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Portuguese Fisherman, South River, NJ

Portuguese Fisherman

4.7
4.7
1330 Reviews
$30 and under
Portuguese
11 Jackson St, South River, NJ 08882

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 24 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
  • Neighborhood gem
Established in 1976, We are one of the oldest Portuguese and Spanish restaurants on the east coast. Attentive service, delicious authentic food, generous portions and refreshing sangria—these are the hallmarks of the Fisherman. Since our opening in 1976 we have consistently upheld the traditions of fine Portuguese and Spanish dining in central New Jersey.

A variety of fresh seafood and fish, as well as organic meats, all made with the finest ingredients available, await you at our tables. Our seasonal menu and daily specials include delectable dishes prepared to satisfy many tastes.

We invite you to visit us in the historic town of South River, New Jersey.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Portuguese, European, American
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 12:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Manuel Alves
  • Catering
    Off-site catering is available. Please visit our website for inquires.
  • Private party facilities
    The Restaurant features welcoming spaces accommodating parties ranging from dinner for 20 to a formal wedding for 180.The Restaurant offers two different spaces to hold private events: One banquet room can hold a maximum of 60, while our ballroom can hold a maximum of 180.Visit our website for inquiries.
  • Neighborhood
    East Brunswick
  • Cross street
    Water Street and Ferry Street
  • Parking details
    Two private lots and street parking available.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Mother's Day Brunch Party in the Ballroom

    $10.00 - $75.00 per person

    Prepaid

    May 11, 2025 only
    1:00 PM
    Our 3rd annual Mother's Day Brunch takes place in the upstairs Ballroom. 4 Courses with Unlimited Wine and Sangria Included. Appetizers, Soup, Buffet Dinner, Viennese Table w. Chocolate Fountain. DJ Entertainment and Dancing. Large Parties Welcome. Any table size over 8 maybe separate tables though.
    Mother's Day Brunch Party in the Ballroom Photo

Offers

  • Wine Wednesday

    Multiple dates available
    Wed - 11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
    33% OFF BOTTLES OF WINE AND FULL PITCHERS OF SANGRIA. With an already cost effective wine list, you can't go wrong trying some phenomenal new wines. Some bottles under $15!

What 1,330 people are saying

Portuguese Fisherman reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Middlesex

    Neighborhood gem

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Portuguese Fisherman offers "fresh and consistently excellent" cuisine alongside "impeccable service." Diners rave about its "amazing" seafood, stuffed shrimp, and sangria. The restaurant is praised as "a real find" with a warm atmosphere and plenty of parking. Though some note noise issues, overall, it's a "favorite local restaurant."

1,330 Reviews
  1. PATRICIA

    Atlantic City4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The menu selections were outstanding. The dishes were not only visually appealing but delicious. The staff and service excellent. We highly recommend this restaurant and plan on returning aoon.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Noevis

    New Jersey1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food is amazing. Service is 5 stars. The sangría is delicious. Highly recommend

    Is this helpful?

  3. GlynnD VIP

    New York City28 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Truly one of our very favorite restaurants. Food is fresh and consistently excellent. Service is great. Highly recommended.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Dawn

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and service! Will definitely go back again!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Lawrence

    New York City5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Always great food, service was alittle slow but they need alittle more sound control around the bar and eating area adjacent to the bar.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Jacqueline

    Atlantic City12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service and great food. Our favorite restaurant.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Amy VIP

    New York City39 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We go a lot; always fabulous. It’s our favorite local restaurant.

    Is this helpful?

  8. nancy VIP

    New York City1193 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was our second visit and even better than the last. We think the dining room is very attractive with its mirrored wall and huge chandelier. Service was top notch! Especially the advice on a Portuguese white wine. The bread is wonderful. We started with srteamed clams which were fresh and full of garlic. The bread sopped up some of that fabulous liquid. Next came a house salad with the best kinds of lettuce and a tasty dressing, which i guess might be tomato based. We both chose the stuffed shrimp on the server’s recommendation and were not disappointed. There were 4 large shrimp. The plate is full with a huge portion of those crispy potatoes, rice, and vegetables. Absolutely delicious. We were to stuffed for dessert. The only disappointment was a lack of Portuguese pastries on the dessert menu…then it would have been over the top!!!!

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  9. Michael

    New York City14 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This place is seriously good … a real find. Don’t be put off by the not-so-upscale neighborhood. It’s safe and the restaurant has plenty of parking. The restaurant is a nice space, and food and service are top notch … as good as anything you’ll get in Ironbound.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Eddie

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great experience steak was very good, my girlfriend loved the Nutella desert and of course sangria was so good !

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Portuguese Fisherman offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (732) 238-5188.

Portuguese Fisherman is rated 4.7 stars by 1330 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. New Jersey
  4. Middlesex
  5. East Brunswick

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 24 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Portuguese Fisherman

11 Jackson St, South River, NJ 08882

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Water Street and Ferry Street
  • Neighborhood
    East Brunswick
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 12:00 pm–8:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Portuguese, European, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Two private lots and street parking available.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Manuel Alves
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    Off-site catering is available. Please visit our website for inquires.
  • Private party facilities
    The Restaurant features welcoming spaces accommodating parties ranging from dinner for 20 to a formal wedding for 180.The Restaurant offers two different spaces to hold private events: One banquet room can hold a maximum of 60, while our ballroom can hold a maximum of 180.Visit our website for inquiries.
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