Wicked Willy's — Restaurant in New York

I don’t typically write reviews, but after our recent visit to Wicked Willy’s NYC, I feel compelled to share our experience so that others can make informed decisions about visiting this establishment.

Upon arrival, we were informed that food was required in order to be seated, which was perfectly reasonable. However, when we were shown to our table, it had not been cleaned. We politely requested it be wiped down, but were first told to wait while a head count was conducted. After a second reminder, a staff member eventually cleaned the table.

We began by ordering a margarita pitcher and placed a food order shortly thereafter. Roughly 25–30 minutes later, we noticed multiple cockroaches crawling on the ceiling above us. Alarmed and uncomfortable, we politely requested to cancel our food order, explaining the reason to our server.

Despite this, the food was brought to our table about 10 minutes later. We reiterated that we had already cancelled due to the pest issue and expressed that we were no longer comfortable eating under those conditions. At this point, a woman—who identified herself as management—approached us. When I calmly repeated our concerns, she stated that we would still be required to pay for half the food because “it was already made,” adding that it was “unfair” to the kitchen. We explained that we had communicated with our server well in advance of the food’s arrival and that, under the circumstances, we did not believe it was reasonable to be charged.

Rather than de-escalate the situation or show any understanding, the woman became confrontational, accused us of “taking advantage” of the venue because we were still using the glassware, and insisted we either pay for everything or leave. When I asked for a moment to discuss our options with my partner, she returned shortly after and curtly stated, “If you feel uncomfortable, leave.” She followed up with, “People are here to sit, watch, and eat. If you aren’t going to eat, you need to get up or go.”

Despite her hostility, we remained calm and offered several reasonable solutions: pay for the drinks, relinquish our table, or leave entirely. But instead of resolving things amicably, she escalated the matter by calling security. We were told that the police were being contacted, which we welcomed at that point, believing that an objective third party might help diffuse the situation.

What followed was completely disproportionate: four NYPD officers entered the restaurant to address a dispute over food we had not eaten—after expressing concern about visible pests in the dining area. The officers, to their credit, were professional and respectful. However, the fact that our evening deteriorated to the point of a police presence was nothing short of surreal and deeply humiliating.

Following the incident, I researched other reviews and found that ours was not an isolated experience. Multiple patrons have described similar issues with poor treatment and questionable hygiene. I also learned that the woman who claimed to be management had allegedly given false information about her identity and role.

As someone with experience in the hospitality industry, I fully understand how challenging service environments can be. But nothing excuses the rudeness, dishonesty, and aggressive behavior we encountered. Rather than address a health and safety concern with care and professionalism, the staff responded with hostility and intimidation.

If cockroaches are openly visible in the dining area, one can only imagine what conditions exist in the kitchen.

This was not simply a case of poor service—it was a fundamental failure of accountability, cleanliness, and basic respect for guests. I hope this review serves as a cautionary account for others considering a visit to Wicked Willy’s. What should have been a lighthearted night out became one of the most disturbing experiences we've ever had in a...

I don’t normally write reviews, but after our recent visit to Wicked Willy’s NYC, I feel compelled to share what happened so that others are aware of what they may be walking into. My partner and I came in for what we hoped would be a fun, casual date night—grab a drink, enjoy some food, and relax during their Love Island watch party. From the beginning, things were off. We were told we had to order food if we were going to sit, which was fine—we were hungry anyway. But when we were seated, our table was dirty. We asked someone to clean it, we were told to wait as they did a head count, after patiently waiting we then we had to remind the same crew member that we needed assistance, and thankfully got the table wiped down soon after. We ordered a margarita pitcher first and placed our food order shortly after. Then, about 25–30 minutes in, we noticed roaches crawling on the ceiling. Naturally, we were disturbed and politely asked our server to cancel the food order—we no longer felt comfortable eating in those conditions. Roughly 10 minutes later, the food was brought out anyway. We explained again that we had cancelled the order due to the roach issue. A woman (who claimed to be management) came over, and when I reiterated our concerns, she told us we’d still have to pay half price for the food because “it was unfair because it was already made.” We explained we had spoken with our server well before the food came out and would not be paying for food we did not eat—especially not in a place where roaches were visibly crawling around. At that point, things escalated quickly and unnecessarily. She responded with a hostile and combative attitude, accusing us of “taking advantage” because we were still using their glassware, and said we either had to pay for everything or leave. I asked for a moment to talk things over with my partner, but when she returned, she told us flatly, “If you feel uncomfortable, leave.” She then added, “People are here to sit, watch, and eat. If you aren’t going to eat, you need to get up or go.” Despite all of this, we calmly said we were willing to pay for the pitcher, even stand so others could sit, or leave altogether. But we were not going to pay for food we never touched. Instead of trying to resolve the situation professionally, she told us she was calling security. We agreed, thinking we could explain ourselves and move on. What happened next was shocking: four police officers were called and came into the restaurant to speak to us. Over food. That we cancelled. After seeing roaches. We explained everything to the officers, who were professional, but we were absolutely stunned that what should have been a peaceful evening turned into this. It was humiliating, upsetting, and completely disproportionate to the situation. After the incident, I looked into reviews and found multiple past complaints about poor treatment— I can’t help but feel this was not just poor customer service, but a complete disregard for respect, empathy, or basic decency. To make matters worse, the woman who claimed to be management lied about both her name and her position. As someone who has worked in the hospitality industry, I understand how chaotic service can be. But there is no excuse for the rudeness, dishonesty, and aggressive response we encountered. If this business cared at all about customer experience or public safety, they would take incidents like this seriously and handle them with professionalism—not call the police on people who did nothing more than express discomfort and try to leave peacefully. We will be filing a formal complaint with the health department because if roaches are crawling around in public view, I would hate to see what is hidden behind closed doors. This was one of the most upsetting and disappointing dining experiences I’ve ever had. I hope sharing this helps others avoid going...

I've been going to Wicked Willy's for something going on six years now and I gotta say it's one of my favorite spots in the city to let loose with some friends- either after work or on the weekend. To start, it's a nautical themed bar/micro music venue that's got a really solid crowd most weekends (not particularly yuppy which is a big plus imo). Food is pretty good for a bar and comes out fast (at least during happy hour), and the host/ floor manager is a chill dude whose actually trying to stay busy and keep customers content. Waitresses and bartenders are pretty fast and attentive (though albeit very busy at times).

They've got a solid happy hour deal that runs till 8pm on weekdays that varies from daily/weekly $4 to $7 deals (e.g a shot of hypnotic and can of rolling rock one week ran me $6 - not bad!), and of course your classic $5 well drinks and $12 pitchers of budlight. The pitchers of budlight are especially important because Wicked Willy's has an awesome pro-style beer pong setup with two dual light up tables with holders for your cups and the official bounce pad in the center. The back of Willy's is a lounge area that is open during the busy parts of the weekend and night but is also available during weeknight happy hours if you have a large enough group. Lastly, there is a front stage near the bar that becomes a wicked fun karaoke platform on Thursday nights and hosts a bunch of local musicians most other evenings (also some lascicious dancing occurs on the poles during the weekend).

On top of being a go-to happy hour for after work homies in the neighborhood, wicked Willy's is also a hidden gem of night life on the weekend. The drinks run $6-$11 unless you're going high end fancy specific boozes and it's almost always packed with a fun, young rambunctious crowd. I recommend Willy's to anyone trying to have a wicked good time while not...