Ferry Street is the gastronomic spine of the Ironbound: eight or ten blocks of Portuguese and Brazilian restaurants, bakeries, meat shops, and fish markets that collectively make up one of the most concentrated dining destinations in the New York metropolitan area. Restaurants like Iberia, Fornos of Spain, and Adega Grill are Ironbound institutions; newer Brazilian churrascarias have added to the selection.
The formula is consistent: grilled meat in large quantities, excellent salt cod (bacalhau) in multiple preparations, abundant shellfish, crusty bread, and carafes of house wine. Prices feel almost defiantly reasonable given the quality. On weekends the restaurants fill with large Portuguese-American and Brazilian families, and the queues outside the best places begin by 7pm. Come hungry and without a fixed plan — walking the street and choosing by atmosphere is as good a strategy as any.