The Rogers Garden — Restaurant in New York

I visited Rodger’s Garden recently with my younger sister, hoping to show her a good time. Unfortunately, our experience was far from enjoyable. A young man disrespected my sister by calling her derogatory names and pointing his fingers at her forehead in a very aggressive manner. This incident left my sister extremely upset and in tears.

What was even more distressing was the lack of response from both the patrons and the security staff. No one stepped in to support us or address the behavior of the man. When my sister, overwhelmed by emotion, tried to confront the man again, I followed her, hoping security would assist us. Instead, they restrained me and said, "This is not what we do here," without addressing the initial aggression.

As a black woman and an advocate for change and equality, this experience was profoundly disheartening. I felt unprotected and disrespected, and the unnecessary force used by security left me with a bruise.

This incident has stayed with me for days, highlighting a significant lack of support for patrons, especially women of color, at this establishment. I hope the management takes this matter seriously and implements measures to ensure such incidents are handled more appropriately in the future.

I cannot recommend Rodger’s Garden based on my experience. No one should feel unsafe or disrespected in a place meant...

I came on Juneteenth earlier in the evening and spot is absolutely beautiful! The vibe during that time (around 8:00 - 8:30pm) was great. The indoor bar area and outdoor space are well designed and comforting. The DJ played a lot of popular Soca and Reggae music and really tried to engage the crowd; tbh we were really vibing. It was definitely packed but we were all polite, supportive, and having a good time.

The deduction of stars is due to service. Even though service is expected to be muchhhh slower for an event due to the volume, it does not mean that service is expected to be selective. Unfortunately I and a few other women I spoke to near the bar were bypassed by the bartending staff to attend to male patrons. It took over 30 minutes for me to get a drink even though I was sitting at the bar. Two separate groups of men came to the bar after me (stood next to me) and were served before me while I waited. Even those patrons noticed, commented on it, and wished me good luck. Honestly it completely killed the vibe.

I see lovely reviews so it might be best to visit during a slower time. It is a beautiful location with great outdoor space, and drinks are pretty good if you’re lucky...

Unfortunately, from the moment my fiancé and I arrived (we live in the neighborhood) it was clear that staff was having a rough night. The doorman was yelling at a customer (female) and commented to us in line how much he hated people when they are drinking. When we got inside, one of the female staff was yelling at the bartender asking him if there was a problem before she hurried back out to the patio to take some orders. We waited for 30 min at our table with no attention from staff. We saw two tables that arrived before us waiting to order, and 2 tables that arrived after us get their orders taken. Then we gave up and went somewhere else. I REALLY want to support this business, and, hiring and training staff that are prepared to manage a busy (mind you it was 5:30pm) time with folx that have been drinking is essential if you’re going to own a bar. We’ll definitely try again another night, and wanted to give the constructive feedback so hopefully management can take steps to remedy the challenges with some training for their team. Hoping this place sees great longterm...