We enjoy good seafood, and I’ve had one of the best seafood dishes in Portugal. Even though it is not easy to get to Portugal unless you fly, but luckily for us, there are many Portugal neighborhoods and restaurants throughout the country! We found an authentic Portuguese restaurant in RI while traveling. They had a few parking on the side of their building.
The inside was busy when we arrived, as it was shortly after noon. I took the interior shots when we were leaving, so you can see more tables than people. It was not so big, but not too small either. They also had a fully stocked bar. The funny thing (to me) was that their TVs were playing Portuguese soap opera show.
The interior was interesting… They had some animals on the walls, with other antique-looking items like old radios and such. They also had loads of photos, maybe of some celebrities visiting the restaurant? I didn’t recognize anyone if the photos, so I am not sure.
Once we put in our order, they brought a basket of complimentary bread. They were soft and moist, but they were cold… I somehow was expecting warm or hot breads, so I was a bit disappointed. But, the bread itself was tasty and perfect for soaking up some good soup or sauce!
For appetizer, we ordered Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato ($10.95), littleneck steamed in a white wine and garlic sauce. It was nice and spicy! Hot and comforting, packed with flavor! The sauce was great with the bread to soak it up…well, until the crazy amount of salty-ness hit me. It was way too salty for me. It would have been perfect if it wasn’t so salty, which was a shame.
For main, we both ordered Bacalhau na Brasa ($16.95), grilled salted cod with boiled potatoes topped with garlic and onions sautéed in olive. First of all, it took forever to come out. It took so long that the staff asked us if we already finished eating and were waiting for our check… We waited almost ONE HOUR for this dish, which was ridiculous… I’ve had this dish at a few Portuguese restaurants, and also in Portugal. Never waited one hour for it. We saw all the other customers who came in after us getting their food. I wonder if they forgot to put in our order??? When it finally came to our table, it was HUGE! We should have ordered just one and shared it… So be warned, unless you are super hungry, it might be better to just share the plate.
The cod was super plump and tasty, but it was really salty again. I expected salted cod to be salty, but not this salty… The whole dish was swimming in olive oil, which was kind of expected too. The potatoes were nice and soft, with loads of tasty onions and garlic. I say this was a great comfort food, minus too much salt.
After the meal, we ordered Cappuccino ($3.50), which came with mountain of whipped cream and cinnamon powder. It was a dessert on its own, and really good coffee! They do have the real espresso machine, so I knew the coffee was going to be great. This was a delight.
They have a small, modest bathroom tucked away in the back. One for each sex. Clean and well-lit.
The staffs here were welcoming, warm and friendly, and it seems like Portuguese was the preferred language for most (or some) of them. It was a nice atmosphere, but the food didn’t meet my expectation… The cod was not worth waiting one hour for, especially without any warning (if it really takes one hour for them to prepare the dish, it should be noted on the menu). It was a good thing we were not in a rush…
O Dinis Restaurant – 579 Warren Ave, East Providence, RI 02914