AROMA ULTRA LOUNGE — Restaurant in Bowie

Update (added a star from 2 to 3): 8/28 - I met the managers' John and Travis. They introduced themselves to me and my bro. Shared some of their background in the restaurant business. My review was shared, and I feel like they did a better job in taking care of my needs. The service is slow, the bartender, Bree, the drinks were so-so, but Travis hooked me up so it was def appreciated, considering nobody wants a watered-down $17 drink. I think it's better and it could def be a regular spot. I just think are a bit pricy considering the location - they like DC price and it's a bit much. However, for what it's worth, I don't have to go too far and when they aren't meeting my needs, I'm the type that goes directly to the server to make the most of my visit.

8/1/2023: When AROMA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE opened, the reviews weren't at all good. With a new establishment, it's kind of understandable so I wasn't in a rush to visit. Rather go by hearsay, I gave it a try on a Sunday afternoon. The inside is beautiful and a very nice ambience. Careful if you're wearing stunna shades because it's dark inside. I had to take off my shades so I wouldn't fall and look like I'm twisted. The young lady at the door with glasses and braided hair was very nice and welcoming. We walked in to sit outside, and I noticed the server didn't come over so after getting her attention, she said we should have been seated by the host. Cool, we walk back in and I tell her why we're back and we laugh as it was misunderstood. No big deal. We're back outside in a shaded spot and when Rosa/Lola (might be sp), she was kind of Debbie Downer and didn't seem like she was feeling it or her mood ring was a muddy brown. She wasn't rude, she just wasn't engaging. OK, it's a nice day and you're working, ... But still, provide good service while you're on shift! Another young lady, light skin with locks/braids, was very friendly and she came to the table to check on my crew and chatted a bit. All smiles, which was complete opposite of everyone that was working there that day. The manager, Mike (manager), came out but I think to see why we're seated without being seated by a host. The people seem kind, uhhh, not friendly, so I'm unsure if it's a cultural thing or just everyone there was not feeling it. The service was very slow for drinks and food. The hookah is extremely overpriced, $60 - nah.... The atmosphere is very nice, I think the service could improve and the staff be more attentive. The outside chairs aren't that comfortable and wobbling so don't lean in too much otherwise you gone fall flat on the table. The outdoor seating looks like something I'd see in a kindergarten/elementary school. For an upscale lounge, it could look more grown & sexy and not like a playground. It's not my job to find my server and wait for 10+ minutes before she walks by. My spicy margarita was good, and my boy ate whatever the beef tenders were and said it was bomb. My first drink came out in a glass then the second was a plastic cup, about the size of the iconic "red cup" black folk, we know the cups... I will revisit because the music was dope (loud) but a vibe, nonetheless. The staff could use a pep talk before shift because I think it would make a difference in customer experience. Standards are different so this is my personal opinion regarding my experience. Not a dealbreaker so I might come back. From the reviews, I'm thinking management isn't reading and paying attention to ensure the guest enjoy...

I’m writing to share some feedback regarding my recent experience at your establishment. On December 18, 2024, I made a reservation online for a birthday celebration on December 20, 2024, at 7:30 M.Th. reservation was made in good faith, and I followed up on December 19, 2024, around 8:05 PM to ensure everything was in order, especially since we had a large party. Unfortunately, when I called, the staff member I spoke with seemed unenthusiastic and her response gave the impression that my inquiry was more of an inconvenience. Additionally, I was informed that your establishment had lost its liquor license. While I understand that such circumstances can arise, I feel it would have been more appropriate and professional to notify me of this issue at the time of booking or as soon as it became known. This would have allowed me to make an informed decision regarding our celebration. Despite this notification we still wanted to try the establishment since we had never been. First, after placing our order, which included wings, plantains, Jollof rice, pasta, and goat, the majority of the food came out cold. The only exception was the plantains, which were served at an appropriate temperature. Given the long wait time, several members of our party ate the food despite it being cold, while most of the meal was sent back due to its unsatisfactory condition. This was disappointing, especially given the anticipation for a special occasion. Additionally, there were multiple instances where our waitress forgot to bring drinks that were ordered, requiring us to request them several times. It should be noted that our waitress was overworked with our party size making drinks and taking orders. There were other staff members on hand that could have helped in other ways. This lack of attention to detail further contributed to our frustration and impacted the overall experience. While I understand that mistakes can happen, the combination of cold food, delays, and inconsistent service was unacceptable.

Upon speaking with the manager on duty, a dark-skinned female with braids, I explained the numerous problems we encountered, including the cold food and inconsistent service. Our bill came to $252, and I expressed that, given the poor service and food quality, the price we paid was not reasonable. After a respectful conversation, the manager offered a $40 discount, which I appreciated. However, I was still dissatisfied with the response and overall handling of the situation. When I mentioned that our party was not satisfied with the experience and suggested paying half the bill due to the circumstances, the manager responded, “What do you want me to do?” in a manner that seemed dismissive. I then asked when the owner would be available to speak with me about our concerns, to which the manager replied, “I don’t know.” After further questioning, she stated the owner would be in “tomorrow,” despite having previously said she didn’t know when he would be there. This inconsistency, combined with her visible frustration—evidenced by eye rolling, heavy sighing, and an overall unpleasant demeanor—made our experience even more disappointing. It’s important to note that, despite our frustrations, we expressed a willingness to return to give the establishment another chance if service improved. However, the manager’s dismissive and unprofessional behavior left us feeling disrespected and unwilling to do so. SEE...

The customer service is the worst. I came here today (April 4, 2025) with my 2 daughters (6 and 8 years old).

At first, we were the only customers. The hostess was very nice and took the time to describe and explain the different foods on the menu to my 6-year-old daughter. My 6-year-old daughter wanted jollof rice.

After being seated, the bartender came to take our order. He was licking his fingers and digging in his teeth. I said, you can't be doing that. He said ... "I'm not the one preparing the food". That should have been enough of a red flag for me leave, but I didn't.

Then I specifically asked him if the jollof rice was spicy. He told me no. So then I ordered a side of jolaff rice.

When the food came, I dished out the food to my daughters, but noticed they only brought brought one fork but 3 spoons. So I went to the hostess to ask her for two additional forks.

By the time I came back, my daughters who had tasted the rice said that it was too spicy. So I immediately went to the hostess and explained to her that the rice was too spicy. She apologized and explained that it usually isn't spicy and was is there anything that she could do for me. I told her that we would just eat the white rice that came with the curry goat that we ordered and for her to take the jollof rice off the bill. I removed the jollof rice that was in my daughters' plate and put it back in the main plate of jollof rice. I served them the white rice, which they ate and said was good.

We proceeded to eat our food. The food was tasty. The white rice was actually really good. The curry goat entree that was $27 had about 5 pieces of goat and half of those were nothing but FAT. Even my daughters said they barely got any meat. But I didn't even say anything about it to them.

At no point during our meal did anyone come to check up on us. We finished eating and sat for a while, and then I went up to the bar to ask to pay for the bill. I asked the bartender if the hostess told him about the rice. He said no, and then ask me what happened. He asked me where was the rice. I told him it was still on the table. Then he walked over to the hostess, then shortly after came back to me at the bar. He then proceeded to argue with me telling me that "Everybody in America knows that if something's wrong with the meal you ask them to take the food back." I told him that this was his establishment, and that I'm the customer. I explained to him that I told the hostess what I wanted, and that it would have been her responsibility to take the food off the table if that was their policy.

He continued to argue with me, even after I told him I was not going to argue with him over a plate of rice. Then he told me to go sit back down and wait for the hostess to bring me the bill. I told him I'm right here, so I can pay for the bill right now. He then continued to try to direct me back to my table. I stayed at the bar.

He continues to talk about it with me and keeps making the statement that "everybody in America knows..."

I told him, clearly that's not true, because I'm in America, and I did not send the plate back. This was a bit offensive to have an African man telling me what everyone in America does... I told him this was the worst customer service and kept asking him why he insisted on arguing with me over A $10 SIDE...