Food: ****
Staff: ****1/2
Ambiance: ****
Experience: ****1/2
Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5
Address: 1045 New Jersey 173, Asbury, NJ 08802
Website: http://spaininn.net/spaininn2/
Phone #: (908) 479-4084
Having grown up in rural New Jersey, it's hard to find restaurants that don't focus on American, Italian, or
American Chinese Food. Spain Inn II, though, is one of my best kept secrets. It's a restaurant that I never really
hear people talk about, and I think that is simply because it's nestled off of the side of a minor highway at the
bottom of a heavily wooded "mountain." In NJ, mountains are just really big hills.
Spain Inn II claims to be one of the best Spanish and Portuguese restaurants in NJ, and I have to agree. From
the first time that I visited this place with my parents when I was probably in middle school, I feel in love. It quickly
became one of the go-to birthday dinner destinations. The food is great, but the service is what makes the place.
We have been greeted by the same head waiter for years, who always goes the extra mile to explain the specials
in detail, as well as answer any menu questions, make meal recommendations, and have a casual conversation.
The wait staff is extremely polite and well-trained. They are usually refilling your drink before you realize you need
more, no matter how busy the restaurant is. They also serve amazing hot, fresh bread with dipping oil, and the
food is always served promptly.
As far as the decor is concerned, the restaurant is well-lit and rather formal looking with a nice fireplace. I would
like a more authentic-looking ambiance, but I have to say that the music and paintings on the walls make the
guests feel quite comfortable. The restaurant also hosts some great events, including Flamenco dinner/dance
shows and hot air balloon rides followed by dinner. The small size of the building is deceiving, but I promise that
all of this excitement is packed inside.
For this particular visit, Faye and I had gone for our 3 year wedding anniversary. It was back in July, and I'm just
getting around to the write up on Christmas day (we'll call it Christmas in July?). We wanted to go someplace that
was quiet with great food, and I had taken Faye here a few times before, and we both agreed that this would be the
best place to go. We even knew what we wanted to order before we went.
For our appetizer, we split a main dish. We decided that we were going to go all out since it was our
anniversary. They had a Kebab entree that day which was phenomenal. The meal comes out on 2 metal skewers
hanging from a rack with a plate of homemade barbecue sauce underneath them to catch the juices as they drip.
I've never seen a presentation like this, and the taste is just as great. Each skewer comes with a piece of bacon-
wrapped filet mignon, a jumbo shrimp, a bacon-wrapped scallop, a piece of sausage, tomato, onion, mushroom,
and a piece of raw carrot to hold it all from sliding off the hanging skewers. There is easily over a pound of protein
in this meal, and while the prices are a bit high, it is definitely worth the money. The sausage snaps when you bite
into it, which I love, and the filet and scallop are tender and manage not to be overpowered by the bacon. As for
the shrimp, it was a bit more cooked than I would have liked, but it did take on a nice smokey grilled flavor that I
enjoyed. The onion was crisp but cooked and the mushroom was tender and smokey, but the tomato was
overcooked and mushy for my taste. While the food was great overall, the sauce was sweet, tangy, and rich. I
would definitely recommend this meal to anyone I know. It was served with a side of homemade potato chips that
were also great when dipped in the sauce.
As for our entrees, we were both very pleased with the taste and the portion size. All of the portion sizes are
more than enough here, and therefore worth the prices that they charge. I had the Mariscada, a shellfish casserole
with Lobster, Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, and Scallops in a Tomato, Brandy, and Wine sauce and Saffron Rice. This
is my go-to dinner here. It's served almost boiling in a metal pot. You only get half of a Lobster, and there isn't
really that much meat in it. If you're planning to get the meal for the Lobster, I would recommend that you choose
something else. However, the other seafood is cooked to perfection, and the sauce is smooth and more of a broth
than a tomato sauce. Pour a bit of it over the rice and top with some of the seafood, and you'll be looking at a
perfectly blended plate of Spanish cuisine. As far as the flavor of the rice, the saffron provides a subtle note that is
by no means distracting from the amazing sauce or seafood.
Faye went with a staple of the cuisine, Paella Valenciana, which consists of Chicken, Spanish Sausage, Lobster,
Scallops, Mussels, and Clams mixed with Saffron Rice. Faye loved the meal, and many of my comments about the
Mariscada hold true for the Paella. The rice is subtle, the Lobster is minimal but tender, and the seafood is overall
cooked very well. The Chicken and Sausage were very flavorful, but Faye did steal a bit of my sauce and the BBQ
Sauce from the Kebabs to moisten up the dish a bit (not as much a negative critique as it is a personal preference
for my wife). Both of our meals were once again served with the Homemade Chips as well.
I know that this restaurant has received some mixed reviews online, but I will champion it as one of the better
restaurants in the area. You have to give it a try if you are even interested in Spanish or Portuguese food. The
entire experience is always a pleasant one, and I'm certain that yours will be too. Enjoy!
Staff: ****1/2
Ambiance: ****
Experience: ****1/2
Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5
Address: 1045 New Jersey 173, Asbury, NJ 08802
Website: http://spaininn.net/spaininn2/
Phone #: (908) 479-4084
Having grown up in rural New Jersey, it's hard to find restaurants that don't focus on American, Italian, or
American Chinese Food. Spain Inn II, though, is one of my best kept secrets. It's a restaurant that I never really
hear people talk about, and I think that is simply because it's nestled off of the side of a minor highway at the
bottom of a heavily wooded "mountain." In NJ, mountains are just really big hills.
Spain Inn II claims to be one of the best Spanish and Portuguese restaurants in NJ, and I have to agree. From
the first time that I visited this place with my parents when I was probably in middle school, I feel in love. It quickly
became one of the go-to birthday dinner destinations. The food is great, but the service is what makes the place.
We have been greeted by the same head waiter for years, who always goes the extra mile to explain the specials
in detail, as well as answer any menu questions, make meal recommendations, and have a casual conversation.
The wait staff is extremely polite and well-trained. They are usually refilling your drink before you realize you need
more, no matter how busy the restaurant is. They also serve amazing hot, fresh bread with dipping oil, and the
food is always served promptly.
As far as the decor is concerned, the restaurant is well-lit and rather formal looking with a nice fireplace. I would
like a more authentic-looking ambiance, but I have to say that the music and paintings on the walls make the
guests feel quite comfortable. The restaurant also hosts some great events, including Flamenco dinner/dance
shows and hot air balloon rides followed by dinner. The small size of the building is deceiving, but I promise that
all of this excitement is packed inside.
For this particular visit, Faye and I had gone for our 3 year wedding anniversary. It was back in July, and I'm just
getting around to the write up on Christmas day (we'll call it Christmas in July?). We wanted to go someplace that
was quiet with great food, and I had taken Faye here a few times before, and we both agreed that this would be the
best place to go. We even knew what we wanted to order before we went.
For our appetizer, we split a main dish. We decided that we were going to go all out since it was our
anniversary. They had a Kebab entree that day which was phenomenal. The meal comes out on 2 metal skewers
hanging from a rack with a plate of homemade barbecue sauce underneath them to catch the juices as they drip.
I've never seen a presentation like this, and the taste is just as great. Each skewer comes with a piece of bacon-
wrapped filet mignon, a jumbo shrimp, a bacon-wrapped scallop, a piece of sausage, tomato, onion, mushroom,
and a piece of raw carrot to hold it all from sliding off the hanging skewers. There is easily over a pound of protein
in this meal, and while the prices are a bit high, it is definitely worth the money. The sausage snaps when you bite
into it, which I love, and the filet and scallop are tender and manage not to be overpowered by the bacon. As for
the shrimp, it was a bit more cooked than I would have liked, but it did take on a nice smokey grilled flavor that I
enjoyed. The onion was crisp but cooked and the mushroom was tender and smokey, but the tomato was
overcooked and mushy for my taste. While the food was great overall, the sauce was sweet, tangy, and rich. I
would definitely recommend this meal to anyone I know. It was served with a side of homemade potato chips that
were also great when dipped in the sauce.
As for our entrees, we were both very pleased with the taste and the portion size. All of the portion sizes are
more than enough here, and therefore worth the prices that they charge. I had the Mariscada, a shellfish casserole
with Lobster, Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, and Scallops in a Tomato, Brandy, and Wine sauce and Saffron Rice. This
is my go-to dinner here. It's served almost boiling in a metal pot. You only get half of a Lobster, and there isn't
really that much meat in it. If you're planning to get the meal for the Lobster, I would recommend that you choose
something else. However, the other seafood is cooked to perfection, and the sauce is smooth and more of a broth
than a tomato sauce. Pour a bit of it over the rice and top with some of the seafood, and you'll be looking at a
perfectly blended plate of Spanish cuisine. As far as the flavor of the rice, the saffron provides a subtle note that is
by no means distracting from the amazing sauce or seafood.
Faye went with a staple of the cuisine, Paella Valenciana, which consists of Chicken, Spanish Sausage, Lobster,
Scallops, Mussels, and Clams mixed with Saffron Rice. Faye loved the meal, and many of my comments about the
Mariscada hold true for the Paella. The rice is subtle, the Lobster is minimal but tender, and the seafood is overall
cooked very well. The Chicken and Sausage were very flavorful, but Faye did steal a bit of my sauce and the BBQ
Sauce from the Kebabs to moisten up the dish a bit (not as much a negative critique as it is a personal preference
for my wife). Both of our meals were once again served with the Homemade Chips as well.
I know that this restaurant has received some mixed reviews online, but I will champion it as one of the better
restaurants in the area. You have to give it a try if you are even interested in Spanish or Portuguese food. The
entire experience is always a pleasant one, and I'm certain that yours will be too. Enjoy!