Bodega Restaurant & Lounge — Restaurant in Cleveland Heights

Usually I have a better experience but today was not that. I ordered the bone-in ribeye and I asked for it to be cooked medium. When it came out, it was clearly well done. When I brought it up to my waiter “Alec” he agreed with me and apologized for it asking if I wanted to send it back. I said it was cool to send it back and didn’t mind waiting. A moment later, out walks this guy who’s the manager-owner-whatever (he never introduced himself) who asked if I actually cut the steak in the center and that it was cooked as “medium plus”. I didn’t ask for “medium plus”, I asked for medium and received a well done steak. I don’t know if I gave off the impression that I’ve never had a steak before (I have, by the way, many times) but I found it jarring that this man was telling me how my steak should look as if I didn’t know what I was talking about.

Anyways, I send the steak back and receive a new one after waiting quite some time for it but I brushed it off. I cut into the second steak and it’s exactly the same as before…well done or “medium plus” as manager-owner-dude claimed. I tried to convince myself that the steak was cooked right and I was mistaken, even shining my phone light on it since it’s so dimly lit inside and took a bite out of the center, but the dryness, toughness, and lack of pink/lack of color all together clearly pointed to a well done steak. I brought it up to “Alec” again and he said he’d bring out another steak. I debated on sending it back, wondering if I should just cut my losses and have them take it off the bill, but ultimately I sent it back. Another moment later, out walks this goofy manager-owner-WHATEVER dude holding a plate with a sliver of fat on the end of my old steak - not the center piece, THE FAT - poking at it saying “Oh, it’s medium-plus, blah blah blah! You should ask for rare if you want rare, blah blah blah!” I started to wonder if I should’ve asked for “medium-minus” to get the steak I wanted but, seeing how this experience was going, I would’ve probably ended up with a rare steak. He then brought out the third steak while giving me a dirty look and I made sure to roll my eyes at him before he stalked off.

If my mother - who was with me and felt just as annoyed as I was dealing with this who felt the need to have a d**k measuring contest with me - didn’t need to use her Groupon for this place, I would’ve just left. The food is at a price point where it should be cooked correctly and you don’t get anything subpar, which is what I got unfortunately. This was one of the worst experiences I’ve had at an eating establishment in...

I rarely ever write a review like this but this place was not a 4.0 rated restaurant. It was a 1.5 at best Go anywhere else . I have been to Bodegas in the Bronx , Harlem and Brooklyn that look and smelled cleaner than Bodega in Cleveland . When you enter the restaurant it does not smell clean . At the bar flies ,gnats and fruit flies greets you with gusto and abundance .In fact a woman eating at the bar had to cover her food with napkins to keep the insects off her food while she eat . In fact a gnat did a nose dive into my drink when I sat it down to talk. The food is horrible at best . $5 for truffle Fries cooked in dirty oil . If you got dark brown fired from Mc Donald’s you would be back in line taking them back for fresh fries . These fries were cooked in old oil ( so they were dark brown) and their was no truffle oil on the truffle fries . Are truffle fries with out truffle oil still considered truffle fries ? Or are they simply fries cooked in old oil topped with Parmesan cheese and scallions sprinkled on top . For real scallions on fries ? Where do they do that at? ( yuck) When I asked about the truffle fries the bar tender manager told me the fires should be brown and that the fries had truffle oil on them . when I asked how much truffle oil , he went to the kitchen and returned stating they told him they were out of truffle oil . He did bring an aioli for my truffle fries. So why then was I charged for truffle fries , when they had no truffle oil 🤔 The mussels were weak and tasted watered down another 🤮yuck that was sent back immediately with out a second thought My favorite part of the meal was when the check came with a 20% tip for 1 person seated at the bar 😅 for real…🤣 for real 😂 oh ps you get that info when they bring out the check . Save your time ⏳save your money 💰 save the aggravation 😡and the assault on your taste 👅 buds go anywhere else . Ex: Cents on the west side makes great pizza 1899 has great desserts and good drinks . Both are clean ,smell clean and have no visible bugs gnats or flies . They’ve got excellent drinks and a nice bar with out a 20 % forced tip. Truly I am pro small business but I am very anti unclean insect 🐜 🐞 ridden . Eating establishments with...

Let me start off by saying that our time at this restaurant went horrendously after meeting a waiter named," David". Upon arriving at this establishment David on looked as we aimlessly searched for waitstaff to seat us for dine in service. Shortly later, a kind female waiter addressed us and seated us properly. This "David" waiter then venomously demanded that he take our table to service. He then turned to ask us what our order was. My husband dubiously stated what his entree was and then turned to the wine menu. He stated that he wanted a particular wine that he was accustomed to that was in fact on the menu. This David responded that they no longer had that wine, it had been unavailable for a few months and was surprised that they hadn't taken it off yet... My husband stated that he expound on what that meant. The waiter stated that we should choose another wine and that we had it to spend. After my husband again asked that he explain himself, he replied with," What is $40 and that if we couldn't afford it then we should leave" Extremely upset, I directed him to just place our order in the system to have him roll his eyes and shake his head behind my husbands back. Upon our food coming he placed our order incorrectly and had to ring in the rest of our items separately with another ''tist'' and eyeroll again. After all the blatant disrespect I went to speak with the owner. The owner pretty much apologized and stated that he needed David during this Corona time, stated that he would comp the drinks and give us more drinks. After eating, of which our appetite was ruined and drinking the unwanted wine we asked for the check of which he charged us for everything?!!! Once we then asked for the Manager again, the Owner stated that what did we expect, and to be happy that we received more drinks of which we DID NOT WANT!!!! THERE IS A REASON WHY THIS ESTABLISHMENT IS ON GROUPON AND I DO NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE. AND UNFORTUNATELY IF YOU CHOOSE TO OBLIGE THE SERVICE, I WOULD AT LEAST RECOMMEND THAT YOU STEER CLEAR OF DAVID AND THE...