Rosa's is a no-frills corner tavern in East Providence serving hearty home-style Portuguese & Italian fare. We were the only customers when we dined there for lunch at noon on a Wednesday. I guess it's more of a dinner place. Both my dining companion & I ordered Chicken Francaise ($22.95) on pasta, which was good but not exceptional. The serving was generous enough to bring home leftovers. It would have been nice to have been offered a bread basket, but that seems to be going the way of the dinosaur in restaurants. Our server was fine. The restaurant, while basic, was clean. The entire menu is available during opening hours. I thought the prices were a bit high for a tavern. Perhaps smaller lunch portions of the entrees for a reduced fare? I did consider the Portuguese steak sandwich, but at $18.95 thought it too expensive. I have friends who absolutely LOVE this restaurant, but I was underwhelmed. I'd consider giving it another chance during the dinner service. read more

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We've been to Rosa's twice now with RI Food Fights. First time was for the Sandwich Showdown. The chicken parm was good, the fries were good, but walking in felt like crashing someone else's family reunion. If you're from the neighborhood, or you're Portuguese, you're golden. If you're not, you kind of feel it. This time was different. The service was welcoming. Helpful. Like they were actually happy to see us there. Rosa's does Portuguese and Italian with what they call a modern twist. Family owned by local townies on Waterman Ave in East Providence. Small room, black chairs, ceiling fans spinning, TVs on the walls. Not fancy. Not trying to be. For Lord of the Pies, they offer four flatbread-style pizzas. We got the margherita and the meatball. The meatball was the easy winner. Good sauce, well-seasoned meatballs sliced thick, cheese that did its job, and a flatbread crust that hit all the right notes. Crispy. Chewy. Flavor in the bread itself, which is rarer than it should be. Everything worked together. This was a nice little pie. The margherita missed. Bright red sauce, fresh mozz slices, but someone back there buried it under dried basil. You couldn't taste anything else. And they stacked the slices on top of each other when they brought them out. The cheese stuck to the pieces on top and got carried right off the ones underneath. Who does that? Fresh mozz doesn't survive stacking. Basic physics. The flatbreads fit the menu. Rosa's is a Portuguese and Italian spot doing things their own way. The meatball flatbread could hold its own against their steaks and Mozambique dishes. Skip the margherita, though, or ask them to go easy on the basil and plate it flat. The vibe was much better this time. Maybe it was the server. Maybe it was us with a camera crew. Either way, it felt more like the family they promised us on their website. Definitely come see for yourself. read more

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Another amazing return visit to Rosa's Tavern in East Providence! Thank you Chef Steve for your incredibly moving Missing Man Table. It meant the world to hubby & started our night on such a heartfelt note. Yes, we are still on the RI Food Fights #BestPizzaRI trail & Rosa's flatbreads were delicious. Hubby ordered the meatball & I went with the cacoila (garlic & oil sauce with Portuguese marinated slow-cooked pulled pork, pomodoro & mozzarella cheese). Hubby had to get his favorite Clams Portuguese Style & I tried the breaded chicken cutlets (a/k/a chicken fingers) with their magical Mozambique sauce. I would put that sauce on ANYTHING & EVERYTHING!!!!! Highly recommend. NOM NOM NOM #YUM read more

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Okay, I want to start out by saying we had a super nice server and this review in no way reflects her. My wife and I came in on a Friday night for the RI Food Fights sandwich showdown. We had some ideas on what we would pick before going in before learning their sandwich for the contest was the chicken parm sandwich. No worries, we got a chicken parm sandwich which came with fries but we were able to sub green beans (which were actually super good, very garlicky and still had a good bite to them). The chicken parm was a bit odd. The texture of the chicken was too soft# as if it were very over tenderized. It had a frozen breaded chicken patty texture. The sauce it came with was fine, likely from a jar, bread was OK. The sandwich was edible. We'll cap it at that. The house salad was kind of sad, very low quality ingredients, mostly iceburg lettuce.. Kind of low effort other than the thoughtful plating arrangement The atmosphere was something. It was clearly a family run restaurant, I think we caught them on a day where they were celebrating a family member's birthday? People were walking around on FaceTime, kids running around (which that part didn't bother me, kids are kids), but random people walking in and out of the restaurant clearly friends of the restaurant, it was a but distracting. Our poor server was waiting on the tables solo running around# I has an empty glass of water the whole time- never got a refill.. Just can't really recommend it. It's certainly a "I'm friends with the owner, we grew up together" type of place. 2 stars because our server was very nice and everything was edible and didn't make us sick. read more

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RI Food Fight-Lord of the Wings 2025 Review: Last stop on a 6 stop tour of chicken wings! We walk toward the door and I am immediately drawn to the rose decals on windows and doors. We enter and there is an older woman belting out songs of today on a stage the size of a closet. I enjoyed her song choices and her gusto! Small establishment with about a 10 person bar. There were six of us and we hunkered down at the bar. My friend knew the bartender, typical RI! We order our drinks and our wings- Mozambique. It took a little while for the wings but I can tell you they made the Mozambique sauce from scratch because I had a clear shot of the stove top from my seat at the bar. The wings are wing dings. Not a crowd favorite but the winner here was their sauce. Please keep in mind, I am not a Mozambique expert by any means but I found it flavorful and enjoyable. Our fried made the move, asked for some bread. The bartender heated it up for him and he used it as an agent to eat the Mozambique sauce. That's the play! Everyone was interested about the rest of the food they are putting out here... read more

Rosa's Tavern - Mozambique - Salad Near Me - East Providence, Rhode Island

First time! Bartender was quick and wittey with her thoughts. Always good vibe from her. Food was very good 9 of 10.. If you live local it a stop For those of you will take a short drive!! You will not be disappointed.. read more

The Mozambique Calamari was very good I been batting about coming here because the change in cooks but glad I stopped in today. The waitress Celeste is great very friendly and helpful been in the business for years and the new cook Charlie is off the hook I was quite surprised in his cooking talents. The ambiance is always great in here and Fridays they have live entertainment. I was so deep in conversation with a couple people in here I forgot to snap pics but I will go back and order the same thing just for the photos. read more

Rosa's Tavern - Rosa's - Salad Near Me - East Providence, Rhode Island

Exceeded expectations. Nice little corner tavern that hit the mark on all fronts: service, drinks, food, music and friendly patrons. Sat at the bar, Carla was awesome! Serving up. Great drinks and helping with dinner recommendations. Ordered Chicken Francaise, which was prepared perfectly. So flavorful and tender, didn't need a knife. Potato slice were perfectly seasoned as well. Great place for drinks, music was great as well. Friendly regulars and new people in the crowd. Looking forward to returning soon. read more

I don't understand the hype about this place. We had dinner there and it was just ok- 2 stars . I knew I was overdressed ! The atmosphere was cold and loud It was like walking into a sub shop with a tiny bar and just a few tables The food was blah!!!! Very disappointed/ read more

This would be more of a 3.5 rather than a 4. We are hoping they are in a renovation stage. It was a bit difficult to see where the actual restaurant was, and then we went in the only door, but there was no signage. We did see a sign on one side of the building. This also seemed like a neighborhood type place, we felt a bit out of place. There were a few tables, a large bar, window air conditioners and fans, and loud music. Celeste, our server, did lower the music when she could just about hear us talking to her. The lighting included those neon changing lights, which I found frustrating while trying to to read. But we were hungry, and here for food. For sure, that didn't disappoint! No apps, it was late for us, so it was dinner only. She described the place as Portuguese Italian cuisine. On the website, there are 2 menus, which I at first didn't realize. It was lunch and dinner menus. I was looking at the lunch menu online and chose my meal. However, that menu didn't match the menu at the restaurant! I was disappointed, but chose Chicken piccata with mashed potatoes and veggies. Great choice!! The veg was zucchini, eggplant, summer squash and roasted red pepper mix! Excellent! Mashed potatoes were red bliss, super delicious! And the chicken was very good and tender, not dry at all. My husband had their Portuguese steak sandwich, and opted for a Ceasar side salad instead of fries. His steak was cooked as asked, medium, and was tender as can be. The dipping sauce was delicious.... I poured some on my mashed potatoes!!! People sitting close by also finished whatever meal they were having. Good was fantastic!! There was a tiny tiny parking lot, and on street parking was tough since there are other restaurants in the area and some mechanic garages which were open late. Other than that, enjoy the food!!! read more

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My penultimate stop in the RI Food Fights Lord of the Wings challenge was at Rosa's Tavern in East Providence. Rosa's is a small tavern featuring Portuguese cuisine so I had to go with the Mozambique sauced wings. Mozambique sauce is new to me, having only heard of it when I moved to RI. I have had Mozambique chicken before and enjoyed it, but would not have thought of it for a wing sauce. The savory, spicy, thick sauce was a nice change from the more traditional sauces I had been sampling. If you are looking for some updated Portuguese selection, check out Rosa's Tavern! read more

Rosa's Tavern - Mozambique wings - Salad Near Me - East Providence, Rhode Island

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My husband had heard about this place from a coworker and since we spend a lot of time in/around East Providence, we came by to have dinner to check it out for ourselves. It's a very small restaurant, with 8 seats at the bar and a handful of tables nearby. When we walked in we were greeted and were told to seat ourselves anywhere we wanted. The bar seats were full of regulars chatting with each other and having a good time, which is always a good sign. We ordered two types of calamari (Mozambique and Vovo Style), two smokestack burgers (one with Portuguese chips and the other with fries), and the chicken franchise with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. Toni, the bartender/server on tonight was very personable and attentive, even though every seat at the bar and surrounding tables were full, she checked in on us frequently. The only downside was they had live music tonight (a guy and his guitar singing songs from the 1950's and 1960's) that started a half hour into our meal and we weren't expecting that. It was so loud that we couldn't hear each other speak and my kids asked if we could take our entrees to go, again, Toni was very accommodating and had the kitchen pack up our meals to take home. The food and service were great and we'd definitely consider returning to try more of the menu. read more

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Oh my gosh, this is definitely like a hidden jewel. This place is small. It only has like six tables for four and three tables for two. And then it has about eight seats at the bar. It really is small and intimate, but it is an amazing place. It's beautiful is clean. The people are friendly. Explain things on the menu. They accommodate different types of allergies. The owner himself is the Chef in the kitchen. Everyone looks clean and neat like professional. The food is amazing. I've seen other people's plates and they were delicious. We are here for the sandwich passport of Rhode Island want food bites and we are getting special offering the chicken Parm sandwich with Portuguese potatoes Which is like a sliced white potatoes cooked in olive oil. The server's name is Kristen I believe he's very nice. We end up also having a homemade watermelon margarita it's a little strong for me but otherwise it's OK. The other half had pepsi . I definitely will be back to this restaurant to eat their specials, etc. really delicious looking and filling. read more

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Wonderful heart here. A true Cheers kind of spot. I happened in for my "Food Fights" burger which was sooo good with a perfect char, perfectly done, and brought to the next level with bacon. Prepared by chef Steven Costa with evident care. I'll be back! - for a burger and to try some of Steven's other creations. Now I know that if I need a pick me up I can come over to Rosa's Tavern. ..I didn't even get to the fact that there was live music and karaoke the night I happened to stop in. Such fun. read more

Visited here with #rifoodfights #bestburger and had their stackhouse burger. Burger was very good. The egg and sauce helps complete the burger. Bartender was very nice and seemed like she actually cared about you. Nice little place to grab a drink and good food. read more

Rosa's Tavern - Captains Daughter - Salad Near Me - East Providence, Rhode Island

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Great service! We had calamari 2 ways- the vovo style and Mozambique style! Both delicious but Mozambique- fabulous! Two in the party had Portuguese steak, one had chicken Marsala! All were excellent! read more

Great food. Friendly service. Ambience and local flavor. I will definitely go again soon.

Atmosphere: We stepped into Rosa's Tavern, where the interior decor is as plain as could be with dim walls and lighting and tables so tiny, they make you wonder if you've accidentally stumbled into a dollhouse. There was no background music but we did have the unexpected screeching serenade provided by a woman on a mission to rearrange furniture, her efforts sounding like nails on a blackboard. Food: Our appetizer of Cajun crab cakes promised a harmonious fusion of spice and seafood delight but rather had an overwhelming wave of saltiness. It's as if the chef mistook the recipe for a salt lick rather than a delicate Cajun seasoning. It seems that across the vast expanse of American eateries, there is a pervasive tendency to liberally sprinkle salt as if that would make up for delicate flavors that should be there. In Europe and Asia flavors are celebrated in their purest form and salt is used with the precision of a master painter. Only in the USA will you find excessive salt laden cuisine. Once you stop using so much salt in your diet your palate will stop getting used to having an excess of sodium. Stepping off my soapbox, let's talk about the pièce de résistance: the Smokestack burger. Our burgers were a lovely flavor explosion and a mélange of juicy beef, crispy bacon and all the fixings including a yummy barbecue sauce. I had mine without the egg and it was perfect. Five stars for the burger! Service: With a smile and attentive until the end when we waited...and waited for the check. Most importantly, the food arrived promptly and piping hot. read more

Rosa's Tavern - Smokestack Burger - Salad Near Me - East Providence, Rhode Island

Stop #5 on RI Food Fights 11th Annual BIG Burger Blowout!!!! Can you say Hidden Gem this is definitely one of them! The burger is the smokestack burger that's being offered. It's a housemade beef and chourico patty served on a brioche bun, topped with/bacon, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, sunny-side up egg and finished with Rosa's Moonshine BBQ sauce...AMAZING! I got the Portuguese potato chips... The rest of the menu is phenomenal, incredible specials. I will definitely be back to this little 'hole in the wall' that's got quite a few amazing offerings! Server Toni was GREAT! read more

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Rosa's Tavern in East Providence is a hidden gem! They have delicious Italian and Portuguese dishes at a reasonable price! The service is excellent! There is musical entertainment as well, which adds to the ambience. read more

I go to this place appx once a month. My wife is a pescatarian and always writes down her order. I spoke and handed (her) the order caprese salad, Tuscan chicken and salmon piccata to go. I also ordered a calamari to stay . When I got home it was a chicken piccata not a salmon. Wife was not pleased, ate the salad and tried to eat pasta with chicken (where salmon was expected). That said they have rarely gotten my order wrong . But this time they did her and me wrong!!! Please focus on the order...and double check it. read more

Had a Chicken Parm and Portuguese Fries for #RIFoodFights #BestSandwichRI. Bartender Melanie is kind and attentive. The entertainment keeps a lively environment. The taste was amazing, the sauce is not too sweet or salty, chicken is tender, Portuguese roll was just right, not soggy but held the sauce well. I personally like a crispier breading, but the risk of the cutlet being dry, is not a priority in my picky choices in chicken parm/cutlet sandwiches. Not sure what seasoning is on the fries, but it paired well with the sandwich. Salted with a little spice. This is a great choice for late night sandwich to pair with a beer, or a fulfilling lunch plate... read more

Rosa's Tavern - Chicken Parm and Portuguese Fries - Salad Near Me - East Providence, Rhode Island

Went for my first visit last night. I looooved the clams appetizer - the beans are a solid touch. Our waitress was super sweet. Good service! For my dinner I got the steak alla mama - steak with mushrooms and a garlic white wine sauce- which had tonssss of garlic on top. So good! It came with fresh green beans and crispy thin sliced potatoes. I had enough for leftovers but they didn't last long at home and I ate the rest before bed. I definitely will be back - next time for steak alla Rosa - my mother and father got that and the gravy looked too good, next time I have to get that. My SIL got the chicken sandwich - and man that also looked good. Not what I was expecting at all and I have to try that sometime too. read more

Rosa's Tavern - Salad Near Me - East Providence, Rhode Island

Service is to comfortable with the place. Menu is not accurate at all, attitude about correction. Music not playing cause something wrong with speakers.Could be so much better. read more

This was hands down the least authentic Portuguese restaurant I've ever been to. My food was cold and what was supposed to be jumbo shrimp was at best medium sized. The description of the sauce was not at all what I received. My shrimp was covered in banana peppers no garlic or white wine sauce as described.I don't believe that the chef has any experience outside of maybe an Applebee's or McDonald's. Overpriced to say the least. Save your money and go to McDonald's!!! read more

I stopped by Rosa's as part of the RI Food Fights Lord of The Wings event. I've been here a couple times before and have had a nice experience. The restaurant is pretty small but comfortable. I was able to get a place at the bar before it got really busy. The bartender recommended I try the wings with their Mozambique sauce. The wings were excellent and left me wanting more. The food here overall is really good and I'll continue to come back for more. read more

Rosa's Tavern - Salad Near Me - East Providence, Rhode Island

I want to say this is the most fantastic family run business Ive been too. To start with I had the cacoila pizza and let me say it was one of the most tasteful things Ive ever had. The waitress was super nice and friendly and always came to check up on us. The coffee I had was amazing and I would definetely recommend Rosa's to anybody. Unbeleivable experience and I will defineltely be back for more. read more

Great family owned/run restaurant. I've been 3 times now and can't wait to go back. The clam appetizer is amazing. If you go when the caldo verde soup is on special, get it. Tonight my family got the strip steak alla mama, alla Rosa, and alla papa. We loved them all. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Found this place just driving by. Food was excellent. I had the cod special. Great flavor fresh and had a lighter hummus base instead of a heavy potato awesome idea!!! My wife had the veal special complete opposite a very hardy dish but wow the flavor with the gravy and cheese awesome. Great service small but everyone having a good time. Almost feels like you're at someone's home for dinner. A must try in EP. read more

Typical Portuguese fare. Good food. Generous portions. The owner seems to care that the patrons enjoy the food and service. Get there early to beat the bar regulars for parking. It's worth going back. read more

Steve goes out of his way to make you feel like you are a part of the family. The food is very fresh and tasty, the portions are huge, and the price is reasonable! read more

We had a party of 16. Rosa's was great to accommodate our reservation on a Saturday night. We wanted to support a restaurant that is affected by the Washington Bridge. Celeste met us as we walked in the door and from there was outstanding. The resturant is small and cozy and appears to have a great customer base. The food was wonderful as were the drinks. Celeste even accommodated a few special-order requests. If you are in the area, be sure to stop in you won't be disappointed. The restaurant is wonderful, and we will be back for sure. read more

We have been there several time and have enjoyed our meals every time. The staff is friendly and helpful always. The entertainment was top notch. Have recommended Rose's Tavern to people every chance we get... read more

Had high hopes, sadly, very underwhelming. . Appetizer special was very tasty, entrees cold, and really poor quality proteins. Bummed.

I took my mom here for Mother's Day and it was not a good experience. We were seated right away and the place was not busy when we arrived but there was only one waitress and it took about 15 mins before she took our order. Then the food took another whole hour to come out and all of it was cold. I ordered the steak Alla Rosa which was supposed to come with brown sauce, garlic and red peppers but instead it was covered with a spicy bbq sauce .. no garlic or peppers. The sliced Portuguese fries were more like crumbs .. maybe we received the last of them they had that day I'm not sure. The place did get very busy and incredibly loud, and still only 1 waitress. It was also very cold in there because they left a door open the whole time so people could keep getting up to smoke right outside the door and the smell would just go right inside the restaurant. Overall the food had a good taste but was cold and pricy and the place was loud, cold , and smelled of cigarettes so I would probably not go back. read more