La Cantina Heights — Restaurant in New York

This place should be shut down!! And I’m not even this type of person to ever say that about an establishment. First, we make a reservation and when we tried to bring an extra chair to the table. The waitress tells us that the table next to us is reserved for another party. If that doesn’t sound strange, let’s go further into details. I placed the reservation early in the day for 7pm, I then change it to a later time to accommodate my party’s tardiness. In the midst of me making the reservation the first time, Rose the host tells us that the place will turn to a lounge at 11pm. By then, time is approaching 10pm to where a party couldn’t possibly have a reservation placed because the entire space will convert to a lounge. Annoyed with the lie received, we still stayed and tried to make the best out of the situation. A friend at the table then realizes that there’s a sign posted on the wall that they only except cash after 10pm. Which is very bizarre and strange that no one would inform us on this rule, being that we’re approaching 2020 and people actually stop taking credit cards. Already annoyed with the lack of service we were receiving and the confusion from our waitress, 2 of my friends orders were never placed into the kitchen after we had already received the bill to pay for our “meals”. At this point, it is approaching 10pm so we’re trying to accommodate the timing of the rules. My friends tell the waitress about the food not being added on the bill and what’s the status of their food, she proceeds to say that the kitchen will have them out in about 20mins. She lied about taking the orders down in the first place and didn’t even have a note pad to write down everyone’s order. She had to SNIFF MY DRINK to even know what it was and to whom it belonged too at the table so that was a huge turn off. When I get my “food” I am highly disappointed at the presentation and lack there of. I had ordered, Beer battered fish tacos. Sounds great, but then came out tiny fish sticks on corn tortillas and 3 small dip sized options on the size to put on top of my tacos. My overall experience at this place was VERY disappointing and I honestly wish I could give this review 0 stars but that’s not an option. The service was horrible and the reasoning for not taking cards after a certain time frame is still puzzling. I would NEVER recommend this place, let alone eat...

First off. I have no complaints about the food. It was very good. I went in because I was hungry and didnt want to wait to get home. What a pleasant surprise. Cons: MUSIC was SOOOOOOOOOO loud. I'm sure it was because it was after 10pm. If you want to go somewhere to have nice conversation and eat....stay far away. Call beforehand to see when the very obnoxiously loud music will begin. The Margaritas were terrible. First they brought out beer that was no good from the draft....warm, tasted skunked. (Old) No biggie! Let's get Maragritas! In this case MargariNOTS. It just wasnt good. It's a basic staple if drinks. If you can't make a good margarita you shouldnt bartend. Our server was nice but could have been way more attentive. We were placed on a high table that was crooked. But when two of her friends arrived her personality came through and she also sat them in a booth. I wondered why we weren't giving a more comfortable spot as we were actually eating while pretty much everyone else was dancing and drinlong.The way she was when her friends walked in is how she should have been with us. Needless to say I'm still a decent tipper but my boyfriend wanted to leave 15% because of the service. I cant do that due to my waitressing and bartending past....but I agree fully. Basically catered to the hookah smoking, reggaeton listening crowd of the heights.

The Food was it's...

⭐️ 2/5 | Disappointing Experience – Needs Improvement

"My recent visit for takeout left much to be desired. While the food was decent, multiple missteps made it hard to overlook."

The Issues: ⏳ Slow Service: My order took significantly longer than expected for pickup, with no communication about delays.

🍹 Poor Drink Quality: The margarita was surprisingly subpar—watery, unbalanced, and lacking the freshness I’d expect from a professional bar. (I’ve had better homemade versions.)

🥡 Inaccurate Order: The food itself was okay, but they forgot to include the sauce on the side as requested—a basic attention-to-detail miss.

Suggestions for Improvement: • Bartender Training: Revisit drink recipes and techniques—craft cocktails should be a highlight, not an afterthought. • Quality Control: Double-check orders before handing them off, especially for takeout. • Communication: If there’s a wait, keep customers informed.

Final Thoughts: With so many great options on 207th and Dyckman, I’d skip this spot unless they address these issues. Hoping for...