La Catrina Queens — Restaurant in New York

I was really disappointed in the food here. We ordered the camarones al ajillo, sea bass tacos, & calamari. The calamari, tacos, and yellow rice that accompanied the shrimp were extremely under seasoned. Even the sauces that came with the calamari were lacking in flavor. The sea bass tacos come in flour tortillas, which for me, is already a red flag. The fish is battered and fried, topped with lettuce and onions, and accompanied w/ sour cream, pico & guac. It’s a sad take on a white washed fish taco. Every bite tasted the same - like a flour tortilla. The camarones were very good. Seasoned and cooked well. The drinks were very well made. Try the morir soñando, it’s a pretty good take on the original. The drinks are strong. Hopefully they don’t cut back on the liquor with time. At $14-20 for a cocktail, they should be strong. The service was ok. Our waitress was nice and attentive. Food delivery to the tables was a bit awkward, but I suppose they will work out the kinks. They brought over a second cocktail for my partner when we had not ordered it, and charged us for it (another $20!). That was really shady and didn’t go unnoticed. Another thing is the pricing. Very expensive for what you get. My tacos were $25 for three and didn’t come with any sides. A small side of rice and beans could go a long way. Happy to see another establishment here in Maspeth, but mama pisco across the street need not be worried about business. I’d also like to note that most of the previous reviews are inauthentic and some even share photos. Do...

The chef is amazing. I could tell that the food was well prepared with attention to detail in flavors, technique and presentation. Our issue was with the service. Not all of it was the wait staff's fault since the place was packed and there were just two of them. But they didn't seem hurried in any way regardless.

It took over an hour for our food to appear and it was clear that the food had been ready for a long time already, behind the kitchen doors. My dinner was supposed to have melty cheese but it had turned into a cold hard cap over the meal. My wife's rice was a dry hard shell on the top, again indicating it had been left out for a long time before finding its way to our table. The apology from the server felt insincere, and I'm left to wonder if this is why they already included an 18% tip for themselves on the bill.

The music was just that little bit too loud for you to have a normal conversation. Maybe this is what the bar scene is like these days, but nobody was at the bar. This may be a personal opinion but I found that the otherwise good music was just too loud for a room full of seated dinner guests.

We know that times are hard and we try to do our best to support our local restaurants. We can understand mistakes and/or an understaffing situation. But a lackadaisical attitude and an 18% tip added to the bill just translates to "Not going back there anytime soon" for us. Our money is hard...

The following is my opinion of the place. I regret to say that my experience at La Catrina Mexican restaurant was nothing short of a nightmare. The food was abysmal, with an eerie similarity to prison food. There was a strong smell of what can only be described as insecticide that permeates the main eating area. Think a mix of Raid and urinal puck.

But the horror doesn't end with the food and ambiance. The noise from the restaurant and its rowdy patrons echo through the neighborhood well into the night, making sleep an impossible dream. And don't get me started on the hordes of Spanish-screaming drunks stumbling out of there, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. From feces between parked cars, to vomit on people's steps, it's a complete horror show. It would not surprise me if the Roosevelt Hotel’s newest patrons from Caracas party here. The multiple unregistered scooters outside seem to indicate that.

Save yourself the trouble and avoid La Catrina like the plague. It's not just a restaurant; it's a subpar nuisance to the...