Tony Da Caneca

Was here for a birthday dinner. Food was excellent as was the service. They don’t rush you, allow you to enjoy your meal. Staff is friendly and funny. Get the red sangria!

Not much to add but this is a great place to eat good Portuguese food. Away from ferry street makes this more of a local place than a visitors destination.
Great food and just the right amount of old school with a younger vibe.
This is certainly my choice for down neck.

I was really looking forward to dining at this restaurant with my party of 12 celebrating my cousins retirement. Unfortunately we were all disappointed by the particularly bad service. We had to beg and threaten the waiter in order to get our food which was pretty good. I do understand that restaurants get busy from time to time. However we watched other customers (probably regulars) arrive after we did and get served and leave before we even got our entrees.
The owner did send a round of champagne to the table after we threatened to leave. But that didn’t make up for the poor service that we experienced.
I wish that I could give this restaurant more stars because the food and the Sangria was pretty good. But the service was really a problem and left us all feeling that we are not sure we’d give this another try.
I recommend that the owner attempt to rectify the problem or he will lose a lot of business.

Great Portuguese place! Our Portuguese neighbors swear by this place and I’m glad they brought us here. Delicious paella, squid and clams, mussels and the oh-​so-​good serradura for dessert. Yum!

Attentive and informative servers. The wine list by the bottle has many affordable ($ 18+) Portugal wines, nice surprise. Portuguese style clams were outstanding! Thank you Unilocalers for this restaurant recommendation. I’m staying in a nearby hotel, rather than taking the shuttle back to Newark airport to eat, I decided to take Über to this local restaurant. So glad I ventured out and tried a new restaurant. The meal was very enjoyable. I will return if in the area again to try a steak. Tonight I had fresh fish (asked for filet) and it was deliciously flakey. Yum yum yum. So good. Try the home made cheesecake!

This place is on point from the food to the service. I had my son’s baptism there and everyone was impressed with the food and service. Everything was top notch. Went back this week, after my graduation, for lunch and again was not disappointed, and neither were my guests. Had the the steak tony style which comes with shrimp and artichokes in a nice brown sauce. The cheesecake is so creamy and delicious paired with a very good cappuccino! My only critique, as a mom, please install a changing table to make our lives easier :)

5 minutes from the airport hotels and phenomenal food & service. Sitting in a residential Ironbound neighborhood Tony’s has white tablecloths, Chrystal and excellent service in a quiet restaurant. Casual attire acceptable, the real star is the food.
The menu covers both seafood and meats in true Portuguese recipes. The mariscada mixed seafood in green salsa (butter, herbs and sherry) is amazingly good. I had the baked scallops a la Tony appetizer which was equally great and unique with a whole small lobster, 2 stone crab claws, mussels and tons of shrimp
This is a real find and one I will come back to every trip I make to Newark!

Visited last Friday night with two friends. The place offers parking at a lot across the street. The food is good, quite, classy place. You can dress up or down. My favorite was the warm bread with olive oil mix. We ordered salmon, and paella and it was all delicious. Dessert was also very good.

It was very foolish of me to originally think that this place, when I first heard its name, was an Italian restaurant in the middle of Newark and not Portuguese, which would’ve made more sense. Regardless, in the middle of «Blizzard» 2015, my fellow coworker and I made it out here, braving the snowy conditions, we parked in the lot across the street, and entered into the staple establishment.
First thoughts upon entering — very classic Portuguese; almost old world. The ambiance was inviting, and the smells from the kitchen were intoxicating. I knew there was something amazing in there, but I just didn’t know what would end up on my plate. We sat at a table in the corner, since we had the pick of the litter thanks to the weather; it was a great comfy spot.
My coworker started us off with an order of clams Tony Da Caneca style, as well as scallops cooked the same way. He had told me that the reason why the clams are so damn good, is that while the clams are still alive, they pull them open, and stuff them with that amazing stuffing, and allow them to cook just like that. It’s just such a simple step, but you can appreciate and taste all the juices of the clam when you bite into it. This appetizer alone is an absolute MUST! Do NOT pass on the CLAMS! The scallops were wonderful too, but something stuck to me with those clams… just get them and you try to put into words exactly what I’m trying to do.
For dinner, we both asked for the grilled skirt steak (which I couldn’t find on the menu) with a side of ride and beans. It was perfectly cooked, and the rice and beans were an excellent combination with it. To top the whole meal off, we asked for their red sangria.
Thinking we couldn’t leave without dessert, I was strongly encourage to try the serradua (sawdust pudding) which was crushed cookies in a wonderful custard layering. It was addicting, and no, I didn’t share.
Sit back, eat, listen to the folk music, and respect the clams.

One of my main stays down neck, along with Spanish Sangria.
Dining room a bit more upscale than most in the area, but I like the bar area, with the raucous bartender, I believe he’s the owner’s son and a crowd of regulars who keep the mood entertaining. If you don’t like raucous, exit and enter dining room. I recently dropped my wife, daughter and grandchildren at the airport around dinner time and hadn’t been at Tony’s in a while. So I went into the bar area and as I said, even though I hadn’t been there in awhile, I remembered a couple of the patrons from my last visit. There was a loud political conversation going on between the aforementioned bartender and most of the patrons. I looked at the menu and chose one of my favorites, «Fried shrimp». Sounds blah right? Well the guy next to me changed his order when he saw and smelled the golden, lightly fried shrimp, delicious roasted potatoes and fresh veggies. Every plate that came out of the kitchen looked and smelled delicious with not one complaint from anyone and a couple guy’s asked for dishes not on the menu and they were accommodated without complaint. On that note, a couple years ago, my wife and I were there and I hadn’t been in a while. I saw that an old standby was no longer on the menu «lobster Tony D’s». Which was a lobster in a delicious brandy sauce, which I can still taste, one of those dishes that stays with you. I mentioned it to the waiter and he said «you want it? We can make it for you.» So I did and it came out exactly the same as when ordered long ago. Now that’s service.

I hadn’t been to Tony’s for years. Saw some bad reviews on Unilocal but we were in the neighborhood so we decided to roll the dice. What an amazing meal! We had the flambéed chorizo and clams Tony da Caneca for an appetizer as well as an order of cod fish cakes – which are not on the menu but worth asking for. All excellent! Had the paella Valencia and grilled squid with a side of vegetables of the chef’s choice. Ask for the house piri-​piri hot sauce to complement your meal. This was all topped off with dessert (forgot the name but literally translate to sawdust cream brûlée) and house special coffee. The waiter was knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and handsome. Anyone who wants a bland or boring meal should stay home. If you want fun and delight go to Tony’s. See you there!

Went there this past Saturday for my wife’s birthday along with another couple. The place was only half full and adequately staffed, but the service was horrendous. Took forever to order and forever to receive our meals. The food was also subpar. I ordered the soft shell crabs which was a special. They were over seasoned with so much salt that they were almost inedible. My wife ordered the garlic chicken which was certainly a different take on the traditional garlic chicken served in the area. I came with a brown sauce which my wife didn’t really care for. Our friends wife ordered the paella. The shrimp were not cooked in the dish, but rather flavorless steamed shrimp were thrown on top as an afterthought. We will probably not go here again.

They are totally rockin’ it old school at Tony Da Caneca’s in Newark. It works if you’re the type who enjoys consistently good food at a reasonable price, and doesn’t demand a place with contemporary décor and trendy menu items.
A bit off the beaten path – away from Ferry Street’s Portuguese restaurant row, Tony De Caneca’s is located in a quasi-​neighborhood area. A well-​lit parking lot is located across the street with ample space, and we’ve never felt uncomfortable leaving our luxury car parked there. Inside, the restaurant is clean and well-​maintained, although the décor is definitely throwback, including some funky faux paneling. But don’t get me wrong, it’s not off-​putting. It seems to fit the place.
The wait staff is super friendly, helpful and very attentive. You can tell they take great pride in what they do and in their place of employment. It’s quite refreshing. And the wine by the glass? They deliver each glass literally filled to the very brim. I’m still amazed they don’t spill a drop.
The food is decent, but not sensational. Some dishes are excellent, some are so-​so. Nothing we’ve tried has been bad. Portions are ample. The paella is enough for 3 – 4 people, in my opinion.
If you love to discover local restaurants that have their own personality and take pride in offering great service and good food, Tony De Caneca’s delivers. We enjoy going on a weeknight when it’s pretty quiet. Great for a somewhat intimate, relaxing dinner experience in a place it seems time forgot.

Any place that has a slowed cooked suckling pig on the menu has my vote. This isn’t your typically Portuguese restaurant. Although they have the main stays like paelle, large portions of steaks, and skewers of pork and chicken; they have excellent dishes such as roast duck with a delicious sauce that has a hint of caramel. If you’re not a fan of duck; how about some rabbit stew which was so tender.
As I mentioned, they have your typical Spanish/​Portuguese dishes found in all the restaurants in this area. However, they also provide you with a real culinary treat with the other more creative dishes on their menu.

great food! first time with type of cuisine and it was quite a treat! wonderful flavors in the pork and clams dish.

Great old school spot towards the back of Ironbound. A bit pricey but very good food. Good service. Try the veal.

I heard great reviews about this place, starting to think these review were written my the Employees at Tony’s. I’m so disappointed the food had no taste what so ever. I had the filet del sol sautéed with shrimp. The staff is friendly and the sangria wasn’t that bad, I had better. Sorry for the 2 stars

The bad reviews reflect what I would say are atypical experiences. I have come here a number of times over the years and it has been consistently good. Yes, the white sangria could use a tweaking — too much lemon soda. However it wasn’t bad. Good garlic shrimp, good rabbit stew and good flounder with bananas The almond cake for desert was excellent and the espresso first rate .I found the service efficient and pleasant. Also at $ 10 Casal Garcia vinho verde — half bottle — is a bargain. Further there is an attended lot across the street that is free and in Newark that helps.

Let’s start off by saying that my fiancé and I walked out of this restaurant completely STUFFED! Their portions are huge…
Now, it took a while for them to actually come by our table and start taking orders. They also forgot to bring us appetizers and everything was apparently brought out together along with the main course. BUT, (yes there is a reason why I was not too upset ;) our waiter came by to apologize and to make up for their mistake, we were offered coffee and dessert on the house. =D
Ok, now with that said, let me get to the important part: we had the soft shell crabs as appetizers and my fiancé LOVED them. I, on the other hand, was not too crazy about them cuz I thought it was just a bit too much garlic. However, our entrees were AMAZING! My fiancé had the Chilean Sea Bass and OMG, every bite of fish meat melted in our mouth and there was just enough garlic on this one. I had their traditional specialty: flounder in a casserole, and the sauce was amazing! However, the flounder itself can’t compare to sea bass.
Anyway, if you are in the area, definitely give this place a try. I plan to go back and try the prawn next time. It looked great on someone else’s plate! lol…
PS: an interesting thing that they do here is there’s a head waiter who goes around and show people samples of their seafood and dessert. No seriously, he holds a tray of seafood (raw): crabs, sea bass, prawns, etc and goes around each table to display what’s in stock. And they do the same when it’s dessert time… the waiter takes the dessert tray around and displays what kind of desserts they offer (so that you can make out what each of the dessert items on the menu really is prepared/​looks like). Neat, no? =)

I don’t give 5 stars very often, but this is one of the best Portuguese restaurants in Newark’s Ironbound section. I haven’t been back here in 8 years because I don’t work in the area anymore, but had an excuse to go yesterday when we had an event at NJPAC. We had a fantastic lunch. Among us we had the broiled Lamb Chops, Pork Chops, Mariscada in Green Sauce, Veal Madelena and Grilled Squid & Clams. Everything was very well prepared for an incredible price. The most expensive lunch entrée was $ 16 which included soup also! For dessert, the Almond Cream Cake is to die for.
This is a white napkin and tablecloth restaurant, but very affordable like most places in the Ironbound and the service is great. A drawback is that it is hard to find set way back in a residential area, but they have free parking in the lot across the street, though street parking isn’t hard to find. Great for parties as well because there was a christening party in the other room and service was never lacking. Thursdays for lunch is a good time also because they put out a great buffet spread.