Carvao BBQ
| Address: | 686 Bergen Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07304, USA |
| Phone: | +1 201-369-6955 |
| Site: | carvaobbq.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 12PM–2AM 12PM–2AM 12PM–2AM 12PM–2AM 12PM–2AM 12PM–2AM 12PM–2AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
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Christian Pierce
The bottom line up front: This restaurant lacks good food, attention to detail and is apathetic in regards to quality and customer care. The first time I ate here they messed up a few small items on the order but it was an ok experience overall (I would have given it 3 stars). However, after my last experience I will not be coming here again. My friend and I decided to order takeout which should be a very simple process. It took three calls to place the order, not because I could not get an answer but because the first two calls a guy rudely and unexpectedly placed me on hold for 2+ minutes. The third time a girl answered and finally took our order, the Carvão Burger and a Chicken Wrap. The food wait time was not bad so we picked up the food and went back to eat. To say I was disappointed was an understatement, the burger is a false advertisement! The false advertising comes from the fact that the menu specifically lists caramelized onions, but the onions placed on the burger were 100% raw. The overall quality of the burger was terrible, it was an overpriced McDonalds burger with sausage added. Sausage added to the regular burger is not worth a $4 charge. My friends order was also messed up. Out of everything that could be forgotten on a chicken wrap, how could you forget the chicken?! I called the restaurant and explained the situation. One of the owners said they would deliver another one to us and gave the phone to a girl to order another wrap. After waiting another hour, I received a call saying the food had arrived. The delivery guy then tried to charge me for the food delivered, and when I explained to him the situation he was fairly cordial. I then looked at the receipt and noticed that the order was still messed up; instead of a chicken wrap a chicken bowl had been delivered! While this lack of detail would normally be quite minor, compiled with everything else this is a big deal. Ultimately while the restaurant looks nice it lacks the leadership, quality and care that will garner any of mine or my friends future business.
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Joshua Ross
BBQ meat is generally marinated and cooked with various types of sauces. Unfortunately, Carvao does not do anything to their meat other than cook it. At least, thats the impression I got from what I ate there. The corn, chicken, and pork ribs were flavorless. However, the french fries and rice had a good flavor. Chicken wings were served without sauce and sauce was provided on the side for you to add on your own. The 3 sauces were BBQ, Mild, and Hot. I did not try the mild, the hot was acceptable, and the BBQ was comparable to a generic grocery store brand. It wasnt terrible, but it wasnt anything to rave about. The appetizer sausage had a thick casing and a moderate amount of fat. I prefer a thin or no casing sausage. This is my personal preference and I understand that others feel differently about this. My main meal was a chicken/pork ribs combo. The ribs were dry and flavorless. I added some hot sauce and bbq sauce to give it flavor, but I was disappointed because I expect ribs to be moist and falling off the bone. All this being said, the restaurant is reasonably priced. I am willing to give the restaurant another chance and if I do I will update this review.
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Al A
Dont expect the ribs to have the meat falling off the bone - not their thing. More of a gastropub than a bbq place. Bbq ribs are dry rubbed but The side sauce is good, not generic. Parking is nonexistent in this area of jersey city so you might have to drive around the blocks to find a spot. The food was ok, Portuguese sausage was yummy. Service that night was paltry at best, and check your bill - tip is already included! When we walked in the hostess/greeter/seating specialist was just staring out into the sunset... Maybe its this persons first gig in the service industry- should be their last. The waitstaff is nice friendly and helpful when they are there. They tend to stay in the back of the register/counter chitchatting with their coworkers or, dare I say it- playing/texting on their phone. Now I understand why their takeout service is busier than table service... I rate them 2 stars because the food is good and the service wasnt there.
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Maylene Rodriguez
A local treasure not to be missed! A rustic yet elegant decor reminds me of some cool places in Soho, super friendly and efficient staff, great vibe overall. The food is extremely tasty! Ive been here twice and had the Chicken Bowl (which was awessssssommmme!!). On my second visit I had the ribs which were extremely tasty and filling. cant wait to go back and have a burger which I hear is delicious ( saw one getting served and it was mouth watering). Its nice to see such a great place in the area as I think this is the beginning of a new found dining experience on Bergen. Open air dining and high top tables definitely made for a great experience as well . Try it out for a casual date night or happy hour/dinner with friends.
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kern weissman
Very disappointed, food was sub par, ribs and chicken were dry and no discernible dry rub on the ribs (I could only taste salt). No bbq sauce except for store bought. Dry flavorless rice. Salmon was pretty good but overcooked. Hopefully they can figure out how to do real open pit Portuguese bbq like they do in Newark. Also its very clear that there is no competent management is running the restaurant. Too bad as the place is nicely designed and with good food and better management it could be a great place.
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Tony Iannotti
Fantastic food at very reasonable prices in a friendly atmosphere. A good selection of beers, and a very tasty sangria. (the red especially) Had the garlic shrimp, chicken stix, large ribs, and Mediterranean Salad (with real tomatos!), and we will be back to work our way through the rest of the menu. The bowls and wraps look really promising. (And dont be afraid to order too much, we took the ribs and chicken that we couldnt finish home, and they heated up well the next day.)
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Cynthia Baldwin
I ordered two chicken bowls and it took them about 2 hrs to deliver it I called about 1 hr in and the person who answered the phone says to me " Oh sorry your order slipped through the cracks, Ill have it made now and give you a free dessert it will be there in 15 minutes took them another 1/2 hr to an hour to get here and the manager isnt so pleasant" wont be ordering from there again......And I just found a huge hair in my food and my food was super cold
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K. Kawain Teasley
I was a little weary considering the location of the restaurant. Man was I wrong.... This place was AMAZING! The food was delicious. A friend brought me yesterday and we sat bar side to eat while watching the Williams Tennis Match. There are several TVs for your viewing of sports. The music was appropriate. The place had a clean sexy look to it and the prices for what you get were excellent. Im going back again tonight. Lol
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colleen cardona
great add to the community. will deff be home for the locals and a wonderful experience to the out of town people. if you enjoy Portuguese style BBQ, this is the place! not to mention you will be getting your moneys worth. food is more than filling. their specialty cocktails are oh so tasty. staff is very attentive and welcoming! if you havent stopped in there yet, i highly recommend you give it a try. enjoy!
