Fornos of Spain Restaurant
“Huge portions of good food, plenty of tasty meals available here, great desserts as well.”
“We have been to Iberia as well but the food is so much better here- I'm sure you will be impressed.”
“I ordered the Paella Valenciana (lobster, scallops, mussels, chorizo, chicken, calamari) and I have to say everything was absolutely delicious!”
Fornos of Spain Restaurant
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Great restaurant in Newark we went on a Tuesday night at 7 PM and the placed was packed. Even though we were seated at a great location. The wait staff are excellent. We started with a salad everything was very fresh and I especially liked the artichokes. We shared an order of baked clams that were delicious very generous portion. For my entree I had the filet sole. Cooked to perfection deboned and skinned. It was served with whipped potatoes that were light as a feather Also served with sautéed vegetables the green beans were fresh and crisp. For dessert we shared the pineapple,honeydew, and strawberries. They were so fresh and sweet a great ending to a perfect meal.
We came for a drink while waiting 20 mins for next train. Drinks where good unfortunately the bartender tried to hit me with the classic bartender SCAM. I was upcharged .50 for *rocks*. Essentially at this establishment just like others when you order ice with lets say a Jameson on the rocks, you'll get an upcharged for the ice. Sounds like another way to make cusomers pay for owner expenses but no big deal. My problem came when I ordered a caipirinha that already comes with ice and still get the *rocks* upcharge. Im sorry it is only .50 but it's just the morality that these people try to be sneaky and have these tricky ways to get over on people and basically scam you. 50 cents from 100 transactions here and there a day adds up to $1000/months. Then the head bartender Luis has the nerve to basically insult us by saying he's been there for 50 years and no one every complained. No one else may care about being slowly milked for charges that shouldn't be on their bill but I do it all adds up and I'm sure he knows that best.
Paella! I eat a lot so when I see 2 for 1, I think it's good enough just for me. Paella was enough for 2 people [maybe more] so it's a meal to be shared, the way it was meant to be eaten.
The paella rice is on the creamier, almost wet, side. Almost in between a classic paella and a caldoso. Doesn't hurt the flavors of the meal, but some body and texture would definitely put it over the top, especially that layer of caramelized rice on the bottom that you have to scrape off.
That would probably be a common theme for a lot of their dishes: an excess of sauces and fluids. Considering the portions here are very very generous, you're likely to doggybag it only to get a soggy soup for leftovers later.
But is is still GOOD.
As for authenticity, it depends on the dish. In my experience here, the chicken dishes are trying to achieve something more approachable so I just don't get the Iberian taste I'm looking for. The fish and seafood and ternera will get my best recommendations.
I've sat in almost all of the rooms so the ambiance varies. Large room looks like the old-fashioned fancy dining places with a crowd of patrons in shorts and t-shirts. Definitely more on the busy, loud and crowded side as if you're at a wedding reception with people you don't know. Occasionally we luck out, and got one of the smaller private rooms. Tacky with faux Spanish paintings and a TV in between, but at least it's away from the noise.
I came here with coworkers. I pulled up in my car and valet. You have to valet if you want to park in their lot. If you don't feel comfortable, then park off street. We ordered appetizers: sausages, garlic shrimps, calamari and stuffed mushrooms. I ordered seafood paella for main course and had glass of both red and white sangria. For desserts, I shared the pecan pie with vanilla ice cream and the walnut pie.
The appetizers were delicious especially the garlic shrimps and calamari. The calamari was breaded just right and it was crispy, not chewy. However, the marinara sauce for the calamari is too sweet. Yes, I said sweet. I don't know what the heck they put in it but I wasn't too thrilled but it didn't ruin my meal. I wasn't too thrilled with the seafood paella, but it was decent. The rice was a little too salty for my taste. Sangria walnut pie was awesome so no complaints. The pecan pie was too sweet but if you have a really sweet tooth, then I recommend ordering that slice.
My fiancé and I came here for a quick cocktail while we waited for the train to NYC. We've exhausted all of the bar options in closer proximity to the station so we went for something different. My first impression of this establishment was actually a great one. When we arrived we were immediately greeted by a ton of bartenders. Everyone was very friendly and eager to make us a great cocktail. The ambiance was a tad bit outdated however, it still had a cozy feel. My fiancé asked for a cocktail list and we were handed a huge book..not of their signature house made cocktails but every popular cocktail known to man.. Where's the creativity? Anywho! I got a titos Cosmo and my love got a caipirinha. Both of our drinks were delivered in a timely fashion and were delicious!! Instead of throwing out the rest of the cocktail like bartenders normally do when in can't fit in the martini glass he gave me the rest of my cocktail in a chilled craft glass. Anyway we asked for a bill and I quickly noticed that there was a rocks charge for his caipirinha. Why?!! Why is a cocktail without any specific ordered liqour up charged? If it's a price on the list than it should be the same on the bill. When I asked the bartender about it he said it's done with all caipirinha's and mojitos because they're time consuming. I was so confused. Why is he behind the bar again?! He said the owner makes all of them do that and no one complains. Well after much back and forth unnecessary conversation he finally took the charge off. Customer satisfaction is key! Don't argue with the guest. Own your wrongdoing and change it!!
My husband and I were looking for a quick sit down dinner near penn station before train back to DC. We agreed on Forbo's after salivating to pictures of their paella.
Apparently we went in through a side door and the host/hostess was nowhere to be found. One of the servers saw us wandering and immediately seated us. Warm bread, fresh salad, olives, and water soon to followed. We let them know that we were in a hurry to catch a train and promised to serve our paella in half an hr.
Warm bread – toasty yet soft – I can be happy by just having this basket alone.
Salad – lightly dressed in vinegar and olive oil. Every component was super fresh! Couldn't believe this salad was complimentary!
Paella Mariscos – just as promised, it came piping hot right at 30 min mark! Portion was more than enough to feed 2! Loaded with scallop, shrimp, mussels, clams, and half of a whole lobster – I couldn't get enough. The rice was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The seafood was sweet and fresh. It was hands down the best paella ever!
Overall – attentive service, generous portion, beyond delicious, well priced foods. A def must stop whenever in the area!
I'm surprised I never wrote a review here. Been to this place a bunch of times with family.
I recommend going here with a larger group. You'll get a better experience here and the portions are mostly big enough for 2 people which justifies the price a bit more.
The paella Valencia is solid here if not a bit different than some other places I've been to and the scallops are excellent. Otherwise, the food here is fine but I'd recommend sticking with the shellfish/seafood. The pollo ajillo or garlic chicken isn't bad in terms of non-fish dishes.
Mid-high 3. I'd have to re-go back in order to fully rate it.
Came here for lunch on a weekday with colleagues, and was pleasantly surprised at the fine dining lunch experience! The service here was great, the food came out in a timely fashion, water cups were always refilled with out asking, tasted great, and the portions were large ( I wouldn't expect anything smaller from the Ironbound).
Now, my review may be slightly biased considering I had a couple glass of wine with my meal, (almost never happens with my lunch meal on the clock), but coherently enough, I will say that the food was great. Soft bread, as-fresh-as-it-can-get fish for the Ironbound area, tasty vegetables, excellent starter salad for the table…with REAL greens!
If there is anything I would change it's the fact that the table butter looked like they had just chopped a sticker of butter in half and served it on the table with the family style bread and salad. It wasn't even room temp enough for pliable action on my fluffy roll.