Alvaro’s Pastry Shop & Deli

Little cozy place… pasties are always fresh just sucks they don’t have much to pick from… you can always call ahead of time to place orders… the staff if friendly.

Okay. So what’s up with Alvaro’s? Well, they are not a late day drop-​by, since they close usually fairly early (I never seen them open past 7p) They do not have those hipster friendly crap like kale juice smoothies, or organic free range gluten free varietal coffees, They are not a place known for a wide menu selection. However, they do have comfortable seats, early hours (they open at 6a for the breakfast crowd), good sandwich and caldo verdes (although Caldo Verde is really really easy to master), a decent coffee machine, and, oh yeah, the best pasteis in Newark if you plan to take them home back in New York City. How good are they? Well, Texiera is known for crispy pastry shells and a firmer custard, these guys are known for their softer shells, but their custard filling is sweeter, thicker and more substantial. They are pretty okay as-​is with a macciato, but they are spectacular if you get a dozen to go, freeze them, and pop them into a toaster oven to reheat. The pricing is reasonable and the service is okay. They have a public restroom in the back so it’s also a good idea to stop in and use it while strolling around Ironbound. Good place to meet friends since it’s a bit more intimate.

3 stars because their customer service could improve
However their soups, pastries and sandwiches are decent.
They have a few chairs & tables if you would like to eat there as well. I usually call ahead of time to find out what their soup of the day is parking is a pain but it’s ironbound so that’s nothing new.

There are tons of bakeries on Ferry St and the surrounding area so why should you visit this fine establishment?
Because they will make you a two-​layer fondant cake in the shape of a beehive for your best friend’s baby shower and charge you $ 75.
YES. Affordable, and while it was not a perfect job, it completely exceeded my expectations and Luisa was so nice even though she seemed apprehensive at first when I showed her a pic of the cake I needed.
She nailed it with a pretty decent replica of the original photo and even went out of her way to find some little fuzzy bees on wires to stick from out of the beehive on the cake.
Also tried their pateis de nata and some other common Portuguese pastries around here. Their pateis de nata is very decent, better than the now-​closed Rivera and Pao de Terra, even though my heart will always belong to Teixeira for theirs. The other pastries there were good as well.
A very fine bakery in a neighborhood with so many. They can definitely hold their own.