Sangria 71 — Restaurant in Town of Smithtown

From the moment I walked into Sangria 71 of Commack to inquire about a private party, I was greeted with the most welcoming hospitality. The girls at the desk were so friendly and informative. Right away, they introduced me to the right person to speak to. Sadly, I found this rare with other places I was looking at as there was so much confusion with back and forth with emails. Not at Sangria... they answered all of my questions right there on the spot even though they had a full dining room of people and live music going on (which made for a super fun vibe). They showed me the private room, gave me a folder of catering menu options where I could choose a cocktail party, buffet, or sit down dinner. There was no pressure to make a decision and I was able to call later that day and just leave a deposit over the phone. Simple...I had my date booked.

We had my boyfriend's surprise 50th birthday party this past July 2024. He loves spanish/mexican food so this was the perfect location. We had 70 people and chose the buffet option. Everything was seamless! The manager Tony allowed us to go early that day to decorate anytime we wanted. And I cannot say enough good things about the BEST server/maitre-d Teresa. She was so attentive, friendly, and easy-going, taking care of anything we needed. Teresa felt like family making sure we had drinks and reminding us to eat (even though we were in full hosting mode). In fact, there as another manager the night of the party (I feel terrible I did not get his name) who also went above and beyond making sure everything was running smoothly behind the scenes. The staff are all so kind, yet professional and this place is a well-oiled machine!!

Everyone raved about the food that night and days after the party. My boyfriend's family is 100% Italian and very traditional. Their parties are typically at Italian restaurants. They were skeptical about my idea at first, but ended up LOVING the food and atmosphere. A few food options we chose that were big hits were the bacon wrapped dates, paealla, salmon, steak...all delish! My nephew said their cheesecake was the most incredible cheesecake he's ever had. Of course the refreshing Sangria was flowing all evening too.

I have to mention something really special that had such an impact on us in the best way. When the party ended and we said good-bye to guests, the manager and Teresa insisted my boyfriend and I sit at the bar and have a drink on them. At first, I kindly declined knowing they were closing up for the evening. They insisted, so we agreed. They said they had cleaning up to do anyway and were not rushing us out. Wow!! I had no idea how much we needed that time to regroup, sit face-to-face and talk about the party. The days leading up to the surprise were stressful and my boyfriend had so many questions about how we pulled this off. We were so happy to have the opportunity to sit and enjoy this time together, instead of just driving straight home. We are so thankful that Teresa and Sangria knew better and made sure we had time to let the joy settle in and process the celebratory day.

Needless to say, I highly recommend Sangria 71 of Commack, whether you're planning a party or not. Go! See for yourself how welcoming they are, how delicious the food is, and how accommodating and flexible they are so that it's less stressful for YOU.

Thank you Teresa, Tony, and all the staff at Sangria for helping us have the most...

Don't book your event here.

My sister booked a memorial luncheon for my mother to be held at Sangria 71 in Commack. She picked the date, put down a $200 deposit, and took home the catering menu options—and then promptly spent the next 6 weeks in and out of the hospital. Despite the event approaching, no one from Sangria 71 called to verify a head count or the menu we had selected to offer guests. We very much wanted to hold the event as planned, but simply do not have enough stability to do so and reluctantly decided to postpone until the spring.

My sister called Monday, after the Thanksgiving holiday, and confirmed that we could change the date from December 4 to May. We were very thankful that we were able to make this change on such short notice, although we knew that without any input from us, Sangria 71 could not have made any substantive preparations for our event.

Fast forward to today, Thursday. My sister received a call from Sangria 71, not the person she spoke to Monday, telling her that our $200 deposit would not be applied to our May event. The caller was completely unsympathetic to the circumstances leading to the postponement. The reason given was that they had "already ordered all the food" for our event. Again, not sure how, since we had no communication with Sangria 71 regarding menu selection or headcount. (The four catering menus offered include everything from a casual lunch to an elegant, four course wedding-type feast and they accommodate up to 65 guests comfortably—75 in a pinch).

My sister and I are both small business owners. We have both invested time and sometimes money into projects that don't turn out as we hoped or planned because life happens when you are working with people. (Nobody wants to be seriously ill.) We are both successful small business owners because we treat our customers the way that we appreciate being treated. Sangria 71 clearly doesn't ascribe to this philosophy.

We are disappointed; this was the first restaurant my sister visited regarding the luncheon and there were elements at Sangria 71 that we thought were ideal for honoring the memory of both of our parents. However, we have to believe that this is all for the best. Sangria 71 clearly isn't interested in hosting our party or working with our family. No reasonable person could expect that we would feel welcome at Sangria 71 after today's phone call. We will find a venue that better represents the values of our family.

Sangria 71's impersonal approach to and overall lack of preparation for our event prompted me to write this review cautioning others considering an event at Sangria 71 to...

UPDATE - June 30, 2023 My family took another shot at Sangria 71 in Commack. Unfortunately, it was basically the same experience. Really great service. However, I was hoping that the food was just as good. However, it was once again average.

The staff was outstanding. Our server Teresa was fantastic and went above and beyond to make our experience the best it could be. In addition, our busgirl Claudia also very pleasant. The hostesses were very accomadaing, and the valets were terrific. Alexi was also awesome!

As for the food, my boil was good, but the shrimp was overcooked....very tough. However, the lobster was very tasty. The calamari was also good. The feedback on the steaks was mixed. The main criticism was not taste, it came down to the toughness of the meat. The desserts were good, but they did have ab artificial taste time them.

It is a very nice restaurant aestetically, and it has a great vibe and energy.

I really enjoyed the overall experience and want to like it more....they just need to kick up the food a notch....I hope that they do! A real solid 3 Stars. If I could give it 3.5 Stars I would; but there isn't that option for this review.

This is a very nice space with a wonderful staff. Our waiter Aaron was terrific and our busgirl Teresa was fantastic!

I wanted to rate this higher, but the food was a mixed bag.

The oysters looked beautiful, but actually lacked flavor. I don't know how that's possible, but they were extremely bland. Not even a trace of the ocean...very odd.

The salad had no flavor. It was very cold and basic. It reminded me of those salads in the NYC theater district resteraunts that are pre-made and kept in the refrigerator.

The octopus was good. Nice garlic flavoring. A little chewy, but good.

My main course was tasty as well. I enjoy the seafood and flavors in the Mariscos.

The Sangria was average; but I did enjoy the spicy Margherita very much.

Our family enjoyed the desserts.

Overall, it's a good place. It just needs to tweak a few things, and it can reach...