Cibao — Restaurant in New York

Not sure where to begin.... The quick version is I will never come back, and I suggest you go to Adella's on Ave C or the other spanish restaurant on 10st between Ave C and D. I have not lived in this neighborhood for about 17 yrs now. Have not been to this restaurant since I lived here...which it used to be great. I bought my family and I literally ended up apologizing to my husband and children for such poor treatment and poor quality food. I think our food was old and re-heated or something based on how dry and stale it tasted. The fries seemed ok. The waitress never made eye contact, messed up my kid's order (after we told her the order 2-3 times), rushed the menu's out of our hands and was going to leave without even taking my little girl's order. She was so rude and rushed it never occurred to her that she did not take the order of every single person at our table. We arrived there before 6pm, so it was not that it was busy. The restaurant was quite empty. My husband is not hispanic and never complains anywhere we go, but he was the first person who notice that this lady did not want to serve us. She was also confrontational with me when I tried to correct the wrong order she bought my child. My husband told me to just let it go as it all became so awkward. Needless to say I will not return and I hope they keep up with all feedback so they can improve for the sake of other future first-timers. Super sad, and she really missed out because we're usually very generous with our tips. Her...

🚨 GRADE PENDING = NO THANK YOU

After a long night in the studio, I was starving and willing to go out of my way for food. That’s how I ended up at CIBAO only to arrive to a “GRADE PENDING” sign in the window and decided that a little hunger would not kill me while a rating of Grade Pending, could and I turned right around.

Let me break this down for you: A restaurant can get an “A” rating while still having up to 13 violations AND there’s a "B" and a "C" BEFORE we even get to Grade Pending — so if a place has a grade pending, something is SERIOUSLY WRONG! That’s not just a delay — that’s the Department of Health telling you: “We have concerns.”

I’m not being dramatic — I know someone who worked for the health department... Grade pending isn't a maybe, it's a major red flag, and yet I keep seeing people walk into places with signs like that posted on the front door like it’s nothing. It blows my mind.

In an era of foodborne illness, COVID variants, and staff hygiene issues, why would you ever gamble with your health? Half these places don’t even have soap in the bathroom, and if there’s no soap in the public bathroom, what do you think’s going on in the kitchen? YUP!

I rarely eat out for this very reason but when I do, they need to have an A, and even then, I’m watching how they handle the food, whether they touch money and food without washing, how the place smells, how the staff treats people, are there FLIES 🤮 all of it.

Bottom line? Grade Pending = I’m out. And you...

Cibao Restaurant is a Dominican restaurant located on Clinton Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I visited Cibao Restaurant with a friend visiting the US from the DR and ordered the Dominican favorite Pollo Guisado con Moro. This dish is made with stewed chicken, black beans, and rice and served with fried plantains. West African and Dominican cuisines share similarities in using rice, beans, and plantains, which are fundamental components of their traditional dishes. And so this made it an easy go-to meal to order.

The Pollo Guisado con Moro was delicious! The chicken was cooked perfectly, and the black beans and rice were flavorful and well-seasoned. The fried plantains were also a great addition to the dish. The service at Cibao Restaurant was also excellent.

The owner was friendly and attentive, ensuring we had everything we needed. Overall, I had a good experience at Cibao Restaurant. The food was delicious, the service was amazing, and the prices were very reasonable. I absolutely recommend this restaurant to anyone interested in authentic Dominican/Caribbean cuisine.

Pros: Authentic Dominican cuisine Delicious food Outstanding service Reasonable prices

Cons: The restaurant can be...