Where to eat in Newark

Newark sits at the east end of the Dumbarton Bridge, the closest bridge to Palo Alto. Few people visit it for its own sake, but its restaurants deserve a detour. More than four in ten residents were born abroad. The strip centers along Mowry Avenue, Jarvis Avenue and Cedar Boulevard reflect that: Mumbai street food, Malaysian curries, Taiwanese night market snacks, a crab boil hall and a Swiss social club with a grill. Prices run well below Palo Alto.

This guide names only places we confirmed on their own websites or first-party ordering pages in early November 2026. Many Newark restaurants list hours only on delivery apps, which we do not count, so this is a starting list. Price notes are our rough read of posted menus. For the bridge, the salt marsh refuge and NewPark Mall, see our Newark town guide.

Where Newark eats

• Mowry Avenue, near Interstate 880 and NewPark Mall, has Ray's Crab Shack, Swiss Park and the mall's restaurants.
• Jarvis Avenue, in the middle of the city, holds a cluster of small Asian and Indian kitchens, many in the same center at 6180 Jarvis.
• Cedar Boulevard runs north and south through Newark with Malaysian food, hot pot and an izakaya.
• Newark Boulevard connects Route 84 with the city center and has Mumbai Chowk.

Mowry Avenue: crab, a Swiss club and ramen

Ray's Crab Shack

Ray's Crab Shack at 5989 Mowry Avenue serves only live crabs and lobsters, boiled and tossed in house seasonings and eaten by hand with gloves and bibs. Owner Ray has worked in seafood for nearly 30 years, the restaurant says. It seats 200 and has a banquet room for 70 to 80 guests. Its site lists 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. most days and until 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Seafood is priced by weight, so the bill climbs quickly. Our seafood guide covers Palo Alto.

Swiss Park Bar and Grille

Swiss Park at 5911 Mowry Avenue is part bar, part event hall. The grille serves Monday to Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. The bar opens daily at 2 p.m. Its calendar listed bingo on Monday nights, free poker on Tuesday and a Metzgete dinner, a traditional Swiss autumn feast, on November 7, 2026. It also books private events.

Yugo Ramen

Yugo Ramen sits on the second floor of NewPark Mall at 2014 NewPark Mall Road. Two sisters founded it. A plan for a boba shop grew into a ramen restaurant that serves both. The menu runs from light ramen to rice bowls and appetizers. It lists 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, with plenty of parking in the mall lot. Our ramen guide covers Palo Alto bowls.

Jarvis Avenue: night market snacks, fusion and a family grill

Chef Cho at 6180 Jarvis Avenue, Suite C, takes its Chinese name from Liuhe Night Market in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It serves Taiwanese street snacks and noodle soups for lunch and dinner, daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Our Taiwanese food guide explains the classics.

Urban Kitchen at 6221 Jarvis Avenue blends Indian spices with American dishes. Its menu includes Lahori soya chaap, marinated soy chunks in a spiced curry. It stays open until midnight on Friday and Saturday and until 9:30 p.m. the rest of the week.

Dino's Grill at 5855-A Jarvis Avenue has been family owned for more than 25 years. It serves Greek and Italian food plus burgers, sandwiches and pastas, with sauces, soups and dressings made from family recipes. It is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed Sunday. Call ahead for takeout.

Cedar Boulevard: Malaysian, hot pot and a late izakaya

Mingala at 39055 Cedar Boulevard, Suite 108, cooks Malaysian food that draws on Malay, Indian, Chinese and Nyonya traditions, from sizzling curries to fried rice, in an open kitchen. It is closed on Monday. Lunch and dinner run Tuesday to Saturday, but its site gives two different sets of Sunday hours, so call before a Sunday visit.

Long Men Bay Hot Pot, in the same center at Suite 189, serves Chinese hot pot. It opens for dinner at 5 p.m. on weekdays and for lunch and dinner on weekends. See our hot pot guide.

Kakushi Izakaya at 39261 Cedar Boulevard is a Japanese izakaya that lists 4:30 p.m. to midnight every day, the latest regular hours on this page.

Mumbai street food

Mumbai Chowk at 35144 Newark Boulevard brings Mumbai street food to the East Bay: kathi rolls, lamb baida roti and vada pav, made from family recipes. It serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and is closed on Tuesday. It also caters. Our Indian food guide covers Palo Alto.

For an individual Taiwanese hot pot, Tasty Pot takes online orders for its Newark branch.

A sample Newark food crawl

1. Morning: Cross the Dumbarton Bridge early and walk the Newark Slough trail or Coyote Hills. See our Coyote Hills guide.
2. Lunch: Head to Jarvis Avenue for night market snacks at Chef Cho or kathi rolls at Mumbai Chowk (closed Tuesday).
3. Afternoon: Catch a movie at NewPark Mall and get a ramen and boba at Yugo.
4. Dinner: Roll up your sleeves at Ray's Crab Shack, then drive home over the bridge after evening traffic eases.

Getting there from Palo Alto

• Driving: Central Newark is about 12 miles, 20 minutes off-peak. Take University Avenue or Willow Road to Bayfront Expressway and the Dumbarton Bridge, then Route 84 into Newark. The western approaches back up badly at commute times.
• Tolls: Charged westbound only: $8.50 in 2026 and $9.00 with FasTrak from January 1, 2027. No cash lanes. See our bridges and tolls guide.
• Bus: On weekdays the Dumbarton Express crosses the bridge and stops at the Ardenwood Park and Ride near the Newark and Fremont line. There is no rail service in Newark.

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