Hell's Kitchen

"Nouvelle" Mexican Done Right "Among NYC restaurants that gussy up Mexican food for Gringo foodies, Hell's Kitchen is among the best. Offering less expensive, better food and drink, and a modicum of comfort and courtesy, Hell's Kitchen is worth a little trek. Staff was unfailingly accomodating and polite. The chef has a rare deft hand with the deep frier as evidenced in the pita-like toasts offered gratis (instead of the usual crisp tortillas) with an excellent black bean dip, the surprisingly delicate duck empanada on red mole, and the banana pastry for dessert. An excellent balance of textures and flavors in the red snapper on a bed of plantains, onions and tomato, all in banana leaf - fine attention to detail in the prep. And with the excellent pairing of wines, Hell's Kitchen is a cornerstone in the neighborhood that it bears it's name from.

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The Scene – This is a noisy space, slickly designed but somewhat cramped and frantic. Wine-bottle chandeliers and multicolored upholstery give a faintly retro feel. On weekend nights and pre-theater, the bar writhes with humanity, indifferently supervised by the clumsy hosting staff. – – The Food – It's not exactly traditional Mexican fare, but that country's flavors and techniques enliven the often excellent food here. It's hard to miss: The tuna tartare, served on mini-tostadas with mild guacamole, and the flavorful grilled salmon steak with spicy wilted greens, are…

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What to Drink:: There are many good options, including excellent beers on tap, which suit the food's heat; margaritas frozen, straight, flavored, and premium; and several specialty cocktails.

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User Reviews (59)

ambiance	100.0% positive	“This was really refreshing and fun and I plna on goign back for sure.” “The atmosphere is great, the food is phenomenal, the service is lovely and it's just overall an incredible restaurant/food and experience.” “The ambiance is perfect and the food is a very good mix of eclectic and traditional.” “It has modern earthtone decor with low warm lighting.” “Can I say good food, friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere all in one!” “Reagarding this establishment -- menu looks great, decor colorful & lively, it all stops there.” “The food has to be great and I'll forgive them everythign else, but everything else was really good to - the waiters were helpful adn not annoyingly firnedly, i like the decor.” “The food is fresh, inventive and fun.” “Although small, croweded and loud, the food is so amazing that I didn't mind the ambience.” “Romantic, cozy and fabulous food!” “The waitress and waiter were extremely attentive and fun!”
dessert	87.5% positive	“for dessert, get the banana empanadas, they are divine (but ask for ice cream instead of cool whip if you like the hot/cold a la mode combo).” “forgot if the choco cake is good.” “The opening shrimp "cake" was very tasty and full of flavors.” “But everything else, from appetizer to dessert, was great.”
drinks	80.0% positive	“Good cheap wine list and awesome raspberry margaritas!” “Paired wines were excellent.” “We were there in time for the reservation, greeted by a friendly but rushed waiter, got drinks, apps, dinner and coffee.” “After reading all the acclaimed reviews of Hell's Kitchen, I decided this would be a perfect place to wine and dine my wife for our first Valentine's Day dinner together.” “Offering less expensive, better food and drink than Rosa Mexicana and a modicum of comfort and courtesy missing at Mexicana Mama, Hell's Kitchen is worth a little trek.” “The food was great and so were the drinks.” “they have awesome cocktails.” “started at the bar with some amazing cocktails.” “The drinks are great, the good is great, and though I read in the Citysearch review that the service can be slow, I've never experienced that.” “OUTSTANDING mexican food, great drinks, and moderate price.”
food quality	80.0% positive	“The shrimp with plantains was the table favorite.” “My friend's chicken quesedilla puts others to shame, and my pork loin was quite good.” “The food has to be great and I'll forgive them everythign else, but everything else was really good to - the waiters were helpful adn not annoyingly firnedly, i like the decor.” “great food and staff.” “9th Avenue has too many other awesome restaurants with better food and service for this pretentious joint to be on anyone's list of places to eat at.” “Horrible food that made me sick and overrated!” “don't consider this authentic Mex.” “the food is OUTSTANDING, and it might be one of my favorite restaurants in the city (and i am a big food snob).” “Its a shame because the food was good but it was just unbearable especially the finance dooshes harassting us during our meal.” “The atmosphere is great, the food is phenomenal, the service is lovely and it's just overall an incredible restaurant/food and experience.” “Fusionesque Mexican should only be so spendy as it is tasty.” “Excellent restaurant, appetizers and all four of our dishes were tasty and inventive.” “The ambiance is perfect and the food is a very good mix of eclectic and traditional.” “The food is decent and table service a hit-or-miss in the 3 times I've been there.” “The steak last night was very well-spiced and perfectly cooked, and the seafood is consistantly good.” “Great meal, reasonable prices, friendly service” “Despite having 3, yes 3, glasses of water dumped on me by the waiter and the lack of response by managment, I really enjoyed the key lime martinis and the food was excellent.” “Excellent balance of textures and flavors in my red snapper on a bed of plantains, onions and tomato, all in banana leaf - fine attention to detail in the prep.” “The food is fresh, inventive and fun.” “find it a real bitch to find a great place in the theater district that's got super-great food.” “All jokes aside, the food is very good but incredibly expensive.” “The opening shrimp "cake" was very tasty and full of flavors.” “used to be a fan of this place-the service was consistently slow, but the food outweighed the service.” “The burrito was good and the service even better.” “The food was great and so were the drinks.” “The food was creative.” “It offers the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.” “Although small, croweded and loud, the food is so amazing that I didn't mind the ambience.” “Offering less expensive, better food and drink than Rosa Mexicana and a modicum of comfort and courtesy missing at Mexicana Mama, Hell's Kitchen is worth a little trek.” “The margaritas are tasty and strong.” “OUTSTANDING mexican food, great drinks, and moderate price.” “the appetizers were tasty and creative, though a tad small.” “There are a few key dishes that I would recommend: the ceviche, the grilled shrimp entree and flan were delicious.” “The food was excellent.” “Oh, and the food was overpriced.” “decided to eat the "World Famous" HK Burger but the burger just tasted ok.” “again, the food was okay but not the best guac or the best anything.” “The avocado leaf tuna entree was great (a lot of heat, the way I like it) as well as the pulled pork special.” “the STEAK is awesome with those yummy potato things and sauce.” “We had the steak, the halibut and the lamb for dinner - equally incredible.” “The food is terrific!” “The food was pretty good but I'll never set foot in their restaurant again.” “The duck and shrimp with guac as main courses are fantastic.” “The food was delicious and creative and the prices were very reasonable!” “Overall, the service, the food, and the experience, I would not recommend this restaurant, unless you're intent on throwing away a lot of money on a mediocre dinner.” “The shrimp appetizer was wonderful, great avacado salsa, great everything.” “like this place: The food is always good, the frozen margaritas are awesome, and the service staff is usually good.” “Great food- nice Mexican/southwestern influences on traditional American cuisine.” “Can I say good food, friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere all in one!” “My favorite dish was the Tiger Shrimp.” “Romantic, cozy and fabulous food!” “It was such a relief to get out of there, who cares if the food is good?” “Their fresh fish dishes make you moan.” “The food here is always excellent !” “However, it is the food that will bring me back and I hope the last occasion of bad service will be my last.”
menu variety	100.0% positive	“Reagarding this establishment -- menu looks great, decor colorful & lively, it all stops there.”
overall	100.0% positive	“Not recommended for a date, but a good place to go with a friend or two.” “Honestly this is my favorite restaurant in NYC.” “would highly recommend this great place!” “find it a real bitch to find a great place in the theater district that's got super-great food.” “Great margaritas, great time, great place.” “Hell's Kitchen has consistantly been the best restaurant experience I have ever had in New York.” “Overall a great restaurant.”
return potential	50.0% positive	“We paid the full bill and will never go back.” “Also the pan seared chilean sea bass, it comes with grilled chayote & a plantain puree that is so good you will want to come back the next day and have it again.”
service	71.14999771118164% positive	“used to be a fan of this place-the service was consistently slow, but the food outweighed the service.” “The atmosphere is great, the food is phenomenal, the service is lovely and it's just overall an incredible restaurant/food and experience.” “The food is decent and table service a hit-or-miss in the 3 times I've been there.” “12 people were expected but a bunch of us were caught in horrible traffic.” “Overall, the service, the food, and the experience, I would not recommend this restaurant, unless you're intent on throwing away a lot of money on a mediocre dinner.” “Despite having 3, yes 3, glasses of water dumped on me by the waiter and the lack of response by managment, I really enjoyed the key lime martinis and the food was excellent.” “Great meal, reasonable prices, friendly service” “The waitress and waiter were extremely attentive and fun!” “great food and staff.” “Passed the host stand and explained that they should not hold a table for me due to rude bartender.” “like this place: The food is always good, the frozen margaritas are awesome, and the service staff is usually good.” “TERRIBLE service!” “Everyone on the staff were very nice and helpful.” “However, it is the food that will bring me back and I hope the last occasion of bad service will be my last.” “The burrito was good and the service even better.” “We were there in time for the reservation, greeted by a friendly but rushed waiter, got drinks, apps, dinner and coffee.” “The service was incredibly attentive and accomodating.” “Food was great and staff was super friendly from the hostess.” “The drinks are great, the good is great, and though I read in the Citysearch review that the service can be slow, I've never experienced that.” “The food has to be great and I'll forgive them everythign else, but everything else was really good to - the waiters were helpful adn not annoyingly firnedly, i like the decor.” “9th Avenue has too many other awesome restaurants with better food and service for this pretentious joint to be on anyone's list of places to eat at.” “Can I say good food, friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere all in one!” “The service was excellent, as was the maitre'de, which I was surprised about considering the other reviews.” “to the super nice server(forgot his name) BUT seriously that chef guy is creepy.” “The staff here is very professional and courteous and they helped my friends make a decision about what to order.” “bartender with the moustache was super friendly and helpful!”
value	67.85999774932861% positive	“Oh, and the food was overpriced.” “the prices were also very reasonable.” “really most delightful experience and it's relatively inexpensive as well.” “Great meal, reasonable prices, friendly service” “Everything was wonderful, although the app sizes were definitely on the small size for the price.” “All jokes aside, the food is very good but incredibly expensive.” “OUTSTANDING mexican food, great drinks, and moderate price.” “Overall, the service, the food, and the experience, I would not recommend this restaurant, unless you're intent on throwing away a lot of money on a mediocre dinner.” “Good cheap wine list and awesome raspberry margaritas!” “The food was delicious and creative and the prices were very reasonable!” “great value!” “Best value @@@@.” “definately a switch from the bad meals at ridiculous prices you usually get around there.” “Offering less expensive, better food and drink than Rosa Mexicana and a modicum of comfort and courtesy missing at Mexicana Mama, Hell's Kitchen is worth a little trek.”
wait time	50.0% positive	“used to be a fan of this place-the service was consistently slow, but the food outweighed the service.” “The drinks are great, the good is great, and though I read in the Citysearch review that the service can be slow, I've never experienced that.” “Yes, the reservations policy is weird, and yes, we had to wait 30 minutes past our time to get a table even when half the restaurant was empty, but who cares when the watermelon margaritas are that great?”

12/06/11

Not what it used to be. Now with friendly roaches.

by Gisselita

Until my last two visits during the last 6-8 months, Hell's Kitchen was one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the city.

A group of six went to have dinner and drinks after a show. By experience the pineapple margaritas, the menu and portions were simply perfect. The last two visits were very different as menu items have been removed/changed, portions have been noticeably decreased, and the place appears to be a home for huge ROACHES. Two of them jumped and walked over two of us during our last visit. Due to the surprise and disgust, everyone jumped away from the table and waiters rushed to catch and pick up the roaches with white towels. Everyone at the restaurant noticed the chaos. What was most disappointing was that the manager on duty (12/02 evening) or any other member of the staff did not take the initiative or time to come apologize to our party. We had to ask to see the manager. He approached us and quickly hushed us saying, “We’ll take something off the check” motioning us to settle. He did not apologize, but until we followed to point out the poor customer experience and low level of sympathy for what had just happened. We got the check, nothing was taken off and gratuity was included in the check total. We paid 100%. A few days later we realize that our credit card was charged an additional $14 without our approval.

Unfortunately, Hell's Kitchen has evolved taking a turn for the worse in food, cleanliness and service levels. It is no longer the restaurant it used to be. I would caution anyone before considering visiting this restaurant with your friends and family. At least not until the new management is replaced and the A grade on the door actually means something.

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03/27/11

Great Food

by flaca1987

This place is magnificent, we went there last nite as a pre dinner for a how we were going to see. We made reservations so luckily we didn't have to wait. The place is very tiny but youre still comfortable not tiny were you're closed in to the next table. The ambience and the atmosphere were great the lights are dim down. The waiters were great they explained the menu and all my questions about some ingredients. The food is delicious I am not a big fan of Mexican food but this was to die for, mind you I am a very picky eater and petite. The appetizer I choose were the scallops trust me when I tell you they were really really good, but becuase its an appetizer it was very tiny and they only served 3 which is fine. I only has one drink which was a Sangria it was made to perfection not too sweet and not too dry. For the main course I had Roasted Chicken and Monterey Jack Quesadilla with Poblano Crema. It was very delicious no complaints with the food whatsoever. Cons are Pricey what can we say were in New York what isn't pricey, there is only one bathroom so you have to wait 5-10 minutes. Those are just minor cons. My overall experience was great I will reccomend this restaurant to anyone.

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02/18/10

Horrible food that made me sick and overrated!

by maverick061

After reading all the acclaimed reviews of Hell's Kitchen, I decided this would be a perfect place to wine and dine my wife for our first Valentine's Day dinner together.

We were impressed with the ambiance when we walked in since it looked romantic and the friendliness and service of the staff. We actually thought that we were going to have a great Vday dinner!?

My wife and myself agreed on eating American food. However, I saw a lot of ITALIAN options instead on the menu and very little AMERICAN food. We have nothing against Italian food but we had that for lunch.

My wife wound up having the shrimp appetizer instead ONLY which tasted just ok. I decided to eat the "World Famous" HK Burger but the burger just tasted ok. After 1 hour and I reached home, I started getting sick. I got a massive stomach ache and cramps thanks to the HK Burger which was either undercooked or the beef was tainted and contaminated. Is this the price I have to pay for eating a "quality" burger??? I was sick for two days and had to miss work! Because of HK, I am now paranoid to go outside to any restaurant and eat since we are not the ones cooking!

The restaurant is soooo overrated. My experience at HK definitely left a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended).

Pros: Ambiance, Location, Friendliness of staff
Cons: Quality of Food

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03/11/09

great food and staff..CREEPY chef

by circleeast

I ate here last week with my boyfriend...started at the bar with some amazing cocktails..me..wajito..my fella..a beuno anejo margitita..bartender with the moustache was super friendly and helpful!!!! Dinner was great but what bothered us most was the creepy guy with the chef whites(chef maybe??) who stood at the end of the bar for most of our meal and just "surveyed"the dining room...Why isn't he in the kitchen cooking..looks like he gets in the way of the staff a lot too. The reason I say "creepy" is because my boyfriend said when I went to the bathroom he totally stared at me,checking me out..EEEEEWWWWW!! Food was great and staff was super friendly from the hostess..to the ,manager..to the bartender(nice moustache..my boyfriend has one too!!!) to the super nice server(forgot his name) BUT seriously that chef guy is creepy..get back in the kitchen....and stop making customers feel weird with your creepy stare

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02/22/09

eh, just okay

by keiramcdaniel

just okay....ambiance. just okay...food. just okay...service. tried the steak tacos, sirloin, guac, the sea bass and a few other things with friends. again, the food was okay but not the best guac or the best anything. i was expecting progressive, flavorful mexican but received bland mexican that i could make at home. again, its an okay place if you're hungry and happen to be in hell's kitchen, but nothing i would go out of my way to visit. i've always been skeptical of moderately priced to expensive mexican, because that just goes against the grain of what mexican food is, and this is the epitome of why i would just go down to chavellas in brooklyn if i had a craving for anything mexican.

Pros: nice place to take the visitors you don't really like
Cons: not a place to go if you want to be satisfied

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Progressive Mexican Cuisine
Pre-Theatre Dining
Selection of wines & tequilas

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12/06/11

Not what it used to be. Now with friendly roaches.

by Gisselita

03/27/11

Great Food

by flaca1987

02/18/10

Horrible food that made me sick and overrated!

by maverick061

03/11/09

great food and staff..CREEPY chef

by circleeast

02/22/09

eh, just okay

by keiramcdaniel

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