What our Clients Say

• Great food, friendly service - though sometimes understaffed on busy nights.  Love how cozy and quaint this place is.  And... read more BYOB!  🙂
  
  Suggestions for the owner -
  
  Please get AC for the summer months.  We don't eat here when it's hot out because it can be so unbearable.
  
  Look into your seats - they can be pretty uncomfortable.  I don't need anything cushy, but the height of some benches and the seating with the large center "door" table aren't really in line and you can't comfortably pull yourself up to the table to eat.  Just kinda awkward, but an easy thing to fix.
  
  All in all, a great place! read less

  

  Christine G.

  1/22/2019

  Brah....I'm still trying to process all the amazing foods from last night. The quick: Broa definitely knows high quality ingredients... read more and the techniques needed to cook everything to perfection.
  
  Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, was cooked exquisitely (Broa may have been the first place I've been too in a really really long time that knows how to cook shrimp). The menu changes every night, which just feeds my need to go back more often. The staff are super friendly in spite of the annoying hipsters that act as if they have graced Broa with lumberjack stench.  Seriously, folks can we talk about this... be human and be kind...also remember you're not that important so bug off.  Broa reminds of me going into someone's home for an amazing homemade feast... so if you are snickering at a small space you best wait until the summer when they open up their patio.  
  
  I do recommend making reservations,  we came in during a snow storm thinking we wouldn't need one and it was still packed. Also, even with reservations expect a wait...they will not rush guests out so when folks are taking their time (which during a snow storm they will).  However, the staff went out of their way to make us feel valued while we waited (and honestly,  the wait was worth it).  From start to finish: bread and freshly marinated olives (like who even comments on olives...but they are that good),  fresh cheese with jam, shrimp, oysters, and dessert everything hit so.many different flavor notes. If you are a foodie- you must come here. read less

  

  Cyn M.

  2/18/2018

  I was charged with the task of finding a place to eat dinner last night. I figured why not small... read more plates/tapas. So we stumbled across Broa - a place I have never heard of or even saw on yelp until the other day. Woahhhh!
  
  Anyways, we walk in and the server immediately greets us and asks where we would like to sit. There was ample seating options available. We asked to be seated outside where it there was lots of shade. The cute wooden tables, the tiny Edison living bulbs, and the overall architecture really made me feel cozy. I can only hope that the look they were going for!
  
  Our server greeted us again and he was super accommodating. We even had an excellent conversation about skydiving and where a friends loyalty stands. Yeah, things got deep.
  
  We started our dinner by ordering the blue crab. I didn't try it so I won't be able to speak much about it. However, I did order the seafood cakes which was made with shrimp, scallops, and crab. It was laid on top of this spicy aioli and really brought out the taste of the meat. Next we're the buttered chicken thighs which were oh so tender and salty. Although it's unclear to me if the salt was from the butter or the seasoning from the chicken. Either way, it was delicious! I liked how the sauce was not creamy and overwhelming.
  
  After we devoured our food, we were tempted to buy the chorizo but we resisted. Overall, my experience was delightful - from the minute we walked in to the time we said good bye to our server. Everything was exceptional and more importantly, the food was fantastic!
  
  Side note: it's BYOB and there is only one menu. I thought this was kind of cool. read less

  

  Krina P.

  7/11/2018

• You would never know there was a rustic little Portuguese restaurant in JC unless you stumbled upon it...or saw good... read more reviews on Yelp!
  
  We had a last minute visit from some friends from D.C. area and since they were staying in JC, I'd help find a good local place to meet up for dinner. I was scouring all over Yelp to find a place that was good for a large group and for kids. I found some places, but was intrigued by this little gem called Broa. So, ahead of any rush, I brought my compatriots with me to try if we can get in right when the door opened around 6pm. At 10 past 6, there were already 2 small tables, but to my surprise, there was 1 large table that could fit 10 (we had 11). I talked to the host and made googly eyes at the Chef, and we were delightfully granted access to the establishment. Yay! Of course, we were told to make at least a few days advance notice for this many people (duly noted).
  
  The small dining area was a warm welcome to the cold weather outside with small heaters blasting away from every corner of the restaurant. Two chefs stood behind a counter (how do they get out...there is a secret door) preparing that night's dishes. The only menu is on the wall and it changes daily. Since we had 11 people, on reco from the host for more than 5, we opted for the pre-fixe $40/head minus the kids. Not bad. Since it's byob, they recommended Cool Vines just down the street with 10 percent discount for patrons.
  
  For dinner, the food was bountiful. We had 8 of the 12 dishes displayed on the menu and then some. Highlights: tomato salad; chick pea salad; octopus salad - very tender octopus morsels in a balanced dressing; garden snails, large and small, in a garlic/oregano broth, chicken fritters and veal croquettes - perfect for the kids; fresh soft cheese platter with charcuterie and fruit preserves;  chicken and pork sausage. We finished the night with custard tarts dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar.
  
  I just want to make a note that some of their dishes were very salty, and had mentioned this to the host. The pickled vegetables, garlic shrimp, and the flamin' chorizo were probably the saltier dishes and no amount of butter rice could tame it.
  
  Other than that, we were taken care of. The kids loved the food and we had a great time.
  
  Thank you again for taking us, 11, in without a reservation. read less

  

  Tinyee H.

  3/26/2018

  I love this place. I'm only sad that it took me two years of hearing about it to finally go.... read more I went with my boyfriend after work on a Wednesday. The space is adorable. A very homey feel. When it's nice out they open all the windows and doors and it's just the most adorable. It's a BYO spot which is amazing so we brought some wine to have with our food. The menu is on a chalkboard when you walk in and it's the only menu so you have to take a pic before you sit down. I love that. Very eco-friendly of We ordered all the recommendations the waiter gave us. We started with the garlic shrimp. Omg it was sooo good. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and if you love garlic you will obsess over this dish. Then we had the Alheira, a chicken and pork sausage fried with a fried egg on top. I've never had anything like this before. This is one of those dishes you NEED to get every time you go. Not that we. Ended it but we also got the steak. The flavoring was so tasty! We ended with a dessert that I forget the name of, but it was nothing short of delicious!  I can't wait to return read less

  

  Merica K.

  5/23/2018

  Came to Broa on a whim and I'm glad we did. Originally we were supposed to be dining at the... read more pizza place a block away, but the wait was almost 2 hours. So with a quick search through Yelp we stumbled upon this place. Broa is a BYOB restaurant serving up Portuguese style cuisines.
  
  Atmosphere: We actually walked past the place thinking this place was at ground floor. It's actually located a few steps down into the building sub ground floor. As you walk in the menu is on the left behind where you open the door. It's on a chalk board wall. They list all the items that their cooking for the day. The place feels as if you stepped into an old style home, but with an open kitchen. The setup of the place was very trendy and very romantic. Great for a date.
  
  Service: The server that greeted us, I'm guessing the owner was well-mannered. Introduced us to the menu and gave suggestions. Spoke Portuguese which is a plus because who really wants to dine-in at a place that isn't authentic.
  
  Food: Amazing food. Small plates and easy to share between 3 people. Tapas style. The portion was just enough for 3. Flavors were amazing and the presentation was on point. Had the shrimp, mussels, chorizo and the stroganoff. The chorizo came on a open flame plate for crusting. For dessert they had authentic Portuguese style egg tarts which is hard to make. Definitely left full and definitely recommend the egg tarts. Will be returning soon. read less

  

  Brian M.

  11/06/2018

• Broa is a great place to stop into Portugal in the heart of downtown JC.. The chef Mike is so... read more creative and his staff is like hanging out with family.  This is a great place  to enjoy delicious food some laughs and amazing eats.. I love .. read less

  

  Andrea R.

  11/10/2018

  Me and my hubby been wanting to come to this place since like a year ago however, the restaurant was... read more closed on the days that we wanted to visit. So finally today we made it!! And as soon as we entered, we were very welcomed by a waiter and he explained the one and only cute chalk board menu on the wall. And we were quickly seated. My husband wanted to try the garden snail fish, which was not on the menu for the day, but luckily they had them in stock so we were able to order the dish. While we were waiting for our foods to be served, we were so captivated by their cute decor and cozy environment. Additionally, Broa is byob so we brought our own bottle of wine, the waiter was very nice and kindly opened the bottle and served us the glasses. Most lovely part was that their food was simply AMAZING. We ordered several dishes since it's small dishes. And we loved every single dish. They had right amount of seasoning and perfectly cooked for flavor. Altogether, we had such an amazing time and we will definitely come back to this place. read less

  

  Rachel J.

  10/28/2018

  This restaurant is a hidden gem in Jersey City with various Portuguese dishes and incredible ambiance.  The menu changes up... read more - a plus as it pushes you to try new things.  If you've ever been to Europe or Portugal for that matter everything and everyone moves at a slower pace (go there with the intentions of enjoying a nice, relaxing evening, EVEN if you have to wait a little while to be seated).  When you find a restaurant that's one-of-a-kind it's worth the wait. read less

  

  Cara S.

  4/27/2018