Portuguese Manor - Perth Amboy

The food was very good. We were the only table being served dinner on a Saturday night. At one point, they began playing music so loudly that we couldn't hear ourselves. We wondered who they were catering to with such loud music. Since we were the only people in the dining area, we asked that the music volume be turned down. They did turn down the volume for a short time, but it was only a shortly later that the music was deafening. Again, we couldn't imagine who they were catering to with such loud music. There was now only one other couple in the dining area and a few people at the bar. At that point, we asked for our check and left. People go out to dinner and have conversation. This place is not conducive to that. We will not be going back to this place.

Great food, drinks, music, and atmosphere. The staff and owner are very friendly.

Incredible but everything was very bad, but I can't complain about the employees, very attentive

The most delicious tasting food I've had in a very long time. We arrived at 6pm and was surprised we were the only people in the restaurant. To be honest I was expecting the worst and was absolutely astonished at the quality and phenomenal taste of there food. We had the sausage as an appetizer. Rib eye steak that was cooked to perfection. Garlic chicken that was so tender and juicy we did not need a knife. Each dish was accompanied with red sangria that was good. Not the best but good. Vegetable rice also accompanied each dish that was also made perfect. The Cafe con Leche was great and flan was made fresh and melted in our mouths and was amazing. Everything was phenomenal. This restaurant is more of a Latin fusion not Portuguese but really great food. They are planning on changing there name soon I was told. We will definitely be coming back again soon.

Let me preface this review by saying that this restaurant meant a lot to my wife and her family growing up. They had birthdays there, graduations there, any important life event was celebrated there. When I went there in 2018 for the first time, the environment was a time capsule (in the best way). White table cloth ambiance, delicious food, and wonderful service. The waiter even recognized my wife and asked about her family.That magic is gone.However, all that being said, I want to be as unbiased as I possibly can to this establishment.The ambiance is a little weird, more of a bar/lounge than an actual restaurant. There was loud electro/house music being played from a DJ set-up at 6pm on a Sunday. The music continued through the night and was not an environment for an intimate dining experience. The decor had some remnants of the old location, but felt a bit drab and confused with the remodel.The menu seemed to be a mix of Spanish fare (mofongo) and some of the old Portuguese dishes. We ordered a shrimp appetizer and calamari, and most of us had some sort of steak entree: skirt steak with chimichurri, Portuguese Sirloin steak, and risotto. The food was very disappointing: the steak in the risotto was still raw, and the sirloin was less than half an inch thick and completely well done and tough (we ordered medium). The sides were bland as well.Before we paid, the bartender offered us free shots, which we did accept. The other drinks we had were fine as well.Personally, I think they should change the restaurant name. The name online is Collado Enterprises, but the menu, the street sign, and the marketing all still says “Portuguese Manor”. It feels disingenuous to benefit of the name recognition of Portuguese Manor, an establishment with history within the community, when it’s now a completely different business. Looking on their social media page, I’m guessing this is meant to be more of a bar/lounge/club than an actual sit down restaurant.Overall, the dining experience was lackluster, and the food wasn’t good. It’ll never capture the magic of the previous iteration of Portuguese Manor, but even without the context of the previous version, it was not a good experience. Poor and confusing ambiance, and bad, overpriced food… The service was alright, but it’s not enough to make up for everything else.