Rosa Mexicano — Restaurant in Hackensack

I was here on December 2, 2023 with a party of 12 people. I came here to celebrate my birthday and wanted a sublime experience. I came to this establishment when it opened and enjoyed the atmosphere, customer service, drinks, etc so I figured I come back after all these years and have a dinner party here.

The restaurant was not packed this evening it was approximately 8:45 pm. My party and I came and sat down. As soon as we saw our waiter, there was no introduction, no comments on whose birthday is it today, nothing. This is ironic because I called in and specified that this would be my birthday celebration and even confirmed it with the host when our party came into the restaurant. So the restaurant was well aware our party of 12 was here for my birthday celebration.

The waiter continued to just go around pressuring everyone with no sign of customer service or patience. He just wanted to rush and take everyone’s drink order. As soon as I saw how unwelcoming and uninviting the waiter was I was tempted to have our group leave to go somewhere else. I don’t expect perfect service but at least be attentive and polite to a party of 12 celebrating a birthday.

We decided to stay to just see if things would change. Unfortunately, it only got worse. One of my friends ordered a mango margarita and was brought a mango chilli margarita which is a different drink. We called for the waiter and explained what happened and stated we ordered a mango margarita but got the wrong drink. In any other restaurant or situation in a restaurant you would have the waiter immediately apologize or state we will have this corrected immediately but no. Our waiter looked dumbfounded and just replied with “okay.” Are you kidding me? We already experiencing no welcoming or care and now when we express our order was wrong all we got was an “okay.” This was an outrage to me, quite honestly I was embarrassed for my party. I just wanted to have a great night with my close friends to celebrate.

The quality of the food was good, not excellent but good 3/5. But the service that night was horrendous. Lastly, when the check arrived the waiter gladly informed that gratuity is included. Now everything connected for me, no wonder there was no lack of care, kindness, professionalism, etc. The waiter already knew he can do whatever and not care and still get added a “20% gratuity.” To make things way worse, we looked at the bill and he left the mango chilli margarita along with the mango margarita so we brought that to his attention. This drink was never taken off the bill and one of my friends paid the entire bill but then we all told him that the drink was never taken off. The waiter came back to tell us he will “split” the mango chilli margarita which none of us understood. We all assumed as anyone would that when you mention “split” it mean divide the bill or something in that sense but then when we asked him to clarify split he just said I mean take out. But eventually while we were waiting the so called “split” was never taken out.

So now get this, we ended up paying for a $15 mango chilli margarita (I believe this is the price maybe more or less) for no reason. Also, take into consideration that increases the total bill so the 20% gratuity was based of an incorrect higher number.

Overall, I am upset with Rosa Mexicano, I have came here in the past, years ago and had great memories. But this Saturday evening on 12/2 was a disaster. I was just embarrassed, frustrated and appalled at the service we were given. It was supposed to be a special night for my birthday and turned into night of regret and anger.

No one should have to go through this. I am a reviewer who does both positive and negative reviews. I love to do positive reviews because restaurants/spots that dedicate service to customers deserve praise and appreciation. But then comes reviews like this which I do not enjoy but need to do to warn others of these experiences. I am not sure if it was the waiting staff for that particular night or if Rosa Mexicano has diminished...

We love Rosa Mexicano, which opened in Hackensack in 2008, a year after we moved to the small city. The fine-dining restaurant has one of the most beautiful dining rooms in Bergen County, and the chef and staff wooed the community with cooking demonstrations followed by free meals. Over the years, I've had lunch with a friend there, dropped in for happy hour discounts on beer and food, and celebrated the new year, as we did last night. For the first time, the service was awful.

Four of us ate early (our reservation was for 4:30 in the afternoon, and we got there a few minutes early). Only a few tables in the two-level dining room were filled, but they seated a couple in front of us, saying they wanted to clean a booth for us. A second couple, who didn't have a reservation, also was going to be seated ahead of us, but the booth was ready; unfortunately, it wasn't a booth on the second level.

The server, a woman, asked first whether we wanted the guacamole prepared at the tableside, a signature dish that now costs $15.50, even though it is made with only one avocado (although we love the guac, the price is ridiculously high and almost exploitative considering only one avocado is used, and you really realize how little that is when four share the dish).

We said we did, and then ordered an appetizer of sweet-potato empanadas (agreeing to add a fourth to the order of 3 listed on the menu).

You get chips and salsa when you order, but since everything is made from scratch here, what I really wanted were the small, hot corn tortillas made in the dining room. After the heavy molcajete with the guacamole was set down on our table, I asked for a side of tortillas.

No server should give only 4 tortillas to a table of four, but that's what happened, and they were finished in a minute. Getting more took longer than the guacamole lasted, and I had to hiss at our server, "Miss!," who was standing a few feet away to get her attention and a serving of 8 tortillas. My son got more tortillas with his order of Pollo Y Carne Asada, but when they ran out, we couldn't get anyone's attention for more -- this in a dining room that was far, very far from full.

After we finished the guacamole, a food runner walked up and surprise us with our entrees -- we never got the 4 empanadas we ordered and I made sure later they weren't on the bill -- and two small bowls of rice and refried beans to share.

I cannot fault the food. Everything we ordered from the New Year's menu was delicious, from the Salmon Poblano for my mother-in-law to the Alambre de Mariscos with two enormous ocean scallops and wild-caught shrimp for my wife to my Pescado a la Veracruzana, a gorgeous piece of wild-caught cod with a spicy red sauce and asparagus; to my son's asada.

There was one problem, grit in the kale and corn served with the salmon; when my mother-in-law mentioned it, I tried the kale and I also found sand in it.

We were stuffed, but the poor service resulted in my figuring only a 15% tip, not the 20% I usually give in fine-dining restaurants, on the total before tax of $144.25, including two Negra Modelo beers and a ginger ale. The suggested tips listed on the bill were 18% and 20%.

I mentioned my problems to the manager at the podium and he took my phone number and...

Last time I ate at Rosa Mexicano I signed up for their email list, and because of this I received a $20.00 gift certificate for my Birthday, so my wife and I decided to use it.

Rosa Mexicano is part of the Riverside Mall in Hackensack. Because of this one will find that there's plenty of parking.

Entering Rosa Mexicano, one will notice the romantic ambience and that you have arrived at a higher class Mexican restaurant. We were greeted by a very cordial and jovial gentleman, Paul. He was friendly and took us to our table.

Our waiter was Stephen, very nice and affable fellow. He brought us the complimentary Nachos and home made Salsa. For drinks: I ordered the Mexican Colada, it's a Piña Colada with a spicy kick, I enjoyed it. My wife don't drink alcohol, so she ordered a Coke, but her Coke tasted different, with a more natural (if one can call Cola drink natural lol) taste, it was delicious, we believe it had to do with the sugar (sugar cane) that's used for this Coke.

For appetizer: we got the Guacamole. For this a gentleman by the name of José came to our table with a cart and he started cutting and preparing the Avocado with various ingredients in a stone mortar and pestle. He was very skilled at it, transforming a simple Avocado into a delicious masterpiece with ease.

For our entrees: My wife got the Salmon, Stephen asked her how would she like her Salmon, whether it be well done, medium, etc. We never knew that one can get a Salmon like a Steak lol ... I got the Cod with sauce. Our entrees came with rice and refried beans.

Her Salmon was crispy on the outside and so buttery soft on the inside, it was as if heaven was melting in one's mouth.

My Cod was exquisite, it had the perfect texture, and flavor, I highly enjoyed every morsel.

We had a fantastic and stupendous evening celebrating my Birthday at Rosa Mexicano. We would definitely go back and bring friends and family so they can taste the heavenly pleasures of...