casa vasca

unforgettable basque cuisine. i have eaten at casa vasca for many years, and it remains among my very favorite restaurants. the atmosphere is great, from the barroom filled with friendly locals enjoying drinks and plates of appetizers at the bar to the dining room buzzing with conversations of happy diners. the menu represents the diversity of the spanish basque region itself, from fresh and rich seafood dishes that originate from the region's many coastal towns and cities, to hearty meat dishes from the pyrenees mountains. there is also a pretty expansive list of regularly changing specials to try. as an appetizer, i recommend the chorizo a la parilla (grilled spanish sausage), which tastes delicious and the oil in the dish is great for dipping bread. for fans of seafood, try the merluza a la vasca, which is whiting served in green sauce with shrimp and clams -- this is a staple basque seafood dish that cannot be missed. for the more carnivorous (and adventurous) diner, try the cabrito asado (roast goat) which is often a special. i would prefer the flavor and tenderness of this dish to a filet mignon anyday. all meals come with the soup of the day, which is usually a delicious caldo gallego, a galician recipe that is prepared with white beans, chopped greens, and bits of chorizo. a couple of times the soup was a little on the salty side, but those were exceptions. the portions are quite generous, and you will likely have some great leftovers for the next day. basque cuisine is considered by many chefs to be among the finest in the world. don't miss the opportunity to try it for yourself at casa vasca.

fantastic!. the best in the ironbound section - food is great, service is excellent - the only complaint is the wait for a table even with reservations.

amazing food. simply amazing! my professor had taken me for lunch. calamari and the salmon was so yum! and the tiramisu was perfect. wish i can go there again.

casa vasca abides by the long-established norm for an iberian restaurant in newark's ironbound: half the place is a bar full of local's who have been coming for decades, and the other half is a restaurant with white tablecloths and stiff, hurried service. we brought a group of four on this evening, so my normal choice of bar seating did not make as much sense for the meal. true to form, our chairs were still being adjusted underneath as we sat and the waiter stood at the table, pen ready, and asked what we wanted.

let me start by saying that the service is impeccable. the staff was incredibly attentive (but not intrusive) to our party of seven, making sure the bread basket was refilled and sangria was poured before we had thought to ask ourselves. for a vegetarian however, the menu offers not a single meatless dish. i asked the waiter if there was a dish without meat that i might order and he brought me vegetable paella, which was very good (and a portion big enough for three meals). why isn't this on the menu?! for non-vegetarians, i am told the chorizo is delicious, as is the shrimp in garlic sauce.

always good. we have gone to casa vasca for dinner for many years. the food is always excellent and the service good. it is not a $$$ price range. athough the atmosphere and quality of food is that of a more expensive restaurant the prices are very reasonable.

this place is great! i come to newark once a month on business and always have dinner here. the soups are always a great start and the portions are huge.

i had dinner there this evening, in the hours of it not being busy. they had the worst attitude, our waiter was a clown that had no personality, the sangria tasted watered down.. i finally said something and the slob of an owner had absolutely nothing nice to say! she was as worst as her own staff! also, the food is definitely not $$$ .... a diner is probably more expensive. honestly, they do not deserve a zagat rating!!! i compared their food to mcdonald's.. serving cold potatoe chips with chicken frances - does not mean your food is authentic. i think they lack many things.. people go somewhere else to eat.

poor service. i've heard so many amazing things about the food at casa vasca, unfortunately i never had a chance to try it. i made a reservation and confirmed it - when i arrived it was not listed. the hostess put our name down and said we might have to wait 10-15 minutes. not a problem, except when we asked every 30 minutes we were told 10-15 minutes. eventually, the hostess was seating people without reservations that came in after us. when we mentioned it, the hostess was very rude towards us. finally, after over an hour and a half, enough was enough, we left because clearly we were never going to get seated. bad management, terrible service - i hope they get their act together because the food smelled pretty good.

~~great place~~. i have been here a couple of times and each time is very yummy…… paella, mussels and clams are perfect. awesome place, great portions. highly recommend!

great portuguese food. this place is very cozy, and the service is excellent. i've been there couple times over the years and the food has gotten better and better. i really enjoyed the food and the sangria was great. highly recommended

we were so stuffed we didn't even finish our entrees, we had to take them home. the service at casa vasca was great and the food was awesome. i highly recommend stopping in for lunch or dinner. i'd love to go back and hang at the bar. upon leaving my dini

great food. smells like seafood when u get in, and seafood is the way to go. great paella, mussels and clams are perfect, the salsa verde is a treat.... it pays to leave room for desert. we had the flan and the sorbet, the latter comes served in the fruit shell (orange, pineapple, lemon, or coconut) and is superb. fruity, not too sweet. highly recommend this place.