Allegro Seafood Grill

I love it!!! My bf and I visited this place at least 3x now! My bf order their Portuguese style seafood rice every time he goes there, and never changed! The inside looks nice and clean, it’s a perfect place for date. There’s a bar if you’re looking just to mingle or relax. For ones’ who is driving, there is a mini parking lot in the back.

Read the reviews — all were great — but, I thought, ‘I’ll be the judge of that.’ The food was fantastic, the service was fantastic, despite the fact that a large group of people were seated nearby — we never felt ignored. Great experience and well worth the $s — plan to repeat it soon.

I have eaten here three times, and have gotten different things each time. Each had two things in common… ALOT of food and all were very delicious. The service has always been great. It is on the expensive side, but you can easily get two meals out of it so it’s worth it. The outside bar atmosphere during the summer definitely doesn’t make you feel like you are still in Newark. The only thing I recommend that would bring me in more is if they had happy hour specials.

Newark is a TERRIBLE place to find parking, But Allegro has free valet. Score! Simply awesome restaurant! We made reservations for a group of 8 and when we got there the table was set for us before we even got there. The attention to detail was great. The waiter suggested the pomegranate allegro sagria and it was very good. We didn’t order any appetizers but the table was set with FRESH Portuguese rolls. AMAZING! Being Portuguese makes me very critical of bread. Fresh is always best. I had the skirt steak with the mushroom sauce and Spanish chips. Crazy amount of food. Delicious! Everyone else’s food was great also. Our bill was not bad either. The waiter was awesome and fun! There’s is only one thing I would say. The music was very loud. But everything else still made this place 5 stars. I’m told it has a patio they open in the warmer months and aparrently they are known for their seafood. I will be back definitely!

Have been traveling to the Newark area for work past couple of months and have been able to sample several Portuguese restaurants in the area close to Newark airport. Most of these restaurants are within a $ 10 ride on Über from the Marriott or Renaissance Hotels.
Have been to Allegro twice in 2 weeks. This week there were 4 of us and we ordered the following:
— pitcher of house sangria, was good and not overly sweet
— appetizers of baked scallops and crab meat. This is very good.
— the cold seafood platter for two (picture included), this huge platter consist of two lobsters, a dozen clams on the half shell, half a dozen large prawns, king and snow crab legs, chopped abalone and octopus. All this for $ 80!
— mixed grill of beef, chicken, lamb and pork. $ 32 for a huge platter that more than fed the 4 of us.
— shared a desert of flan and cheese cake.
They have a large selection of moderately marked up Portuguese wines and ports.
All in all, an excellent Portuguese restaurant if you are in the Newark airport area. Highly recommended.

I give Allegro a 3 star because the customer service was above average. This definitely seems to be a local joint. Staff knows the customers and really pays attention. I ate the seafood feast-​thing that was composed of crab, clams, HUGE prawns, and other seafood. It was 34.95. Not cheap, but seafood never is, and it tasted good. Additionally, I had the red velvet cake which tasted «commercial» and not authentic, kinda store bought but not bad. just not good. The patio had a live DJ that was really good. I’d go again

Everything was great; the food, service and drinks. We came here for Father’s Day and left full with smiles. Our appetizers were out of this world good, best garlic shrimp in Newark. We all ordered different meals and sampled each other’s meal. The seafood is very fresh, the vegetables are lightly seasoned, and mash potatoes perfect.
Now let’s talk dessert, you must save room for it. It’s like tasting heaven. We had the chocolate and gram cracker desserts. I don’t know which was better.
Sangria was a big hit, my father believes it’s the best. We had two pitchers of it :)
Valet parking is a plus. Overall very satisfied!!!
*warm bread would be great, but kinda happy it wasn’t so we didn’t fill up on it.

AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL!!! I came here with a bunch of friends. Food is okay, whatever. The service is HORRIBLE!!! They are soooooo rude! I can’t believe they treated us that way. I will NEVER return EVER again. Waste of time. Just HORRIBLE.

Went to this place for a random dinner yesterday and it’s not bad at all!
I did not have reservations however I was able to get a table out back. The area clean well maintained with a bar and a few tables.
The staff was friendly and very good. Our server checked in on us at least every 5 minutes which I can really appreciate.
The food was absolutely delicious. I ordered the rack of lamb (mine) medium rare, every piece was cooked just right and cooked just right.
My friend had the surf and turf, her steak was also medium and good. Not the best steak I’ve had but definitely good.
The presentation of the food could use some work but hey it’s not super expensive like it is in the city. Between the 2 of us the bill was just under 100.

I found this place randomly and it ended up being a good choice. The first time I went here we sat out in the patio. The music was festive and made the place enjoyable. My sister and I split the seafood festival and it was still a lot of food! Our server was awesome and personable. The first visit was so awesome that I wanted to go back and bring my father for Father’s Day but the service wasn’t as great. I guess it depends on who’s serving you…

The seafood at allegro is really good as well as their drinks and sangria. The outside patio is really what makes this place different it has that nice outdoor summer feel to it. The service at allegros is not the best. Almost every time I go there is an issue with this. Other than the service the food is good and I do recommend it.

The outdoor patio area is what really sets this place apart from other restaurants in the area. The food was really and service was friendly. Everything was good and really don’t have any complaints about this place.

We are so happy to have stumbled upon this hidden gem in the ironbound district. The food, atmosphere, and service were all outstanding. Can’t wait to visit again!

I have been to Allegro twice now and was impressed both times.
The service is friendly and accommodating, food is delicious, and atmosphere is beautiful.
My first visit to Allegro was on my first night in Newark. While very busy at around 9 on a Saturday night, the man who greeted us took time to welcome us to the neighborhood and make room for us to be seated for dinner. (I recommend making a reservation just to be safe). My guest and I each ordered a drink. She had a red sangria and I had a mojito. Both were well presented and delicious. We were unsure of what to order so we ordered a mixed grill for two. We were very pleased with our order. Tons of food, could’ve fed a family of four. Delicious variety of meats and vegetables. We also noticed how delicious the appetizers at neighboring tables looked.
So the second time we went to Allegro, it was around 5:00 on a Saturday for appetizers and drinks before going out in the city. As we had hoped, the calamari, crab stuffed avocado and mushrooms with balsamic and mozzarella were delicious. We ran into a crowd of regulars who bought us some shots (delicious pastel de nata shot) and seemed pretty happy with the place. Again, the service was great.

Went there for Mother’s Day (reservations made) and was able to get outdoor seating. They have a cute little patio, with many TV’s and a bar. Staff was friendly and food was good. A little pricey but worth it. Very kid friendly.

2 Stars and here is why: SERVICE
Don’t get me wrong, the food is phenomenal, great seafood and fish dishes too but service needs major improvement.
Allegro’s also has a bit of an identity crisis. It looks like they are are pushing to be a premium restaurant. PREMIUM prices, Valet parking, Open Table reservations, nice table settings, well dressed and uniformed staff, etc… however, if that’s the case then why are they blasting music as it we were at a discothèque? why are they playing UFC fighting on their dining room tv? And why is their service so sleepy to say the least?
I came on a Saturday evening for a routine casual diner with Open Table reservations for 2 for 8pm and were seated promptly.
So far, so good… We were asked what we would like to drink and we said wine. We were then asked what kind of wine… so we said «Do you NOT have a wine list?» He replied «yes, I’ll get you a wine list»… Ok, NOW WHY wouldn’t you offer it in the first place? Beats me!
We had some questions about several items on the menu and the staff did a terrible job explaining or describing them.
We ended up ordering some mussels dressed in garlic and cilantro for appetizer (delicious).
I ordered a special skirt steak dish on their menu after it was recommended by waiter.
My guest ordered surf and turf.
When the food came, my dish did not look anything like it was described, the skit steak had been already pre-​cut for me and served with a weird «alfredo» like sauce. Not only that but both orders came with the wrong sides which we specifically requested. I them had to ask for the correct sides to be brought up to us on individual dishes (wich they did).
My guest and I only ate about half our diner because the portions were huge so we were asked by our main server if we wanted them wrapped, we said yes.
A second server later came by to try to clear our table and my guest said to him «we want both of these wrapped please», the server acknowledged us yet he took my plate and started dumping scraps and stacking other plates on my food!
I couldn’t believe it! Right after we were acknowledged about it. I then turned to him and said «are you kidding me right now? You just ruined my leftovers!» He looked at me stunned, apologized and walked away. We were not offered a discount, another meal or even a complimentary drink… nothing…just a oooops sorry and a blank dumb stare.
The other server then approached us asking if we wanted dessert in which I replied «absolutely not after what I’ve just witnessed! Check please!» He then asked what was wrong so I explained the problem. He offered to make me another meal which I declined since I though it was too much of a burden for them, so we were then given a free dessert port wine instead.
Overall a terrible, terrible experience. When you’re paying for service and what I experienced is totally unacceptable. I got better service from a street cart selling tamales then this place, totally unacceptable!
It’s a shame because their food really is great. And I hate to give it 2 Stars but sorry, to me service is just as important.
My personal advice to them is train and educate your staff right, ONE server per table equals less confusion, get rid of the tv’s on the main dining room or at least put on something more classy and lower the damn music.
I recommend you eat at Casa Vasca, Fornos, Seabras Marisqueira, Spanish Tavern or TONY Da Caneca’s… same (if not better) food yet their service is top-​notch!
We ordered

Great service and great calamari!

3.5 stars. Went there the other night with a pretty large group (abt 15 of us.) the place was packed but the vibe was live and good. I’ll start with the highlights (for me at least.) the calamari was perfectly fried and fresh. While I didn’t have it, everyone at the table raved about the octopus salad as well as the mushrooms with cheese and balsamic. Another thing I though was delicious was the pomegranate sangria. Not a huge punch, but very flavorful. The oysters (blue points) were very fresh but not properly shucked. Just abt everyone that got steak was asking for the salt to be passed across the table. That’s a no no. I bit into one of my vegetable and it was still frozen in the middle. this is a high volume place, please use fresh produce. I would certainly return to see if Allegro can pull of the other half star. Go eat. ENJOY!!!

This place would’ve been 5 stars if it weren’t for the service! The outside patio is nice and we were enjoying a nice brunch and many many many pitchers of their delicious sangria! my friends and I were here for almost 8 hours drinking and eating our life away. no complaints on décor, food and drinks, BUT once we asked waiter for more chairs because we had more people coming he was rude and said NO he couldn’t do that, we were all pretty shocked and then asked to be moved to a bigger table once our friends arrived, i understand more chairs would’ve made it harder for the waiters to maneuver around but instead of being rude he should’ve helped us solve the problem instead of flat out saying no.

I was invited there for a company holiday party so I didn’t pay as close attention to the the pricing. Prices seemed overall reasonable for the quality food. Everything we sampled at the table was a hit. I ordered surf and turf for around $ 30 which was a 8oz veal steak and a 6oz lobster tail and it was great. Definitely the best dish I have had in a while.
The bartender and waitstaff were quick. The red sangria was a little on the sweet side and most of my table agreed. The food was out fairly quick.
I don’t know that I would choose this place for a 1 on 1 romantic date but for a family celebration, work event, or a special occasion with friends it is great. I’ll be back for more. no complaints from me.