Im a fan of RODIZIO period! This place is only 20 minutes from my house, the closest rodizio near me. They renovated the place pretty well, eating environment is pretty clean, theres tvs all over the place to watch sports, the owner is very nice. Ive tried their skirt steak, its delicious! My Significant other loves their smoothies! I would rate their RODIZIO meats 7 out of 10. I mean they arent bad at all, its just 1 out of 3 times the meats are pretty salty. Its still good though! read more

Wow, what happened? I used to love this place. It was that great neighborhood place with good portugese BBQ, fish and oversized portions you could take home. My last experience was horrible. We ordered our food, and waited, and waited, and finally the meal comes, with no appetizer. The waiter admitted he forgot to put them in. Well, accidents happen; then my wifes steak was way too fatty, my paulo's steak was well, not medium (I did not feel like having another steak cooked so I ate it) . They did replace my wife and daughers steaks with Picanha but the meal was already a mess. I asked for water a bunch of times and it felt they were preoccupied, even though they were not busy. I figured the owner may have been absent but he was there. I guess it is time to move on to another restaurant that treats us better. Apparently, I am not the only one who has noticed this. Maybe that is why they are no longer busy. I think they need to get back to basics.. Quality, service and local friendliness. read more

I remember this bistro from the late 90's when their menu was limited to combos, hearty leafy salad, fresh beef hamburgers and the grilled salmon with veggies that sold for only $7.95 at that time. I was living up the street from them. I have been eating here since their renovation and it is a nice upgrade with more options on the menu as well as a full bar, dining room and outdoor section. I read some of the reviews and I understand all experiences anywhere are never going to be the best, but I have never been disappointed with the dishes I opt for. Salad always fresh with good olive oil and fresh ground pepper, The usual option of fries, rice or steamed potatoes and veggies. Octopus is very tasty as well as the red snapper, sirloin and beef ribs. Dining room is great for small groups and the main room with the TV's are great to watch futbol and auto racing with the regulars. read more

Recently visited this place and was very impressed with the quality of the food. We ordered the Rodizio and it could easily feed a family of 5. It came with a smorgasbord of meats, all of which were very tasty! I would've preferred more rice to accompany the amount of meat. Other than that, I would've gave it 5 stars! The staff was very friendly and I would definitely be going back soon! read more

We came in for a birthday celebration dinner with 7 people. There are a couple of reasons for this review- first is the steak. 2 people in our group ordered filet mignon and a sirloin. I thought it was just me that the sirloin had a weird after taste kind of metal-y. But then I asked my fiancée and he said the same. My mother in law got the filet and when we asked her how hers was she said the same thing without even hearing what we had thought. So we didn't finish either of ours. The other reason for this review was that someone in our group had told the servers that we were celebrating 2 birthdays. So they brought out two plates each with two slices of cake and a mousse/tiramisu dessert. They were pretty good but nothing special. We also got a bunch of after dinner cappuccinos and espressos. All in all, our check was a little over 320 without the tip so it's not like we were going for a cheap dinner.. But then when we got the final check hey had charged us for all of the desserts. Now I get it that restaurants can't just be giving food away, but they also shouldn't be doing a birthday celebration and bringing out enough for everyone at the table when we didn't ask for that. I would have rather picked my own dessert of we were just going to get charged for it anyway. This was not to get something for free because this was not even worth it being free and it's also not that serious. If you charge for celebrating birthdays then just tell people you don't do birthdays complimentary. Or do a "birthday" size portion. But to bring out enough for 7 or 10 people when it was a birthday for 2 people and then charge for all of that did not make a good impression. For the taste of the steak and this birthday situation, I definitely won't be going back there. Better off going to Valenca or some place in Newark. read more

Mediocre at best. Take out order was so disappointing. Fries were limp and tasteless, bbq chicken and pork ribs were dry and chewy.

I've eaten here three times in the last 10 years what can I say the food is so so. You get a mound or french fries and some ribs and the price is not all that great. The ribs are okay the fries are store-bought frozen and boring. I don't eat here as a rule because there are so many other places to go. read more

I went there and had the rodizio.. terrible.. from the meats to the service I had an absolute horrible experience. I would rather go to the 7-Eleven next door to have any meal before going there. They served sausage and chicken for the first half of our meal before bringing out any meat . Then when they did bring out the meats it was already precut portions and the seasonings were awful. Then they proceeded to bring out the top sirloin which we watched the server hack and totally destroy. I don't know how you can mess up top sirloin but they manage to do so. When they served the pineapple the man seemed like he had no experience what so ever. I will never be going back to this place I don't even recommend trying it. read more

Went for lunch and got the Rodizio plate. This is just one plate of rodizio and not the unlimited. But it was way too much food for lunch and only $9.00 per person. It was made to order so everything was cooked perfectly and very fresh. Meats included beef (2 ways), chicken. chorizo. Came with at least 3 sides (rice, potatos and a fried banana). I was sorry we ordered an appetizer because then we didn't come close to finishing our food. We all got the same thing so I can't comment if the other things on the extensive menu are good, but this "special" was excellent. One colleague had enough left over for dinner that night. Paulo came to our table himself to make sure we were all satiisfied and his wait staff were all checking on us constantly. Good value, Good food, great choice for a business lunch. I'll give dinner here a try sometime soon. read more

I have to say i liked this place a lot! we showed up and the manager was very attentive and friendly. He was extremely friendly to my 1 year old son, and even offered to carry him and it made me feel a little family oriented. The service was really good, waiters were very attentive to what we wanted. the sangria i have to say is one of the best in the area! The food was just as good as the service! i highly recommend ordering the rodizio which in my opinion is really good! I hope my input helps you choosing a good spot with good food :) read more

One of the hostess was very rude to the customer Also refuse to sever her while she had stood on line for hours ..and started speaking another langue while the customer was leaving .. After being told there wasn't Any more ribs /and chicken .... Another customer told the person what was said and she referred to her as a n"""" I'm sorry this is not acceptable i will never eat there again read more

Wanted outdoor dining. Second time here. Service was terrible. Nearly 2 hours to get meal. Food was dry. Constant apologizing. No effort to compensate. Even coffee on the house. Food was mediocre the first time and then horrible service to add. read more

This food is so delicious! This is like no other! Every person has their own taste when it comes to food but this food I guarantee you won't regret eating this food! Happy hunting for food! :) read more

Great food and sangria. Food is always enough for 2. Sangria is always,good. Bartenders,are the best. Wait staff is always friendly. Usually go a few times a month. read more

Went to Paulo's for the third time yesterday. I haven't reviewed it before, but our experience last night deserves a mention. I've been to lots of Portuguese restuarants and BBQ joints. I was married in the Ironbound section of Newark. I have never and would never order Rodizio here. When a place has such an extensive kitchen menu, it is clear that Rodizio isn't their premiere item. Service was friendly and fast. In the past, I've had lackluster service at Paolo's, but last night was excellent. We had everything we needed. My wife got the Shrimp in Garlic Platter and the seafood was cooked perfectly. I ordered the Portuguese style steak with 2 eggs. Temperature was perfect. The meat was well seasoned, and I ate way too much of it! Usually, portions are large enough to take home...But, I couldn't stop. A+ read more

This was my first time here. I came here after my son recommend this place. The restaurant is very clean and they make you feel welcomed the moment you step in. We did not order an appetizer. After looking at the menu where there isn't a shortage of options I decided to go with the pork cubes and chicken with shrimp house style ($17.00). It came with a generous portion of fries and rice. My wife and son shared the chicken and rib platter. ($17.00). This also came with a generous portion of fries and rice. The portion of food they give you is incredible. You will not leave hungry. Service was top notch. I will absolutely be back soon. They also offer steak on a stone which I will most likely order next time I go. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Paulo's Barbeque - Pork Cubes & Chicken with shrimp House style. - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

Paulo's BBQ was absolutely the WORST customer service experience that I've ever encountered! We had a pre-scheduled party of about 35 people. A few of us were excited about getting the "Rodizio" where they continue to bring you meat throughout the night. On the menu it says for one person it's $32.50, for two people its $29.50 per person, and with 4-10 people its $25.50 per person. With us being such a large group we knew quite a few of us were ordering "Rodizio"; so we would probably fall into the $25.50 range. For clarification, I asked the waiter if we would fall into the $25.50 range since we had, at that point, 9 people that were getting the "Rodizio". The waiter says yes but to further clarify he goes and gets the owner of the restaurant Paulo. Paulo confirms to me "Yes your meal will be $25.50". At the end of dinner they bring around one big check, for over 35 people, which I've absolutely never heard of. So deciphering the check amongst such a, large group of people was an absolute headache. After going over the receipt we realized that they charged each of the Rodizio customer $32.50. We were all confused since this contradicted what was stated in the menu and also what the manager specifically told me. We also realized that actually had 12 people who ordered Rodizio. We addressed it with the wait staff that brought our receipt. One waitress went back to tell the owner of our complaint. He then sends a message through her saying that in order to receive the $25.50 per person it would have had to be MORE than 10 people. This contradicted the menu and what was said before of dinner. But we said okay well if that is the case then we should still qualify because we have 12 people who have ordered the Rodizio. The waitress repeatedly explained "it's what the owner said, I'm just the messenger" while simultaneously throwing her hands up in the air. Our response to her was "We understand that so can we please speak To the owner now?" She went back several times to get the owner so we could speak directly to him. He had us waiting for a very long time before coming out. It was as if he was afraid to defend what he said and we were not a priority. The fourth time the waitress went back for the owner, I saw the waiter that I originally spoke to in the beginning. He confirmed what I was told at first was correct; it would have been $25.50 per person. Others that were with our party immediately verbalized "that's not at all what that waitress was saying". So now all we needed was the owner's clarification between his two different explanations. The owner Paulo finally comes out and at this point he was still under the impression that we only had 9 people so his argument was that it would have to be more than 10 people for us to qualify for the $25.50 per person. We immediately brought to his attention that we ended up having 12 people instead. In an Instant he switched up again and said well if it's more than 10 we can't do it; it would have to have been under 10 people. By this point we all stood there stunned because he literally contradicted himself 3 times right before our eyes. His inconsistency showed him as money hungry and sneaky. We rebutted saying it does not say anything about that in the menu, which we had all read to make sure we did not overlook something. I asked, why did you specifically tell me that it was going to be $25.50 because we had enough people? And if that's the policy, considering how much confusion it has caused, why wouldn't you at least charge 10 of us the $25.50 and then the two extra people charge $32.50? He argued "I'm trying to run a business" saying he wouldn't make a profit if he didn't charge us $32.50. I told him that he lied to me. His response was absolutely the most disrespectful response and business owner could ever give. Paulo says "Why are you arguing about $5?" I could not believe an owner would say something like that to a customer it was the most disgusting remark I've ever heard. I responded "No why are you as a business owner arguing about $5 and not worried more about customer service?" We spent around $1500 collectively as that restaurant. We were there for 4 and half hours. The service was going well up until the payment Fiasco. The reason I asked ahead of time was to avoid this confusion and I wanted to make sure it was going to be worth it for me considering the fact that you can't take any food home when you get the "Rodizio". I knew I wouldn't able to eat all of the food. It was a $7 difference in pricing I could have been easily happier with a $19 dish but because the waiter and the owner stated that we would get a deal I thought it was worth it for me to try. It was not solely about pricing, it was more about the principle. The owner is arrogant, pompous, greedy, disrespectful, deceitful and lacks integrity. Paulo's BBQ worst business Ive ever seen. And I don't understand a person that would upset 35 people who just spent $1500 at their establishment read more

WTF - I was just here a couple of weeks back and the filet dish that cost $29.95 is now $39.95. Seems there is a new owner and the prices have sky rocketed, but the food didn't improve to justify the price increase if anything it's gone down hill. I've cooked better filets on my grill to be honest. Will not be coming back at these prices. I'll take a drive to the Armory or a better steak house. read more

Not very dine-in friendly. Took 3 hours to eat there. We waited about 35min between each meal. They seem to cater more to the take out orders than dine in. Meats were overcooked; ordered medium rare. Got medium well. Chicken was dry. Not planning on going back. read more

Never coming back. They weren't attentive. took forever for food to come out. I asked for a slice of cake twice and it never came. When I asked for the bill it took them half an hour to give it to me and still had the audacity to say "tip isn't included in the check." read more

Great food for the price with big portions!!! Ps parking can be tough...which says a lot about the place :). Good eats! read more

See all

The service was good, very clean place. Only problem is the portions here are pretty small for the amount of money that you have to pay for the food. overall the food tasted pretty good. Whatever you do , don't order the cheesecake, very very small portion, it was almost insulting. read more

Paulo's Barbeque - Cheese cake ... Hooked up by my waiter Alejandro - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

having been a long time South Plainfield resident this was a top go to spot in town. my father and I or just myself would order the garlic shrimp dinner for 2 and have so much delicious food we'd sometimes even have left overs. delicious food, great fun Mediterranean atmosphere. LOVE this place! Mouth is watering now read more

Food is ok for the area however service is slow. I would order take out that's about it. Dine in experience lacks greatly. Didn't receive bread until we asked. Drinks came out slow ... had to ask where our dinner was twice. We would have ordered dessert but after almost 3 hrs we just wanted to get out of there. If your in no rush this is the place for you other wise save yourself the aggravation. read more

Food was very good and the first place I ever been to that gives a great portion of shrimp usually places aren't that generous, had great taste and The staff was very considerate , definitely will be going back read more

Worse Restaurant I've been at in years. Waited 3 hours for our dinner We had to ask the waiter for more drinks. I like salted meat but this Food was way to salty. Then the waiter tried to add $62.00 on the bill. I will never go there again. I will be telling everyone I know to stay away. We should have walked out! Stephen L. read more

My friend goes here all the time and suggested that i go with him. The food and service was great. Id give it 5 stars but i do not like how the rodizio was set up. At all the other rodizios i been too, they are usually quick in bringing out the different cuts of meat. At this place its usually a 10 to 15 minute wait before your server comes with the next. So a meal that normally takes 1 to 1.5 hours ends up taking over 2 hours. It seems as if once your food served they begin cooking the next cut of meat. Again great food and friendly staff. It just takes forever. read more

Awesome place! You feel very welcome here. You're treated like family. Great staff & great food! Had a wonderful night with the family. The food was excellent. I definitely would recommend this place. We especially enjoyed the Sangria & Rodizio! It's the best. My favorite is the Skirt steak Rodizio style, medium rare. My family loves Paulo's. We celebrate all our special occasions here. Or when we feel we need to just get out & escape the stresses in life. We come here and enjoy the atmosphere and relax. Always a great night out! read more

These past few weeks my family and I have been ordering food from Paulo's. The food is amazing and the service is excellent. The people are kind and friendly. I would recommend this place to anyone who's looking for great meal or appetizer read more

Food is okay here...l will give them that. But the service is so disappointing. I've been trying to find a good Portuguese food place to call home...and this place will not be it. I ordered a small platter this past Sunday 11/10/2019 at about 2:30pm in the afternoon. I asked for them to have it ready at 4pm for me to pick up. That gave them 1-1/2 hours to get my order cooking and ready. I got there and no one had a clue. I had to wait 1/2 hour for them to make it then. I finally got my food at 4:30pm. I complained to the manager, but he seemed like he did not want to know anything...very POOR customer service!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This delay of a half hour set me back for my hour drive back home. Needless to say, I will NEVER go back there again as long as I live!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

The BEST place to eat in South Plainfield! The Rodizio is out of this world, and is one of the best I've every had! Just as good if not better then the ones in the Iron Bound section of Newark! They just redid the place and there is a nice dinning room, and a bar! Good food, good service, and great prices! read more

I love this place. My family came here after walking in the rain and really needed a place to relax and warm up. We are currently living in Spain and are on vacation in New Jersey visiting family for the holiday, so this place really hit the spot. We came in for some drinks and dessert and got the warmest service. The red sangria is spot on, and dessert was fantastic. The pitcher was good for 2 people. (if you drink as the Spanish do) All in all we will be back for dinner maybe for a weekend treat. This place really makes me miss home. read more

Paulo's Barbeque - Menu cover - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

Paulo's is very close to my home, and I have ordered food from here before but it was only takeout, today was the first time dining in the resturant itself. We got there at around 6 - 6:20 ish, it was not busy at all in the dining area. As we walked in, we were greeted and sat right away. The host brought us some rolls. We weren't even given any water or anything, we had to ask the host for some water after about 15 - 20 minutes of not being asked what if we wanted any drinks or anything, but he quickly brought it to us, and we asked for a pitcher of red sangria. The waitress came over about ten minutes after, and verified that we put in an order for sangria, and then took our order. A few minutes later the guy who was helping us asked us what kind of sangria we asked for, and we said red again. Then, the waitress came over and said that we told her we wanted green sangria (we didn't even know green sangria existed until today), which she didn't ask what kind we wanted. She then asked if we wanted the bar to change it, but we said it was okay and just drank the green sangria. A little while later the food came out. I got the paella, on the menu it's listed as a seafood combination with rice. It was $28.50, but it was definitely worth it, it tasted amazing and I was only able to make a small dent in the portion. I ended up taking home 2 completely filled containers of leftovers. After we finished eating, we asked for the check, and the waitress forgot about us for a little while, and then quickly ran over to grab it. It took another while for them to just bring the receipt back to sign. The food was amazing, the sangria was good even though it wasn't the one we originally wanted, but the service wasn't great. read more

Paulo's Barbeque - Paella - Portuguese Near Me - South Plainfield, New Jersey

See all

Went here for lunch. The plalce was almost empty but our order took a long time. Still waiting as i write this.

This review is based on my previous experience with this restaurant.-- My boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary a while back. The lighting was extremely dim, I guess to make things seem more intimate. We got the seafood paella and sangria. Both were delicious. The paella was especially filling. The seasoning was perfect, not too salty. The seafood was cooked just right. The sangria tasted mainly of wine rather than any of the fruits that was added to it, but I'm not complaining. It is pretty pricey, so I wouldn't come here on a regular, but if you're coming every once in a while, I'd give it shot. But then again, that's just my opinion. read more

Food took too long because they were overwhelmed. Even while we were waiting, they never asked us if anyone wanted refills until 45 min later when we got our food. Food is great but it's obvious for them it about volume and NOT service or quality. read more

I like it!!! My father lived in South Plainfield so we would order takeout when visiting. We also ordered here for the repast after his funeral and they were beyond nice. My family and I still come here for dinner when we're in the area. Good location, the food is good, not expensive, and I do like the sangria. I've seen a lot of reviews about poor service - I've never had a bad experience. read more

Lunch was great! Affordable and delicious. They have a parking lot and beef ribs. The rice and fries that came with the chicken and gravy meal was amazing. Everything was fresh and made to order. Best $10 I've spent in a long time. read more

Gotta say this place is still at the top of our list. We bring freinds and family here often and everytime we do, they become regulars. Paulo and his staff are amazing. The food is always a homerun and the Sangria is my wife's favorite. Still the best alternative to driving all the way to the Ironbound section of Newark. Saude Paulo! read more

Disappointed in service today. Mom and I went for a nice lunch. We ordered a simple bbq chicken and ribs and a whole chix to go and arrived at 2:45. It was relatively empty. The waiter decided to sit behind us and have his steak before our lunch came out. The couple at the other table sat down after us and their meal came out before ours. I turned around and told him and he acted like I disturbed his lunch and told me our meals were coming out. Our meal came out at 4:00 A bit much... For lunch.. Not busy.. Paulos how about you 1) train your staff to wait until their tables have their meals before they take their break before the dinner crowd , it's rude for your staff to eat before their tables are served 2) he should have advised us that he was doing that and transitioned the table to someone else who he gave order and directions to..had a take out order delivered to the table 3) not have your staff eat in the same dining room as your customers... Especially when they haven't eaten yet..its rude. Your food never disappoints but I am a regular customer and last time I was there with a party of 6 we way took care of 40% tip.. the staff for a job well done. Recognize your regulars and treat them well. Today's treatment was uncalled for for any customer so if your waiter wants to know why he got basically no tip, tell him we got basically no service. I had to ask for extra napkins, I had to ask for water, I had to ask for the food I ordered and was going to pay for... Your food is always great... Your service today deserved NO STARS but because I love your food I gifted you two stars I am sticking to take out... Maybe. read more