Aleli Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

Aleli. Quality. Careful choice of ingredients. And great spice combinations. And right across the street from me! So the cons: dessert menu only really has one item right now. I need more! But the coconut flan was rich dense and smooth. Good flavor and popped amaranth which is a treat. I got the spicy guacamole. Because guacamole, duh. They fry up the chips there. Perfect thickness and salt. Loved the guac. So many textures and flavor. A very nice blend. It's not very spicy either. Next was the memelita. This was a pleasant surprise. The shell here was made from scratch and grilled. It held up well to the vegetables and sauce. Beans were tender and creamy. Squash and mushrooms all came together with robust flavor. Def worth it. Does not need any meat at all to stand on its own. The chicken enchilado. Boneless thigh crispy fried. The meat has great flavor, no simple marinade here. A bouquet of bite sized Vegetable medley (purslane, cauliflower, fresh roasted corn, perfect carmelized Pearl onions, broccolini, roasted potatoes) with the most beautiful Chipotle sauce I've ever experienced. They won't share the recipe tho, this makes me sad. I did watch it get prepared but missed all the ingredients Being added. Its rich, floral, delicate, not overly Smokey or hot. I would put this sauce on everything. It makes me want to try every one of their sauces, which I plan to do soon. Yes. It's pricey. But. Every piece of produce was fresh and crisp . Every single Berry on my dessert was perfect, not a hint of age, no black, no mush, no mold and all sweet. You might wanna say it's luck, but not dead winter. Plus they're open 7...

The first time I ate here, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a nice addition to the neighborhood. All I can say is never go there for Cinco de Mayo. They had a abbreviated menu...okay, I get that. It was more crowded than usual which makes sense, but not crazy. There were still a few empty tables. Our drinks got there in good time but it was so watered down. In fact, the couple behind us had them bring over more alcohol to add to their drinks! Also they upped the price for the tacos. Guess they knew they could capitalize on the holiday...so they did. Speaking of the couple behind us, they arrived 15 mins after us but were served their drinks, appetizers and meal in the 45 minutes we spent waiting for our tacos. Yup...tacos. Not even entrees. We were the only table not given table settings or water. We asked twice before we did. We did get our chips and salsa within the first 10 minutes...but nothing for the next 30...nor even when we asked where our meal was. Literally none of the staff checked on us. After seeing the way they bent over backwards serving the couple behind us...then seeing them get their meal, we left. I did pull the manager aside and told him how awful the service was. He just looked flustered, said he was sorry and that was it. Their food is good, which is why they get 1 star. But service leaves a lot to be desired-and service is 90% of the restaurant experience. Do better Aleli. Unfortunately. I...

The restaurant staff was very warm and friendly. From my perspective, it seemed family-managed with a father & son present running the dining area. The prices for the dish were extremely fair being in Bayridge. In addition, the taste of the plates were very unexpected in a positive light with a slight kick to traditional Mexican recipes. Even the owner of the business was kind enough to take photos by the decoration with my wife to help promote his business being only a year in town.

My score still stands at 5 stars only to some suggestions to the owner: a recommendation to invest in light dimmers. At times I felt our table was extremely well lit however that didn't really bother me as a diner but it could damper the experience to perhaps a couple going for a romantic ambiance. A second recommendation is to have condiments available at the table. It was unusual that salt, pepper and additional napkins weren't present at each table. My final suggestion is to decorate the restaurant further - the establishment has SOOO much potential. The walls are massive and it appears to be built well so take advantage with more decoration or artwork. Other than that, for a business only a year in town (especially a crummy year at best) I cannot wait to...