Native

11/10/09

Horrible Service, Subpar Food

by sobeautiful at Citysearch

I was excited when Native opened because it was a new addition to the neighborhood. I took some friends who were visiting for the weekend there for brunch. Our waitress was unattentive, seemed harried and rude. She got several of our orders wrong and seemed annoyed when we asked her to fix them. Then, she automatically added a 20% tip to our bill when there were only 4 of us dining. We paid the full bill, but left only a 15% tip because the service was not deserving of 20%. The waitress proceeded to storm out of the restaurant and accost us on the sidewalk demanding the full 20%, a difference of about $4.

Of course we complained to the restaurant manager who offered us to come back and have dinner on the house. We did and again dealt with staff who could not get orders right, forgot to put the alcohol in our cocktails, and acted annoyed at having to serve us.

This place is just not worth it. The food is just okay, but the poor service and inability to get things right keeps me from going back, even though it's right in my neighborhood. I much prefer Chez Lucienne at Lenox & 126th

• Pros: None
• Cons: Rude, unprofessional waitstaff, subpar bland food

05/12/09

cute joint in harlem

by jarrodw at Citysearch

Just happened to be walking by and decided to have a bite. It was a greatlaid back vibe and the staff was friendly. The food tasty--the basil chiken dish had just the right kick and my friend really enjoyed her vegetarian no meat dish. Interesting decor and the bar floats like a wave across the space with a bright mash of magazine picutes pasted across the front. They said in the summer the sidewalk cafe is open. next time I'm biking through the park I'' definetly return.

• Pros: great vibe
• Cons: a little small

12/03/07

native is great

by yomi911 at Citysearch

Native is my favorite local spot. I hang out downtown a lot and am always out to dinner and drinks with friends after work. We always seemto end up in mid-town and below. I was so happy when I found Native!! It is a great little spot with nice abmiance and really yummy , slightly upscale comfort food. The cocktails are great too! Many of my friends live uptown as well, so it is great to be able to pick a more local spot and just hang out there. The fare and service is consistent and I go back regularly. I highly recommend Native and staying closer to home.

• Pros: Ambience, Great Drinks, Good Food,

11/19/07

Izulis in Chicago but in NY

by jacare at Citysearch

There used to be a resteraunt named Izuli's on the North side of chicago. It was always packed and the food was great! Always had good music too. The building owner pushed the rent up and they had to leave the spot... Anyway, whenever I'm in NY I have to go to Native b/c it is almost exactly like Izuli's and take me back to the good old days. Good drinks too!

• Pros: ambience, decor, food, drinks
• Cons: n/a

09/13/07

Great local option

by pgn at Citysearch

I have been going to Native for 2 years and I think the service is decent, and VASTLY improved since last winter. The servers are always friendly although they seem a bit harried at times.The food is good (my fave is the basil curry chicken dish) and the prices quite affordable. You can easily eat a full meal for less than 12 bucks. Hello! Deal! The wine menu is small but efficient and the cocktail list is great. think it is one of the cheaper restaurants in the area for the style--and if you live up here you know the choices are slim. It's a nice local place with a cool downtown vibe. You also dont get the attitude you find 20 blocks south nor the prices.

• Pros: GREAT prices, nice ambiance
• Cons: small so crowds easily, not great for large parties (over 8 people)

08/05/07

Decent food, good prices, horrible service

by kcurleq at Citysearch

There aren't many restaurant choices in the neighborhood, so until more come along this is a decent alternative. Prices are pretty good (but that goes for the whole area), but service is pretty bad. Also they're not very flexible for customers, when we went they refused to put two tables together to accommodate our group of 5.

• Pros: good prices, ambience, good alternative to soul food
• Cons: the service!!!

12/28/05

Wonderful mac and cheese (that's right!)!

by doctorchandra at Citysearch

My wife and I had a wonderful meal at Native, which really welcomed us to the neighborhood. Dinner's brightest moment was, surprisingly, Native's mac + cheese, which I believe was made with cheddar and Danish blue cheeses. Good LORD was this stuff wonderful. I can taste it as I write this... *lip-smacking-noises*

08/05/05

not a corporate lunch

by asuoabena at Citysearch

The food was good, not great, the service was horrible but the price was unbeatable for a group of 25 people. The waiters were not very professional and could not get our orders right. It took forever to get our food and they simply seemed overwhelmed by the large party.

• Pros: inexpensive

07/22/05

Disappointed Service

by wyche6 at Citysearch

Although the food was good, the service was extremely poor. My guest and I were disappointed by the rudeness and unprofessionalism of the staff. Asking questions to the staff about the contents on the menu could be a lethal experience. The staff was impersonal, unempathetic, and unknowledgeable about the cuisine. My strawberry daiquiri was served in a water glass rather than the appropriate cocktail glass. The sweet potato pecan pie was extremely small and tasteless.

• Pros: French Cuisine, Creole Cuisine
• Cons: Service, Poor Parking

06/05/04

Great addition to the neighborhood

by bazzers at Citysearch

I love this place. It's small, and during peak hours can be crowded, but the atmosphere is funky and laid-back and the food uniformly good. The sangria is great (and a bargain), as are some of the cheap starter dishes that you can actually make a meal out of--the mac & cheese and the red beans & rice, in particular, are amazing. The major con is that the service is always slow, even when the dining room is nearly empty; I understand that the restaurant still isn't turning a profit, so maybe that explains why they seem to be understaffed. But it's such a fun, friendly place that this has never bothered me too much.

• Pros: Great food, Great atmosphere, Good crowd
• Cons: , Rather small