Esquina Latina — Restaurant in New Brunswick

I’m here to speak about two different things.

We all know that dress codes exist for entering clubs, but today I want to talk about sandals and flip-flops. Yesterday, we came to Esquina Latina to celebrate my brother’s birthday and were faced with an uncomfortable, rude, and discriminatory situation.

I entered the venue with my brother (the birthday boy) while we waited for my boyfriend, who was parking the car. When my boyfriend arrived, they checked his ID and allowed him in, but “the manager of the establishment” — apparently the head of security — told my boyfriend that he wasn’t allowed to enter wearing sandals. At first, I thought it was a joke, because he was wearing Fisherman sandals (semi-closed), which are formal and appropriate for many occasions, except maybe formal events (and even then, some formal events allow them).

The head of security said that men were not allowed to wear that style of sandals. I was very confused, especially since I pointed out that there were women inside the venue wearing flip-flops. I emphasized that if men are not allowed to wear Fisherman sandals, then women shouldn’t be allowed to wear flip-flops — which are even lower in terms of dress code standards for a club.

The manager was simply rude and told me, “I’m the one who makes the rules and I’m not going to argue with you.” I want to highlight that even a girl who witnessed the situation noticed how arrogant and threatening the security manager’s tone was. I tried to explain the issue as a clear example of gender-based dress code double standards, but the security man kept escalating the situation aggressively, even threatening to remove me by force.

I was deeply offended by the situation. I still can’t understand how a woman can enter wearing flip-flops but a man cannot. My partner had to return home just to change his shoes.

Then, around 1:40 AM, I noticed two men inside wearing sandals. This only reinforced my belief that the head of security, aside from being rude, discriminated against my partner for being gay.

Another uncomfortable moment happened when I stepped outside for some air and saw the head of security arguing with another employee at the entrance. He was pointing aggressively and even pushing the other staff member. People genuinely thought a fight was about to break out based on the security manager’s behavior. I saw customers looking scared, and even people who were about to enter decided to leave after witnessing the commotion.

I understand that as a head of security, you are supposed to uphold standards and enforce rules — but the way this man handled these situations only shows a clear lack of ethics and professionalism.

Esquina Latina, you used to be cool and well-managed....

I was not happy with my experience at this establishment at all and nor was my friend. I generally like this kind of cuisine, but it really fell short. I feel bad because the manager came out to ask us how everything was when we were getting ready to leave. Even though we were not happy, I said it was okay because I didn’t want to directly insult. Everything came out pretty fast and we were out of there with much time to spare. I ordered the Pastelon which looked pretty interesting since it was like a lasagna with plantains. If they gave me maybe 3 or 4X the serving shown in the picture, it would be a main course. My friend verified as well as other sources I presented this to, and this was not even enough to be an appetizer. I was still hungry, and actually stuffed my face with leftover pizza when I returned home which was extra disappointing. The picture may look like a lot, but it is one little strip of their lasagna version surrounded with all that sauce to make it look like more. This is like when places serve their tacos open faced so it takes up more plate space; it is meant to look like more food than it is. Do not be fooled, that would not have even been enough food for me 20 years ago either. Did it taste good? Yes I did enjoy the flavors and how the plantains were used as layers for the dish. Yes, it came with a little cup of rice and beans but that was NOT a meal. This reminds me of when I lived in Europe and had to order 2 main courses to be full, although with this I would have needed maybe 3 or 4. A nice tasting dish means very little if there is barely any food and I spent 26 bucks for this dish alone! Speaking of pizza, my friend and I could have ordered a loaded fancy pizza from somewhere with that money and have enough for a meal. It is important to step back and understand how much the customer is being charged, and what else they could get in comparison that would be a better deal. Plantains and ground beef are not that expensive, they could have given me a real dinner. I do wish I was able to be honest with the manager directly, but I did not want to start any fuss while with a friend. I see this place has great reviews as well, maybe I got the wrong thing but based on my experience I would not...

So... myself and a few friends decided to hike Stairway to Heaven in Vernon, NJ and had absolutely no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Armed with a bottle of water and a cell phone we hiked up a rocky trail to the top of a mountain, round trip about 4 hours. 😳

We were taking someone from our group back to the train station in New Brunswick and she had some time before her departure. We all were starving and looked for local spots to eat. It was a beautiful Friday evening, and the town was bustling. We drove around for a bit before we found a parking spot right in front of Esquina Latina. We were all dusty and sweaty as we peeked into the window seeing everyone inside was nicely dressed, casual upscale. The place looked (and smelled) amazing. We were hesitant to go in because of our appearances, but were also too sore and tired to walk around looking for another spot. So, we took a chance.

We walked in and were welcomed by the staff, although a few patrons gave us the side eye. Lol. We were seated at our table and our server, Marlyna, came over immediately. She was one of the nicest, most accommodating servers I have ever had! She was personable, knowledgeable, responsive and honest while all four of us fired off questions about specialty drinks, food recommendations, her personal favorites, etc. She even returned a drink that someone in our party wasn't crazy about but tried on her recommendation... without hesitation and without being asked. She came and checked on our table frequently and gave us five star service despite our less than appropriate appearances.

The food was beautifully presented and tasted even better. (I'd post more pics but didn't take any bc I was too busy enjoying the food, company and ambience.) Despite being full from drinks, appetizers and entrees, Marlyna, convinced us to try dessert and we finished every bite... then ordered food to go as well! Although it is an hour or more away from where we all live, we vowed to return. Code word "Exit 9" off the NJ Turnpike. I can't wait...