Madera — Restaurant in New York

On Fri 8/7/20 at around 630 PM, we decided to dine at Madera. Due to COVID with outdoor seating, since the tables were not six feet apart, my partner and I asked to sit in the corner, which also happened to be under an umbrella, just in case it rained since it has been cloudy all day. We were told that because we are two people we cannot sit in a four person table, despite that part of the outdoor seating area being empty. We ordered two mojitos and shortly after they were brought to the table, we ordered two skirt steaks with beans and a side salad. We noticed two other couples that arrived after us request to sit in the four person table and they were accommodated without any pushback. We paid it no mind and continued to sip on our drinks. The skirt steaks arrive, and had to ask the waiter about the beans because they forgot to bring them not. As we begin to cut the skirt steaks it begins to rain. We ask the waiter if we could please move to the four person table that was vacant to eat our steaks and leave right after. The waiter goes to the owner, “Danny Madera” because he states he needs to check, we could hear Danny from afar shout at the waiter that those tables are only for parties of four. The waiter never comes back to us, I signal Danny, since he seems to be the authority and decision maker and he does not come to our table. We stand under the awning next to the business next door and no one attends us or even cares to look our way. A few minutes later, under the rain, my partner goes over to Danny to ask if we can please move to another table and he shouted out that those tables are only for four guests and that we cannot move! This is clearly upsetting, how does he expect us to eat a skirt steak with a bowl of beans and side salad under the rain?! We tell him that we are leaving and to bring us the bill for the drinks since that is what we consumed. He shouts that we ate and don’t want to pay, which is clearly not the case (photo attached that shows the skirt steaks cut and not consumed) and begins shouting and threatening us that he will call the police. We walk back under the awning and tell him that we will wait until he calls the police. Moments later he comes back and continues his shouting and that he is doing us a favor because he has people waiting. (No one was waiting for a table, it was raining) We again tell him that the issue is not with paying, we only needed a good 10-15 minutes to eat our skirt steaks and would have left without any issues had he allowed us to move to another table. And we even insisted in paying for the two drinks that we consumed. He continued to shout and told us to leave and that it was on him as he created a scene in front of everyone for no reason. The guests around us looked in awe as no one could believe this craziness. Being a local business, with the pandemic and Danny’s disgusting customer service skills, best of luck staying...

DISAPPOINTED!!!

Went for the 2nd time tonight. Complete 180 degree experience from the 1st time. I guess mainly because the owner wasn't there tonight. Everything was going well for awhile until the last few members of a six-top came in. They were extremely loud to the point where I needed to ask the waitress (Yessica) to ask them to lower their voices. She winced at the request while looking over her shoulder towards the party of six and responded, "The back room is closed". I then said to her, "I didn't ask about the back room. I asked you to ask that table to lower their voices a bit please." All she did then was shrug and and walk towards the kitchen.

A few minutes later, another staffer who introduced himself as the manager Jonathan, came over and said, "I was told that you and your wife wanted to be seated in the back, but unfortunately it's closed right now." Once again I responded, "I never said anything of the sort. I was asking your waitress ask that table over there to lower their voices a little. We are sitting five tables away and can't hear each other because they're too loud." Jonathan responded, "In the past when we tried that it created too much drama."

My wife and I were shocked by such an unprofessional response. Let's look at that statement. Was he saying that this has happened before and he couldn't handle it as a manager? Or, were these same people asked in the past to lower their voices and they refused? The fact that he refused to do ANYTHING showed that he is either incompetent as a manager, afraid of confronting a group (3 women, 3 men), or doesn't care about every customer's experience regardless of the number in the party. Considering the fact that at the time only 15 customers were in the restaurant, I would think that every single patronage would be valued As I always say, "This is New York. There is no reason EVER to beg someone to take your money for food. There are WAY too many places one can go to spend their dollars."

Now onto the food...as someone who has prepared (butchered and cooked) literally tons of steaks, I was extremely disappointed at the amount of fat that was left on my T-bone steak (see 1st picture). Without exaggeration, there was at least 8 oz. of fat that I cut off my steak. Secondly, this steak had absolutely NO sear on it whatsoever!!! Same goes for the filet mignon my wife ordered. At least my cut was cooked to temperature (medium rare). Unfortunately, my wife's steak was undercooked. She ordered medium and got medium rare.

The entire meal ran me $186.13 including tip. Mainly because of the lack of respect, poor service and kitchen issues, I seriously doubt I would ever return!!! I only gave one star because it's the minimum in order to be able to post...

Owner “Danny Madera” should not be managing people! We asked for a table with an umbrella which also happened to be away from everyone. Social distancing is not practiced in this establishment. We were told we couldn’t sit in any of those seats because they are only for parties of four and we were a party of two. We were seated out in the open, next to a bunch of people. Few minutes later, two other couples arrive and because only the four party tables were available, they were seated there. Right in front of us to see. As soon as our skirt steaks arrive they we begin cutting into them, it begins to rain. We ask our waiter if we could move to another table and he goes to the owner, “Danny Madera” who we could hear shouting at the waiter that those tables are only for parties of four. Mind you, it’s raining, we have two skirt steaks, two bowls of beans and a side salad on the table... no one comes back to us. We signal at Danny, since he seems to be the authority figure and he doesn’t come. By this point, we get up and stand under the awning in the business next door. No one comes to us or even acknowledges us. My partner goes over to Danny to ask for another table and his response is that we cannot sit there because we are only two people. Are you kidding me?! The table is empty, it’s raining and we only need a good 10-15 mins to eat before we will free up the table (that no one was waiting for) and this is the level of customer service?! We tell him to bring us the bill for the two mojitos we drank and he begins shouting that we just don’t want to pay and making a scene. Hello, we’re wet and still asking for a table to eat our wet food by this point, the issue was not that we did not want to pay, how can you expect guests to eat under the rain?! He continues to yell and make a scene and that he is going to call the police, we told him to call the police and walked back under the awning from the business next door. A few minutes later, we ask him where us the police and he said he wasn’t calling them. We again tell him to bring us the bill for the drinks and he responds by saying that we can just leave. This place is ridiculous and the guy running it is insane! Best of luck, you’ll need it to stay afloat in these...