La Esquina

06/26/2008 Posted by dontgotolaesquina

First, I want to start by sharing that I have never written a review of a restaurant before but I feel strongly that people should be warned about the staff at La Esquina. I have eaten at this restaurant once before and although I found the food tasty the staff was horrific. They are pretentious and rude. I recently tried to make a large birthday dinner and was successful in calling exactly 3 weeks before the date to secure the reservation. The process from then on was disgraceful. I was told that they would give away the table if I didn't fax a contract to them 24 hours after they sent it. First, they emailed it three days late. After 1 hour at Kinko’s on the phone (listening to their awful hold button music) they finally acknowledged that their fax machine was not working but they insisted that I scan it in an email to them (which cost me $12). After this debacle, I was made aware that their earlier seating time was available (they only offer 7pm or 10pm) and asked for our party to be changed to this time. They said that in order to secure this reservation (even though I had already spend over an hour sending them a contract with all of my information the day before) I would have to send them a new contract that same day. (via email of course because their fax machine was still not working). Now, I recognize that electronics break and there are company policies but there should still be a human behind these machines and rules. Don't go here people, a place with such nasty employees should not be receiving our $$ or support.

Cons: staff

06/15/2008 Posted by DeloresDelRio

I loved it. Loved the atmosphere...yeah, the food was okay...but for Mexican...in NEW YORK? And I KNOW mexican food. Why is everyone so hard to impress? Dig the (pseudo) East LA lowrider art. I got the joke. Relax seen-it-all-types. Have a margarita...and chill Homey.

Pros: Fun ambience

Cons: Sometimes 'too cool' crowd

02/12/2008 Posted by aim2008

What a waste of time. I arrived at 6:15pm for a 6:30pm reservation, I checked in with the girl at the door and was waiting for my boyfriend to meet me upstairs in the trailer part before heading down to the restaurant. When he arrived at 6:35 we headed downstairs through the kitchen only to find out that our table had been given away. Whatever happened to a 10 minute grace period? The staff was so pretentious and offered no resolution to the problem except to say we shouldn't of been late. Is it really worth going through all this for so so Mexican food. Walking through the kitchen is gross and the mats are filthy also.

Cons: poor service

01/31/2008 Posted by SinclairT

I agree very much with some of the previous reviews. The food is not good in any way and there is so much attitude from the staff , it is just laughable. If you want to feel like a 15 year old , trying to be really really hip, this is the place for you. You must enter thru a "private" door , and walk thru the kitchen to get to the underground dining room. I don't know about you , but having a stream of people walking by my food as it is being prepared , doesn't whet my appetite. In addition , as I entered the dining room, it really had an odd and bad smell. You got used to it, but really , do you want to have to get used to some bad smell in a place where you are paying to have dinner? The restaurant just felt dirty. Needless to say , I won't be returning , or recommending it .

Pros: Can't think of one

Cons: Smelly , contrived, average food, attitude

01/03/2008 Posted by lk11

My friend made a reservation hearing that this was a hot spot that we had to try. I wish I hadn't gone. The food was gross, the taco was a little cold tortilla with a few tiny pieces of meat inside that looked like they had been a few months old. The staff was incredibly rude. I was putting food into my mouth as a bus boy asked if I was done, obviously not. He turned away and a second later asked again if I was done as if I had finished in that time. One waitress cut me online to the bathroom, not that I would have cared if she had asked and said very rudely I just need to go and then gave me a dirty look as if I had done something to her. It is not worth your time or money at this place.

Pros: "cool" underground ambiance

Cons: Food, service

12/31/2007 Posted by tt1975

Went there last night with a group of friends and confirmed that, 1. food is "OK" at best, 2. workers are rude and arrogant (patrons kiss up repeatedly to the woman holding the RSVP list. It was pathetic!) So food and service are both below mediocre. Remind me why this place is still open? New Yorkers deserve better.

Pros: lots of room for improvement

Cons: bad service, bad food, contrived

11/29/2007 Posted by ccjigga

I live across the street from this restaurant and it became an instant favorite of mine...until as is the case with many successful restaurants in Soho it seems, they became "too cool". Service at the side cafe is terrible and the attitude regarding the basement is absurd. When did Mexican street fare require a reservation months in advance??? Likewise the attitude of the delivery team seems to be that they will answer the phone in their own good time. Well an avid fan is now seeking other eats. The attitude here used to be ok, but now it has gone the way of Cafe Habana...Good food, terrible service. Hopefully they right the ship, in the meantime find somewhere that still understands that they exist to service the customer, not the other way around.

Pros: Good food

Cons: Terrible service (side cafe/delivery) and ridiculous attitude for basement restaurant

11/28/2007 Posted by professorberkley

Ihave been to La Esquina on numerous occasions and each visit is less and less enjoyable. The food is average at best and the service is horrendous! This place is overly trendy and managements must feel that they do not have to focus on the main ingredients like food and service to sustain the restaurant. Unfortunately, once the next hip place takes off I have a feeling that La Esquina will wish they had made some changes.

10/15/2007 Posted by goldstreet

I am an Australian living in New York. I have travelled extensively in Europe and Asia and enjoy seeking out reputedly excellent restaurants. I have dined out 20 occasions in New York in the past month. I have to say that La Esquina is the most disappointing 'high profile' restaurant I have ever been to anywhere. The inflexible arrogance of staff at entrance, bar and table was indicative of an establishment that has lost its way. Living on the tail-end of a reputation that it no longer deserves. "No need to try...we are still hot" seemed to be the pervasive attitude. But the food is the main focus. Well, sorry folks but on this score too an abject failure. My partner and I sampled 8 dishes between us and not one achieved the balance and taste one would expect/demand for the price paid. Inferior food. Ambience was trendy but how long can a place like this be sustained without matching food...I suspect it got there on 'novelty' value...entrance maze and dark decor. Not a dining experience. New York..you can do better.

Pros: Trendy

Cons: Food Wine Service Noise Space

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

10/11/2007 Posted by breadbooze

I heard of this restaurant through a friend who'd recommended that I visit "the secret mexican place in the basement". After calling the number on a card that simply said lucha libre on it I was able to make reservations for the same evening at 1030, not late by my standards. Some doorman guarding the "employees only" door looked at the reservation list and let my party in, no nastiness involved. After being guided through the kitchen, a small bar, a turn here and there we made it to our table. It wasn't until after we left that the same stairway to exit was five steps from our table, why they didn't take us the direct route, I don't know. Decor and atmosphere was a weird mix of restaurant in mexico at night lit by candles and a crowd of french cuffed country club boys with some really eye friendly ladies thrown in. The dining area is packed but by no means is it as packed as other eateries in this city (The Elephant takes the cake there). The drinks are superb and our server was very hospitable to our requests. We got a look at the portion sizes while passing by the other tables and figured it to be tapas style, ordering quite a few entrees to share. The food was amazing this side of the east river (true foodies know real mexican is on roosevelt ave from jackson heights to corona), lamb chops were awesome as are the desserts afterwards. We were never rushed for the table; we sat around for 20 minutes after paying the bill with no interruptions from our server. Overall we were very satisified and would definitely visit again.

Pros: food, drinks

Cons: too dark for my taste

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful