Casa Vasca

Delicious Spanish food! Great hospitality and attention from the entire staff! Highly recommend the Paella and the garlic shrimp. This place does get packed on a Saturday evening –call ahead for sure!

Delicious Spanish style food. A starter of soup, and then Bread and rice is served with every dish. I loved my seafood dish in the green sauce — it is cooked with clam juice, so while I enjoyed this, my dining partner felt like it was too «sea» tasting. The shrimp was a little overcooked, but the scallops, clams, mussels, and lobster were cooked to perfection. Really amazing seafood for a great price. I wasn’t a fan of their veal and sausage in a wine sauce personally, but I think their seafood dishes shine. Definitely more than enough for leftovers. Their sangria is tasty as well! Service was a little hit or miss — we weren’t given menus for 5 minutes after we were seated & it took a while to get water and drinks. Once our meal was ordered, the service was very attentive,

My wife and I have been patrons for decades. Always-​good food, service and ambiance.

The food was mediocre but what made it a horrible experience was the service. The bus boy and even the hostess, an older lady at the door, were both arrogant and rude. The one that took the cake was our waiter, he is a short bold hispanic guy with the angriest grin, you better ask for another one if you get him. I would tell you his name but he didn’t even introduce himself. I was there with my family today, a party of eight and it was clear to us all that he hated his job and his life. I couldn’t help watching him to see if it was selective or if that was just his personality, don’t take it personal, it’s just him. He must be related to the owner because no one in there right mind would hire someone so incompetent and unprofessional. He didn’t come over to check if there was a problem with our food, we had to hunt him down for the hot sauce and refills and waited forty minutes after we finished our dinner to get his attention for the check. The food was not even close to being worth the terrible service. I would never recommend this place or any of the dishes we shared from here. If anyone gives this place five stars, it is because they have not been to places like Brazilias or Fernandes not too far from there, right in the Newark or ironbound section. The dishes are much better and the service is very professional.

We’ve been coming here for the past decade and can attest to the authentic excellence and consistency of the food and service. Besides their staple caldo gallego, try their Garlic soup when they make it over the winter season. It’s comfort food and medicine for the soul!
All dishes are yummy! This is a first class place and lovely dining experience!

3 ½ stars needed — Portions are HUGE (my meal was enough to bring a second huge portion back to the girls at the hotel I stay at locally). Service was great and they even give you soup and rolls when you order. I am stuffed and it was yummy! Plus, and a huge plus I add — they have a parking lot!

I love the abundance of Iberian peninsula restaurants in the Ironbound district and Casa Vasca did not disappoint me
On the corner in a brick non descriptive building, you walk through a tiny bar and into a white table cloth narrow dining room
The first thing you notice is the smell of the garlic and green sauces that remind you of a Spanish sea
The menu is extensive in clams, shrimp, lobster, fish, chicken and meats which is why we came here
The wine list is loaded with Spanish and Portuguese wines and is very reasonably priced with the highest priced wine at only 45 dollars
We started with their black bean soup that was very good. Some people next to us said they come just for the black bean soup all the time
I had a simple house salad that was good and not over dressed
The clams in garlic sauce were very tasty. The clams were large and the sauce we so good I needed to dip my bread in it until the bowl was completely dry
We then had the shrimp in green sauce and the filet of sole ala Romana style which was a simple lemony sauce
The shrimp were so delicious with that green sauce that I could not stop eating from the huge pot it came in and ladling the shrimp and sauce on top of the yellow Spanish rice. I used the papas fritas as a spoon to scoop up as much as I could and shoveled it in my mouth. So good!
The filet of sole was ok
All in all, we had all that, a bottle of wine and a huge basket of bread for 89 dollars! Such a deal
I would definitely come back

I have been going to this place for years and it is one of my favorite restaurant. The food is tasty and the service is excellent.
My concern is the portions size of the appetizers. The price is steep with the quantity provided, at least on this visit. I am hoping they go back to the previous portions size for the price now quoted.
The dinner portion is excellent for the price paid. The Sangria is soft on the liquor side.

I enjoyed supper at Casa Vasca last Sunday as I have so many times over many years. This a family owned restaurant. The owner Maria is often the first person you will meet when you go into the restaurant and she is always scurrying about making sure that everything is right. The restaurant is as warm and welcoming as the owner. When I go there I feel as if I am in the dining room for the gathering of an extended family.
The food is cooked to order and may take a bit of time but there is the fresh bread and complimentary bowl of soup to enjoy while waiting. We usually order a pitcher of red sangria for the table. Conversation flows in such an atmosphere and when the food comes, it is served graciously. There are always a list of specials and I often order the fish with the bone in. Seems tastier with the bone. If you enjoy a dish which may have a sauce that is strongly flavored with garlic and with love, you will be at home here. Home for Sunday supper.

I think the place needs remodeling !
The Galician octopus and cod croquettes same as in Galicia… very tasty
The cabrito and the merluza aré very good but they seemed as removed from the microwave.
The portion zise was very good.
The sangría mmm ok !
The service was excellent !
Definitely I will be back !

Casa Vasca is my choice for a great Portuguese/​Iberian meal. Soup starter was a very satisfying chick pea, very close to an italian escarole and bean. Appetizers were good portions, we shared garlic shrimp, clams in verde sauce, and chorizo. Entrees of scallops, suckling pig, and veal in spinach sauce were very good. Try the merluza a romano, which is whiting steaks fried to perfection. Quality expresso, great flan, and a nice glass of port to finish off the evening.
The lovely owner checked in with us to ensure our experience was going well and has her servers on point. Attentive without being obstructive, bread/​water always filled, dished cleared instantly, and very friendly group of staff.
The private parking lot is an added bonus in an area where parking is tight on the street.
Casa Vasca, tops in my book.

Tried Casa Vaca as a result of reading a write up in Radius Magazine — a magazine featuring the great City of Newark! I have to say I am glad I did! They have a parking lot which is a plus in a residential area with a lack of street parking!
So for starters, the red Sangria is very good — not many places can make a great sangria, they’ve got what it takes! Thank God my girlfriend and I decided on a half pitcher! The bread is also a perfect combination of soft and toasty! For appetizers we ordered the typical shrimp i garlic sauce and sausage and lets just say, its far from typical– its darn right so good :) before they brought out the appetizers they served their complimentary white bean soup… let’s just say that I’d be the perfect candidate NOT to have my feelings hurt by Seinfeld’s soup natzi! lol! But O M G! I LOVED it! and had the nerve to eat the entire plate served AFTER having bread. then the appetizers… Who had room for our entrèes? Nevertheless, there was no way we were not diving into what came next:)
I ordered the filet mignon with shrimp in brandy sauce as should you! Tender tender cut of meat which certainly adds to the flavor experience:) The shrimp were full of flavor without being overdone. The sides are typical fried thin potato slices and saffron rice and like they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! My girlfriend ordered the shrimp in salsa verde which she said was very good but unfortunately, I didn’t take a taste but will next time.
We passed on dessert because there was simply no room for anything more. The service was very friendly and attentive. Of note would be *bring a sweater, that AC is a blast of frio!
Enjoy!

I grew up in Newark. Matter of fact 1 block from this place!
Most amazing meal we had last night.
Starter — soup which is served to all diners. Tonite it was potato leek with nice large chunks of salty pork.
Appetizer we order clams in a green sauce. I’ve had this at Portuguese restaraunts and it tends to be mostly liquid. This sauce was nice and thick and the amount of garlic spot on. You could smell it hitting the table. Now if you don’t like garlic take a pass. I on the other hand am a lover of garlic!
Bread basket on the table was delish and helped to sop it all up.
I had the octopus special. And hubby had the lamb shank. I am not sure which was better. I’ve never had such delicious lamb. Truly never. Falling off the bone. I can’t wait for lunch to enjoy the leftovers!
The octopus perfectly tender and spiced with salt, paprika and a few other delicious making this a true delicacy.
Without question Somewhere I will return to!
Update — have been twice more and yum!!!

I have mixed feelings about this place. The atmosphere and the service is outstanding but the flavor falls a little flat.
We came here on Mother’s Day for a bit of a mystery date. Not knowing what to expect we walked into the bar area and felt a little lost. You have to walk through the door to the right of the bar to find the restaurant (which I love). It had a real local feel!
The sangria is great and they keep it flowing and the bean soup was a really nice touch before dinner. From there the food went downhill. We had two different paellas and for the amount of seafood in them and different meats we assumed that they would be bursting with flavor but, you really couldn’t taste anything. Totally needed some hot sauce, which I feel guilty about saying.
Overall although I loved the service and the atmosphere I don’t think I would come here again because of the blandness of the food.

Found this place because I was in the mood for seafood. We were not disappointed.
First: the food… we had the grilled red snapper bilbao style and the mariscos in red sauce. Super! The seafood was well cooked and the seafood broth was to die for.
Second: the service was efficient without being rushed. Definitely impressive!
Caveat: it was a Monday night so my friend and I are planning an encore at a busier night.
Stay tuned!

Oh my so much to eat…
Friendly service. Lots of water refills as the food was a bit salty for me but tasty.
The portions are good enough for two, so share and order a few appetizers (don’t fill up on the bread and soup which were good as well).
No chance for desert… no room in my stomach.
Nice to have free parking a few houses back, especially on such a busy street.

I heard of this place thru a coworker who highly recommended it. She is Portuguese, knows the Ironbound area very well. First I tested her — I asked if Rio Rodizio on route 22 was authentic or any good. She almost snarled at me. Good response.
So it was I arrived here with high expectations and wanted to fall in love with the place from the get-​go. I love Portuguese — great food, good bang for the buck, portions are awesome. It’s kinda like Chinese in that way, except they have delicious sangria and no fish tanks.
First thing I noticed was that they have their own parking lot with a parking attendant watching your car. This is important in Newark! Also, it is not valet — you don’t gotta give up your keys. Awesome. More about the parking guy later.
On to the food:
The lobster in spicy sauce wasn’t that spicy. It had a little bit of spice to it and the flavor was all right, not as awesome as it looks in the pictures on Unilocal.The portion looked large but actually it’s only one lobster and hence not that much meat you are getting for $ 24. It was cooked well though. ³⁄₅
The paella valencia we ordered had several human hairs stuck to the chicken. They offered to make us another after we plucked em out and carefully inspected the dish but I said don’t bother. I didn’t want to waste the whole thing. The portion size was pretty big, the taste was ok — not quite as flavorful as I would have wanted (especially the chicken). I appreciated it wasn’t very greasy and not too salty though. The mussels were tiny and not great in flavor but there was a good amount of scallops and shrimp. ³⁄₅
The sirloin steak with fries and veggies was a great deal — 14 bucks. I wanted it medium rare but it came out well done. Flavor was not bad, not great. I definitely make better steak at home. Good price though — ⁴⁄₅.
Sangria was not bad — tasty and home made but not very strong. ⁴⁄₅
Service by the waitstaff was very good. The parking guy was a bit annoying when we left though.
I know he has a thankless job and he was stationed in a lil cubby hole in the cold but that still doesn’t mean he gets to keep pounding hard on the side of my car when he didn’t like the direction I was slowly backing out my car. Relax dude I have a backup cam and I wasn’t close to hitting anything. He just wanted to make sure I come out a certain way and make a u-​turn rather than try to make a left. Just say something next time instead of banging, geez. He was older, walked with a limp, emerged from his cubby like he was swamp thing or something. Otherwise I woulda said something to him.
Maybe it was an off night but I’ve had better meals at Al Garve in Elizabeth.

Excellent seafood in the Ironbound!
Came here before the 2014 NJ Devils Saturday home opener, made a reservation for 4 people at 5:30PM and got promptly seated. We got a pitcher of Sangria and it was medium strength and tasty. They started us off with the complementary soup that comes with entrees (see photo) that had celery, beans, onions, potatoes and chorizo, among other things, and it was hearty and rustic. For appetizer, we ordered the Chorizo A La Parrilla (see photo), that was awesome if you like slightly spicy sausage!
For entrée, I got the «Langosta Y Almejas Enchiladas» (see photo) which was basically and entire lobster, cracked open for you, and clams in a spicy sauce with onions and peppers. It was delicious, but mae sure you save some bread to soak up that sauce! One of my friends got the «Camarones Enchilados» (see photo), which was basically shrimp in that same delicious spicy sauce, I tasted it, and the shrimp was cooked to perfect texture and it soaked up the sauce very well. Other friends liked their entrees as well.
Overall, I think this is a great seafood spot for the Ironbound section of Newark and a perfect pre-​game or pre-​concert restaurant if you are looking for quality food.
P. S. There is a private parking lot but it is small and a dude helps you get in and out, so bring some singles for tip.

I came here with the boyfriend’s family one night. It’s so good that it turns out the same night, my personal trainer was at a table a few spots near me! As I’m stuffing my face with octopus! EEK!
The restaurant does have parking (it’s a small lot nearby like someone’s home). You just have to tip the guy who directs you a few bucks afterwards.
The pulpo gallego was amazing.
Everyone’s order comes with a soup. Your dishes also come with rice and potatoes on the side.
We were so stuffed that I didn’t even have space for flan (though I really wished I did).

Located a few blocks from the main streets in Ironbound, this place came highly recommended and did not disappoint at all. In fact, it was very good.
Don’t be turned off to the entrance to the restaurant which is through the narrow door leading from the not so fancy looking bar to a charming dining room. Not elaborate but pretty typical of most Spanish-​Portuguese places that may need a slight upgrade in décor.
If travelling by car, it is best if you can approach the place by Prospect St rather than coming down Elm so that you can pull into their parking lot on Prospect.
Since we were sort of pressed for time due to a concert at the PruCenter, we skipped ordering any appetizers but what we did have was excellent. This including 2 pitchers of sangria (tasty but not particularly potent), a hearty but a bit salty meat and potato soup that is complimentary, and a couple of main courses that included lamb chops, pork chops basque style, paella marineria, and shrimp in green sauce. All were very good.
Our server was wonderful and the owner came around at one point to see how things were going. Prices seemed pretty reasonable and we all left, on time for our show, very happy to have found this place.