Local spot in Newark and stopped in for dinner on the night they had opened their new bar. My…read morefiancé had ordered the Churrasco with the new La Batracio cocktail and I had ordered the Ballenita. For dessert, they had only the churros left and got it with one scoop of vanilla and one scoop of cookies & cream. Pros: Food was delicious and huge portions, enough to feed two each! The cocktail was also ginormous and yum, not too strong and not too sweet. Cons: granted this is a local spot but I had only ordered the Ballenita because it was one of the only few things that was translated in English as to what it was. My fiancé is not fluent in Spanish either and would take a lot of time to try to Google translate everything on the menu. Most of the waitresses did not speak English (no issue but also had a hard time asking for napkins..). The food was also slow to come out to where multiple waitresses stopped by to ask if we had ordered or what we were waiting for. Seems a bit unorganized but giving them benefit of the doubt given it was their opening bar night and whatnot. Still recommend to visit or at least worth door dashing from! Trying to take the perspective of a tourist visiting a non-English speaking place and would suggest doing your homework on what their menu is before going.

It brings me back to my old days back in Ecuador, excellent presentation and good atmosphere. I…read morewould recommend. I would be back again.

We made a reservation for brunch for a party of six, and this was my first time visiting Fonos of…read moreSpain. From the moment we arrived, the experience was great. We used the valet service, and upon walking inside, I noticed an older gentleman playing the piano in the foyer, which gave the place a really nice atmosphere. Even though the restaurant was busy, our wait was only about 5-10 minutes. While waiting, I couldn't help but notice how large the restaurant is. There are two bars and several separate dining areas that looked perfect for larger parties and special occasions. Once seated, we were served fresh bread while looking over the menu. I ordered the 32-ounce prime rib with A1 sauce, red peppers, and roasted potatoes. I also had the chance to try some of the sea bass. Both dishes were excellent. The prime rib was tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly, while the sea bass was fresh and well-prepared. A special shoutout to our waiter, Milan, who was attentive, friendly, and made sure everything was taken care of throughout our meal. Overall, it was a fantastic brunch experience, and I will absolutely be back in the near future.

The ambiance is amazing it brings you back to Spain and the staff is extremely friendly. It's…read moreupscale but not snobby, you will get an amazing meal and drinks and leave happy. Our group ordered the Seafood Paella and had plenty for leftovers, stuffed sole, branzino, grilled octopus, salad and numerous drinks including their sangria. The Paella was full of flavor and a very large portion, two people ordered one to share and even sharing it with the other three in the group there was a ton left. The stuffed Sole was well sized and filled properly with shrimp, scallops and more. Highly recommend and it was cooked perfectly. The mash potatoes were a miss that came with it not seasoned and bland. The branzino was cooked perfectly and well seasoned. The grilled octopus was a little chewy which was disappointing but it was packed with flavor and would try again. If you're in Newark and want an amazing meal, highly recommend this place just note it's not cheap but it's worth every penny.

Every time i come here its such a hit!!! It's definitely one of my favorite hole in the wall places…read morethat I've been coming to for about 8 years. The food is probably the closest you can get to actual Spanish tapas but what i love most about this place is that everythings got flavorrrrr For our table of 4 we got CROQUETAS with their house cured chorizo- very good POLLO FIORENTINA- chicken was so tender and packeddd with flavor! BARRIGUITA- plentiful serving for a tapa, we loved the potatoes it came with too CHICHARRON DE POLLO- flavorful chicken and easier to eat than you think TARTAR- delish but small Chipirones- sooo delicately breaded you can barely tell, was great COSTILLA A LA PLANCHA- plentiful for a tapa, we recommend cooking for longer since its traditionally a tough cut of beef SAUTED VEGETABLES- tastey and not mushy thankfully! MILLIONAIRE CAIPIRINHA for my drink. was soooo good, not too sweet and not quite as sour as a margarita, was perfect for me!

Casa d'Paco is a great spot with a really cool setup. When you first walk in, it feels like a…read moresmaller, quiet place with a nice bar but then you realize they have an additional space on the side which completely changes the vibe in a good way. When I was there, they had a DJ playing, and it added energy without being too loud or overwhelming. The Service was very good, the waiter answered and helped with all our questions. The food was absolutely amazing really flavorful and well done. Just be a little prepared that most dishes come in smaller portions. But the quality definitely makes up for it. I ordered the paella, and it's easily enough for two or even three people and it was well worth it. Really delicious. The drinks were also definitely worth trying while you're there. The only thing I wasn't big on was the desserts they didn't quite live up to the rest of the meal. But overall, great atmosphere, excellent food, and a fun experience. I'd definitely come back.

If any restaurant is not deserving of its low Yelp rating it's Madrid & Lisbon…read more I was planning on only having a drink, but after seeing others served I had to give the food a try. Soooo glad I did, the bacalhau a braz is one of the best I've had in the Ironbound area. Easily more Bacalao than most other local restaurants. Bacalhau a braz is one of my go to dishes at any Portuguese restaurant and Madrid Lisbon. It's a great way to judge the chefs authenticity. Most places serve more egg/potato than bacalao, but it's the complete oposite here. Serving was easily 60% salt fish to potato/egg ratio. Almost licked the plate clean. Parking is rough, but you can double park and a parking attendant will keep an eye on your car. I'll definitely be back to try other dishes.

Delicious and authentic Spanish and Portuguese food. Nice clean dining room with a great wait…read morestaff. Definitely going back here. The prices for the portions you get i consider to be a good value.

I was hungry after a flight so stopped in at this local bar and grill. When I arrived I parked on…read morethe street in front. I walked into booming music. The nice owner came over and sat me at the bar. I was served by a good bartender, but forgot her name. I ordered the red sangria and it was very tasty. I then got the mussels and the squid ink pasta with crab meat. When the food came out I dug in. The mussels were soo good! I enjoyed the flavors. I also liked the squid ink pasta. I added a little pepper flakes for some spice. The bill was affordable and all in all, I enjoyed my experience.

Very good food! My favorite is the seafood risotto. Usually good service. They have a jukebox and…read morethere's always some pretty decent music playing. Good/strong drinks. Check it out!

I always enjoy the food at El Dorado! Food always hot and fresh and the staff always nice! Great…read moretasty authentic desserts!

Place is hit or miss. I used to like it with the pernil, rice and side salads. Every time I got it…read morerecently was not good. Last time I ordered uber Eats was expensive and got me and my whole family sick. I love me a Mac salad but it's good some times and other times a weird after taste. Ehhh....

This is one of my favorite places! The restaurant is very…read morewell decorated and has a real classy Italian modern vibe (with an incredible outdoor area in the summer). Staff is very professional and friendly, always making sure everyone is having a good time. Honestly, all the food is great here but some of my favorites are definitely the carpaccio and calamari appetizer (the calamari is the BEST I ever had, hands down) and their coffee panacota for dessert is also out of this world, just amazing! If you are a bread lover just know they make their own bread in house. 5 stars always!

I went here for lunch today with my husband and brother-in-law. The ambiance outside was very nice…read more It reminded me of the islands. The food, however, is another story. For appetizers, we got zucchini chips, fried calamari and mussels. The calamari was fried too hard and it had a very salty, spicy Chilean type sauce over it. The zucchini chips were thinly sliced, lightly battered with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over them. They were decent but nothing to write home about. In fact, after having about six or seven of the zucchini chips I began to experience heartburn from the grease. For entrees, my husband had the chicken parm. He said it was too thick and should have been flattened more before frying. It was also very breaded. My brother-in-law ordered the chicken and waffles and he said the chicken tasted day old so after having a bite of one piece of the chicken he pushed the chicken aside and called it a day. I called the waiter over and informed him about the chicken tasting day old. He didn't try to change it out or take it off the bill or get a manager. He just apologized by saying I'm sorry. My crab Mac and Cheese was decent. It wasn't seasoned the way I would have liked but the huge, plentiful chunks of crab made up for that. I ate a third of my dish and packed the rest for home where I will doctor it up to my taste. I've never been to this particular restaurant before. The only reason we came today is because my brother-in-law was here on business and staying at a hotel in the area.

This is my second time coming here. It was a yelp event that brought us here first and it was…read moreamazing. I will say parking is street parking or side streets and can get a little crazy on weekends. Service is always great and you feel like you are a part of the family here. Food is always fresh and amazing. Anytime I am near here we stop regardless of being hungry or not. I absolutely am obsessed with their vaca frita and black beans. It's a huge portion so leftovers are always good. My boyfriend always orders their cubano as he said it is the best one he has ever had. Their Maduros are also sweet and crisp and never greasy. We also tried their choripan sandwich and it was awesome. We've never had thinly sliced chorizo which eliminates the usual oil and messiness. Always an amazing meal. We also tried their pineapple Cuban smoothie and ended the meal with their delicious flan.

I would give Cha Cha in Kenilworth 2 stars…read more This was my first visit, and while the service was friendly and welcoming, the food itself was very disappointing. I appreciated the complimentary yuca fritters with special sauce, which was a kind gesture. However, the overall quality, freshness, and authenticity of the main dishes did not meet expectations. Parking is very limited street parking. The Cuban breaded steak was the biggest disappointment. A proper Cuban-style breaded steak should be thin, tender, savory, garlicky, slightly citrusy, well-seasoned, evenly breaded, and pan-fried until crisp and golden. The version I received tasted oddly sweet, the breading separated from the meat, and the steak had a gummy texture with an old-looking color. It did not have the freshness or clean savory flavor expected from this classic dish. The red beans were very concerning. They tasted strongly like vinegar, and I had to spit them out. When I looked closer, there appeared to be a white, murky-looking substance in them. Beans should never taste sour or vinegary unless something is wrong. Cuban-style red beans should be creamy, savory, aromatic, and well-seasoned with garlic, onion, peppers, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. The white rice was also not acceptable. It was hard, did not taste fresh, and had a vinegar-like smell and flavor. It appeared as if older rice may have been mixed with newer rice. Proper Cuban white rice should be fluffy, clean-tasting, separated, and neutral in flavor. The moro with black beans and rice was better than the white rice, but still lacked depth. It needed more bay leaf flavor and stronger Cuban seasoning. A good moro should have a rich, savory base from sofrito, garlic, peppers, onions, beans, broth, herbs, and slow cooking so the rice absorbs the flavor. The oxtail was tender and okay, but it did not fully deliver the deep, rich Cuban-style flavor I expected. Traditional Cuban oxtail should be slow-braised with garlic, onions, peppers, tomato sauce, wine, herbs, and spices until the sauce becomes rich and the meat is deeply seasoned. This oxtail tasted acceptable, but it seemed as though it may have been prepared a day or two before and reheated. I understand that many restaurants legally prepare certain foods a day ahead, especially dishes like beans, stews, and oxtail. However, food should still taste fresh and be stored, cooled, reheated, and handled according to food safety standards. Sour or vinegar-like flavors in rice or beans can sometimes indicate fermentation, spoilage, or improper storage, and that should never reach the customer. The best part of the meal was the dessert. The vanilla flan was very good, and the coconut flan was excellent. The coconut flan was rich, creamy, and full of coconut flavor, with shredded coconut pieces that added texture and made it stand out. That dessert showed real potential. The prices were reasonable, but reasonable pricing does not make up for poor freshness and low food quality. It did look like they may do better with sandwiches and empanadas, which I did not try and perhaps should have ordered first. I cook Cuban food, Puerto Rican food, and other traditional dishes myself, and I lived in Miami for over nine years. I also learned from Cuban friends who cook authentic Cuban food at home. Because of that, I know how these dishes should taste. In my opinion, the dishes I tried did not represent Cuban cuisine with the freshness, authenticity, seasoning, or care it deserves. The restaurant may have people who know how to cook, but based on this visit, it seems the kitchen has lost some of the authenticity and discipline needed to serve fresh, properly prepared Cuban food. Food that tastes sour, vinegary, old, or questionable should never be served to customers. The service and desserts were the highlights, but the main dishes need serious improvement in freshness, food handling, seasoning, and respect for authentic Cuban cuisine. There are several areas that need improvement. Freshness and food safety should be the main priority. Rice and beans should never taste sour or vinegary unless intentionally prepared that way, and food that seems old or questionable should not be served. The breaded steak should be freshly breaded, crispy outside, tender inside, and properly seasoned with authentic Cuban flavors like garlic, citrus, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. The rice should be fluffy, the beans creamy, and the oxtail deeply seasoned and fresh-tasting. I believe the restaurant may have cooks who understand Cuban cuisine, but the kitchen needs to reconnect with freshness, consistency, authenticity, and stronger food handling standards. Cuban food is rich in flavor, comfort, and cultural pride, and with improvement this restaurant could better reflect that tradition.