La Buena Vida - Raleigh
La Buena Vida - Raleigh things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Plan your stay
Posts
my first time at this restaurant was such a pleasant surprise!! the ambience here was so fun, very high energy, decor was exquisite. the chips and salsa you get aren't quite chips. they remind me of something my mom makes so i like them but the salsa was really like hot sauce, a nice hot flavorful kick i really enjoyed but i think it's too spicy to present to the masses as the entry favor. presentation of the drinks was so cute but some of the cocktails were toooo sweet (cat & rubber duck) our second drinks were servers pick and i asked for something not as sweet but unfortunately it wasn't what i was expecting. they make all their juices in house which is a wonderful addition. as for the food itself, we got chicken rolls as appetizers, servers recommendation, and they were soooo good. i forgot what sauce they came with but it was deeeelicious. entrees were the poblano pasta and i forgot what i chose, it was basically peppers and steak with rice and beans. he LOVED the poblano pasta but i didn't think it was anything extraordinary, the sauce was good but it was a light cream sauce with less flavor than i was expecting. the rice and beans were the best i've had at any mexican restaurant in the area! the steak was served well and the veggies were cooked and seasoned thoroughly however i wish it was a bit spicier (my personal take) so i asked for hot sauce and i was so excited to see they have in house hot sauce, took my meal over the top! customer service was great too, our server was so cool and very kind. i love to see POC/latinx representation. we were sitting by a window/door at first and there were a couple of flies so we asked to move and they were very apt and accommodating to our request. they also serve sushi and steak, menu is very inclusive with a large variety of options overall i would say i definitely enjoyed this restaurant, would definitely recommend it, and would definitely return!
saharsahar
00
Have been seeing the reviews on several social platforms and wanted to see how they converted the once "Tilted Kilt". Well let me start by saying I miss Tilted Kilt. Let first start by saying don't come on my comment posting because you feel offended. God made us all as last I checked it lighter skinned people to darker skinned. Moving on, we arrived at 7:45 my daughter ordered chicken tacos with cheese and lettuce ONLY. It was not overcrowded, refer to photos, however my daughter didn't get her food until 9:30+ and it was wrong. All the orders were wrong, they didn't count the seats to know which order belonged to which h chair. And the ULTIMATE, they tried speaking in Spa iah so we wouldn't understand. So 1 order from our table was a chicken quesadilla with cheese and chicken ONLY. They brought out a cheese only taco and said that it was a quesadilla. Then started speaking in Spanish to the other workers telling them to tell us l, if asked that it was a quesadilla. Of course we sent it back. It was cheese only in the form of a taco. So they finally decided to replace the order and low and behold we got the correct version of a chicken quesadilla and it looked NOTHING like a taco. The BARTENDER WAS HORRIBLE. TO PROVE I WILL SHOW MY RECEIPT and the bartender overcharged me even with a little over a 50% tip. I paid one upfront and then the second I left tab open. The 1st bill was $26 and I tipped $10 and the second I purchased 2 drinks (recipe said 3 and know I wasn't drunk it had NOOO liquor) I already paid for first, and was charged $33 which wasn't bad AT ALL, and tipped $15 for sour mix and ice but i didnt get a drink; please refer to credit card transactions and second receipt. Finally they made our table pay for the entire bill as 1 check, we weren't allowed to pay separate. The people were totally ride l amd disrespectful. Just because you see a cute smokey drink on tic too does t mean it's worth the money. Lastly, they didn't offer our party a discount until my cousin, whose a regular came in to rectify the situation and only then did they offer to comp 1 meal. It wasn't about a free meal it was about GOOD QUALITY SERVICE. I'm a regular at what Raleigh/Cary/Durham considers as fine dining, Ruth Chris, Oro, Sullivan's, maggianos, Perrys,, Brios, Peddlers, Agus, etcc..etc... you get my point (only naming local restaurants) and they don't or at least not from me as of today,have totally screwed up a partys order and then tried speaking in a different language as if people dont understand.
lashonda mcknightlashonda mcknight
00
My friend held a Birthday Dinner here. La Buena Vida is very lively and entertaining for those who love this type of scene over dinner. Probably one of the most entertaining and happening places in Midtown that's open til 2 AM. The staff here are enthusiastic and a fun bunch. There was an excessive wait, as they didn't take reservations. Very Poor communication. I feel they skipped over our party. When finally seated we were off in a corner. Seemed like bad seating to my friend but I was grateful for a little peace while having dinner. Things I saw here from some of the customers were pearl-clutching, to say the least. I ordered the Birria Rolls and Brussels sprouts. Delicious! The Brussels sprouts were piping hot as food should arrive. They were bursting with flavor and had a kick of spice. The rolls needed to be piping hot. The food for me was an overall, 4 out of 5 all the way. The No Gym cocktail is a no for me. The French 75 from the bar was perfect. The shots on the airplane carrier were decent. Super sweet! I would suggest pouring a little more time into customer service/satisfaction here. Our waitress told us we could only order cocktails on the menu. I didn't like this treatment. Who are you to tell me what I can order? There are specific drinks I stick with, my preference. The only drink I saw on the menu with my preferred alcohol - Hendricks was a No Gym. When I headed over to the bar for clarification on what could be made, sure enough, most drinks can be made at the bar. A French 75 was made without a problem. I spoke with Management and he seemed pleasant, but only offered 15% off the No Gym. Never acknowledging how I was misled to order only from the menu. I felt defeated. Someone else took the drink since I ended up having to pay for it. Grateful for this experience and fellowship with my friend and the people invited considering this was a special occasion. Overall, my friend was pleased with the experience and the only complaint was the wait and where we were seated. Will I go back? Yes, I'm curious about weekday lunch or evenings at the bar. I'm not rushing to get back here but will give it another try one day.
Fal EFal E
00
Why the 2 star review you ask? Well let me tell you! I've been to this restaurant multiple times. The last time I came, the food and drinks were on point! After all, I was treating my uncle and cousins to an early dinner and they deserved the best. When the check came, the total seemed a little steep but I was excited to treat everyone so I didn't pay much attention. After tipping the server an additional 20%, the server exclaimed "wow! Thank you!" Never once did our server tell us that an 18% gratuity was already included. NOT ONCE DID SHE EVEN OFFER THE PRINTED RECEIPT! I was completely unaware that I had just tipped 38%. Fast forward two weeks, my husband and I stop in for a quick lunch. Service was incredibly slow with our drinks forgotten and food trickled out. However, I still wasn't ready to complain. When we finished our meal, we had to ask our server twice for the check. Finally, after seeing the total on the screen on the device in the server's hand, we were a little questionable about the total. My husband asked if gratuity had already been included, to which our server responded that he didn't know. He kept saying he wasn't sure but would find out as soon as we signed the check. My husband stated "I'm not sure what kind of tip to leave because I'm not sure if gratuity has already been included." To which the server responded "if you don't want to leave a tip, no problem. Just say $0." We asked one more time if the gratuity was already added. The server continued to say he didn't know while insisting that we sign the check on the machine. After 15 more minutes of waiting for the printed receipt, we finally got the manager to bring us a printed receipt. It was then that we discovered we had been charged an 18% gratuity on a $45 check. Note, the policy clearly stated on the printed receipt that an 18% gratuity is added to checks over $100. We were left confused and frustrated by this encounter. And in case you're wondering, I'm black. I'm not saying this place is racist, but something is incredibly suspicious.
Tamara FriendTamara Friend
00
Just visited on Friday night to celebrate a birthday with a group of my friends. The restaurant is basically a Latin night club that also serves food and drinks. I wasn't prepared for the atmosphere at all! Let me start by talking about the pro's and then the con's... PRO: seating was quick, service was nice, and the food was absolutely delicious! I ordered steak quesadilla fajitas and my wife ordered al pastor tacos. The portions were generous and the cost was very reasonable per plate! The overall vibe of the place was very exciting and fun. Literally was like eating in a club... Which isn't my preference, but most other patrons seemed to love it. It's the restaurant's entire shtick. Great for social media people. CON: the noise... There's so much going on while I'm trying to enjoy the dinner, but the biggest complaint I had was the volume that they play the music. Giant speakers are set up overhead across the whole place and they constantly play super bassy Latin music. We were sat in the corner directly underneath said speakers. I love the music and the aesthetic, but I couldn't even talk to my friends let alone hear the wait staff about orders. My ears are still ringing an hour later. It was a Friday night, so I'm sure this is a regular thing that most people come for, but I definitely wasn't prepared. They also had workers there coming by tables trying to sell you extra things like flowers and bottle service without really explaining the extra costs. So be warned about that! Overall, the food was excellent, but the loudness really ruined the experience for me. Definitely worth checking out if you wanna have a fun experience or are trying to pre-game a night out afterward. Also, I couldn't find ANY menu for the place, so here you go!
Chris GomesChris Gomes
00
So excited to have found this place! My friend and I got hungry when we were out running errands together and saw La Buena Vida and agreed we'd both been interested in trying it. Wow! Great call. We loved the atmosphere from the moment we opened the door, where there's a fun photo op in the entryway. Then, into restaurant. A feast for the senses - decor amazing, music great, smells yum, and promptly greeted and seated. Yummy something new to snack on at the table - not sure what called, wheel shaped fried dough things with hot sauce. The lunch menu is very good. Great prices for lunch or dinner. I got the veggie enchilada; I'm vegan, so it was an easy conversion by just leaving dairy off. They had brussels sprouts inside! My friend is also vegan, so asked for a bit extra guacamole in leui of dairy. She got lunch special, tacos? The extra guacamole was not necessary, so generous to start with! Our lunches were only $10 each, and we tipped over 30%+ because the team that served us was incredible. I can't say too many good things about this new jewel in North Raleigh. We can't wait to go back for dinner with our husbands and hopefully try the outdoor seating area, if not too hot outside. But indoors is much fun to explore, either will be great. This will be our new go-to place. For their sake, I hope they are very crowded when we go back. For our sake, we hope we won't have too much of a wait. Once more discover them, they are sure to be a hot spot in town!
Vicky DeGrooteVicky DeGroote
00
Nearby Attractions Of La Buena Vida - Raleigh
Anytime Fitness
Saigon Super Market
Design Gallery Salon LLC

Anytime Fitness
4.2
(82)Click for details

Saigon Super Market
4.3
(58)Click for details

Design Gallery Salon LLC
4.8
(34)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of La Buena Vida - Raleigh
Big Ed's North Restaurant
Carolina Ale House - North Raleigh
Kanki Japanese House of Steaks & Sushi - North Raleigh
Las Marias
Cristo's Ristorante & Pizzeria
Deja Brew Coffee House
Los Cuates So-Cal Mexican Restaurant
La Cocina De Mama Greta
Red Lobster
Morning Rolls

Big Ed's North Restaurant
4.5
(1.1K)Click for details

Carolina Ale House - North Raleigh
4.0
(1K)Click for details

Kanki Japanese House of Steaks & Sushi - North Raleigh
4.1
(658)Click for details

Las Marias
4.1
(958)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
4516 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609
Map
Phone
(919) 301-8014
Call
Website
buenavida.art
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.4
(1.2K reviews)$$
Ratings & Description
attractions: Anytime Fitness, Saigon Super Market, Design Gallery Salon LLC, restaurants: Big Ed's North Restaurant, Carolina Ale House - North Raleigh, Kanki Japanese House of Steaks & Sushi - North Raleigh, Las Marias, Cristo's Ristorante & Pizzeria, Deja Brew Coffee House, Los Cuates So-Cal Mexican Restaurant, La Cocina De Mama Greta, Red Lobster, Morning Rolls
