15 Must-Try Portuguese Restaurants In The US

Portuguese food is not a particularly common cuisine in the United States, but the unique culinary offerings of the southern European country can be found in all the right places if you know where to look. Regions with large Portuguese-American populations — places like southern New England, Hawaii, and parts of the west coast — are rich in Portuguese culture and heritage. Here, you can find pockets of Portuguese restaurants in neighborhoods linking back to bygone eras. 

Many Portuguese restaurants operating in the states today have been doing so for generations after being started by waves of Portuguese immigrants coming to America in the 1800s. These Portuguese families brought their culture and their recipes with them, bringing a taste of Portugal to their families' new homeland. 

The love of Portuguese cooking has since passed down to chefs all over the country. While you'll still be hard-pressed to find authentic Portuguese cooking in all 50 states, American-made restaurants are serving up old-world cooking more now than ever. If you find yourself in a large Portuguese community — or a city with hardly any representation at all — these are the 15 must-try Portuguese restaurants in the United States. 

The area of South Coast Massachusetts is no stranger to Portuguese cuisine, particularly in the cities of Fall River and New Bedford. This helps make Massachusetts the state with the second largest population of Portuguese immigrants in America. Sagres is a long-beloved restaurant in Fall River, first opening in 1976. It is one of the first Portuguese eateries in the United States, making it one of Massachusetts's most historic restaurants as well as one of its best. 

What makes Sagres stand out is that it sticks to tradition, serving classic Portuguese food that's comforting for both your stomach and your soul. The bife a Portuesea is one of Sagres's most popular meals at just $27 as of this publication. This Portuguese-style sirloin steak lies underneath a stack of peppers and eggs, with yolks that burst beautifully over the thick cut of meat and accompanying rice and homemade fries. 

Like all of the meals at Sagres, the seafood dishes are hearty and most likely more than enough for just one serving. The Mariscada — a seafood stew popular in Portugal — contains a generous portion of lobster, shrimp, cod, calamari, and littleneck clams all simmered in a robust tomato bouillabaisse sauce. 

https://sagresfr.com/

(508) 675-7018

177 Columbia St, Fall River, MA 02721

Barra Santos is a Portuguese joint unlike any other. Chef Melissa López tells a tale of two cities with her food — mixing old world Lisbon favorites with the health and trend-conscious mindset of modern Los Angeles. 

Located in the Cyprus Park neighborhood near the Los Angeles River, Barra Santos is a small restaurant with a few additional outdoor bistro tables. Though the restaurant is relatively new, opening in 2023, the interior looks as if it's existed like this forever. Faded brick walls are broken up only by traditional Portuguese blue and white tiles that are speckled around the dining room and kitchen. The menu, like the space, is small, but it makes a big impact with a number of specialty dishes that are best when shared. 

Barra Santos offers something unique in a city known for its must-try Mexican restaurants. The Lisbon Special consists of a la carte alorena olives, Iberico ham, Iberico chorizo, and the cheese of the day along with a seeded baguette. Get this dish to split alongside Maria's bacalhau fritters for an authentic taste of Portugal in LA. The whole branzino is incredibly delicate, paired with roasted serrano peppers and tomatillos, pumpkin seeds, and a pile of fried herbs.

https://www.barrasantosla.com/

(213) 668-5349

1215 Cypress Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90065

New York City is known for its food, and Leitao exemplifies the best of the best of New York restaurants. It takes inspiration from Northern Portugal and creates an elevated culinary experience in the West Village.

Leitao is known among native New Yorkers mostly for two things. First, there's Fado Night, a typically sold out event that pairs a four course meal and four Portuguese wines with the sounds of the traditional Portuguese genre of music called Fado. Singers often perform melancholic songs with no accompaniment or a lone guitar — a tradition traced back to Lisbon since the 1800s. 

Leitao is also known for, and named after, the suckling pig. This large dinner is made to share between four to eight people and includes a whole pig, roasted and served along with roasted beet salad, shishito peppers, and more sides. All of the dishes at Leitao, not just the $550 suckling pig that you need to reserve a week in advance, are meant to share. The Chicken Piri Piri, another popular choice, drenches a half chicken in the restaurant's signature spicy sauce.

https://leitaonyc.com/

547 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

The Hawaiian islands have a particularly large Portuguese population, many of whom came to America in the late 1800s to find work on Hawaiian sugar plantations. The blending of these two incredibly unique cultures — the Portuguese and Native Hawaiians — made for a culinary scene unlike anywhere else in the world. Faria, in the town of Kailua on the island of Oahu, makes great use of both types of cuisines to create a "Pasifika Portuguese" restaurant that's a must-try for anyone on the island. 

Faria is a new restaurant opened in early 2025, but the family-owned joint has roots tracing back to Hawaii and the Portuguese islands of The Açores for generations. You can see that in the menu, filled with signature dishes like Sardinhas — imported Portuguese sardines stuffed with roasted garlic and capers. A fan favorite is the linguiça assada — also known as "This Little Piggy's On Fire." A Portuguese sausage, linguiça, is flambéed in a ceramic dish resembling a pig and lit on fire right in front of you for a delicious spectacle of a starter. 

https://www.fariahawaii.com/

(808) 200-4953

306 Kuulei Rd, Kailua, Hawaii 96734

One of every 12 Rhode Island residents is of Portuguese descent, giving the smallest state in America the largest population share of Portuguese descendants in the country. O Dinis in Providence, Rhode Island, is one of the state's many Portuguese restaurants. Few others, though, including some of the most historic restaurants in Rhode Island, have been able to stand the test of time quite like O Dinis.

This third-generation, family-owned restaurant has been doing things its way since the start, and was used as inspiration by local celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse for the opening of his own Portuguese restaurant in New Orleans. O Dinis serves traditional Portuguese faire on its daily menu, which consists of meat and seafood-heavy meals like carne de porco alentejana, bite-sized pieces of pork and littleneck clams served in a bed of crispy fried potatoes. For a quick and delicious lunch in Providence, you can't beat O Dinis's chouriço sandwich — a very popular Portuguese sausage cooked with garlic and paprika.

https://www.odinisrestaurant.com/

(401) 438-3769

579 Warren Ave East, Providence, RI 02914

Oporto Fooding House and Wine in Houston began as a simple wine cafe bringing light bites and hard-to-get Portuguese wines to the Texas area. It found success quickly as people kept returning for another glass of elusive Vinho Verde or Port wine, expanding to a full-blown restaurant only a few years later. 

As of this publication, Oporto Fooding boasts a large menu featuring Portuguese favorites influenced by cuisines from all over the world. The seafood curry, for example, blends snapper, shrimp, scallops, and cauliflower in a spicy red curry sauce for a bit of an Indian-inspired kick. The Portuguese squid fried rice melds Portuguese squid with the typically Asian flavors of chili, soya, and eggplant. 

For a taste of Portugal-meets-Texas, though, you must try the Piri Pir BBQ chicken, which is BBQ brined and mesquite smoked with a specialty whiskey piri piri sauce. Paired with yucca fries, it's hard to get more Portuguese-American than this. Maybe more sought-after than the main dishes, however, are Oporto's pastel de natas — traditional Portuguese egg custard tarts. Made with a bit of lemon, these sweet treats are hard to pass up. 

https://www.oportomidtown.us/

(713) 528-0115

125 W Gray St, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77019

From the shores of Portugal to the shore of New Jersey — Mar Belo brings decadent Portuguese seafood to the city of Long Branch. Translating to "beautiful sea," Mar Belo focuses on fresh and sustainable ingredients both locally-grown and imported straight from Portugal. 

Naturally, the "from the sea" portion of Mar Belo's menu is impressive, consisting of lots of different types of fish like shrimp fra diavolo — jumbo shrimp in a spicy garlic tomato sauce served over linguine. The salmão Lisbonese cooks a lemony salmon in olive oil, butter, rosemary, and heavy cream. Despite the name, Mar Belo deviates from seafood as well with plates like its rack of lamb, which is cooked in a port wine reduction and served alongside Spanish potatoes and vegetables. 

Mar Belo's old-school Portuguese presentation can be seen both in the food and the restaurant itself. The dining room houses many small tables clad in white table clothes and large goblets ready to be filled with sweet wine. 

https://www.marbelorestaurant.com/

(732) 870-2222

611 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ 07740

Opening in 1977, O'Manel's is a long-running, family-owned staple of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Serving classic homestyle Portuguese food for nearly 50 years, O'Manels has perfected the experience of a laid back and delicious Portuguese dinner. 

Like every perfect Portuguese meal, dinner at O'Manels starts with a fresh basket of complimentary papo secos — rolls of bread that are crusty on the outside while staying soft and airy on the inside. Pull them apart and save at least one of these delicious rolls until your meal comes. There's no dish better suited to dip your paõ in than camarao a Mocambique — or shrimp Mozambique. 

Inspired by flavors from the African nation that was once a Portuguese colony, shrimp Mozambique drowns shrimp (or chicken for chicken Mozambique) in a spicy reddish-orange sauce made of paprika, saffron, and tons of garlic. O'Manel's version of camarao a Mocambique is served with soft homemade french fries, hand-cut into rounds.

https://omanelrestaurant.com/Home.html

(203) 335-1676

1909 Main Street,Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604

Braga boasts the "best cod in Miami," and anybody who is familiar with the Portuguese dish bacalhau à brás can attest that Braga is right to brag. The small restaurant has just a few tables inside and out in the Coral Way neighborhood, which are usually bustling in the summertime with tourists and locals alike. 

Named after the city of Braga on the mainland, this eatery offers incredibly authentic Portuguese cuisine in an unlikely city. The cod, of course, is a must-try. The restaurant's Bacalhau à Brás uses a shredded, salted codfish stewed with fried potatoes, eggs, garlic, and olive oil. While this is the most common way to eat the popular dish, Braga goes above and beyond — preparing its salted cod 10 different ways. The Bacalhau de natas, for one, uses shredded codfish with onions, potatoes, heavy cream, and cheese. 

Braga's extensive menu veers off from just its specialty codfish. The menu features a vegetarian section as well, which includes Beringela de aveiro — a savory eggplant dish with fresh tomatoes and cheese. 

https://bragarestaurant.com/

(305) 392-0959

1401 SW 22nd St, Miami, FL 33145‎

Antonio's is another South Coast Massachusetts restaurant serving up delicious Portuguese food in New Bedford — a city once known for its whaling and fishing industries. Opened in 1989, Antonio's has been serving "old world Portuguese recipes" inspired by local New England flavors for over 35 years.  

Start off with a heaping pile of calamari, or lulas fritas, served with lemon wedges and sweet banana peppers in the typical East Coast fashion. There's nothing small about Antonio's bitoque — a "junior" Portuguese steak served with rice and homemade fries all sitting in a delicious dark steak sauce. Top the steak with two eggs and a slice of ham, too, for the full experience.

For a lighter meal, opt for the caçoila sandwich, a slow-cooked pulled pork sandwich that is unbelievably tender, seasoned with a plethora of aromatic ingredients like cinnamon, allspice, and smoked paprika, to name a few. The caçoila at Antonio's comes either in a sandwich or as a larger plate portion along with two sides. Kids, too, can enjoy a mini caçoila sandwich as found on Antonio's kids menu. 

https://www.antoniosnewbedford.com/

(508) 990-3636

267 Coggeshall St, New Bedford, MA

Perhaps unsurprisingly, California — one of the biggest states — also has the largest share of Portuguese descendants and immigrants in the United States. An over-sized share of that population lives in the city of San Jose in Northern California, where you can find the restaurant Adega amid many other Portuguese-owned establishments in the neighborhood lovingly called Little Portugal. 

Adega is one of three Michelin Star Portuguese restaurants in the country, opening in 2015 and earning the esteemed award only 10 months later. Now, 10 years into its service, Adega offers a multi-course tasting menu of elevated Portuguese-American cuisine. The spring 2025 menu, which changes with every season, currently consists of a caviar starter followed by a squid salad with cilantro sauce. Main courses on the tasting menu include a swordfish with white wine dill sauce and a suckling pig with sweet potato. Finish with a course of Saõ Jorge cheese,  a hard cheese popular in Portugal, and some fruit merengue. 

The tasting menu is paired with matching wine selections from Portugal, offering a full and satiating dinner for any appetite. If you're looking for Portuguese food with a high-end dining experience, there's no better place than Adega. 

https://www.adegarest.com/

(408) 926-9075

1614 Alum Rock Ave, San José, CA 95116

The borough of Queens in New York City is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country. So, of course, it is home to one of the best Portuguese restaurants in the country as well: O Lavrador. Describing itself more as an "Iberian restaurant," O Lavrador blends both Portuguese and Spanish cuisine that transports customers straight to the heart of the Iberian Peninsula. 

O Lavrador opened in 1981 and has been serving New Yorkers delicious and traditional specialties ever since. Some dishes, like the polvo grelhado, speak to both the Spanish and Portuguese traditional delicacy of grilled octopus with olive oil and garlic. Others like the bowl of hot caldo verde, or "green soup," play heavily into Portuguese cuisine. Caldo verde uses blended greens — typically kale or collards — to make the soup green before adding beans, potatoes, and chouriço. 

The Iberian platter gives visitors the best of both worlds at O Lavrador. For $32, sample some of the restaurant's best appetizers: shrimp in garlic sauce, fried calamari, clams in garlic and wine, and Portuguese sausage. 

https://www.olavradorrestaurant.com/index.html

(718) 526-1526

138-40 101st Ave, Jamaica, NY 11435

Lita is Chef David Viana's homage to his Portuguese heritage and his Portuguese family, who immigrated to Newark, New Jersey, known as "Little Lisboa" at the time, in the 1970s. Now, fifty years later and fifty minutes south in Aberdeen Township, Lita shares the name of Chef David's mother and tells the story of his grandmother's homestyle cooking. 

This Iberian restaurant offers a choose-your-own-adventure, three course prix fixe menu. Much of the food is cooked over an open fire hearth oven, which can be seen by patrons from almost any spot in the large, industrial-style dining room. Start with a selection of aperitivos such as shrimp turnovers — rissóis de camarão — or some cripsy patatas bravas with aioli dipping sauce.  

Instead of an entree and a dessert, you'll get two more savory dishes as part of Lita's prix fixe menu. The first– essenciais — features simple dishes like clams in white wine, Portuguese garlic shrimp, or Spanish meatballs in a sherry almond sauce. The final course — especialidades — contains more extravagant plates like carne guisada short ribs, or a delicious paella for two.

https://www.thelovelylita.com/

(732) 696-8517

1055 NJ-34, Aberdeen Township, NJ 07747

Sonoma, California, most known for its wine, neighbors some of the most historic restaurants in California and is home to one of the best: LaSalette. Established in 1998, LaSalette is situated in the colonial-era Sonoma Plaza — a storied and touristy neighborhood in the center of town. 

The picturesque restaurant is large and airy, with large-paned windows looking out into a private patio area filled with tables for two. The interior is more spacious with an open-concept dining room decorated with white and terracotta-colored tiles depicting Portuguese imagery that is still unmistakably Californian. 

LaSalette's menu nods to both cultures with mouthwatering creations by Chef Manuel Azevedo. The chouriço crusted day boat scallops are a perfect representation of cuisines melding beautifully, with Japanese sweet potato puree added to the mix for a touch of eastern sweetness. LaSalette's caldo verde is made perfectly, using beef consume and blended potatoes as a base before adding collard greens and bits of sweet and spicy linguiça.  

https://www.lasaletterestaurant.com/

(707) 938-1927

452 First St East, Suite H, Sonoma, California 95476

Baleia, meaning "whale" in Portuguese, is a seafood-centric restaurant in the south end of Boston specializing in modern twists on classic coastal faire. Established in 2024 by successful restauranteur and executive chef Andrew Hebert, Baleia bases its menu around Portuguese favorites with sprinkles of ingredients from around the globe. 

Plates at baleia are meant to be shared with others, allowing your table to try as many different dishes as possible. The shrimp Mozambique is an essential pick, kicked up a notch with chili and lemon. The thin octopus carpaccio is topped with crispy potatoes and a rich, peppery aioli sauce. The steamed baby clams are another excellent choice, simmered in vinho verde wine with cilantro and lemon.

While focusing mostly on seafood, Baleia has a small selection of landlocked meals available. The piri piri poussin features a young roasted chicken paired with vegetables and french fries for a hearty and slightly spicy dinner for one. Stick around after your meal for Baleia's delicious sonhos, Portuguese donut holes paired with port caramel and dulce de leche. 

https://www.baleiaboston.com/

(617) 505-3243

264 E Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02118