Lena y Carbon is one of my favorite Peruvian chicken restaurants in New Jersey. The chicken is…read morealways full of flavor and incredibly juicy. In my opinion, 1 PM is the perfect time to go--right after the chicken comes off the rotisserie. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the ceviche. The fish doesn't taste or have the texture I would expect from corvina. Honestly, I suspect they may be using basa or another less expensive fish, because there is no way this tastes like corvina to me. The chicken is definitely a winner, but the ceviche needs some work.

I visited for my sister's graduation dinner with a party of 7 and unfortunately had one of the…read moreworst dining experiences we've had. From the beginning, our server was extremely inattentive and dismissive. She repeatedly pushed us to order a seafood boat even after we clearly explained that multiple people in our party have seafood allergies. We ultimately declined it because we did not feel comfortable risking cross contamination. After that interaction, the service noticeably declined. Our table was largely ignored while nearby tables were attended to regularly. Food came out one person at a time over the course of nearly an hour, so we were unable to eat together. Some meals arrived cold, appetizers came after entrees, and we were never properly checked on. We had to get our own utensils because none were brought to the table and drink refills were never offered. To make matters worse, when we were ready to leave, we waited over 10 minutes just to receive the check because our server continued ignoring the table. An automatic gratuity was already included and when I expressed concern about paying full gratuity for such poor service, I was simply told it could not be removed, with no effort to address the situation or involve a manager. We understand restaurants get busy, but this was supposed to be a special graduation celebration and the experience completely ruined the atmosphere for our family. Very disappointing experience overall and unfortunately not a place we would return to.

I went on a Sunday at lunch time. You have the option to dine in their patio, but it was too warm…read moreso I stayed indoors. It was empty and pleasantly cool. The interior is chic and modern and the service is excellent. They had a birthday party going on in the patio and I noticed the attentiveness of the staff in managing and executing the orders. I had an exotic take on the caprese salad served bamboo shoots and it was mind blowing. They serve bread with butter in the side and olives, complementary. The butter was seasoned with herbs. The seared tuna was served with soy sauce and chop sticks, but it was so well seasoned on its own, that I didnt use soy sauce at all. It was delightful, and what I appreciated was how they serve water...something so bangle as a glass of water is served with ice and a wedge of lemon or lime (your choice). It is a detail that you encounter only in Michelin starred restaurants. It is worth the price. Kearny is a hidden gem, and Qtal is a welcomed addition. It felt zen.

Had an amazing meal and great time with my wife and friends. The service was awesome definitely…read moregoing back again I had the half chicken with potatoes and it was amazing. We all shared some octopus and short rib croquettes.

I visit the Harrison, NJ area often. Charley is a go to for good food and a nice vibe. The lobster…read morerole, chicken pot pie, and steak frites are great. Service is always helpful and friendly.

First time visiting Charley and the staff was very pleasant! The cocktails were delicious and the…read morefood was very tasty. I loved the vibes with the music playing and nice aesthetics! Will be back soon!

I recently celebrated my birthday dinner here with my family and had a great experience. Most of us…read moreordered the ribeye steaks with two 2oz lobster tails and generous portions of veggies and rice. My medium-rare ribeye was cooked perfectly, it was tender with a nice char flavor. I added a little salt, pepper, and lemon to enhance the flavors. The staff was attentive, kept our glasses filled, and made sure we were enjoying our meal. One of the staff members let us sample the meat he was serving on the sword to another table, and it was incredibly juicy, tender, and flavorful. That experience made us want to return for the full Rozilio experience. Overall, it was a wonderful birthday dinner.

A few members of my team and I had lunch here to welcome someone new who was joining the team…read more This was my first time. All four of us had the Barbecue - 3 Mixed Meat and 1 Picanha. The Mixed Meat option had several different preparations of beef and a sausage served with a salad, french fries, and white rice. It was a generous portion of meat in a large plate. For dessert we all had the Serradura (Portuguese Sawdust Pudding) which was made with a meringued cream, whipped cream, and crushed cookies mixed together. Very delicious, not too sweet and not too filling. All around there was brick, stone and solid wood. I felt like I was in what I imagined a restaurant in Portugal would be like back in the day. The servers were friendly. I gives me the sense that it is a good place to have a range of events - from a business lunch to a celebratory party. There is lots of space in the restaurant with different rooms. One room seemed specifically set up for large parties whereas another room was set up like a typical restaurant. Our party was able to relax and enjoy ourselves without ever feeling any time pressures from the staff. It was quite an enjoyable experience.

We found this place by accident a few years ago on a work trip and had to come back again. It is an…read more"old school" family recipes, incredible service, fantastic food, and simply an amazing restaurant. My only concern is that they don't see to be busy enough for how good they are! We had 6 of us. Every single thing everyone ordered looked incredible. (I mean, I don't really care for muscles, but I could absolutely see the love cooked into even that dish.) I wish them every success and I'm already looking forward to visiting again next time I'm in the area!

"Would you like some lemoncello? Orangcello? Anythingvello?"…read more Angelo, one of the owners, is talking to the table next to us, but already I know I've found a second home. "You won't want to cook anymore" he tells us a bit later. He's not wrong. I had the fish special, cod, served puttanesca, with mash potatoes and spinach. He had the rigatoni bolognese. Perfectly cooked pasta. "Everything is homemade," Angelo explained later. Smart and fairly well-priced wine list. We asked why the 2020 Carparzo Brunello di Montalcino was so low priced, and learned the wine has been priced the same since their father closed their Upper East Side location and the kids opened in Newark. "New York food at NJ prices," Angelo explained. "I've never had tiramisu I've liked better", husband told me. "I've never had flan Ive liked better" I told him. (It is coconut flan.) Great service. Wonderful spot. And Bon Jovi has been in twice, most recently he brought his wife. Enough said.

MUST GO HERE!!!!!! All the food was exceptional The branzino was honestly one of the best dishes…read moreI've ever eaten!!! Savoury and slightly sweet but just perfectly delicious!!! The service was friendly and attentive. The ambiance was totally charming. GREAT EXPERIENCE!!!

We had an 845 reservation for an FDU graduation dinner... we had a big group and it was wonderful!…read more I was truly living in the moment because I don't think I took any photos of the food, but we all really enjoyed what we ordered! Thank you !

Oh yes..Italian eatery with a swanky bar and creative cocktails. It's as advertised...and then…read moresome.. We tried a number of items enjoyed every bite. The service was excellent. Enjoyed the atmosphere and the cocktails. Overall a great experience.. Carbonara was well made & delicious. Amazing.

Delicious. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this dish…read more I only took off one star because it doesn't have any chicken. But I enjoyed it nonetheless

Lovely Brazilian restaurant in the heart of the Ironbound district in Newark. On Fridays, they…read morebring DJs to play vinyl. I enjoyed the contemporary design of the restaurant and the food was amazing. I had a dish that I normally don't make and don't see it in restaurants across the US - beef parmigiana. The meat was very tender, and the tomato sauce was well balanced without a lot of acidity, which I liked. It's a good size and you will probably take some home. Luis, the owner, is very proud of their vinyl equipment and says that the music selection of the DJs is very diverse and upbeat. This is a son and mother business and mom is in charge of the kitchen, menu design, produce purchase to keep everything fresh. I would definitely dine here again and I recommend it.

I did not expect to enjoy this restaurant that much! It's unfortunate that it's located far into…read moreNewark, but I'm so happy I was able to try it. They had a wide variety of food, all ranging from beef, pork, chicken, seafood, and some vegetarian options. They had an extensive wine menu, and my boyfriend joyfully enjoyed a glass of wine. I got the brazilian fried chicken, which was extremely flavorful, and i was surprised there wasn't any breading on the chicken as typical fried chicken does. I much preferred the no-breading style, which I think is the Brazilian way. I would have preferred a boneless dish, as there were quite a few pieces with bones, and it was pretty oily at the bottom of the dish. It came with two very large sides, and totaled around $25. 100% would recommend this dish, but I do think at a lower price point, this could make do with just one side, instead of two, as the main dish was quite large enough to fill me up. My favorite part of this meal was the garlic butter bread that they provide for free. It comes out extremely fresh with lots of chopped up garlic, which is my favorite part of garlic bread. It was a great way to start the dinner off. The service was great and the waiters were extremely attentive. They regularly checked up on how we felt about the food and filled up our drinks. The restaurant was pretty empty while we were dining, but the space was laid out very nicely and the decor was beautiful. Would come again if it wasn't so far!

[Over a decade since my original review... she's overdue for a refurbishing, for sure.]…read more East Newark basically consists of three things... Tops Diner, the (historic) Clark Thread factory (closed for decades and currently being made into a housing complex which is going to be insane for this area) and... Pic-Nic. (East Newark should be absorbed into Harrison, but I'll keep my nose out of zoning and redistricting and stick to the job at hand...) The sangria? Delicious. (But worth $30 a pitcher?) And only finding out when the bill arrived and we'd ordered two... ouch! The garlic shrimp appetizer? Yeah, still the best in the biz. (The sauce alone is worthy of a darn Michelin star.) We were a party of seven. We had a bit of everything when it came to the entrees. My chicken dish - brilliant. (The star might've been those roasted potatoes swimming in a delicious brown-garlic sauce.) The other adults all seemed to really love their dishes, too. But we need to discuss my kids' food. They're varsity athletes that run 8-10 miles a day. They were hungry and bragged about how much food they were about to put away. The older twin tried paella (for the very first time) and about halfway through? He had to quit. (But he really dug all the various seafood and proteins mixed in the saffron-infused yellow rice served in a tiny Portuguese cauldron of sorts.) The younger twin? Obsessed with steak. He ordered the "Beef à Pic-Nic" and... okay, anyone know the YouTuber 'Beard Meets Food' that travels the world to attempt ridiculous food challenges? That's what arrived at our table. Easily the most amount of food I ever saw that was technically for just one person. He went to work and eventually said, "Dad. Please do not make me breakfast or lunch tomorrow." (something I never heard before - all because he was THAT full right now) I looked over at his dish and... it didn't even look like he put a dent in it. When we asked for doggy-bags the two workers seemed to chuckle that we 'failed' the mission at hand. All things considered: the bill wasn't too bad for the amount of (tasty) food. (Overlooking the alcohol portion, of course!) Cool workers all around. Restaurant looks good. They have a (mighty small) lot and there's some street parking (if you're lucky). Recommended, for sure.

Pic-Nic has been a family favorite restaurant since I began dating my husband. Their family is…read morePortuguese and Pic Nic is a Portuguese Grill and has been a special place for our family for birthdays, anniversaries and my husband and I even had our Rehearsal Dinner here. They have a bar and dining room as well as private room they use for events. This is where our Rehearsal Dinner was held. The private room has a separate entrance which is nice for guests! My step mother could not stop raving about the food, so when she came to visit again, we took her back. To start, we had red sangria and I think we went through 3-4 pitchers as a table. To start we had calamari and chorizo which comes flambéed, which is an awesome spectacle! We also ordered styles of paella, grilled shrimp Mozambique style - which is what I typically order, and my husband ordered one of the specials for the night, cordon blue which was To DIE FOR! Definitely, whole heartedly recommend if you are in the East Newark, Harrison area. The one and only down side is they have a very small lot, suiting about 8 -10 cars, but the driving around to find parking is totally worth it!

The food is always great it's our go to restaurant my wife loves the broil lobster she likes it…read morespicy I like the bronzino it's always fresh the service is awesome we know Jose the waiter for years when we go to Spanish Pavilion is like visiting a family member all awesome there.

Spanish Pavillion wasn't simply a restaurant to me. For many years, it was the restaurant…read more I was first introduced to it by Josetxo, my childhood and teenage friend. Back then, Benito, Estrella, and Jalisco were at the helm. Everything ran beautifully, and over the years Spanish Pavillion became one of my favorite places. I can still remember those camarones al ajillo--the best, as far as I was concerned--the camarones al vino, and that extraordinary lobster stuffed with crab meat. These were dishes worth coming back for, time and again. Later came even more cherished memories. When my two boys were barely three and four years old, they too fell in love with the camarones al ajillo and the octopus. There was something amusing about watching two little kids sitting at a restaurant table and matter-of-factly asking for octopus. Spanish Pavillion was no longer just part of the memories of my younger years; it had become part of our family history as well. As the years passed, and understandably because of their advancing age, the original owners eventually stepped away. That was only natural. Even then, for several more years the restaurant managed to preserve much of what had made it special. But something changed. The last time I returned, I was there with my wife, and that visit finally shattered the image I had carried with me for so many years. The moment we walked in, we were greeted by an unpleasant sewer-like odor. The waitstaff was a disaster. Our appetizers had barely sat their asses down on the table when the main courses arrived. There was no time to enjoy the appetizers, have a conversation, or savor one course before moving on to the next. It felt as though they simply wanted to get us fed and out the door. I had specifically ordered a particular cut of meat. What arrived was a different, lower-quality cut--and tough as a Calabrian's head. And to add salt to the wound, while we were still trying to enjoy our dinner, the waiters kept circling our table like vultures, making it quite obvious that they wanted to finish their shift and wanted us gone. The food itself didn't live up to my expectations either. Perhaps that was the greatest disappointment of all: I knew exactly how good Spanish Pavillion had once been. I had known it when Benito, Estrella, and Jalisco took care of the place, when its food kept bringing me back, and when, years later, even my little boys looked forward to sitting at those tables and ordering octopus. The restaurant still carried the same name. But the Spanish Pavillion I knew was no longer there. I walked out, took a few steps, turned around, and from a distance made the sign of the Cross toward the place. I never went back.