Punta Cana — Restaurant in Houston

So first off, what I will say is, we have been loyal customers since “Punta Cana” opened DAY ONE. So it breaks my heart to even have to write this review but when you tick someone off far enough, it’s game on.

So, first off…IS THE FOOD GOOD? Yes. It’s delicious. Quite simply delicious.

Next…WOULD I GO BACK AGAIN? The answer is NO. Here’s why in two reasons. A.) The staff is dishonest. B.) You would think they would treat their loyal customers a little better.

Let me break it down:

On a Saturday this past January, my family and I ordered several Rum and Cokes. A few of them we asked to make double. In total we ordered 9 drinks. Well, rather than charge us correctly, they charged us for exactly 25 rum and cokes! Yes, 25 at $8 dollars a piece. Meaning our bill was two hundred dollars in just alcohol. With food, the bill came out to be $350 dollars. Not to mention, they decided to include the tip in their already. We were a party of 4.

So here is where the loyalty issue comes up. Like I said, I have been coming to this location for several years. In fact, since they opened. My father has being going there. I have been going there. When I explained to the waitress (who by the way is very rude) that this bill is absurd, she pretended to act like I did not know math. So I asked for the owner, Jarlis, whom I thought was a friend to my father and to I. I was sadly mistaken. Rather than make things right, he decided to side with the waitress and didn’t resolve the issue at all. A bottle of rum is about thirty dollars. And yes, I know I’m at a restaurant and should be expecting uncharge but when you add drinks to the bill and think your loyal customer will not notice, that’s pitiful. That’s taking advantage. That waitress knew darn well what she was doing.

Last, I’m disappointed in Punta Cana. I have brought so many newcomers there. But when you can’t have in a bill when your doing eating a meal, why bother going to that place. Anyways,...

This restaurant was a bit of a hit or miss for me. While some dishes were really good, others weren't up to par. It's challenging because there aren't many "Caribbean Latino" spots around, so sometimes we convince ourselves certain dishes are better due to limited options. As someone who has traveled and with diverse food experiences, I've enjoyed great Caribbean cuisine, especially Dominican food, which flavor profile feels similar to home. I arrived at 11:30am, and I ordered to go, the Mondongo and I can honestly say it was amazing, and so was the empanadas, but beyond that, the pernil lunch special was a bit dry, the arroz con gandules had pale and a unfortunately a few hard spots and I didn't ask for concón, it was giving fresh and old rice blend feels, the Alcapurrias were mad salty and had a weird like vingery undertone, the Tamarindo Juice lacked sweetness and needed a bit more Tamarind flavor, and the Dominican cake was such a big letdown FR😭, tasting more like basic box cake than the rich, melt-in-your-mouth treat it should be. I've encountered undercooked Dominican cakes before, but even those were fire, this one was dry and lacking flavor. Do you know how many eggs they put in them joints, like its impossible to be flavorless. The only redeeming factor was the meringue frosting. If you haven't experienced an authentic rich Dominican Cake, you might mistake it for a simple vanilla cake with meringue frosting which was what this was giving. However, a genuine one is a delightful melt-in-your-mouth experience that leaves you grateful. Sadly, this cake was pricey for its size and tasted more like a boxed cake with a few Dominican cake elements. I spent about $65+ so it left me unsure, but I might give them another try to explore...

1.26.18 Food was ok, nothing spectacular, nothing I would return for. Portions were small, prices were steep and the waitress customer service skills were non exustant. One empanada apetizer $2.00 is outrageous, and the the pricey dinner portion was so small, that I was forced to order a second entree. Asked the waitress for suggestions and she provided zero help. Still I pressed for a suggestion and asked which was better, 'masas de puerco' o 'pernil' and she said, she didn't eat pork. Asked her something else and she told me she was from El Salvador. Although she showed no confidence in the food, I decided to stay and give it a try. Food was ok, but not deserving anything more the 2.5 stars, will not recommend to others and felt t was necessary to inform others.

Before opening a restaurant in Houston, owners should keep in mind that we the customers have countless options as there are thousands of amazing retaurants in Houston. Equally, owners should remind their staff daily, you he inportance of customer service and how lack of customer service, can and will desteoy their business and reputation. To add insult to injury, when I attempted to open my leftovers, I sliced my finger on the aluminum foil to go container. I don't feel the restaurant is to blame nor responsible for my finger cut. But still called them and suggested they check their to go containers, as others may not be as...