don pepe restaurant & caterers

tourist trap. this place is strictly for the uninformed. there are many spanish restaurants in newark that are much better. try fornos, fernandes, or any of the other places that cater to more of the local crowd that produce the genuine flavors of spain and portugal.

so sad and disappointed have been coming for years for new years dinner with a large crowd. 10-15 people typically. this year 2019 was a complete train wreck. waited over an hour and half post our reservation time. unfortunately we were not alone in this circumstance the lack of organization was apparent that they were out of control of the evening. the hostess who was stuck in the firing line of an onslaught of unhappy patrons. i felt bad for her, but her and the old man who is the house manager needs to be put out to pasture. we must of heard half a dozen times " just 5 more minutes" was beyond ridiculous. so we remained patient and were finally seated. as we were being led to our table the old man manager says have a round of drinks for the table on the house. well that turned out to be bs as when the bill came they were charging us for them. i addressed this issue only to find that he was not honoring this. as good as the food may be. the hassle, old staff and disorganization isn't worth the trip. it's an extremely pricey place to have to endure this at any time. after 20+ years of going. we will never be back and i would forewarn anybody going there be prepared or better yet redirect and find another place that will appreciate your business.

visiting from down south and decided to eat at don pepe's as it was very near our hotel. great service, awesome food with large portions and very clean. a little pricey but we certainly felt that we got our money's worth!

bad service, bad owner. the waiter got our order wrong. we asked him to fix it. we asked to speak to the owner after he was rude about it. the manager came over and said "we'll take care of you next time"
we came back a few weeks later, regrettably, and the owner did nothing. he did not make good on his word. dont trust this place. you can do better elsewhere

i've been going to this place for 20+ years and i keep going back. i know what i'll get here. lobsters and paella are always good. i've been to iron bound many times as well. that always seems to be a major production. easy in, easy out at dp's. have to try the steak house. it's my friend's fav.

family style spanish cuisine. i think that the idea is for the items to be served "family style" as each of the dishes is easily large enough for two or three people. i went with a party of eight, we each ordered our own meal and left with more food than we consumed. i really wish that the waiter would have said something but i guess that he thought each of us wanted enough food to feed a small family. my shrimp dish had easily 35 shrimp in it and my brother had a large platter of pork chops. the food was good, not too spicy, but with rich flavors. i would recommend this place but take a date and plan on sharing. if you are in the mood for traditional spanish food and a decent wine selection this is a place to go.

paella and sangria - cant go wrong here!

dated, bland and disappointing. pretty much that's it on this place. from the overcooked little shrimp to the bathroom that had dryers that didn't work, this place needs an overhaul.

the paella had zero flavor. zero. oversized portions (heaps of rice) but low quality. the only good things: free parking and dessert brought in from an italian place (i asked). not worth the time or money. gordon ramsey needs to see this place.

amazing by far best food i have ever tasted. recommend to anyone and everyone

going downhill. the food is not as good as it used to be. apparently, their policy has changed also. i was there with my wife and mother. i ordered a 3 pound lobster and my wife ordered a steak for us to share (our own surf & turf). my mother, who is older, ordered a large appetizer as her entree. the waiter informed us there would be a $5.00 charge for sharing as all three people had to order entree's..i found this objectionable and when i voiced my objection, i was told sorry, this is our policy. i replied, cancel our order, we are leaving, sorry this is a matter of principle. there are too many other good iberian restaurants in newark for don pepe to have this policy.

not what it's cracked up to be.. the food seems very commercial, and isn't all that tasty, considering the prices. i expected the quality to have been much better for what i paid. the service was fair enough, but the quality and taste of the food is what turned me off.

yuk!!!!. i have never been treated as badly at a restaurant!
the service was terrible - the waiter took our order and we never saw him again. the order was incorrect and we had to go to the captain to have it corrected. when we complained we were told that we were wrong. we were a party of eight who have been there many times but will never return!

i'm going there today. it better be good!