Arriba Arriba Mexican Rstrnt

03/09/10

Go for the Margaritas, Stay for the Crowd!

by AdamDanielWeiss , Citysearch Contributor

Well, I loves me a good Margarita, I cannot lie, and Arriba Arriba delivers! The prices can be a bit steep, but then again when you are getting yourself a bucket or Margaritas, by the time you get to the bottom of it, the price is the least of your worry.

There is plenty of eye candy to be seen at Arriba Arriba, especially the large, loud and adorable contingent of gay men (you're welcome!), who stroll up and down 9th Ave and settle in for some good Mexican. The prices are a bit above average for similar cuisine in other places, but it's fun, it's tasty and its worth the trip. And the hangover the next morning.

• Pros: Tasty Margaritas, Cute Crowd
• Cons: Loud Music, Prices Above Average

10/09/08

Terrible night ahead...Avoid at all cost!!

by Renee69

My experience was one of the worst dining experience of my life so far. The food took nearly 45 minutes to come out. There were just four of us and sure most of the tables were full... but 45 minutes (that's just ridiculous)! The food was enjoyable once it arrived but as soon as they cleared our table, they began to hound us to leave. The hostess came by and snatched the tip off the table asking if we were waiting for something. When we replied 'no' she began to stroll back and forth watching our table. Feeling unwelcome, we stood to leave as we did one of our party made it clear that we no longer felt wanted in the restaurant. The management's response was "well you should leave... you are done with your meal... go ahead get out!!" At that exact same moment he put the bar arm down and struck one of my friends in the mouth!!! The evening was ruined of course!! It was an unfortunate event that ended an evening that had such promise!! We will NEVER go back.

• Pros: Ambience
• Cons: Customer Service, Parking

07/14/08

Wasn't that impressed

by sassysweetie1920

Some friends and I were visiting NYC, and chose to check out Arriba Arriba. We had a party of about 9 people. We waited about 20-25 minutes for our seats, which was no big deal. What did make us mad, was that we waited over an hour and a half for our food! Seriously! When we asked the waiter what was going on, he responded by saying that they were very busy, so everyone has to wait for their food. Then, they also said that our party was so large. Whatever! I guess they didn't care since they were already getting 20% gratuity! Ugh! Also, when we finally got the food, it was just mediocre. We are from Texas, so we weren't too cool with the shredded beef on the tacos and nachos. Also, my tacos were all soggy, which was not cool at all! I had a strawberry colada, and it was more like a milkshake than an alcoholic beverage.

• Pros: Nice ambience, good salsa
• Cons: Food mediocre, horrible service

06/06/08

Good food, but pretty boy commits fraud, so that kind of negates it....

by magnificence

I will preface this by saying that my party of 4 was seated immediately (after finding 30 minute waits at most other restaurants on that block), and the food was excellent. The service, however, was not actually "service", but an afterthought. We were so excited when we received a amazingly attractive waiter, but that excitement died rapidly upon realizing that sometimes the truly beautiful are true idiots. 30 minutes after I ordered it my Coke arrived, my friend ordered a cranberry juice when our food arrived, the juice itself arrived 5 minutes after the check. Now, I am a actor/waiter and I have NEVER not left a tip, but after everything, I felt it was deserved. We tried to get the waiter's attention to explain the situation to him, but he never revisited our table; a busboy picked up our check and cards. 3 days later, I find that Pretty Boy has added his own four dollar tip to my card. I call the restaurant to complain, and I get stuck talking to a very rude man who won't let me speak to a manager until I give my name, number and the reason I'm calling. Manager on phone was nice enough, promised to get right on it, so we'll see.

But of all the amazing places to eat on Ninth Avenue, why choose a place you'll be taking a chance on? I've read the other reviews, and it seems like when Arriba Arriba is on, they are ON. But too many times they're not, so why risk it? This was not our first choice, and on reflection, we should have waited for a table at VYNL.

04/13/08

Tremendous Margaritas, Delicious Food

by Veronica17

My daughter, already hooked on Arriba Arriba, recommended this restaurant. She and I arrived at approximately 7 PM last night and, although there was a wait for parties of three or more, we were seated immediately. As has been pointed out before, it is definitely crowded and loud, but I adapted quickly. I had to try the Mama Margarita (27 oz.) and was not disappointed as they did not skimp on the alcohol. I ordered the Carne a la Parrilla and, much to my daughter's surprise, ate every morsel off my plate. That does not happen often ! Our waiter, Chad, asked if I lived in NYC and , after I answered in the affirmative, he pulled out the menu and suggested a dish for my next visit. He was right on the money because I know I will visit again and sooner rather than later. The price was right. The crowd was fun and friendly. The DJ was a treat. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, I "dared" to have another Mama Margarita.

• Pros: Mama Margarita, Perfectly Seasoned Steak, Fun
• Cons: Not for people who want a quiet little dinner