Seta Oasis Restaurant & Lounge — Restaurant in Washington

I got hip to the Grand Opening of a Caribbean spot on Georgia avenue. I hear they serve up traditional Caribbean dishes as well as some vegan options! It got my attention, & I pulled up on opening day!! , Where I am: @setaoasis . Location Reviewed: 3813 Georgia Ave., N.W. Washington D.C. . Items Reviewed: STAMP!! Their Exotic Fusion Mocktail ($8 with Lychee juice, kiwi purée, lime juice, & basil syrup). Fresh, & fruity!!

STAMP!! Their Oasis Strawberry Wings ($15 six wings doused with a strawberry sauce). Surprisingly savory, & sweet either with heat!!

STAMP!! Their Oasis Curry Shrimp ($24 with shrimp, potatoes, curry sauce, bell peppers, ginger, coconut milk, & white wine rice). Well seasoned, savory, with a mild heat level.

DELICIOUS!! Their Iriestickers ($13 with carrot, cabbage, sesame seeds, & ponzu sauce). Good, I just needed a tad bit more flavor.

STAMP!! Their SETA Signature Jerk Chicken ($25 half a grilled chicken, marinated in Oasis 11 signature spice blend, with rice n peas, plantains, & cucumber salad). No sauce needed!! Well cooked, spicy, & well seasoned chicken!!

LIKE THAT!! Their Vegan Rasta Pasta ($26 with penne pasta, vegan chicken, jerk sauce, bell peppers, coconut milk, & cock bread). You wouldn’t know this was vegan!! Well sauced!!

STAMP!! Their Chocolate Cake ($10 with a caramel drizzle, & a smear of raspberry jam). GET THIS…that’s it! . Parking: Rough. . Customer Service: On Point for it being their grand opening. . Recommendations: The jerk chicken, & cake are must haves!!

Accessibility: This spot is wheelchair friendly, & differently abled persons friendly.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️=STAMP ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️➕=LIKE...

I have visited Seta Oasis four times. The first two were fantastic with excellent food, great atmosphere, and attentive service (a solid 4.5 stars). Unfortunately, my last two visits have been deeply disappointing.

On my third visit, the server (Natasha) ran payment through a handheld device without providing a printed check. This hid the mandatory gratuity by showing only “tip” instead of “additional tip.” While I knew gratuity was included, it confused my dining partner, led to an awkward cash app exchange, and soured the experience. I raised this to management the next day, and they apologized and promised to make it right.

When I returned, the experience was worse. Natasha ignored me throughout, and the server who stepped in (Kia) became confrontational after interacting with her. Natasha still handled my food despite refusing to serve me, which was unsettling. Kia resisted when I asked for management, told me to sit down when I stood up to hear her, removed the agreed compensation, and processed my payment on the handheld without giving me a receipt. I had to call out across the room just to confirm payment, only to hear her dismissively tell staff, “he already paid.” Not providing a receipt is unprofessional and a regulatory violation.

I want to emphasize that I support Seta Oasis as a small Black owned business, and the food and vibe are excellent. My interactions with the chef have been a delight. But when servers responsible for the main area(s) dismiss customers, mishandle transactions, or retaliate after a complaint, it destroys trust. I truly hope management addresses this, because the food and atmosphere deserve better than the service I experienced on my...

Unfortunately, my experience and that of the seven others in my group did not align with the glowing five-star reviews. We visited on Saturday evening, May 24, as a party of eight, hoping to enjoy good food and dance the night away. Overall, we’d rate the experience between 2.5 and 3 stars. The food fell short of expectations. We requested the wings to be fried hard, but they arrived charred to a crisp with barely any meat, though the jerk seasoning was still flavorful. The snapper was decent, but the rice and peas were very dry. The Rasta Pasta tasted like basic Alfredo, lacking the expected Caribbean flavors. Even after asking for more jerk sauce, it came out tasting more like bbq sauce with a hint of jerk seasoning. Two friends ended up sending theirs back. The Rasta Pasta was supposed to come with coco bread and jerk butter, when asked, that is when we were told they ran out of both. The first round of sweet potato and truffle fries was hot and tasty, but the second batch came out cold, as if it had been sitting for a while. Overall, the food was a letdown. Service was slower than expected, especially considering our group was the only one on the upper level, and only two small parties were present downstairs during our visit. That said, one of the servers was upbeat and very kind, which we appreciated. The drinks were great! We left after 9:30 to find another venue to continue the night, as the DJ didn’t start until then. We were really hoping for a lively Caribbean vibe throughout the evening. We’re open to giving it another try in the future, but this visit missed the 5...