Casa d’Paco

Wonderful little gem hidden away in Newark! Stopped by before going to airport which is minutes away. Food was wonderful, beautifully presented and generous. Service was great and the staff was friendly.

Ok, for starters… this is a bar… in someone’s house! It’s not a restaurant and bar or whatever misleading comments everyone else wrote on here. I went to this place based on the good reviews and it did not live up… on a Saturday night-​which you would expect a good experience.
This is a locals joint. Don’t make the trip here because you think it’s going to be some amazing experience. Don’t come here for date night. Only come here if you want some regular food at a decent price.
In regards to the food, it’s was fine. Not amazing, not bad… just fine. I was really disappointed with the sangria. People left reviews about the passion fruit sangria, we tried it… it tasted like freaking juice. And when the bill came they write «sangria $ 12, passion fruit $ 3.» So no wonder even the waiter suggested it as their best.
Maybe the food and drinks would’ve tasted better if the crew of foul mouthed locals weren’t coming in the joint smelling like an ashtray. By the third «fukc» in some chicks sentence I wanted to walk out. Don’t get me wrong, I can curse with the best of them, but not while I’m trying to enjoy a nice dinner. But then again it was ruined from the fact that I couldn’t have a conversation with my husband and the waiter couldn’t even hear our order because the music was blasting.
I’m convinced all the reviews on this restaurant/​bar/​family home were written by friends of the owner.

This review is long overdue! If you appreciate clean (deveined) shrimp as much as I do, you must visit Casa d’ paco. After visiting several Spanish/​Portuguese establishments in Newark, Casa d’paco hands down takes the win for their shrimp in garlic sauce, the shrimp is perfectly cooked and seasoned (and the sauce is absolutely sensational for bread dipping). We tried a couple of their other tapas which were also great: the sirloin burger and the lobster ravioli. Can’t wait to go back and try some new tapas (heard the filet mignon tips and the pulpo are phenomenal). By the time we reached dessert I was already stuffed but couldn’t resist the homemade cheesecake which is so creamy it melts in your mouth, plus who doesn’t love caramel and whipped cream?
Sangria was delicious and I loved the cool cups! What makes this place a real gem above all else is the service. Everyone is extremely friendly, polite and attentive which makes for a great dining and drinking experience. Casa d’paco although small, caters to many, from dates to watching sports, you won’t be disappointed. But seriously, kudos to being the only place in Newark serving clean shrimp!!!

Nothing to say but AMAZING! The food, patrons, and staff are second to none. Best and most fun dining experience I’ve had in years. Had dinner at the bar and had a total blast. Family run and home cooking. Love, love love.

This place is outstanding: the food is delicious, ambiance is perfect, and the owner is phenomenal! Best green teas in Jersey!
I love this place, love the people, love the environment and ANGEL!

Probably the best tapas meal I have ever had! We had a great selection of Portuguese Tapas accompanied with a pitcher of red sangria. The highlight was the Patanegra (sp?), a blackfoot pig fed on acorns, hand carved. This was a food adventure with the incredible selection of Tapas! And well under $ 200 for 4 people, amazing!

Fulfilled a random Tuesday night craving for paella here. As expected for a Tuesday night, the restaurant was empty (just how I like it). Our waiter, who I also believe may be the owner, was beyond exceptional. Friendly, attentive, and timely! Even offered our 7 month old something to drink, which I appreciated.
This restaurant has a nice assortment of beverages (alcoholic and non-​alcoholic), and we opted to try some hard ciders (pear and apple). Definitely was a great way to start off our meal.
As far as food was concerned, the bread was phenomenal (served w butter or olive oil) and we almost filled up on that… Hate when that happens, lol. For our actual meals we opted for the octopus tapas, lobster ravioli, and the seafood paella. What lacked in flavor for me was really made up for in service. I prefer my pulpo with a bit of char, and my paella with soccarat. So these two dishes fell a bit short for me. I guess that’s just a personal preference.
Overall, great grub and great people. They also have a small private lot which is a huge plus!

This is a really cute Tapas bar. Hipster central (I clearly live in a whole other Newark)! Service was great, we loved the food and the drinks. A very relaxed atmosphere.

Great place. Came here for lunch for the first time. Parking is very tight but everything else makes up for it. The food was great, we ordered a lot. All staff was friendly and inviting. Highly recommended #paconation

First I tried Mompou, then onto Vivo, and now, I think I’m settling on Casa D’Paco for tapas night. I had a great time. This place has what every other tapas joint in Ironbound lacks: a lively crowd with friendly service. It’s always dead and super uptight at the other spots but I felt right at home here. Portions are small so it gives you a chance to sample many dishes. I’ve only been here once but I’ve recommended it to others and always got positive feedback.
I highly recommend 2 – 3 tapas per person and saving room for dessert. Highlight was the Galician octopus and the Maria cake at the end. Looking forward to Sangria and trying more of their menu next time!
Edit: best sangria I’ve ever had. And the avocado crab salad is so good. I find myself coming up with excuses to come here now.

Casa d’Paco, I am in love with this establishment!
I came here to celebrate a friend’s birthday and we had a great time here. This is a small place and a hidden gem! My friends and I had a ton of drinks and delicious eats! Let me say that the wine prices are very fair and affordable. For a restaurant I would say they are on the cheaper side as well. I think that is why my friends and I (more my friends) drank so much.
With our large party, we shared many of the tapas dishes. We started with a typical meat and cheese platter, which prepared our taste buds for the incredible tapas dishes ahead. We had the breaded baby squid which was excellent. It felt like it was fried calamari on crack, you can tell the breading was done fresh and it tasted great. Another nice dish was the grilled tiger shrimp, these large pieces of shrimp pack a punch. Yes you have to take them apart, but it tasted yummy inside.
And out of the rest of the tapas, my FAVORITE here was the octopus tapas. One was a grilled octopus tentacle. This tentacle was packed with flavor and I had to tell myself to cut myself a fair size to share with my friends, because I definitely wanted to sneak more! The other octopus tapas we shared was the Galician style octopus with paprika and olive oil. This platter was already cut into pieces, and OMG this tasted awesome too! These pieces of octopus were very tender and I could just keep ordering this.
Oh and for the main course, we got the Paella. This was a dish that everyone enjoyed. There are some good pieces of clams and other shellfish, along with shrimp and generous pieces of lobster. The serving of paella is huge here and can definitely feed more people than they say!
So… Casa d’Paco I’m coming for you again soon! Till next time!

This place is situated in the Ironbound section of Newark which is a very nice area. Once inside the place is small and very loud. We were seated very close to other tables to the point that very time the person seated behind moved he would move my chair. We ordered two tapas and a main dish. Tortilla espanola and some steak appetizer and a main dish with fish, shrimp and clams in a white wine sauce. It was ok and good, nothing stunning. The mash potatoes my daughter ordered were horrible. Had a very strange taste to it. i was expecting better food. I gave them three stars because their waiters were so attentive toward us.

This place IS a bit pricey, but definitely worth it. I absolutely love it here and part of the reason why is because the staff is SO friendly! The food is delicious. When I eat there, I feel like I’m back home (Spain). My absolute favorite is the pulpo Galego, make sure you try it! Will definitely be going back soon.
Ps. Their parking lot is very small and parking in newark is the worst, so be prepared to park blocks away & walk.

Me and my fiancé have been to just about every place worth trying in the Newark Downtown/​Ironbound area. This place is by far the best. Its not a very big place however its size definitely give it a very intimate homey vibe. The staff is very welcoming and attentive. The owner seems to be there everytime we go at least, and he also is awesome, and seems to have no problem getting his hands dirty helping staff. The food hasn’t let me down yet. It is amazing everything we have had off the menu so far has been delicious. They also have a sangria that is out of this world. My advice for attending during weekends would be to call ahead of time and make reservations as it gets packed. They also have a private parking lot. For visitors in the area that may be attending an event or just in the area. You cannot go wrong here!!!

So! Good!
First plus: the restaurant has a parking lot on the side. No need to stress out over street parking!
Second plus: we tried to order more than we could eat (because we too greedy) and our server reminded us that we might’ve ordered too much — felt instantly welcomed and took the advice to order one serving paella instead of two, and it did turn out that we have indeed ordered much more than we could stomach!
Third plus: Sangria! Sangria! Sangria! We tried passion fruit and it’s just heavenly! Would definitely come back and try all the other flavors, in large portions pls!
Forth plus: the to go box is a sturdy tin foil tray! I have the habit of ordering too much and take the leftover home for late night snack so I’ve seen many many takeout box and I’m not picky — as long as they don’t leak It’s fine with me, but oh boy this sets a whole new standard! The service really warms my heart in details like this.
The rest of the meal was a delight as well– we ordered baby octopus, shrimp mango salad and paella. Speaking of which, I should probably mention that this place is not vegan or vegetarian friendly as all dishes contain some kind of seafood or meat, but it’s right up my alley I tell ya! All the dishes we ordered were delicious and generously portion sized. The bread is also amazing. Our server was very accommodating after we requested them to be toasted :))
Left the restaurant with a full stomach and a wide wide smile and can’t wait to return!

I thought all the great reviews couldn’t be right but I was wrong. This place has very good food and a friendly, local vibe. An excellent selection of tapas, from anchovies to shrimp to octopus, squid, beef filet, chorizo, clams, crab and more it’s hard to pick one favorite so I suggest you try them all. You won’t be disappointed. if you’re still hungry after your tapas they offer several entrées that looked appealing. We shared a huge paella platter to top off our meal. Service was friendly and accommodating.
Very nice Spanish wine list, too, with several available by the glass and all reasonably priced.
Parking is the only sore spot as it’s on a residential street with a small parking lot. Next time we will Über but we will be back!

It was my first time in the Ironbound neighborhood, but I was blown away by the quality of the food, the price, and the hospitality of this restaurant.
My friend and I started off with a Strawberry Sangria, which the waiter recommended. The sangria was really good — they used white wine, I believe, so it was more on the sweet side but delicious nonetheless. We ordered a pitcher so it came in one of those regular water pitchers.
For food, we ordered the Casa d’Paco Paella, which is the seafood paella, the sautee’d pork cubes tapas, and the seared tuna with honey mustard. Honestly, everything was delicious, the prices were VERY reasonable, and the quality superb. The paella specifically was plentiful in seafood with almost an entire lobster on top and the portions were ridiculous, especially for an order for «one person». However, it was a bit on the saltier side but aside from that no complaints.
Again, the hospitality was wonderful here. The servers were very kind and not shy when giving suggestions. I’ll definitely be back next time to try their other tapas!

Very nice. We enjoyed the tapas and passion fruit sangria. We ate the items recommended to us by the waiter. Very nice staff, nice small bar like environment, casual.
Unfortunately after we came home that night, we both had stomach aches. I assume it was the seafood, either the crab or the squid. This can happen when you eat out so I’ve dropped them to a two star review. I know this is very different than all their other reviews — Suggest the restaurant keep an eye out on freshness.

Completely hidden Tapas bar build into a house in the middle of a seemingly residential area near Newark airport (EWR). This place is small and low key alright, but don’t let their quaint appearance throw you, it is an outstanding restaurant.
I had a few glasses of their hard cider as well, green and red apple. Very crisp and refreshing. They also had a pear cider on the menu but it was out of stock that day. Bummer.
The 5 Tapas I tried:
Octopus — My 2^nd favorite. Grilled octopus that isnt overly chewy. Flavorful and not bland as tends to happen with octopus dishes sometimes.
Stuffed Avocado — Weakest of the five. An avocado stuffed with seafood. The avocado itself didnt add much to the flavor though. Makes for a cool presentation and the seafood itself was good.
Lobster Ravioli — Lobster and accompanying sauce was delicious. Pasta was firm but not quite al dente. Great texture.
Stuffed Red Pepper — Similar to the avocado except the pepper actually significantly affects the flavor profile, but also doesn’t over power it. Excellent.
Serrano Ham Croquettes — My No. 1 favorite. Melt in your mouth croquettes served piping hot in a white sauce. This is just heaven.
I will definately be coming here again.

Why did Casa d’Paco supersede my expectations!
Now, from the curbside I could see why one would doubt this place. It felt like I was trespassing someone’s home when I approaching Case d’Paco. But one step through the threshold you find that this place is a hidden neighborhood gem, with a hell of a kitchen!
Having been completely impressed with their perfect rating on Unilocal,my bf and I thought it would be great to try them out for dinner. It was early for a Saturday evening so the place wasn’t too busy. A handful of folks who were already seated watching a match of Soccer/​Futbol. We were immediately greeted as we made eye contact with bartenders behind the bar. Menus were quickly distributed and drink orders were taken.
Being that it was our first time, we decided to get tapas.
HOLY MOLY these tapas were nothing short of what you get in Spain. It was truly a breath of fresh air to get the same quality food across the Atlantic. The GRILLED TIGER SHRIMP was super fresh. The AVOCADO CRAB AND SHRIMP SALAD was super refreshing. The PULPO/​OCTOPUS was ridiculously tender. Everything we had was excellent. You can’t complain when the wine bottle prices are practically equivalent to the liquor store prices too.
A bottle of wine and 6 tapas all for less than $ 100? What’s not to love here.
As we parted our ways the owner/​manager was really appreciative of our business and left us with a handshake. I would have tipped off my hat if I had one.