Spanish Olive Restaurant

What a remarkable restaurant the Spanish Olive is. We had not been there before, but were recommended by a friend for their fantastic Cuban/Spanish cuisine. Four of us pored over the online sumptuous menu and then made a reservation(they do accept them during the winter season). Greeted by Bob the owner, we were shown to a nice spotless table in an intimate dining room and felt instantly at home, as if we had been there many times. Terry the entertainment on Friday's filled the atmosphere with his splendid guitar work, and created the atmosphere for good digestion, while still being able to have a conversation with the rest of our party. Maria came over to get our drink choices as well as open our wine. It is a BYOB place but they do have fresh fruits you can purchase to make your own sangria, or just drink whatever potent potable you brought in with you. Appetizers were ordered and we had three Delicious items, one better then the next. There was a special shrimp item with a mango dipping sauce, we had a Chorizo and shrimp skewers dish, as well as drunken clams. They were all devoured and savored at the same time. Even their bread was delicious. As with the entrees, all the food was fresh and prepared to order. The shellfish, clams and mussels had no grit and no funky flavors, which was so special. We had 4 entrees, one was the Paella Valenciana I ordered, We had an order of Shrimp with rice and vegetables, a similar choice with chicken instead of shrimp, and lastly an order of empanadas. Items came with salad or soup, beans, plantains, and a special wafer like item I do not recall the name of. We ate until we were pleasantly stuffed, and it was all so delicious it was difficult to stop. We ate and smiled and tried every dish without finding one disappointing item. There was not even one disappointing ingredient. Amazing! We still has enough leftovers to make two dinners out of, which we brought home later and watched it be devoured by our grown children. Sadly we had left for a dessert, but there did have four delicious choices, including a home made Flan and a chocolate cake. There is no question that this establishment will be one of our new favorites and regular dining experiences, and I can't wait to try everything on the menu and then start through it again. What a terrific treat, affordable and plentiful, and especially exquisite.

What a perfect little gem of a Cuban restaurant! BYOB with its own small parking lot. Definitely call ahead for a table on a weekend. Each meal comes with a bowl of soup, and a side of either maduros (sweet plantains) or tostones (flattened fried plantains). As an appetizer we had the shrimp and chorizo, served on six small skewers.they were cooked to perfection and the sauce was extremely flavorful, so much that we dipped our bread in it. We had the paella mariscada (a lobster claw, mussels, clams, and mini scallops) and the traditional Cuban dinner. That shredded meat in the Cuban was again so flavorful, you could taste the seasonings without needing to blend it with the rice or beans. We didn't love the tostones, but we finished all of the maduros and could have had them as a dessert! The service was excellent, from the seating hostess to the pool of servers, and even the owner/chef came out to check on our meal. We will absolutely be going back.

Nice little get away for a romantic evening. Staff was polite and informative. Nice vibe and good music. Arroz con Pollo was spot on, with a very generous portion. The Caribbean shrimp was delicious as well. And of course the olives were delicious and generously served. Looking forward to going back one day soon

I finally had a chance at dining at Spanish Olive after reading the great reviews. They start you with warm, fresh bread that’s very good. For appetizer I chose the trio of empanadas two beef and one chicken. Unfortunately, those were disappointing! They barely had any meat in them, and you couldn’t even tell which one was chicken and which one was beef! They tasted like ones you would buy in the supermarket in the frozen food section and heat up in your microwave. I was skeptical how dinner was going to be at this point, but it ended up being DELICIOUS! I ordered the ropa vieja which came with maduros and rice and beans. The ropa vieja was tender and packed with authentic Cuban flavor. The rice and beans and maduros were very good as well. My waitress Cindy was warm and welcoming. I recommend dining at Spanish Olive in Brick, but skip the empanadas!