Mamajuana Cafe

Doesn't Recommend

michellelora

Joined 5 years ago

ran out of food, and then no gas, terrible place. I usually go there for sun brunch with live flamenco and it's not bad. but boy sat nights are dif. i was with a friend and little did we know we were in for a third world experience. Everytime i go they make us wait like an hr for a table we lost track of time talking at the bar and they made us wait for 2hrs, and that's because we went to ask. The girl had a list but she had forgoten us! we finally get seated and the waiter tells us we can only order appetizers because they too many big parties and they RAN OUT OF FOOD FOR MAIN COURSE!! after processing that we decided to order appetizers, but that's not all! 5 min later the mngr says he's very sorry but we can't eat at all THERE WAS NO GAS!!!(third world or what?) they funny thing is that emmidiately after he left our table the couples to my right and left got their food, steak and salmon. i called the mngr again and he just had no idea how they had gotten their food! this place has no idea how to run a business, they have favoritism when deciding how fast they sit you and how well they treat you. they don't deserve my money. im dominican and at walking distance but i won't be eating there again.

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Songbird1

Joined 5 years ago

Pretty good Dominican food, and I am dominican!!. I went to Mama Juanas for a birthday last year in Ocotober of 2007 the food and drinks were definitely amazing, and our portions were very plentiful. I have to admit we were a huge group and paid a lot of money for all the food and drinks that we purchased but we were also basically asked to skiddadle after we paid.

As far as the most previous review 5/2008 maybe your experience was not so great for the day you went in Mother's Day? Really?!! As far as training the wait staff to speak English isn't that like an ignorant person to request the easiest route for themselves you are going to experience a different culture without having to travel learn a little bit of the language you may have enjoyed your over all experience. I would definitely go again. My coworkers and I are actually planning an after work drinks and dinner there soon. I will write another review then too. Let's see if I agree with the most recent review of this place or not. I hope its a no!!

Doesn't Recommend

Zagatguy1

Joined 5 years ago

What a HUGE Disappointment!!!!. A friend wanted to take me to this place on Dyckman she swore to me was the best for my birthday dinner. We arrived at Mamajuana's and were told it wld be a 30 minute wait to be seated. That ws at 6:50 pm. It was Mothers Day so naturally there were large parties waiting to be seated. Understood, but the staff and mgmt was totally unprepared to handle this rush of business apparently. We went to the super crowded bar only to be ignored by the barstaff. I guess firing off a round of shots in the air would get one of these bar people to acknowledge you and ask for your order. After 40 mins, no table. We checked w/the hostess. She was overwhelmed and told us 15 mins. We waited and waited. At 8:20pm(!) we were seated in the middle of the place w/traffic of staff and people bumping into us at any given time. I noticed I 4got 2 get my credit card back from the bar tab, so i get up to get my card back from the bar. The same girl who took my order and card, suddenly cldnt spk enuf English to understand she still had my card. A bi lingual waiter helpd me get my card back! Thank God! We had the crabcakes[nothing but MrsPaul frozen] and the paella[average, small 30$??] We wanted the roast pork but get this- -they ran out of RICE!! in a Spanish restaurant? Unheard of! Just like the other bad reviews, we were barely done eating before we were asked to PAY UP and GET OUT! Terrible..bubble gum staff, average small portion food, etc. PAY ATTENTION TO THESE BAD REVIEWS-they mean something. The reg clients feel like becuz this is a local spot they 'run' this joint. This place is desparate to give off some type of gourmet 5star image, but does nt hv the chops 2 pull it off. Advice: Crowd control, basic customer service-train ur staff ENGLISH, improve the cooking and maybe people will return, which builds your business. I for one will NOT be back 2 see if any changes are implemented. I ll be eating at Mofongo down the street.

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fserulle

Joined 7 years ago

Don't pay the check till you are ready to walk out the door!. I have been meaning to go to Mamajuana's for some time now. I love that it is a hip new restaurant in Inwood, but because of some of the reviews have been very hesitant to go. Finally the opportunity arises and I make reservations. To give credit where it is due -we were promptly seated and the wait staff, food and drinks were amazing (strong and delicious) try the Mamajuana mojito! It was a really amazing dining experience- up until the very end. Minutes after we paid the check, we were asked to leave so that they can accommodate others! I was appalled- especially after the money we had spent! You'd think they'd let you finish your coffee and at least use the bathroom. I mean I was still putting on my coat when they literally took the table away. I understand about the turn around and everything but that is no way to build a clientele, if they were in that desperate need of the table and could not wait the additional 10-15 minutes they could have at least ask us to move to the bar, anything ! With those actions they basically told us ?We?ve got your money, now get the F*%@ OUT! Truly a shame- if it were not for that part of the evening I'd recommend it to everyone. I should have heeded the warnings from the reviews.

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malditanegra

Joined 6 years ago

Exactly what's needed to relax on any day. As I read some of the comments on this restaurant I was extremely surprise. I've been to Mamajuana at least 5-6 times with a different crowd each time and on different days of the week and my expirience has always been great. I don't have anything bad to say about the place (well, on Sat nights it can get really crowded and the wait is long if you have no reservations.). I LOVE IT!!! The food is fantastic..best "pudin the pan" I've had in ages. The service is excellent and the atmosphere is fantastic! I am sorry for the people whose expirience has been less than great, but to me the place kicks *&%$.!

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ljmw

Joined 6 years ago

Great atmosphere and food, but terrible customer service.. I have been to mamajuana a few times and loved the atmosphere, but i must say i went to dinner last night and was disappointed in the service. For a restaurant that has so much to offer the community, the service has gone down hill. i hope the owner or manager takes these reviews into consideration and invests more time in hiring the correct staff or train their current servers to do a better job. a customer should not have to wait to the middle of their meal to be served water, and someone should stop by every so often and make sure that everything is ok. customer service definitely needs improvement!!!

Doesn't Recommend

czambia

Joined 6 years ago

Never again... I invited a girlfriend out for dinner with the hopes of celebrating her birthday at mamajuanas. The night started off well. We were seated promptly, our meal was delivered in a timely manner and the food was decent (although a bit overpriced).Unfortunately things turned sour about 2/3 into our meal when I noticed the manager started to make frequent stops at our table, eyeing the progress we had made on our meal and asking if we needed anything else. At first I felt it was good customer service, but then it became clear he was trying to rush us out of our table. It came to the point that just a few minutes after we had finished our last sip of sangria, he quickly delivered the check and basically kicked us out. I am not exagerating! It was awful and by far my worst dining experience to date. I will never sponsor this establishment again.

Doesn't Recommend

acfoodie

Joined 6 years ago

AVOID. It pains me to write a bad review of this restaurant because in theory this place is exactly what this neighorhood needs. But in reality, I had one of the most awful dining experiences possible. The food was ok, the ambience was ok, but all hope and expectations of wrapping up a lovely evening on a good note were dashed when the manager asked us to leave because "there were people waiting for a table." Mind you, we had signed the check not even 5 minutes before, and we were getting ready to leave. I must say that once he realized his mistake, the manager did come back and offered us was a drink by the bar but by then it was too late. We were too upset by having been kicked out to acccept his olive branch.

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kwokster

Joined 6 years ago

Great food, great vibe!. I've been to the restaurant 3 times already, and I must say I can never get sick of it!! Food is always amazing there, my favorite is the paella. They change their menu seasonally and there are specials everynight. Service is excellent, the staff is very friendly and accommodating. If you are a fan of Latin/Spanish flavors this place cannot be missed. The sangria is the best in town! Go on a Thursday night, there's a live band that plays Brazilian music and the atmosphere is amazing. If you prefer a more quiet meal they have a decent sized outdoor patio as well. All in all, I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT!

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nyc_fo_life

Joined 11 years ago

Great experience and food. This place is great. It might appear to be a bit more upscale based on the prices on the menu, but in reality it is a great value. The dishes are huge! More importantly, the quality of the food compares very favorably to most similarly priced restaurants downtown. The dishes are carefully seasoned and service is very attentive. It is a real gem for the Washington Heights/ Inwood areas.