O Dinis — Restaurant in East Providence

I had the opportunity to visit Lisbon and Sintra, Portugal in 2014. I had some of the best meals I've ever eaten while I was there, and I was keen to duplicate the experience here in the States. This is the first Portuguese joint I've been to stateside, and my first impression of this establishment is very high. When walking in I noticed that Rabbit Barbacoa was on the 'Specials' menu, which made me incredibly happy since my favorite meal in Lisbon was this exact dish. We ordered the 'Rabbit Barbacoa', 'Galinha a Alentejana' and 'Portuguese Soup' for our toddler. We also ordered a half-pitcher of Sangria. The Rabbit dish included crisped rabbit, not unlike fried chicken if you've never had rabbit, plus rice and potatoes in delicious Portuguese sauce/gravy. The Galinha a Alentejana is marinated chicken and fried potatoes with steamed littleneck clams, also in Portuguese gravy. I don't know what they put in this magical, mythical gravy, but it's spicy and amazing. Not Indian-food spicy, but everything Portuguese seems to have a pleasant kick that Spanish food, which is similar but not the same, always seems to be lacking. I also like how seafood works it's way into many dishes that you might not expect, like clams in an otherwise simple chicken/potatoes dish. The soup was tasty, yet mild, and a perfect recommendation from the waitress for our toddler. It basically reminded me of Italian Wedding soup with small pieces of pasta in a clear chicken-stock broth with veggies. Finally, the half-pitcher of Sangria was WAY larger than we expected, and we actually thought we got the larger pitcher by accident. Portuguese Sangria, which I strongly prefer, is typically less sugary than Spanish Sangria, a little stronger and less 'watered-down'. I'm not trying to knock Spanish style or start a flame-war, just stating that, in my limited experience, I seem to prefer Portuguese versions of foods that are shared with Spain. After we ate until we were stuffed, we still had enough food to necessitate two boxes for leftovers, and with tax and a generous tip we left at $54.00 in damage. Amazing. Also, the owner came out and kept our two-year old entertained so the wife and I could relax and enjoy our food a bit. Only ten minutes or so, but any parent will tell you that's a welcome relief. As some final notes: (a) Portuguese food is not Brazilian food, any more than Spanish food is Mexican food. They are distinctly different styles, and although I love Brazilian steakhouses, do not expect that same at any dedicated Portuguese restaurant. Please arrive with an open mind and I hope you will enjoy the experience. (b) Some people have complained that the restaurant seems to favor Portuguese folks AND regulars. I didn't have this problem, but I don't really disagree in practice or theory. Any restaurant that has so many customers that there's a waiting list has to prioritize; do you keep regulars regular, or turn regulars away so that new, non-established visitors can have a crack. There is no right answer, but regulars pay the bills, in my opinion. (c) Some people have also complained about long wait times between ordering food and receiving it. In the ENTIRE world outside of the U.S. eating out is often a evening long affair. You come, you eat some Aperitivos, drink... more than a little, and possibly meet some new people and have a good time. Not to be rude, but if you want fast food then get fast food. If you want REALLY good food served at an exceptional price from a friendly, local mom-and-pop, then please give this...

Having grown up in the Fall River/New Bedford area I have a lot of personal experience to compare to in regard to Portuguese restaurants. It also seems like the farther you go from that Southcoast region the quality of Portuguese food seems to drop pretty quickly.

Having O Dinis about 15-20 minutes from my current home places it within the same driving distance to New Bedford. It makes it a viable alternative which is nice for options.

We planned on going Friday night for the first time and decided otherwise. There was a line out the door and an obviously long wait time. We ended up waiting until Saturday afternoon when the crowd was more manageable. We still ended up waiting about 30 minutes which was doable.

The restaurant is fairly small but quaint. I’ve heard they have a basement where they sometimes have Fado singers perform which I can imagine is a great cultural addition to the evening.

After being seated we waited about 15-20 minutes to get bread and it wasn’t even brought by our own waitress. It was actually another waitress who walked by and noticed our table was bare.

Finally at some point our waitress grabbed our appetizer order which was the little neck clams in a garlic wine sauce. Again this order took about 30-40 minutes. I honestly think that our waitress completely forgot us and didn’t put the order in. I was patient and at around the 25-30 minute mark of waiting I asked for a status and about 10-15 minutes after it came out. Yep…she forgot.

The appetizer itself was good. Decent amount of clams and plenty of broth to dip the bread into. It’s a dish I would order again.

We all got the Portuguese steak with egg, fries and rice. It’s a thicker sirloin steak which contrasts with some of the usual Azorean style flat, thin cut tenderized steaks I’m used to.

I will say they cooked it as ordered which was medium rare. Some Portuguese people only know well done or kinda well done. Rare and medium-rare isn’t a thing. In this case though it was cooked just right.

Overall if this establishment is either the closest to you or an option that is equally as distant from your normal haunts then it’s a good alternative option.

Given the wait time and the service issues if you are really hungry or have to go out of your way when you have other options then I would hold off. While the food was ok to pretty good it is overshadowed by the wait and service. Perhaps another try is in order on a slower...

We were a large party. 17 people if I am not mistaken. We were seated at 5:30pm, and had to wait for four people who were late. At around 6:00 pm, I asked our waitress for some bread. I am diabetic, and had had lunch around 11:30am. I was beginning to feel the effects of low blood sugar. The waitress refused my request and told me: "We only bring bread after appetizers have been ordered." With that single sentence, she ruined my night. I did not ask her for the time or when bread is served. I asked her for "some bread", period. Our bill must have been huge yet, it was not good enough to get some bread prior to appetizers. Finally those we were waiting for arrived, and some of those in the party ordered some appetizers. I did not. Time kept on ticking, and it was not until one hour later when food begun to roll out. During the time the waitress was taking the orders of those around me, someone turned over a glass of soda which was in front of me. The waitress did not move. She kept on taking orders, instead of grabbing some napkins, which also appeared to be in short supply. I had ordered "Lombinho na braza". Horrible. Every thing was way too salty. Too much sauce in every single dish I saw those around me eating, including mine. The rice on my dish was swimming in a sauce that was too thin, too salty, too peppery and excessive. The "lombinho" itself was cold, and extremely tough and dry. I had trouble cutting and chewing it. Not to mention the amount of pepper and garlic which was overwhelming with every bite. This was my first time in this restaurant that has been around for many, many years. I had heard great things about it. Needless to say I was extremely disappointed with the service, and the food had nothing to do with the way Portuguese food (possibly the best food in the world) is prepared. Looking back now, I should have pulled a Chef Ramsey, and send my dish back to the kitchen but, by that time, I had to eat something. Those here posting raving reviews know nothing about Portuguese food, and have no idea of what good food is. I will not...