Buena Vista Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in New York

Hello, I want to tell you about my bad experience working at this place. Today I was unfairly fired by the manager "Elvis" with whom I had many differences since I arrived, since I began to notice his bad attitude at work, he would get stressed about everything and raise his voice at me, he thought that because he had a higher position he could get over me and my coworkers.

Yesterday I had a strong problem with him, because he called me on the restaurant phone and yelled at me because he saw me on camera talking to the bartender, for that reason at the end of my shift I let him know my annoyance, because I think that no one should disrespect you, managers have to respect and treat their employees well. In this country there are many laws that protect workers, these types of abuses are considered workplace harassment and one has the right to report these events to the department of labor to investigate.

The truth is I’m making this public complaint because during the short time I worked there I saw a lot of irregularities. When Elvis hired me, the first thing he told me was that I couldn't talk to my coworkers about any subject, much less about my life, that that was one of the rules of the place. It seemed absurd to me since he can make recommendations but he can't forbid you from talking to anyone. In this country, the right to free expression exists. Over time I understood that he did it because he was doing things wrong and he didn't want the workers to talk about his poor management as a manager or report him to the bosses.

I have decided to make this public complaint since I’m a journalist by profession, and I plan to report the incident through my social networks as well. I have many years of experience working as a waitress and bartender and I have never had a similar situation.

Managers have the right to correct you and make you see what is wrong so that you improve, but they don’t have the right to yell at you, treat you badly in front of customers, and much less ridicule you in front of your coworkers.

He and I had many differences because of his work system, since several times he demanded that I take out customers and demand that they vacate the table soon because according to him he had people waiting and I felt ashamed to do so, because customers deserve respect and it was not ethical for me to tell them that they should leave, especially if they are consuming.

Another problem I had with him is because the tips are shared and he gets upset if we help each other, because according to him only the waitress who has the table must serve the customer and many times we are busy and we all have to help and serve.

The first day of training was free, he made me spend 5 hours cleaning the entire restaurant and he told me that the company didn’t pay for training, something illegal since in all the places I have worked they have paid for training from the first day. The second day of training he said it was paid and he made me work 6 hours and then he told me that he was only going to pay me for 4 and that the other two should be free, something that seemed unfair and abusive to me, since one works out of necessity and because one needs the money.

Another day Elvis told me that I should improve my accent, because my English sounded bad, something that sounded very racist, since he is from Cuba, he does not speak English well, he has only been in this country for a few years and he is going to believe himself to be my English teacher . Nowhere I have worked had they said anything to me about my accent, much less...

This is a little restaurant in Manhattan with lots of photos of Latin America, which make the place very visually interesting while still keeping a sleek look. I'd peg the atmosphere as semi-formal. It had mahogany tables, which gave a very classic feel, but still retains a casual air since you can see the busy kitchen in the back. I think kids would be welcome, and you could still have a casual office lunch here.

Onto the food: We had a grilled octopus appetizer with a zesty thin green salad sauce. The octopus was perfectly cooked - not rubbery at all while still having a nice grill pattern on the outside, without the thin end of the leg being too burnt (which happens often). The sauce paired very nicely with the octopus, as the tanginess cut the "round" flavor (I don't know how else to describe it, sorry) that octopus tends to have. We also had a blue Peruvian potato appetizer filled with oxtail. It had an amazing spicy yogurt mayo sauce. Both of these were recommended by the waiter and the recommendations were spot-on.

We decided to share a main, and had an Angus steak marinated in papaya juice, again recommended by the waiter. Initially, I was hesitant about the idea of steak going anywhere near any fruit or fruit juice - I'm much more used to savory sauces and marinades with e.g. peppercorn - but honestly, it was the best steak I've had in ages. It was slow-cooked, making it evenly cooked throughout without any char (which is my preference, as I find that char can easily become bitter). I also enjoyed the greens that came with the dish, which is quite rare for me, as I'm rather sensitive to bitter tastes, which greens often have. I couldn't distinctly taste the papaya marinade in the steak, which I think worked in the dish's favor, but I could tell it was different from the usual savory marinades filled with herbs and pepper.

The sweet fried plantains we ordered on the side were perfect. They were crunchy on the outside without drying out the inside, and I appreciate that there was no honey drizzled on top, which to me makes fried plantains too sweet. The dish was still sweet enough to feel like dessert, but not overpoweringly so.

Food-wise, this was some of the best food I've had in a long time. My compliments to the chef for being bold enough to experiment with the sauces and skilled enough to still have the dishes come out absolutely delicious. It's very difficult to compare the dishes we had here to anywhere else we've been, because besides the plantains, all the dishes were unique in their ingredient combinations and preparations.

Service-wise, our waiter's recommendations were absolutely perfect. We did have to ask for water to be refilled, despite being the only diners there (we came at a rather odd-hour, roughly 3 PM), and the lights started being adjusted midway through the meal, but these were very minor things. Because the place is quite small with only so many tables, I would highly recommend making reservations beforehand.

A small note on access: The restaurant is long and narrow, and as far as I know, doesn't seem to be accessible. I didn’t see an accessible restroom. Unfortunately, a lot of the places in New York tend to be like that if they're old. This restaurant had a true brick wall on one side, not a facade, so it definitely seems to be an old building. Mind that the floor is a tad slippery, at least when I went. If none of these sound like issues for you, though, I'd highly recommend a visit, as the...

I recently moved to New York City from California, and as a foodie, I’ve been on a fantastic food tour trying some of the best spots in the city. Buena Vista was on my list because I had eaten there a few months ago and loved the food and service. I even made a reservation through their website for this visit. The site showed open time slots every 15 minutes all night long, which clearly means most people walking in didn’t have reservations. Still, I made one and traveled an hour and a half to come back for their Chilean sea bass.

When I arrived, a couple in front of me was seated right away, but I quickly noticed that the main dining area looked full. Instead of being seated there, I was taken to a back section by the kitchen. It smelled like cleaning chemicals, the floor was dirty with straw wrappers and napkins, and it didn’t even have the same flooring as the rest of the restaurant. It felt like I was being tucked away out of sight.

I told the hostess that I had a reservation and should be seated in the actual restaurant. She asked if I wanted to speak to the manager. Another woman came over, listened, and said I was absolutely correct, then told me she would get another manager. That’s when Jeff appeared.

From the moment he walked up, his body language and smirk said it all. He didn’t care about resolving the issue. I calmly explained my concerns, but he immediately dismissed them, saying everyone in the restaurant had a reservation, which was completely untrue. When I mentioned the hostess at the door never asked for my reservation name, he argued and said he “heard her do it.” That never happened.

When I pointed out how dirty the floor was and went to take a photo, Jeff looked at me and said I should take a picture of my shoes too. That comment was condescending, offensive, and completely unnecessary. Being a public school teacher with multiple graduate degrees must mean I can’t afford shoes nice enough for him to think I belong in his restaurant. He took one look at my skin color and my shoes and made every negative assumption he could. I know he would never have said that to a white customer.

As I got up to leave, another employee suddenly appeared offering me a table in the main dining room. This was right after Jeff insisted there were no tables available. It confirmed what I already felt in my gut. Jeff didn’t want me visible in the main part of the restaurant.

I refused the table because no amount of backpedaling could fix the blatant disrespect. I came for the Chilean sea bass, but I am now sitting at another restaurant enjoying an incredible Chilean sea bass while being treated with kindness and respect.

Buena Vista does not have a monopoly on diners. New York City is filled with restaurants that understand the basics of decency, hospitality, and equality. Buena Vista is not one of them. What happened to me here was degrading, insulting, and unforgettable. Spend your money somewhere that actually...