Alara — Restaurant in Washington

Last night my first time visiting Alera with my girlfriend. It was a late night Valentine’s Day dinner and we were fortunate enough to find a restaurant with a kitchen still open. The host stand isn’t directly in front when you enter so we had to get the Host’s attention. The host did not seem to know what they were doing. They asked us first if we had a reservation we said no. It appeared as though we wouldn’t be seated but then we were asked if we would be fine with a high top. We accepted because we just wanted to eat and grab drinks and celebrate Valentine’s Day. Upon sitting down we were not greeted for 15-20 mins. At that point I saw an open table So I asked if we could move there. The host promptly let us move to the better table. Even then another 15 mins passed without a server coming to our table. We had to ask a busser to get our server. At this point my girlfriend wanted to leave but it was too late go anywhere else. When the server Michael approached us for the first time he asked us if we were ready to order. My girlfriend ordered a simple glass of wine and I ordered a cocktail recommended by my server who turned out to be the bartender. Before we could place our food order; mind you we had 30 mins to decide. He walked away with out one highlighting the food or let us place an order. Another 15 mins passed and he comes back and asks us what we were waiting for. So clearly he never put our drink orders in. From there he also didn’t take our food order. Time passes and he only brings her wine. I sneak in when I get the chance what we wanted to order. Our food literally touched the table before my drink did. We were barely checked on and other tables seemed to take more priority. After all of this I asked to speak with the manager and I explained that I am a server myself and that the service was not great. Valentine’s Day is supposed to be special and no matter how busy the restaurant it is a servers job to make his guest feel special and attended to. Also the drink I got was basically a mojito and not what the bartender explained it as. We were offered free dessert but I believe the drinks should have been comped. The food was great drink was average. I would love to return but I’m afraid that the service would remain the same if I were to visit on...

I had one of the worst dining experiences at this restaurant. From the moment we sat down, the service felt rushed and unwelcoming. Our server, a middle-aged woman, was incredibly rude, barely acknowledging us except to push the courses out way too fast, making us feel like we were being shuffled out as quickly as possible. She made sure we felt rushed and uncomfortable the entire time. No time to enjoy our meal, just plate after plate thrown in front of us.

But the real horror show came at the end. The restaurant already forces a 20% service charge on the bill, yet this woman had the audacity to stand over us like a vulture, blatantly pressuring us to tip more. She hovered right next to our table, making it painfully obvious she was waiting to see if we’d add extra. It wasn’t just uncomfortable—it was aggressive and downright embarrassing.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, she then had the nerve to ask us to leave a positive review with her name on it! After rushing us, barely speaking to us unless it was to push food or money, and then essentially demanding more tips on top of an already mandatory charge, she had the gall to pressure us into writing her a good review. My friend, just wanting to get her off our backs, posted the review on the spot—then deleted it right after we walked out. No shame, no self-awareness—just a desperate attempt to boost herself after delivering one of the worst dining experiences imaginable.

I’ve never experienced such unprofessional, money-grabbing behavior in a supposedly nice restaurant. We weren’t even finished looking over the bill before she was breathing down our necks, practically imploring. The entire night felt like a scam—rushed through a mediocre meal just so they could squeeze every last dollar out of us.

I dine out often and have no problem tipping extra for great service, but this was the most aggressive and unpleasant experience I’ve had in a long time. If you enjoy being rushed, treated rudely, and pressured for extra money, this is the place for you. Otherwise, just go somewhere else and save yourself...

My sister and I stumbled upon this restaurant and decided to give it a try. When we arrived, it was nearly empty, but they sat us at a cramped table in the middle of the dining room. We politely asked for a booth, but were told those were “for reservations only.” That struck me as odd, since the restaurant was mostly empty so I checked online, and booths were available to reserve all day. That should’ve been my first red flag. Aren’t we customers?

Still, we decided to stay and order. I got the shakshuka with bread and my sister ordered a small app and a salad. When the food arrived, her “salad” was literally a few wilted leaves with no dressing or vegetables.. it literally looked like something u would give a hamster u didn’t like. I’ve attached a photo so you can see how ridiculous it was. Salad? Please.

At that moment, I asked the server to fix the salad and also requested the bread for my food. She spoke loudly and with a curt, almost annoyed tone, saying she’d “fix it.” She returned with a slightly improved salad and some dressing… but ignored my bread request completely.

She kept ignoring me and 20 min had passed before I could get her attention again about the bread. When the bread finally came — another 10 minutes later — my food was completely cold and no longer appetizing. At that point my appetite was gone and I just needed a solution. The manager came over and tried to offer free dessert to make up for the experience but by then we just wanted to leave.

Overall one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had.. i was so happy to leave. Poor service and low-quality food. Don’t dine here you’ll be surly...