Each time I passed this place, I was both curious and repulsed. As much as I’m into kitsch, boxcar diners just make me think of tiny greasy grills with giant hairy “cooks” hovering over them, with ash-dangling cigarettes in their mouths.

But it advertised Portuguese BBQ (churrasco), so my intrigue soothed my nerves and we went in. Thank goodness.

It’s actually quite clean, if sparse, once you enter this tiny spot. Much of the interior is a basic, chrome, diner style - not even a Portuguese flag, or Portuguese music over speakers, so I was a bit disappointed. It’s like they just moved in to what used to be Nunzio’s and just started cooking, without ever glancing up at their surroundings. This was not going to be a late-night romantic meal.

The menu is fairly simple, too - there are two appetizers: Portuguese sausage BBQ (chourico assado) and clams in garlic sauce. My eyes quickly jumped over to the desert page on the back, which included caramel flan, cheese cake, chocolate mousse and rice pudding. Mmmm - we definitely were going to have to share one of those.

But then we realized we had about $25 between the two of us and there wasn’t an ATM nearby (or even a few blocks away), thus quickly limiting our options. It was 9PM and they close at 10 Monday through Sunday so, to make things easy, we decided to go for the BBQ Combo (chicken and ribs). At $12, it brings enough for two people and fit our meager budget enough so we could also get drinks to wash it all down.

A large oval plate was very quickly brought to our table, with a heaping pile of rice and beans (we could have opted for rice and french fries or boiled potatoes and veggies), and about 10-12 pieces of chicken and spare ribs.

The chicken was moist and truly delicious - it didn’t even need the thick BBQ or hot sauce we were given on the side. The ribs were also flavorful, and its skin was crispy (unlike the chicken) - the meat, however, was a bit dry but my companion and I didn’t feel this took away from the meal. We were both satisfied with a few pieces each, leaving enough to take home for another day. Our bill came to $21, including tip.
One thing that surprised me is that the BBQ part of the menu is actually quite small. The heart of it actually seems to be meat plates such as steak with mushrooms, chicken breast in garlic sauce, pork bits with clams, boiled cod fish and even meatballs with spaghetti. But perhaps BBQ is what Stephanie’s (which seems to have two other locations) is most famous for. They also offer salads and sandwiches, which I imagine are quite tasty.

So, if you’re ever wandering around Washington Street and only have $20, Stephanie’s is worth a stop. Just don’t expect much in terms of ambience.

Stephanie’s Barbecue III
8 Centre Street
Nutley
(973) 661-4441

— by Donna M.
Donna is both a Jersey native and recent transplant from NYC. She is executive editor and a co-founder of GoOutJersey.

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