Longtime NJ Portuguese restaurant has closed its doors after 49 years

🍽 Longtime NJ Portuguese restaurant has closed its doors after 49 years

🍷 A staple of Newark’s Ironbound section served its last meals and sangria on June 4

💰 The five-acre property was sold without its liquor license, a report says

NEWARK — One of the landmark restaurants of Newark’s Ironbound section has served its last meals, as the Iberia Tavern and Restaurant property has been sold as its owners retire.

The closure after 49 years was made official with a social media post heading into the weekend.

“It is with the most heavy heart that we announce the closing of Iberia Restaurant,” the announcement said, both in English and Portuguese, on the Iberia Tavern & Restaurant Facebook page, confirming the last day was Sunday.

“Congratulations on your well deserved retirement. Thank you for your service to the community and to us as we provided your weekly knife sharpening service. We sure will miss you Jorge and Ilda,” one comment said on an earlier Facebook post by the restaurant.

The Iberia was opened in 1974 by spouses, Joao Loureiro and Ilda Loureiro and business partner, Jorge Fernandes.

Joao Loureiro died in April 2020, leaving Fernandes and Ilda Loureiro running the restaurant until now — as they both look to retire, according to TapInto.

The longtime owners first listed the 5.2 acre property in late 2015, for mixed use opportunities.

The neighborhood has been renowned for decades for its selection of Portuguese, Spanish and Brazilian restaurants and bakeries.

Many of those businesses are clustered on and near Ferry Street. Until now, that included Iberia Tavern and Restaurant at 80-84 Ferry Street.

The new owners bought the sizable property without its liquor license, according to the same TapInto report, which quoted Fernandes as saying “This project is going to be a project for $1 billion" and should be "very interesting."

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