Destino Gastro Bar — Restaurant in Passaic

My mom and I were really excited to try this restaurant and we were both left extremely disappointed.

We arrived at the restaurant at exactly 4:25pm, ordered by 4:40pm, and didn’t receive our food until after 6:10pm

I understand that the kitchen might’ve been understaffed but in these cases, communication is key. Our servers never came around to check on us or ask if we wanted refills or brought us water while we waited.

The owner saw that we had been waiting (at that point up to 40 minutes) and he was gracious and genuinely apologetic; however, I wish our servers had cared more.

We didn’t see our server from the moment we ordered until well after the owner apologized. After he apologized, we still waited a while for our food while the restaurant was super hot.

The service from the very beginning was lacking. When my mom asked a simple question (what a dish was), the server could not answer. She said she would check, which I get she might be new to the job, but she never came back to clarify.

My mom’s dish came out first and then mine came out by the time my mom finished hers. The Chaufa rice was still hard, despite the 1.5 hour wait, and the chicken was extremely dry. My mom did like her food, so that’s a plus?

At this point, I just wanted to go home.

To top it all off, there was an automatic 18% gratuity applied. This usually wouldn’t upset me as I believe in a standard 20% tip but there was no indication of this anywhere (in the menu or through signage).

I understand that this restaurant is new and servers/owner/cooks are still settling in. I just hope they can work on these things in future. Also, please add a greeter. It didn’t take long for us to be acknowledged but it felt kinda awkward when we walked in. I saw another family that had to seat themselves bc the lack of...

I went for dinner today Monday me and my wife it was completely quite but we wanted to give a try, I ordered a Mcallen 18 to start and order appetizers, the food was ok plus, waitress need to have more training about how to wait table and answer customer questions , I was confused about the "Cerdo asado" which I understand asado as "Al horno" but I believe everyone understands different and also I ask how big the meat is which she doesn't know, anyways, we ordered the cerdo asado and lomo saltado but just to mention no everyone likes alfalfa sprouts or seeds and the waitress should aware us about it, also we see the deserts on the menu and we see the picture of the chocolate cake , we expect the chocolate cake looks like a lava cake shape but it came different way with some cream filling inside , finally we asked for the check, and I see the gratuity was already included which I usually tips between 18-25% depending the service and food , I believe "WE""as a customer should decided how much want to add for the service, this is the first time I see waitress work with AirPods in ears, I believe this kind of item distracts the ability to see if your customers needs something, I travel from Connecticut to New Jersey just to try , as I see a lot of advertising about this place, but I was not...

Destiny Gastro Bar is a quaint spot simple décor, nicely color-coordinated, and not overdone. It has a casual vibe where you can walk in, pick a table, and relax.

The food does take a little time to arrive, but it’s worth the wait flavorful, well-balanced, and not over-seasoned or heavy-handed. Drinks are on the lighter side more mix than alcohol but still tasty. Service can be a bit forgetful at times, so you may need to remind them once or twice to get what you ordered. The place isn’t overly busy, which adds to its laid-back feel. Music is also a nice touch—good selection and not too loud. Thank you Isabela.

Ratings:

🍽️ Food: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) – Tasty, well-prepared

👩‍🍳 Service: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) – Attentive but forgetful

🍹 Drinks: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) – Flavorful but light on alcohol

🎶 Ambiance: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) – Simple, relaxed, enjoyable music

Overall: A good experience casual, easygoing, and enjoyable if you’re...