Malaga Restaurant, 511 Lalor St, Hamilton, NJ
Open M-Th 11:30AM - 10PM, F 11:30AM - 11PM, Sa 3PM - 11PM, Su 12PM-10PM
(609) 396-8878   Website    Google Maps

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(Covid Update Dec 2021 – in business) Malaga serves authentic (European) Spanish food, not to be confused with the many “Latino” (Mexican, Guatemalan, Puerto Rican) restaurants that have opened in Trenton in recent years. The menu emphasizes seafood, though there are plenty of meat and chicken dishes as well.

My wife is particularly fond of the Mariscada Salsa Verde (a garlic lover’s dream). I’m partial to any dish that comes with their fried potatoes…which are sliced round like a potato chip, but slightly thicker, and cooked to be crisp (not crunchy), like a good french fry. Fresh made, and fabulous

I’ve rated Malaga “Veggie Friendly”. Truth be told, there aren’t a lot of pure vegetarian dishes on the menu. But since so many American “vegetarians” eat seafood, I thought it worth noting.

It’s a comfortable place to bring friends or family. The restaurant was decorated 20 years ago or so, in a style reminiscent of, well, a Spanish restaurant (in Spain that is). No theme restaurant design-consultant plastered ersatz memorabilia on these walls.

The service is attentive and bow-tied: professional and charming at the same time. Prices aren’t cheap, but they’re not crazy either. There’s parking in a couple of lots surrounding the restaurant.

One access note: if you’re coming to Malaga via 129 South, there’s no left turn onto the 500 block of Lalor. Your options are to make the right turn (and then make a U turn on Lalor to cross back over 129). Better is to make the right turn onto Cass (one exit before Lalor) and then the first left onto Third Street. Stay left until you hit Lalor in a couple of tenths of a mile, and then make the left to cross 129.