The Meena House — Restaurant in Port of Spain

Review for Meena House

My friend and I visited Meena House for afternoon tea as part of a larger party of about ten people, and it was one of the worst dining experiences we’ve ever had. From the start, the service was appalling. Despite arriving before others in our party, we were ignored, while those who came after us received their tea plates first. We waited for 40 minutes with nothing, and only after the host of our party intervened were the plates brought out—another 10 minutes later.

When the food finally arrived, it was a huge letdown. Everything was cold, unappetizing, and lacked any real flavor. For a place that promotes itself as an afternoon tea spot, the quality was severely lacking.

The service was even worse. When I ordered a hot chocolate and didn’t like how it was prepared, I politely asked for another. The server, a tall, dark-skinned Indian man who appeared middle-aged, took it back with a clear attitude. He returned with a slightly better version, but his rudeness made the entire experience uncomfortable. Later, when we requested water, we saw this same server standing by the bar chatting with other staff instead of helping us. After asking again, another server eventually brought water, but the original server continued to ignore us, choosing instead to serve other members of our party who hadn’t even asked for water.

When I directly addressed him with “excuse me,” he gave me a dismissive attitude. It became painfully clear that my friend and I were being deliberately ignored. Compared to how other members of our party were treated, the difference in service felt racially charged. We didn’t fit the “look” of the other guests, and the discriminatory undertones were impossible to ignore.

Even the host of our party acknowledged that the orders were mixed up, service was slow, and mistakes were made. The only saving grace of the visit was one kind waitress—a dark-skinned woman with braided hair pulled back. She was polite, professional, and a rare bright spot in an otherwise terrible experience. I truly feel sorry that she has to work in such a negative environment.

Overall, Meena House was a disaster. Between the cold, bland food, the rude and inattentive staff, and the racially charged behavior we experienced, I cannot recommend this place to anyone. If you care about good service, warm food, and respect, avoid Meena...

This was our first time dining at Meena House, so here is my detailed review:

In terms of the ambiance and the staff, we were quite pleased overall, as the staff were friendly and attentive.

Food took about 30 minutes to arrive.

In terms of the portion sizes, they seem quite undersized especially for the price: a. For example, I asked the waiter “How many persons does the Chicken Vindaloo serve?” and he said “2 persons”. However, when we received the dish, there were about 5-6 pieces of chicken (each about 1-1.5 inch in diameter); Bear in mind that we paid $175.00 for this dish. Compared to other “Indian Cuisine” restaurants in Trinidad, I must say that I was quite disappointed here. In terms of flavour and texture, however, the dish was very good, just wished the portion size was appropriate. b. Another example is the Shrimp Udaipuri. According to the menu, you’re supposed to receive between 8 and 12 shrimps, however, we ended up getting 5-6 pieces. For $325.00, I would expect to at least get what was advertised. In terms of the flavour and texture of the dish though, it was great, but again, I just wished the portion size was appropriate.

The Garlic Naan (a staple for any Indian Cuisine Restaurant in Trinidad); We ordered 3 portions of this for our table. When the Naan arrived, the texture seemed quite rubbery; Our knives and teeth struggled to cut through them. Usually, when I order Garlic Naan from other restaurants, it’s very soft, fluffy, and buttery, however, (with all due respect) this Naan we received seemed like it was reheated in a microwave. This was the biggest disappointment for all of us, as we always look forward to the Garlic Naan when ordering. When we complained to the waiter about this, he apologised and thanked us for the feedback. We even left back one of the portions because of how disappointing it was. I must say that I was expecting to at least not be charged for the 3rd portion of Naan after hearing our complaints, but this was not the case; we were still charged for all 3 portions at $55.00 each.

I ordered the Gulab Jamun cheesecake, and it was quite good! I was pleased with the presentation and the flavour (photo attached).

Overall, I would not recommend, as we were quite disappointed with the portion sizes, prices, and of course, the...

WORST RESTAURANT:

My experience at this restaurant was extremely disappointing. The server took our order and later informed us that the lamb dish we ordered was unavailable. So, we opted for the Kashmiri Lamb Rogan Josh. When the food arrived, the meat was chewy with a few cubes of meat and lacked the rich flavors typical of Indian cuisine. It tasted more like lamb-flavored tomato soup. The Paneer Tikka Masala was served with the gravy poured on top of the paneer cubes, which is not how authentic paneer tikka masala is made. The roti was the only tasty item, which the server called a Laccha Paratha. Clearly, they had no idea what they were serving. Additionally, the portion sizes were very small for the price—USD 45 for Lamb Rogan Josh and USD 30 for the paneer dish. Server

To top it off, the server gave us a check/bill that included the canceled dish along with the replacement. After sending it back, the server returned with another mistake, doubling the replacement dish and voiding the first dish. We had to remind them that we only ordered two entrées, three rotis, a side of white rice, and water. Finally, they fixed the bill, which totaled USD 138 and some change.

Overall, it was a thoroughly unsatisfactory dining experience. I won't be returning, nor would I recommend it to anyone looking for authentic and flavorful Indian food. Save your money—it's...