Don Pepe

Food is overpriced. People have attitudes and just wasn’t a great experience and I love food! But this place for being where it is in the middle of Newark I feel should either have better food, prices or attitudes. Never again!

Stumbled upon this accidentally with my husband the other day and couldn’t have been more pleased with this place. Reminded me of the Don Pepe in Newark I visited growing up with my grandfather. The old Spanish feel. The waiter was great with our toddler, even letting her play with the dessert menu during dinner. We ordered the calamari and tomato/​mozzarella salad, my husband ordered the surf and turf and I got a shrimp with pasta in olive oil and garlic. Everything was absolutely delicious. My pasta was cooked perfectly, the sauce delicious and the shrimp tasted fresh. The surf and turf was filet mignon and a lobster tail. He requested it medium done, and it was perfectly cooked. The lobster from right off the shell and also tasted fresh. There was no room for dessert, but coffee was also promptly brought out. Will most likely not return because it’s not in our area, but will melt likely be visiting the Newark location to reminisce.

Service was excellent on the Tuesday night we went recently. Meal was good. Vegetables were prepared with extra virgin olive oil which was too strong for my tastes.

Beware of rude and sarcastic busboy/​desert person. His nasty attitude almost ruined our Mother’s Day brunch. Chaos reigned supreme at this establishment, although I do realize that Mothers Day is a tough day jn the restaraunt industry. We had a party of 8, and they jammed us into a closet if a space right off a main thorofare. A waiter bumped my mother’s chair and actually yelled at HER! Food is pretty good. not great, a bit under seasoned, and they will add an 18% tip to the bill which is standard. I’m assuming that is why they don’t care at all about customer service. Iberia Peninsula is better.

Always been one of one of my favorites me and my wife and kids love the food large portions and great service i will always be back for more… And definitely get the SANGRIA!

Been to Don Pepe’s multiple times. Compared to other choices available in the area, it’s on the pricier side. They do make an attempt to justify the higher price point with some old school waiter service, as well as some nice bread to start you off before the entrée.
I find the food quality to be consistently average or just slightly above. They have daily specials that will easily set you back $ 30 or more. The specials are indeed pretty good. However, once again, I’m hard pressed to spend it here considering other options available in the area.
Btw, no free refills… So watch out!
All things considered, par for the course…

Consistently good food. Large protons, tasty meals (on 4 occasions so far). Recommend it and will be back.

Horrible pompous people. We waited for an hour for our table and there were plenty of empty tables but they would not sit us down until our our last two people of our party of ten showed up. There are also no high chairs. It’s a horrible place for families.

Just left here and the food was nasty. My friend had the calamari which was okay, not bad. Then she had the lobster with stuffed crab and shrimp, the lobster was good but the stuffed crab and shrimp tasted like an oily mess.
I had the stuffed scallops which was good. Then I ordered the garlic roasted chicken and some of it was over cooked; some was spoiled tasting and some was just right.
The chicken was immersed in oil and was not appealing at all! It was a pool of oily mess and I probably had a mini heart attack just looking at it.
The Cheesecake is probably one of the best cheesecakes I ever had in my life and Oh the tap water tastes awesome too!
The speed of service was good but the waiters were a little standoffish. Not rude just unfriendly.
I won’t be going back. Well maybe for the cheesecake. I do love my sweets!

I came here for a private party and I just want to go back just to eat. That’s how delicious the food is.

If the maitre d’ wasn’t such a jerk, the rating would be higher because the food was good. But the maitre d’ ruined it — again. Or maybe he was the owner? Whoever he was, he was clearly «the boss», but not in a good way. This was not our first run in with him but will be our last. Why visit any restaurant when the man in charge is so rude and disrespectful to his customers. He will make you feel very unwelcome as if you are not worthy of his restaurant, and it seems like he doesn’t really want you there either. He was also very abusive to his staff — did not even try to hide it. Right in front of everyone. We will not be back because of this. There are too many similar (and better) restaurants in the area where you don’t have to be treated poorly, and where everyone from the hostess, to the busboys and waiters are not abused and humiliated either. What a shame.

My family and I have dined and had food catered from Don Pepe in Newark for over 30 years. We came early Sunday evening to celebrate Valentine’s Day. As expected, the food was excellent — salmon dish stuffed with seafood and veal in a flavorful tomato sauce. Unfortunately, the behavior of our server was completely unacceptable; our dining experience wasn’t the same as other tables around us. Speaking English but being bilingual, I heard him give the tables next to us a thorough and detailed explanation of the menu. We did not get the same. He also was more attentive to the other tables during their dining experience. He constantly passed our table to attend to others and didn’t pay attention to us until we asked for the bill.
My family approached the manager/​owner after paying our bill that had the automatic 20% gratuity. He said that the waiter we had was «his best waiter» and that he would request that waiter if he dined at this restaurant. That statement made the experience worse knowing that the «best waiter» treated us unprofessionally and took excellent care of the tables around us. Seeing that we were unsatisfied, the owner suggested that we request a different waiter the next time we visit and offered to buy us a round of drinks. We already paid for a pitcher of sangria (plus 20% gratuity). We said no thank you to drinks. There won’t be a next time at this Don Pepe.

Big fan of this spot. Our party of 12 was here again last night and they treated us fantastic again… prime steaks were spot on.

Your restaurant was highly recommended by several in our group of 14. We came for an early dinner on ¹⁄₂₈ immediately following a funeral. Many people within the group were from various cities. We were all knowledgeable about basic check policies at fine dining establishments and in-​spite of that made a request to the manager to combine checks for those of us who were together within the group since it was not busy time. In fact, the when the request was made to the manager we were the only party in the entire restaurant. The response was a very curt «no we don’t do that». Many of us have 20+ years each in service industries and know that a manager has the authority to demonstrate some flexibility especially since we spent over $ 700 between the small bar and dinner table. We had no flexibility with the obligatory gratuity due to the group size and therefore used this avenue to express our disappointment. The food was excellent but the service could have been warmer.

Don Pepe is located not too fair from the Newark International airport near the NJPac center. Parking is not bad, we came here a little after 7pm on a weekday. We got here and looked at the menu and noticed not much was appealing. We decided to open order some wine and appetizers. The waiter requested what we would like to order we stated salad, mussels in marinara sauce with a side order or calamari. He immediately stated we would need to move to the bar area due to our order. I was a little stunned considering they were only a total of 3 parties in the entire restaurant. (I believe this restaurant can sit over 100.) I was very appalled by the sheer rudeness of the waiter. After our move, it was refreshing to have a great bar tender.
Mussels in marinara sauce– very decent. The marinara sauce is a little watery but flavour is on point. I think they should add an additional spoon for the marinara sauce
Calamari– could be a little more crisper, however the sauce this was soaked in was flavored well with basil.
The food here is decent, but probably waiter could work on some customer service training.

So came here on my lunch hour… they instantly provide you bread and butter and have an option to use Olive oil (it’s on the table). Bread came warm.
Service was fine… we ordered clams casino… looked burnt but it was pretty tasty.
Then my friend and I shared a Paella Valenciana… we got the Paella Marinara by mistake and they changed it right away which was cool.
Now…when we were done eating… asked for the check like normal people right??? OMG, it took forever. I saw our waiter just chatting away with his co-​worker, trying to wave him down. So when the check was finally getting settled, why is it I look down to find the paella missing — YES we had so much paella leftover and I wanted to take it home for dinner. THEY DIDN’T ASK IF WE WANTED IT TO-​GO/​DOGGIE BAG! Oh man, that got me so upset!
I’m all about service, but when the waiter doesn’t ask if we would like to pack the rest to go, that’s a «no-​no».
Would I come back, after that incident, I doubt it. The 2 stars were mainly for the food, definitely not for the service.

You get what you pay for. This place is wonderful. There was not a dish I didn’t like. The seafood was cooked just right to where the seasoning complemented the natural seafood sweetness. Lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp and scallops were all delicious and none were the star of the show. I’m not crazy about rice but I couldn’t stop myself from filling up on rice. It was fluffy and buttery but not to the point where it tasted fattening or greasy. Just perfect!

Great for couples, groups of friends, as well as families. The menu and food was fantastic. the steak melted in my mouth! However their «fatal flaw» was the lack luster sangria. After about 18 glasses I maaaaay have had a slight buzz, but not really! Stick with a regular glass of wine for your meal.

Had a great meal here! Service was excellent. Mixed seafood dish recommend by our waiter was better then the other Portuguese restaurants I have eaten in at Newark.

The restaurant had a rustic feel. With the walls and the waiter it had an old school vibe. The food was incredible! They had a penne pasta with seafood that was delicious! I even enjoyed the leftovers the next day.
The pitcher of sangria was perfect for two.
Lastly, the waiters made the evening perfect for my boyfriend’s birthday. A slice of cake with a candle and a song made for a lovely evening! The only thing that stopped it from being a five-​star evening was the fact that the molten cake did not melt! A bit dry but still ok.

Beware! The restaurant expects you to read thru their policies embedded somewhere in the menu. When asked for separate receipts, the answer was No because the policies said so. When asked for the rationale behind the rules, nobody knows (I insisted to get an answer) and the waiter blindly referenced to the fine prints on the menu and said that I’m supposed to read them.
They try to position themselves as high end restaurant (pricing wise) but the service, décor, quality of food don’t align. Although they do serve a generous portion but they charge for a plate sharing fee if you aren’t ordering an entrée.

We had a large group on a Friday at 5:30. We called ahead, and phone staff was pleasant. Our group was 14 people. 12 of them had arrived at 5:30, and they would not seat us at all until all 14 people were physically in the building. They were not apologetic or accommodating at all about that.
Once we actually were seated, the service wasn’t great, and we weren’t given any explanation of how the menu worked or that the people who were ordering entrees would also have family style rice and veggies brought out as well.
My husband and I got stuffed scallops (which weren’t great-​almost seemed frozen and reheated) and calamari, which were chewy and over-​cooked. I consider myself a bit of a foodie and I was not at all impressed.
The meals were large, which to some is a bonus. I think of everything we tried, the house salad was the best.
I would not go here again.

Huge portions! I started with that because it really is the first thing you notice. The food is pretty good though. You are pretty safe going with the seafood or with the red meat.
The prices are reasonable especially with the portions in mind. You’ll run between 20 – 30 per entrée.
They have an adjoining parking lot.
The ambiance inside can be a bit formal though so keep in mind if you’re looking for somewhere more upbeat.
They are great for large parties though.

Four of us hadn’t been to Don Pepe in many years; we figured it was old school with tired décor, boring food, and lackluster service. Due to other plans in the area we went anyway and were very pleasantly surprised.
First, the décor is nothing to talk about. You’re in a big room with the obligatory Spanish motif. Lots of tables crowded together and relatively noisy. So far my fears were justified. However it got much better from there.
The food was terrific. I ordered the grilled platter which was a nice sized whole split lobster with shrimp, clams, scallops, and mussels over Spanish rice. It was great, with the lobster obviously just cooked (not rubbery from sitting around) and the shrimps and scallops freshly grilled and in a very tasty sauce. I enjoyed it immensely. Other items ordered were the veal in sherry sauce and the mariscada salsa verde. Everyone was raving about the food. The sangria was very good (I don’t like it overly sweet) with a fair amount of cut up apples and oranges to munch on. It was a bit light on the alcohol though, which should be fixed. We went through two pitchers
The service was excellent. The waiters, busboys etc. were very friendly and attentive. Water was constantly refilled and the replenishment of side dishes (chips, veggies) was immediate. They made the meal even more enjoyable.
We agreed we were putting Don Pepe back on our list of restaurants. Suggest you do the same.

HIGHLY OVER RATED/​HIGHLY DISAPPOINTING! My friend took me here for Dinner last Saturday evening. The placed was packed, the service was quick, but the food and drink left a lot to be desired. My friend ordered the Grilled Salmon with vegetables. He stated his fish was bland and his veggies bland as well as lukewarm. I ordered White Sangria which tasted watered down and not refreshing as well as the Seafood Penne. My shrimp were overcooked but my scallops were nice. Neither were fresh, probably frozen. And the pasta portion was too much and the PINK sauce was not pleasing to look at. When the check came it was $ 70 with a $ 10 tip already included. He was pissed and I was just Ehhhhh. Unfortunately we won’t be back EVER again. I advice new management, renewing the look, and getting a new menu with FRESH ingredients.

My friend and I decided to eat here before an event we were attending at NJPAC. It is within walking distance of Newark Penn station and about a block from the NJPAC, making it ideally situated for a mea prior to the event.
We were seated quickly, even though it was busy and there was an event happening downstairs. As we walked through the dining room, we were overwhelmed with the amazing scents that were emanating from the tables. There were so many wonderful things plated for folks to eat. The seafood, especially, looked and smelled amazing.
Our waiter was very quick to come over and take our drink order. We ordered a tall pitcher of sangria. When he left to fill the order, a busboy/​attendant appeared to fill our water glasses and ask if we would like to place a drink order. We were very impressed with the service all night! They were extremely attentive, coming by often to refill our sangria glasses from the pitcher on our table.
We couldn’t decide what we wanted. As we sat munching on the complimentary, and very fresh bread, we decided that I would order the ternera a la corunesa (veal curlers in sherry, brandy and mushroom sauce) and that my friend would order the camarones salsa de ajo (shrimp in garlic sauce) and we would share our plates.
The food came out fairly quickly. There were five plates: our food, a plate of homemade potato chips, a plate of rice and a plate with fresh green beans and zucchini. It was all amazing!!! We cleaned our plates and decided that we had enough room for dessert.
I ordered the flan and a cappuccino and my friend ordered the cherries jubilee and the Don Pepe coffee (Kahlua, brandy, licor 43, espresso and whipped cream). His drink came in a brandy snifter and was super yummy! Our desserts were amazing and the cappuccino was terrific, too.
The bill came to just under $ 100, but it was worth every penny! Amazing meal, amazing service and a great time was had by all.

My first and (to date) only time dining in Newark. I was in the area for a meeting and a Manhattan-​based colleague suggested we get lunch near the train station before catching the Acela. I was a bit skeptical when we pulled up but pleasantly surprised when we walked into Don Pepe. The interior is simple, but decidedly more upscale than many of the options nearby. Our waiter was charming and the owner, who is quite the character, came over to chat. Food and service were both good, although my Paella could have easily been two meals. Overall a good experience.

Don Pepe is very well decorated and spacious with its three plus rooms and well stocked bar. I also find that they put quality behind the food they serve and the portions are generous. The appetizers I ordered were fine and enough to split between two, such as the fried calamari and spanish antipasto. The main courses are what I had the problem with. The fish dishes I ordered were the Sea food combination, Stuffed lobster and Paella Valencia and all three dishes tasted a little over cooked as if the ovens are on high temperature. The food was seasoned but not as flavorful as I expected. The sausage was very flavorful in the Paella but the clams were chewy and the chicken tossed in was bland. Their dessert menu is very extensive with some good choices. I went with the Tiramisu and Tartufo which were both excellent and the portions were large. They also have a very big selection of after dinner drinks such as port wine, brandy, sambucca and so forth. The staff is very attentive. If you are attending an event at the Prudential Center or in the area it’s worth stopping by.

Came here to eat after my graduation at Prudential Center. We had a reservation for 7, and the service was super fast!
The lunch portions are HUGE, so if you can get here for lunch, you can definitely split a lunch portion between 2 – 3 people.
Everything we ate here was alright. Lacking flavor. Except for the paella! Oh my goodness, delicious delicious delicious!
The portions make it worth the money, but the flavor doesn’t.
I’d go back just for the lunch portion paella.

My best friend and I had tickets to the Charlie Wilson concert. We decided to try the restaurant for dinner before the concert.
Décor is respectable.
Drinks — I ordered the Sangria based on previous recommendations. When the waiter took our order he did not advise it’s cheaper to purchase a small pitcher than two glasses. As a frequent patron to New York’s Café Espanol located near NYU, the red sangria can not compare. Order only if you don’t mind adding sugar. Do not order the white sangria, unless of course you like the mixture of orange juice and wine.
Do not anticipate your waiter to provide insight about portion sizes. It all comes down to the $$$$ here. Paella is enough to feed four. I watched as my waiter allowed a couple to submit a double order, knowing that was too much food for two.
We order the Paella and Kobe Pork Chops. Dinner was ok. Just ok.
This is not the restaurant to visit if you expect to be floored by culinary presentation or flavor. This is the place to visit if you want a meal but don’t feel like cooking.
My overall opinion. This was an overpriced meal for mediocrity.

If there is a less than 5 star rating from someone they have damaged tastebuds. This place! OMG! The garlic shrimp is effin amaze balls. The crab legs are to die for. The paella is scrumptious. The service is mediocre. Actually one of the waiters was born with a chip on his shoulder. I seen it every time I have come here to eat. Could be the Jersey personality… who knows? It doesn’t even matter because the food is outstanding. The portions are YUGE which is great because you always want lefties from here. I can’t wait to come back to Jersey to eat here again. Next time I want STEAK.

They wont seat you until your entire party is present. We made reservations and still had to wait until everyone got to the restaurant. They sat us downstairs on a Sunday night and they had an event going on (i.e. a wedding, a birthday). The music was pumping next door but eventually we tuned it out. It would’ve been nice if they told us that before making the reservation! We are a young bunch but if I came here for a date, I would’ve been annoyed.
We ordered the shrimp in garlic sauce entrée and the paella marinera. My husband and I agreed that we liked the shrimp better. (Segovia’s is tough competition when it comes to paella). The paella here was good but comes in second place. Also, lesson learned, we ordered way too much food! We could’ve just shared the paella and paid the $ 5 plate sharing fee! Why hasnt any reviewer wrote that yet?! Or why didnt the waiter tell us we OD’d?!
We also got to try the chorizo tapa from a friend and that was phenomenal. Overall, a good restaurant in Newark, close to the Prudential Center. I just wish it was better managed.

Stuffed crab appetizer-​AMAZING!!!
Bread — freaking fresh as it gets!!!
Seafood was steamed to perfection very tasty
2 gripes — WAY to much food portions are good for 2 – 3 people
2^nd gripe — to much rice literally about 1lb with my dinner