Centrada — Restaurant in Red Bank

First time eating at Centrada with my bf and the experience was pretty great. The atmosphere is one of a kind, music was at a good level (not too loud) and the lighting/setting was perfect. There was also a good enough space between tables so we didn’t feel like we were crushed in like other restaurants we have been to. We were greeted as soon as we walked in and our reserved table was ready. We were introduced by our server Amanda and she was A-mazing! Amanda was not only super knowledgeable about the menu but she also gave us helpful recommendations as we were trying to navigate where our appetite was taking us. We ordered Pork Alitas as an appetizer and these were seriously amazing! You won’t regret getting them. We also ordered the Tuna Ceviche tostada and that was also super tasty and the tuna tasted fresh. As an entree, we ordered the Chuleta de Puerco with a side of Broccolini and a side of the Maduros. The chuleta de puerco was very good except if it wasn’t for Amanda, we would’ve expected it to come out as a fried pork chop instead of the thin fried slices it is served as. We also didn’t realize that the pork slices were served over top a bed of cole slaw and then on a bed of rice and beans. If you didn’t dig under the coleslaw, the rice and beans would definitely be missed. The biggest con of this dish was the amount of cilantro crema drizzled over top. It probably wouldn’t be be that big of a deal if it wasn’t for our side of Maduros also heavily drizzled in this Cilantro Crema. The broccolini was cooked to perfection. For dessert we ordered the Bomba and it was worth every bite!! A little too big of a dessert for just 2 people, but absolutely a must try if you’re a dessert fiend like me. For drinks we ordered the Dancing in the Dark (per Amanda’s suggestion) and an Old Fashioned. Both were very well made. The CON - it must’ve been a night where the owners/partners were paying a visit to the restaurant because the atmosphere quickly changed and kind of made it a little uncomfortable eating there NOT TO MENTION that said partner was walking back and forth to the open kitchen while the cooks are preparing food and this man sticks his hand in the fry pan on the food cart and eats it as if this food isn’t going to be served on a customers plate!! Granted, I don’t think he thought anyone was looking at him, but at least close the curtain or something. Overall, this restaurant is pretty great and the food was good, and our server again was spectacular, but I have to shave a couple stars for the overwhelming drizzles of Cilantro Crema (maybe serve as a side?) and witnessing a clear...

Where do I begin. When my husband and I arrive we are seated at what looks like a wooden kids table near the bar. Near the window, there is a large table of what looked like teenaged girls all dressed very sloppily in ripped jeans and sneakers and slumped in their seats. My husband requested a table upstairs. The hostess had the attitude of someone who did not wish to be there. She takes us upstairs and seats us very close to a table of 3 young man and possibly their father. They are all dressed in grey hoodies jeans or sweatpants and sneakers. At the bar there is a group of men loudly making it clear they are lawyers. They are dressed in jeans work boots or sneakers. The website for this restaurant stated they are an upscale restaurant with the following statement. ​ “Please no athletic wear, sweat suits, hoodies, cargo shorts, flip-flops, hats, work boots, or cut off t-shirts/tank tops.” This followed with the caveat that they had the right to turn away patrons that didn’t fit their standard. Which, because the family of men, the girls down stairs and the lawyers were all white, makes me wonder if the dress code was a way of having the right to turn away minorities who might be dressed exactly the same way.

That being said, my appetizer of tuna ceviche was good but the quinoa in my entree smelled like dirt and tasted terrible. The street corn was mush and had very little corn in it. The desert (rice pudding with mango) was served in a glass placed in a paper bag which was lit on fire by the waitress for presentation. It went up wildly and even she admitted it burned longer than it should have. We saw another patrons desert bag lit and the waiter blew it out because it kept burning when it shouldn’t. Um. Disgusting. Who wants some waiter blowing on their food?

Finally, there are way too many cocky “managers” walking around. One of them walked over to the bar and snapped his fingers for one of the female bartenders. Another “manager” sat at the bar and had dinner and a cocktail. The stool next to him had two cushions on it which blocked access to patrons. In the meantime a patron and her husband had to walk around looking for a seat. This place left a very bad taste in my mouth and it wasn’t...

If Mexico, Atlantic City and Disney World had a baby, it would be this restaurant. It’s a very confused and chaotic place. Where to begin… The food is mediocre at best. It’s overpriced and salty. We sat down at our table and they were blasting house music so loud that I literally lost my voice just trying to have a conversation with my friends during dinner. The server was non existent. They forgot someone’s entire meal but ended up bringing it 20 minutes later and gave it to him for free. They have an in house photographer that visits every table and asks to take your photo. We thought this was weird, but ok whatever. After dinner the manager came to our table trying to sell us our photos that he already developed in the back and put in glass frames for us. My girlfriend and I were so confused. But now we joke about how it’s like going to a theme park and buying your picture after riding a roller coaster. Very funny, but it gets even weirder. After dinner we went down to the bar for a drink. They had a DJ playing music and two girls were dressed up as go go dancers from Atlantic City. They were just dancing around tables with people trying to eat dinner. It was super awkward and I felt bad for the girls. Then a guy walked in with gold sneakers, a suit and a white cowboy hat. He just hopped up on the bar and started jamming out on a Saxophone. It was quite a site to see. This was the highlight of my night.

The vibe of the restaurant is… Interesting. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be a fancy restaurant, a night club or a ride at Disney World. The price of the food is way too expensive for what you’re getting. You’re really just paying for the ambiance. Which isn’t even worth it because if I’m paying a hundred dollars for my dinner, you could at least have the decency to turn the music down just enough so I can have a conversation.

If you’re looking for a fancy restaurant with really good food, don’t go here. But if you want to go out for a few overpriced dinks in a nightclub like atmosphere with good people watching, this place...