Alegria Dominicana Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

If you want to drink or do Hookah, then this place is for you. If you want to eat, I'd say skip it. The appetizers weren't terrible since the wings were decent but... I ordered a bone in ribeye steak. Received it completey overcooked and not med/well as requested. They took it back and made another which took an additional 20+ mins, by which time, my sisters had completed their meals and the other food that I had ordered, had become cold. I was going to just take one for the team but they brought me out a completely different cut of steak. When I inquired, I was told that they cut it off of the bone in order to cook it better. There were no signs of it being cut off of the bone. I asked to speak with the manager and he offered to go talk to the chef again, to confirm that it was indeed a ribeye. He did that and returned to tell me that all of their remaining ribeyes had no bones. Smh, despite explaining to him and the waitress (who was very kind), that all of this was disappointing since everyone else had already eaten without me, that my side dish (which was actually a main dish that ordered to eat with my steak) was cold, and lastly that I was there to celebrate my bday (and was all dressed up to boot), no one offered even the slightest compensation. I wasn't going to ask because I never like to give the impression that that's what I'm after. I'm never opposed to spending money on what I want. Nevetheless, the right thing to do would have been to comp my bill for the steak, or to offer even a nominal percentage off, at the very least. I would have accepted the gesture and probably chose to eat the second steak, without further complaint. Instead they kept asking me, what did I want them to do in a condescending way. I was forced to just return the second steak as well, and to request not to be charged. It would have been smarter business and more cost efficient to comp a little bit, rather than lose two pieces of beef and the sale. After asking the waitress for their names, the manager returns later, after we were all packed up, to apologize and wish me happy bday. He initially and consistently seeming so disinterested in my concerns prior to this moment. He then says that next time we come in he will hook me up with a free round of drinks. First of all I don't drink alcohol and my sisters and I settled for the one virgin drink they could make us, all night. I expect that he knew that. Furthermore, if you want to make something right, why wait until next time. Our bill hadn't come yet. Why not offer to do something right then. We left there looking for another place for a do over...

I had a great time with my mom here dancing and listening to the music. But I ended up losing my ring and the manager was blaming me for losing me my ring and I was genuinely concerned as to where it was. He never found it or called me as he promised me he’d do. I’ve lost things in other establishments and the managers validated me and they were friendly, and also found the item for me as they promised. Seems like this place allows thieves inside of their establishment. The manager told me “you were the one who lost it”, like yes sir I lost it but it’s not like I threw it in the trash. He is a terrible manager and makes Dominicans look unprofessional and rude.

First off when you say “toward my customers and it was unacceptable”, my mom & I were also YOUR customers. How would you feel or want to be spoken to if you lost a silver ring in an establishment? It was not in the street that I lost it it was inside of YOUR restaurant. I provided you with my number and you never reached out even for just common courtesy through a text message. If I did not deliberately throw my ring out in the trash and you supposedly “never found it”, obviously someone stole it. Things do not just vanish into thin air. You do not have good customer service skills, not sure if you’ve ever learned that the customer is always right, and it’s not like I cursed out any of your other staff members or caused a ruckus in any way. I was friendly to all of the girls and customers there as well. My mother and I paid our bill and were responsible members of society.

Manager response: “Dear Nat

When you first mentioned misplacing your ring, you were uncertain about its location in the restroom. I quickly checked and couldn't find the ring. My staff also searched the surrounding areas without success. You then made unjustified comments about theft and directed discriminatory remarks toward my customers, which were unacceptable.

As a manager, highlighting positives, I'm delighted you and your mother had an enjoyable evening prior to the incident.

Best...

The stars that this restaurant supposedly has, certainly doesn’t hold up to its standards. My husband and I decided to come have dinner here because the presentation and food looked good online. Immediately you walk in and your pat down and searched at 6pm on a Saturday. Caring for my safety? Sure, no problem there. Then you walk in to no host at the front. We had to speak to the bartender to find the hostess, after a couple of minutes she shows up and walks us over to our table. Now it’s time to order and either the music was too loud or she was annoyed to be working. Anyway, we order our drinks and food. The appetizer was good, drink had too much syrup, and the entrees? 🙈 Rice was reheated, skirt steak was half a strip, but the presentation was good. I literally had to stop eating to find a waiter and get water to the table because water was never served and again the waiter was MIA. They get us water and it’s basically hot water, no iced cups or anything. Okay, now I’m annoyed. I then ask for a drink, I wanted a mule but the mule they make is with Tito’s, to each their own but I wanted mine with whiskey...as I usually have it. The waiter comes back and says “the bartender said that he’ll make it but if you don’t like it, it’s on you, because the mule is made with vodka” now idk what kind of service that is. I’m asking the bartender to make me a drink and that’s the answer I received. Makes me think, so if I ordered it with Tito’s I was able to return it if I didn’t like it? The waiters were just sitting around and smoking hookah...terrible service & attention on a Saturday at 6pm. If your only interest is serving bottles and hookah on a Saturday afternoon just...