Dario’s Tex Mex Newark

Downtown lunch built around the taco bowl

Dario’s has spent more than two decades serving downtown Newark. A 2024 neighborhood feature recorded 22 years in business and described owner Dario’s connection with nearby workers, students and regulars. The Academy Street restaurant remains a weekday operation, with a compact Tex-Mex menu organized around a few customizable meals.

The taco bowl combines rice and salad with chicken, beef, steak or vegetables, followed by corn, beans, salsa, sour cream and cheese. White sauce and taco sauce give the finished bowl its recognizable house combination. It is the leading item in the current merchant ordering list, followed by the quesadilla and burrito.

The big soft taco puts those fillings into a warm tortilla for a handheld meal. A double-decker quesadilla keeps corn, beans, cheese and the chosen protein between grilled layers, with rice, salsa and sour cream alongside. Burritos use the same central choice of protein. A diner can therefore keep a preferred filling and change the format rather than work through an extensive list of unrelated dishes.

Recent customer reports continue to favor the taco salad and familiar flavor, although some note smaller rice portions or missed modifications. Sauce on the side is a useful specific request for a carried meal; it also keeps the dairy finish separate until eating.

Weekdays, phone and delivery

The address is 20 Academy Street. Call 973-741-1106. Hours are Monday–Friday 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday are closed. The direct merchant ordering page provides pickup and delivery, usually ending online orders before the dining close. No additional local branch was verified.

Build a Dario’s pickup or delivery order.