Loteria — Restaurant in Atlantic City

This place is NOTHING like the ORIGINAL Asbury Park location. I actually feel bad for the asbury one because if people eat here first, they will avoid the one in AP thinking it’s just as awful. The Asbury one is amazing, the food is fresh and the flavors are authentic. The queso tasted like microwaved canned cheese and the chips tested like straight up old cooking oil. The rice and beans both looked and tasted like it was sitting in a hot pot all day. Not to mention the rice looked like sushi rice that had been seasoned. We got some quesadillas that were filled with straight up grease, soggy and couldn’t finish them. They don’t even have the pickled onions, crema, all the sauces and stuff are pre packed in little solo dipping holders. No crema, just hard as a rock daisy sour cream. My stomach and body were in so much discomfort after we left there I could not enjoy my time at the event we were attending down the boards. I guess I’m just spoiled with Asbury “Real” loteria, but this place is an embarrassment compared to the asbury park location and their cooks. Trust me go to the Asbury one, it’s fresh and they have a great specials menu. The service here wasn’t even that great and they add the tip to your bill immediately lol. Truly should have known better as we were some of the only people in there on a beautiful...

Here's my issue. I am a bartender. I ordered two beers at $7 a piece. I asked the bartender what I owed and he told me $18. I thought maybe there was some tax I wasn't familiar with, so I asked for a receipt. Before reading the receipt, which is my fault, I just left him a normal tip on two drinks and after I did, realized that they charged a $2.50 gratuity for the purchase of two beers. This is absolutely ridiculous when walking down the boardwalk! He was a very nice bartender and attentive but I find it appalling to charge a gratuity on two beers at a boardwalk bar/restaurant! Not to mention, there was zero notification of a gratuity included in the bill. If we had a party of six or more, I can understand. To me, this is pure stealing on the restaurant's part. So, I left a $4.00 tip on a $14 round, BUT the bartender/ owner received $6.50. I am an over Tipper for what I do for a living and was taken back when he told me what I owed. Keep in mind, I don't write reviews ever but I feel like I was totally taken...

I don’t know how to describe the inviting allure of this place, especially since the boardwalk of Atlantic City appeared quite depressing, filled with cheap, overpriced souvenirs. When this place caught my attention, I wanted something refreshing to beat the heat. My friend and I decided to sit at the bar to enjoy a drink when the owner kindly offered us samples before we purchased full cups. He was a fantastic man with a great spirit and a beautiful soul, and hearing about his ideas for other businesses he was planning was genuinely inspiring. I felt a connection to his presence as he shared his background. The attention he gave to his customers was priceless. The drinks were fantastic, and although I didn’t get to try the food, looking at the menu made me confident I wouldn’t be disappointed with the Mexican cuisine he offered. I would recommend this place a thousand times; even if you don’t order an appetizer or a full meal, the great drinks and conversation at the bar were...