Senor Swanky's Mexican Cafe & Speakeasy

(212) 579-2900

513 Columbus Ave (Between 84th Street & 85th Street)
New York, NY 10024 40.7856 -73.9728

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Neighborhoods: Upper West Side, Midtown

Years in business

Established in 2005

Hours:

Sun-Thu 12pm-3am

Fri-Sat 12pm-4am

Last updated 5.22.10

Category:

Restaurants, Singles Bars, Lounges, Bars & Pubs, Sports Bars, Neighborhood Bars, Bars & Clubs

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard

Bar & Pub Special Features:

Happy Hour

Restaurant Special Features:

Late Night Dining, Private Rooms, Lunch Spot, Brunch, Outdoor Dining, Margaritas, People Watching, Group Dining, Bar Scene, Private Parties

Cuisine:

Southwestern, Mexican

Bar & Club Special Features:

Specialty Cocktails, Outdoor Seating, After Work

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Senor Swanky's Mexican Cafe & Speakeasy

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

Upper West Side spot serves Mexican food and margaritas, with outdoor seating and a private party room.

Editor's Tips

When to Go:
Catch happy hour from 4pm to 7pm Monday through Friday and from 10pm to 4am Sunday through Thursday.
Delivery:
Delivery is available with a $10 minimum after 4pm. Delivery hours are Sun-Thu 12pm-1am and Fri-Sat 12pm-2am.
ambiance
90.0% positive
  1. “the oiudoor cafe is huge and the veiws are fun and entertaining.”
  2. “out server was fun and attentive ,,,,she suggested a mango margarita.”
  3. “this place was fun from the get go.”
  4. “The decor is a tacky stereotype, the food is mediocre (neither authentic nor imaginative).”
  5. “Excellent location for parties”
  6. “Very good atmosphere to chill after work.”
  7. “The food is tasty, the service is dependable and the atmosphere is comfortable with a good neighborhood feel.”
  8. “The bar was fun and service was good.”
  9. “All i can say is that mr reynolds needs a life, swankys' is a great place to have a fun time and have some great margaritasand really great mexican food, plus they have been there since the mid 90's, i guess they must be doing something right,lol.”
  10. “Senor Swanky's is the perfect location for any type of party.”
drinks
87.5% positive
  1. “and decided to help our attitude witha drink before taking on the throngs of balloon watchers, we saw this really nice place and decided a margarita was the way to go.”
  2. “and although i loved the dive bar on 74th st...this transfomation is unbelievable.”
  3. “and the drinks were huge and strong.”
  4. “The drinks and the food were overpriced and not very sav.”
  5. “have always enjoyed teh food and drinks and service whenever i have gone to swanky's and i love sitting outside and as mr reynolds calls them wobbly tables, have never caused me a problem.”
  6. “The bar was fun and service was good.”
  7. “Delicious drinks, good service and food.”
  8. “In the nice weather, there is outdoor seating to drink the very good margaritas.”
food quality
73.33000183105469% positive
  1. “but this food was delicious and fresh as can be,,,,,and mountains of it.”
  2. “we had 4 different meals,which were absolutely delicious.”
  3. “The food was overpriced and the quality of the food was just average.”
  4. “and in most resaturants they give you lots of lousy food.”
  5. “have always enjoyed teh food and drinks and service whenever i have gone to swanky's and i love sitting outside and as mr reynolds calls them wobbly tables, have never caused me a problem.”
  6. “The chips were so stale that we didn't even bother to entertain the salsa.”
  7. “The chips and salsa were good.”
  8. “boy were we wrong the food was great ,,,,i will defiantely go back.”
  9. “All i can say is that mr reynolds needs a life, swankys' is a great place to have a fun time and have some great margaritasand really great mexican food, plus they have been there since the mid 90's, i guess they must be doing something right,lol.”
  10. “Service and food were both well above average and the margaritas were excellent.”
  11. “The drinks and the food were overpriced and not very sav.”
  12. “We ordered two different types of maragaritas while munching on some very tasty chips & salsa.”
  13. “overpriced, not very good food”
  14. “great margaritas great food and great service.”
  15. “like Senor Swanky's for the frozen margaritas but the food is also good.”
  16. “the steak was delicious.”
  17. “Delicious drinks, good service and food.”
  18. “but no this is COVERED in some tomato sauce, with spicy gross stuff on the top then smothered with guac.”
  19. “The food is tasty, the service is dependable and the atmosphere is comfortable with a good neighborhood feel.”
  20. “My meal was very good and a free margarita made it even better.”
  21. “the "salsa music was good but the salsa and the margaritas were even better.”
  22. “send it back (such a nice server was helping) and I get a new one still no rice and still all the sauce was taking over any mexican taste that could be hidden.”
  23. “The yellow rice was not bad but the black beans with a very tiny pool of something that looked liked mozzarella cheese tasted like they came out of a can of Goya seasoned black beans.”
  24. “Then, when I got my quesadilla, the chicken was marinated in some nasty 'mexican spices.'”
  25. “The decor is a tacky stereotype, the food is mediocre (neither authentic nor imaginative).”
  26. “My son and I were expecting an awesome meal after reading the menu online and all the reviews.”
  27. “have been scoffing down el Senor's fajitas and washing them down with his yummy and strong margaritas for almost a decade,,,,,i love them.”
  28. “the food is delicious and the margs go down like water.”
  29. “The fajita (twice the price of a normal restaurant) was terrible, chicken tasted processed, came with no lettuce or tomato (that was an extra $3).”
  30. “Then I order a quesadilla (normal mexian would be nice chicken (no sauce on it) and cheese, plus rice on the side yum!)”
menu variety
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “Their formerly great Mexican Burrito, while still listed identically on the menu, has become insipid.”
  2. “full menu ,by the way they were the only place open.”
  3. “My son and I were expecting an awesome meal after reading the menu online and all the reviews.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “and decided to help our attitude witha drink before taking on the throngs of balloon watchers, we saw this really nice place and decided a margarita was the way to go.”
  2. “What was my favorite Mexican restaurant has, in their effort to become "respectable", lost all of its former charm and appeal.”
  3. “All i can say is that mr reynolds needs a life, swankys' is a great place to have a fun time and have some great margaritasand really great mexican food, plus they have been there since the mid 90's, i guess they must be doing something right,lol.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “There was a nice cool, relaxed vibe here which would make me want to come back again.”
  2. “boy were we wrong the food was great ,,,,i will defiantely go back.”
service
78.5699987411499% positive
  1. “my group of 5 had a blast the service was great.”
  2. “That is not indicated on the coupon, and frankly, I think this inadequate waitress was lying!”
  3. “the fajitas were scrumptious as always,,,and the service was great.”
  4. “The service was also poor.”
  5. “we stayed awhile and the kids didn't upset any of the staff,which is always good.”
  6. “the place was full of people and excitement.”
  7. “The food is tasty, the service is dependable and the atmosphere is comfortable with a good neighborhood feel.”
  8. “Delicious drinks, good service and food.”
  9. “send it back (such a nice server was helping) and I get a new one still no rice and still all the sauce was taking over any mexican taste that could be hidden.”
  10. “The bar was fun and service was good.”
  11. “have always enjoyed teh food and drinks and service whenever i have gone to swanky's and i love sitting outside and as mr reynolds calls them wobbly tables, have never caused me a problem.”
  12. “out server was fun and attentive ,,,,she suggested a mango margarita.”
  13. “the bartender crystal recommended a black cherry margarita.”
  14. “great margaritas great food and great service.”
value
55.56000232696533% positive
  1. “Never will I go to such an over priced gross place again.”
  2. “The food was overpriced and the quality of the food was just average.”
  3. “they even have a huge TV to watch football on.”
  4. “the oiudoor cafe is huge and the veiws are fun and entertaining.”
  5. “and the drinks were huge and strong.”
  6. “overpriced, not very good food”
  7. “My former husband (NOT) and lousy reviewer burt reynolds said some pretty nasty stuff about swanky's, but i guess i must have fleeced him for so much money in the divorce that he considers an average of $13 for an entree overpriced then he should get fina”
  8. “The drinks and the food were overpriced and not very sav.”
  9. “The fajita (twice the price of a normal restaurant) was terrible, chicken tasted processed, came with no lettuce or tomato (that was an extra $3).”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/08/09

Very Good Mexican & Margaritas

by Ravi454 at Citysearch

I used the Buy One Get One margarita coupon.....very good choice. My meal was very good and a free margarita made it even better.

  • Pros: Mexican food, margaritas
2 Star Rating: Below Average

04/19/09

Good Margaritas food not so much...

by marfigson at Citysearch

The food and the portions left alot to be desired. The service was also poor. We had to chase someone down to get water.

I don't think I'll be back... I'll find another Mexican spot where the food matches the taste of the Margaritas.

  • Pros: Margaritas are well done.
  • Cons: Service was poor.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/25/08

Fun Times, Great Specials

by hugh8pl at Citysearch

I've never not had a fun time at Swanky's. Delicious drinks, good service and food. Also, there's always good specials like the ones you can find right on this Citysearch page....Swanky''s!

  • Pros: drinks, specials
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/23/08

Good eats & drinks

by CarlMM at Citysearch

Had a good time at Swanky's. Service and food were both well above average and the margaritas were excellent. Very good atmosphere to chill after work. Recommended!

  • Pros: cuisine, service, margaritas
  • Cons: None
1 Star Rating: Poor

10/15/08

Poor example of Mexican cuisine

by veegal at Citysearch

My son and I were expecting an awesome meal after reading the menu online and all the reviews. First of all the only waitress on staff was a bit lazy and since there are no busboys I had to ask her for water twice. When we did get our water is was extremely warm.

The chips were so stale that we didn't even bother to entertain the salsa. I ordered two different types of chicken entrees my son's entree tasted exactly the same as mine,except for a few sorry slices of tomatoes and onions that were on my chicken. My son's lemon chicken tasted so much of butter that you couldn't appreciate the lemon essence. The yellow rice was not bad but the black beans with a very tiny pool of something that looked liked mozzarella cheese tasted like they came out of a can of Goya seasoned black beans. I suppose that Senor Swanky's is really only known for their Margarita's but I didn't have one. I would not return or even reccommend this place to ANYONE!! The food was so BLAHHHHH. Oh and the portions were very tiny too.

  • Pros: Colorful and cheery
  • Cons: FOOD IS AWFUL MEXICAN CUISINE

The Details on Senor Swanky's Mexican Cafe & Speakeasy

Place Categories:

  • great place
  • great mexican food
  • great margaritas
  • great service
  • best damn fajitas
  • overpriced drinks
  • overpriced food
  • nice relaxed vibe
  • very tasty chips
  • worst restaurant
  • very tasty salsa
  • loved dive bar
  • great mexican
  • favorite mexican restaurant
  • comfortable atmosphere
  • nice server
  • excellent location
  • fun veiws
  • very good meal
  • best faitas
  • always good staff
  • order quesadilla
  • like senor swanky
  • good specials
  • pleasant past experiences

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