent - salmon dish stuffed with seafood and veal in a flavorful tomato sauce. Unfortunately, the behavior of our server was completely unacceptable; our dining experience wasn't the same as other tables around us. Speaking English but being bilingual, I heard him give the tables next to us a thorough and detailed explanation of the menu. We did not get the same. He also was more attentive to the other tables during their dining experience. He constantly passed our table to attend to others and didn't pay attention to us until we asked for the bill. My family approached the manager/owner after paying our bill that had the automatic 20% gratuity. He said that the waiter we had was "his best waiter" and that he would request that waiter if he dined at this restaurant. That statement made the experience worse knowing that the "best waiter" treated us unprofessionally and took excellent care of the tables around us. Seeing that we were unsatisfied, the owner suggested that we request a different waiter the next time we visit and offered to buy us a round of drinks. We already paid for a pitcher of sangria (plus 20% gratuity). We said no thank you to drinks. There won't be a next time at this Don Pepe. read more

I have been coming to this place since I was a kid. Great Spanish restaurant in the heart of downtown Newark. Lunch menu seems to have competitive prices but I've only been here for dinner. Remains one of my favorite Spanish restaurants. read more

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Is Don Pepe's within easy walking distance to NJPAC?? I want to eat here before attending a concert that starts at 7pm. What time should I arrive at Don Pepe's in order to arrive in time for the concert at NJPAC? Thanks for any helpful tips!! read more