Spanish Tavern
“The valet parking, drink at the bar before your meal and exceptional service always make it seem like a real "night out" rather than just another place to have dinner.”
“I always get stuffed lobster with there famous crabmeat stuffing, the side are always fresh and good, great rice and Spanish fries.”
“I've been to the best that the Newark Ironbound has to offer but the thirty minute ride to this one is well worth your while.”
Spanish Tavern
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Would be 4.5 stars…
For Dinner on CHRISTMAS, we decided to dine here. We made a reservation. Once we arrived, we were promptly seated. We were actually stunned to see how crowded it was in here. Looked like everyone in here had good tastes!
After a short period, a server came by to take our drink orders. We all ordered water. When I asked for a drink menu, the server told me that they have an open bar, therefore I have to ask for a specific drink to see if they could make it. I said "mudslide", and the server nodded, wrote down the name and left.
After a rather long period (WHY??!!), my drink arrived. It was served on the rocks. But it tasted like a mudslide, and the alcohol sensation was really strong. Kudos to this place for not making watered-down drinks.
Also during that period, our two waiters arrived. One of them brought us bread rolls with butter, and the other one took our orders. After a short period, one of the waiters came back with soup bowls for all of us. Then he gave us their complimentary soup of the day, which was Green Bean Soup. We never had that before. The soup itself was a little green, and contained a tiny portion of noodles and vegetables. The taste itself wasn't bad, and the fact that this wasn't too salty was a plus.
Next, my mom's appetizer arrived. She ordered the "Scallops On A Shell". As what the name indicates, this was served on a shell. This contained scallop and crab meat pieces, mixed with melted cheese. She liked it.
Following that, our entrees arrived. My mom ordered the Chilean Seabass, and she liked it. My dad ordered the Veal Corunesa. This was actually served in a heated pan that was filled with a wine & brandy sauce, mixed with mushrooms. A cooking spoon was there so he could scoop the portions onto his plate. He said the taste was very good. I had a little taste, and I agreed.
I ordered the Filet Mignon, cooked medium well. This was smothered with mushroom sauce on top of a mound of garlic mashed potatoes. Also on the plate was some string beans and other roasted vegetables. This was actually very good.
As we ate, our waiter came back and gave us a plate of their complimentary homemade potato chips. Now, these aren't your ordinary potato chips that find in a bag at the bargain mart. These chips are HUGE and thick. They tasted fresh, but lacked seasoning. You have to season that yourself. Just add some salt and/or pepper, and then you've got a tasty potato chip. Hey, if you decide to take these home, you can even add some cheese on top for a tastier chip, or just make your own creation with them.
The facility itself looked small and cozy. When crowded, you have to be patient when venturing through as there isn't plentiful space between the tables and chairs. The restrooms and event spaces are located downstairs. The main dining area is upstairs. For those who just want to drink and/or eat without waiting for a table or having a reservation, the full bar area is upstairs as well.
We also came here last night for the 2nd time. We ordered the same entrees as before. The only difference was that this time they gave us vegetable soup for their complimentary soup of the day. This was more favorable than the Green Bean Soup and I actually had two bowls. I also ordered a White Russian drink, and it was strong and delicious. Hey, you can't go wrong with ordering a drink here.
As far as parking is concerned, they have a huge lot for the valet services. If you want to park yourself, you have to do that on the side streets, which is what we did on Christmas. Not very convenient, but we always to prefer to park ourselves for establishments like these. However, we were able to park in the lot during the 2nd time we were here, as valet service wasn't around on weeknights.
The folks who served us were very attentive. Their attitudes were pleasant and serious, which was good. The food overall was very good, and the prices were reasonable. Since we are FANS of this place, we'll definitely consider coming back in the future.
Note: This restaurant is located on a busy stretch of US-22 Eastbound. If you drive too fast, you may end up missing it. More importantly, RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR TABLES!!!!
Went to a family event here and I thought both the service and the food were excellent.
Long leisurely meal. It started with pitchers of sangria on the table and piles of rolls in baskets. There was also red wine and pitchers of water. You had to ask for a small pitcher of soda which was coke.
A bit of a wait……then small plates of appetizers came out …tapas. Two types of squid – fried – a plate of mussels in the shell, ziti with sauce, shrimp in butter, crab puffs, and stuffed mushrooms. A small dish of red sauce on the side.
Another wait but I was stuffed.
For my entree I ordered large shrimp served in the shell. My companion ordered the lobster stuffed with crab. Also, the talapia and shrimp looked good.
The portions are generous and I couldn't finish.
Dessert…..chocolate mousse cake which was very rich and chocolatey.
Our event was in a small room in the basement and it was very Mediterranean decor-wise…….
For a first visit. The Tavern from the outside looks like a very small place. We had to wait about 20 mins. Which we say at the bar during that time. The atmosphere is somewhat loud. The decor is warm, intimate and low lighted. It gets crowed very fast so it would be wise to make reservations.
The Chicken and shrimp in green sauce was awesome.probably the best I ever had. The rice was fluffy and tasty. The broccoli was steamed very well. All served very hot. This was my birthday dinner to myself. For dessert I had the Sponge cake with Ice cream.
This place is a very nice place. I think many will feel it is a wonderful enjoyable surprise if they dine here.
The staffing is great. George was our effort and he was a great waiter. The staff is very good here. And he was the first waiter / waitress I ever given a $30 tip to on a $60 dollar bill. He was very good.
Good: open on Christmas day, no wait for a table, Paella Valencia was really good, chicken tenders also very good, valet parking service was excellent. Needs Improvement: bread they gave out while you wait for food was cold, service was not what I expected for the caliber of the place. We only saw our waiter 2x, and that was at the beginning when he took our order and at the end to get our payment. Other waiters were more attentive to their tables, checking up on them frequently and speaking to them. This person who appeared to be the bus boy was giving us more attention. He seemed very busy. We had to ask for another drink twice and for the check twice. I think it took so long because again, the guy who was tending to our needs appeared to be the bus boy also and was not our waiter. We thought that maybe they were understaffed because of the Christmas holiday but at one point all the waiters were just standing around and chatting away. I would return on a regular business day and see if the service is better and perhaps it's due to the holiday that it wasn't what I expected it to be. Next time if the service is poor, I will only give this place 1 star.
Good service. Decent ambiance. Place was really busy for a Sunday eve.
Food was ok……..lacked flavor.
Not a huge fan honestly.
Came here once with my husband and enjoyed the seafood paella. Have been back twice since for Union County School Counselor events/dinners and I have not been pleased. Food is bland and disappointingly average. Didn't try seafood entree, but opted for two chicken dishes (garlic and almond chicken dishes), so maybe that was my mistake. The seafood soup I did get to taste and that was actually pretty satisfying.
The rolls were okay too.
Maybe I'll need to come back once more as an average customer disconnected from a private event.
Came on a Saturday for lunch and we were the first ones. The host, waiters, manager were all friendly; they let us choose where to sit and check up on us multiple times just to make sure things were ok. Big dining area and very elegant for special occasions. I can see it getting loud in here though if it's a weekend night.
1. Chilean Sea Bass – Amazing texture and simple taste. It was crunchy on the outside and oh so tender on the inside (melt in your mouth kind). Definitely one of the best textures I've had. Presentation was 5/5 with a great blend of colors and tastes. Itself, it was a tiny salty and not fishy tasting at all which was great. Came with spinach and tiny potatoes.
2. Calamari – Average calamari. Great ?homemade marinara sauce. It was not too greasy but right on the dot.
Overall, I'll come back for special occasions and highly recommend Spanish Tavern to people having special occasions or want an elegant dinner (or first date).
Sometimes we just don't feel like running down to Ironbound. With The Spanish Tavern ten minutes away, our craving for Spanish food can be satisfied. Take out/dine in. We've done our share of both.
Shrimp in garlic sauce, chorizo, anything in green sauce, veal with almonds, lobster, spanish potatoes,. My mouth is watering thinking about it. A pitcher of white sangria please.
Go early on peak nights or better yet, go for lunch. Nice and quiet.
We're due for another visit.