Market Bar — Restaurant in New York

Recently had a very unprofessional and unpleasant experience with Market Bar.

My friend and I were planning a surprise birthday party for another friend and chose Market Bar because of the vibe and the fact that it’s Black-owned.

It was difficult to get in touch with the staff to organize the event, but we eventually secured a date for 1/11 and put down a deposit for 6 PM–12 AM. We also confirmed that we could bring a DJ, which added to our excitement for the milestone celebration.

On the day of the event, we arrived at the venue only to find it decorated for a baby shower, which left us confused. After contacting the point person, they informed us they were on their way. By the time they arrived, the event had already started, and we were told the venue was double-booked. They said they’d try to get the baby shower to cancel, but there was little effort made to resolve the situation.

With no resolution in sight, we decided to leave, requested a refund of our deposit, and scrambled to find a new venue. This was extremely stressful and inconvenient as we had to move our guests, DJ, decor, and cake, but thankfully, we found another space.

The following day, we contacted the staff, who were apologetic, professional, and returned the deposit quickly.

While I appreciate the prompt refund and acknowledgment of their mistake, this experience was far from positive. Unfortunately, I can’t see myself...

it genuinely pains me to write a poor review for a neighborhood establishment, but Market Bar needs to get it together on food quality and service before I'm comfortable recommending them.

food: I have eaten their pizza twice: a large veggie pie and a small prosciutto pie. both times, the crust came out completely raw in the middle. it seems to be very good quality dough, but very underdone. yet the toppings were way overdone on both pies: soggy sauteed onions and burnt-to-a-crisp prosciutto and arugula. there's way too little sauce, and what of it there is collects in the very middle along with the soggy cheese, leaving most of the pie's perimeter a bready wasteland.

service: it is strange that the pies are always under, considering how delayed the orders have been. I ordered takeout both times and, though I was told 25 minutes on the phone, had to wait 45 minutes in one case and more than an hour in another. in the instance when I had to wait an hour, I was also overcharged by $4 above the stated menu price and had to ask twice to be refunded the difference while the server rolled their eyes at me. in fairness, they did offer me a complimentary draft beer as an apology, but it was small recompense for the hour I spent sitting at the bar waiting for an...

i write this as i’m sitting here - i will say the frozen rum punch is worth it. I got two and they’re strong! The atmosphere is comfortable and I love the music. Although, i saw a completely different picture of the empanadas online, so i was surprised to receive what I got. they were extremely tiny and i ordered beef, but they didn’t taste like beef or chicken (more like potato). I didn’t want to make a fuss so i ate them anyway, but I wouldn’t order it again. The sauce that came with it was really good, but the empanadas don’t taste authentic in any way. Might as well not offer them on the menu at al honestly. Im not sure why they showed a different version of them on instagram. $15 for these little things is crazy. Also, their instagram says that happy hour is everyday which is a LIE. I got there and it was only M-F. The atmosphere, drinks, and music won me over, so i’ll try something else next time. On another note, consider adding hookah...