Dissed by self professed "food snob" from California, various typical gripes and complaint about rude bartender, just good reviews that I could see
Oh yes, people love the Guacamole especially
Rosa Mexicano
Category:
Mexican
9 E 18th St(between Broadway & 5th Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhoods: Union Square, Flatiron
(212) 533-3350
- Nearest Transit Station:
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14 St. - Union Sq (N, Q, R)23 St. (N, R)Union Sq - 14 St. (L)
- Hours:
- Mon-Wed, Sun 11:30 am - 10:30 pmThu-Sat 11:30 am - 11:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
- $$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
698 reviews for Rosa Mexicano
Review Highlights What's this?
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"Can't wait to go back to NY for that guacamole." In 377 reviews
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"great ambiance, great food and fantastic pomegranate margaritas." In 54 reviews
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"Great bar, superb guac and the food is excellent." In 169 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
698 reviews in English
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Review from Lucy P.
Manhattan, NYNice food, cool decoration, great service (although it was a busy Saturday night!), comfortable seating and clean bathroom!
Highly recommend! -
Review from Alex V.
New York, NYI feel like an a*hole snob declaring I'm from California and judging Mexican food in NYC for what it really is - but I came here to warn you guys, this place is really pretty bad. Not sure how it's so popular but can get so many things wrong:
DRINKS
- pomegranate margarita - pretty strong but did not taste at all like pomegranate.
- coconut mojito - this was actually pretty good. I liked the coconut flavor.
APPS
- crab turnovers - didn't really taste like crab. Could only identify fish-y filler paste, no "jumbo lump crab" as advertised. Served lukewarm.
- guacamole - huge rip-off!!! $26 for a double order (which is a good size bowl but isn't all that big. We got 2 of these for a total of $52 for a party of 7... wait what?! We paid $52 for guacamole??). The worst part is that there was no seasoning in the guacamole at all. Not a hint of salt, barely any lime and not t tiny bit spicy as ordered. It's cool that you use fresh avocados and make it tableside to make it seem even fresher, but please learn to season your food.
- chips didn't taste particularly fresh. Would have been nice if they were served warm.
MAIN DISH
- crispy pork shank - this was tender and cooked well but had very little flavor. Again, barely any seasoning or spice. Same for the bland beans on the side.
DESSERT
- hot mexican donuts - These were basic churros. And they weren't hot or soft or delicious.
- espresso flan - this had a weird consistency and sour flavor. The bottom 'brownie' portion wasn't very brownie-like, just kind of hard and not very sweet or satisfying.
- tres leches cake - this was actually really good and the highlight of the meal.
SERVICE
- the waiter was pretty nice but also forgot to bring a couple of dishes out (the ceviche and the tres leches, although the latter we re-asked about). And the waitstaff just came by and grabbed random dishes before we were finished without asking (the chips and random sauces which could be applied to other food).
Look, the place is pretty nice-looking and was packed and I get the idea of overpriced, err sorry I mean upscale Mexican food, but please reevaluate your dish flavors and learn to season your food. What do I know though, I'm just some guy from California who's spent half his life eating delicious authentic Mexican food.Comment from Rosa M. of Rosa Mexicano 11/7/2013Dear Alex, We're sorry to hear about your disappointing… More » -
Review from Sara L.
Andover, MAUnbelievably good!
First off, they make the best margaritas I've ever had. (And I've had many lol.) I've never seen a bartender squeeze fresh juice from Lemon/Limes for every drink. I for one can't stand sour mix, and this was refreshing, delicious, and he made them quickly every time.
The table side guacamole was incredible...and the overall customer service was impeccable. Finally, the decor and ambiance was very cool. Sheek but comfortable, and very unique.
I highly recommend this place if you are in the area, you won't be disappointed!Comment from Rosa M. of Rosa Mexicano 10/21/2013Hi Sara~ Thank you for your kind words about Rosa Mexicano.… More » -
Review from Queenie M.
Brooklyn, NYMy boyfriend introduced me to this place which is his favorite, and friends that I've brought here love it as well. The table side guacamole is absolutely delicious. I have a low tolerance for spice so I chose the mild guacamole but the medium guacamole probably would've been just fine cuz I kept adding sauces to my mild guacamole. I got the steak medallions and the mole sauce they came with was absolutely divine, I literally wiped my plate clean of it with my meat and left the salsa verde on my plate which I personally was not a fan of. My friend was in heavy over the tres leche cake for dessert. In terms of seating, try not to be seated near the reflecting pool- the smell of chlorine can be off putting and put a damper on enjoying the experience. Overall a great place for dinner! -
Review from Brooke W.
New York, NYSaturday night at Rosa Mexicano in Union Square...YES GAWD!!!
Met up with an old friend from college and we had the best time. We started off with the chips and guac (of course) and then had the pork belly and scallop tacos (AMAZING) which I gobbled up immediately. I was on meds and didn't order a drink (obviously) so I couldn't tell you about the drinks (next time!) but they looked big and delicious from what I could see.
We had a 9 pm reservation and were seated immediately. Tip - make a reservation especially on the weekends, this place gets packed.
Overall Rosa Mexicano gets 5 stars. Fun restaurant. Good vibes. Great food.Comment from Rosa M. of Rosa Mexicano 10/14/2013Thank you, Brooke! We are flattered by your kind words. We… More » -
Review from Cameron A.
Manhattan, NYExcellent Mexican food! Guac is amazing. I would give 5* but it is a bit pricey... That said, this place is SO much better than Dos Caminos. Highly recommended. -
Review from Gary M.
I've been to Rosa Mexicana before (uptown) so I felt like I knew what I was getting into. "Upscale Mexican." However I feel like all I got was "Overpriced Mexican."
We started with their "signature guacamole," which was really just "ok." Then I had the fish tacos (one of which I couldn't eat after one bite due to its terrible "fishy" taste). The waiter was super friendly but a little robotic. He spoke more at us then to us. He did ask if everything was ok with my meal, only to be told about my taco problem... he said ok and walked away. He was smiling, just not listening.
At the end of the day one appetizer, two entrees and two drinks was over $100 with tip. If it was the best Mexican I've ever had that would be one thing, but this wasn't even up to "average" in my book. -
Review from Adrian O.
New York, NYI love me some Rosa Mexicano. Girlllllll.......
First of all, I got suckered into this place on the date. Sufficed to say, I'm not seeing said date, but I still come here. Hot damn. That's just a measure of how good it is.
The happy hour is pretty solid. While I could gripe that they've changed said happy hour a DOZEN times over the last year (basically they stripped away all the really really good deals like removing certain tapas/appetizers off the menu), but I will try to hold back...for now. The bartenders are really sweet, fast, and good at what they do. I highly recommend it for a quick bite on weekdays (4-7pm) and weekends (Sat or Sun, 4-7pm.) Never Friday, though! That's a rookie mistake.
As for the main dining, I've been here a total of 5 times. I like it. I mean, their famous for their guacamole which is solid. It's good stuff. Their menu still needs some UMPH, but overall the choices are great. The place is pricey though, but with the ambiance, great service, and taste of food if I close my eyes when handing over my card with the check I can live through it. I just wish for the price the portions were bigger (that's my second almost gripe).
Overall, I'm a fan. I can live through it. A friend of mine tried to take me to a "comparable" upscale Mexican place uptown and it was a big fail. I was like, "NO girl, this is no Rosa. Don't get it twisted." And took my happy self back here. No regrets.-
Pork belly & scallop tacos. Yum! #happyhour
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Review from kelly r.
Glendale, NYOkay, their guacamole was pretty good. Truly, it was. However, I didn't have much of that, only a few bites, so my review constitutes the food that I did order.
I had the pollo lunch - grilled chicken with sauteed peppers, onions, Chihuahua cheese, Mexican street corn and beans. It looked pretty delicious, but then I went to eat a bite. Blegh - the chicken was chewy and bland, and to be quite honest, it didn't taste cooked at all. I wanted to spit it up into my napkin. There were a few high quality peppers and onions, and the greasy cheese was all at the bottom. I thought that the chili beans weren't very good, nor was the Mexican street corn, which was sort of like creamed corn.
My coworker ordered a salad which looked fantastic, so if my office orders this again, I would probably order that - it was the cobb salad. However, what gives them three stars in this review is mainly their killer guacamole. -
Review from Diane Z.
A solid place to get a pitcher of sangria and some fresh-made guacamole. I'm not a huge fan of guacamole made table side since I believe in refrigerating it for a bit before serving to let the flavors marry. But it was not horrible, just a bit too warm.
The server was very friendly and accommodating.
This is like a Mexican TGI Friday's or Applebees in my opinion. But it is pretty expensive ($26 for a double portion of guac that wasn't that big, and $35 for a pitcher of sangria). I would recommend it if you had a large party and didn't know where to go since the servers are nice and the space is huge. -
Review from Chris D.
New York, NYRosa Mexicana is a GREAT place to go eat!
Your best bet is to make a reservtion as this place gets VERY busy (afterall i did go on a Friday).
First up the service was excellent from the Hostess stand to the waiter, nothing but compliments there. I wish i could remeber their names, but they escape me now.
The decor is very modern and nice and they have a very beautiful waterfall in the middle of the restaurant backlit with blue lighting.
Apps:
Guacamole- we had this to start which was very good. Its one of those places that makes it right at your table which is always great because you can tell the guy if you want more salt or lemon or whatever.
Fried Sweet Plantains- the plantains very delicious. I love plantains and had high expectations for it when i saw it on the menu and it certainly did not dissapoint. They do sprinkle cheese on the top of them which im not a fan of, but its done after the fact and it didnt melt so i was able to swipe it right off.
Entrees:
My girlfriend and I both ordered two entrees and split them in half so we each had the opportunity to try both.
Filete Con Hongos- This is filet mignon with mushroom sauce and it was VERY good. Im normally not a big mushroom fan, but they did not overpower the sauce nor the fillet itself. Cooked evenly and well made, all around great dish.
Budin (chicken tortilla pie)- The server described this to me as "mexican lasagna" which actually didnt sound too appetizing when i heard it (despite being Italian). I still went with it though and im glad I did. It was unreal! The poblano pepper cream sauce really made the entire dish. it was so good I would order a side of it just to dip things into it.
Wine:
Sauvignon Blanc Kim Crawford - the wine was very good as well. although at this point we were already a few drinks deep any wine would of tasted good, but this was a perfect compliment to our meal.
We were so full at the end we didnt have room for desert, but when i looked at the menu nothing really grabbed my eye. Im a big fan of some sort of apple concoction for desert (apple turnover or pie a la mode) and the menu was lacking that.
Overall highly recommend, everything was very good! Like any place in Manhattan though expect a nice price tag at the end of night.Comment from Rosa M. of Rosa Mexicano 11/4/2013Wow, Chris! Thank you for taking the time to give such a… More » -
Review from shadoe m.
Manhattan, NYSeriously... This should the only place that should be allowed to make guacamole in New York City. It's pricey but who the hell cares. And if you're me, you share one with others to be nice, and then you order another to have to yourself.Comment from Rosa M. of Rosa Mexicano 10/28/2013Hello Shadoe~ Thank you so much for letting us know how you… More » -
Review from Giovanna A.
Staten Island, NYLove this place! This was my first time at this location (i've been to the one on 1st and 59th) & the name just does not disappointment. If the wait is too long to sit in the restaurant, you can sit at the lounge or bar and still order food to eat as well. We ordered the guacamole, budin tortilla pie and the crab empanadas-all delicious! They bring more chips and salsa if you like. Their sangria is served with your own mini carafe, which you pour to your liking. The ambiance is great and the service was up to par, which I did not expect any less. This location had a more vibrant/hip feel, so definitely good for the happy hour crowds.Comment from Rosa M. of Rosa Mexicano 10/21/2013Thank you so much Giovanna for taking the time to let us… More » -
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Review from Mel T.
Yes, they make the guacamole in front of you. Yes, it's fresh. That's all you need to know. I'll spare you the details since I'm sure you've read enough about the guac by now.
Since I wasn't too hungry, I decided to order an appetizer. The hamachi (yellowtail) hard shell tacos. It's supposed to come with bacon, which I didn't taste. I mostly only tasted the overdose of mayo (or whatever sauce that was) that it was drowned in. For the few bites of fish I was able to taste, it tasted like some of the pieces had been cooked - and the dish is supposed to be raw. It wasn't horrible but for $13.50 for three tacos the size of my thumb, I don't think it was worth it.
The three stars really goes to the drink I had. Called La Jengilada, this concoction was made up of Rogue Juniper Ale, tequila, ginger and lemon. You can't taste the tequila but you can definitely feel it (which is my kind of drink!)
I would probably come back if I was in the area - but only for that cocktail and the guac!-
The freshest guac you will ever eat
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Hamachi tacos
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Review from Simon W.
New York, NYOverview:
Went for dinner to RM with a friend following a drink at nearby bar. Impressive restaurant visually, has a Houston/Vegas style to it with the huge ceilings and large floor space, yet somehow still maintains an element of intimacy with the booth tables. Certainly has elements of typical Mexican restaurant, but doe succeed in coming across as higher end.
Food:
We shared spicy taco starter, very tasty pile of crunchy and spicy stuff - points for taste, but looked a bit chaotic (though to me Mexican cuisine isn't about how it looks). Also ordered the pulled duck, though they had to substitute for chicken as out of duck - not a problem as equally delicious, incredible creamy yellow sauce this came in. We ended up scraping the plate for the last remnants...
Main courses were beef enchiladas and salmon mole. Both perfectly tasty, but after the started were hard to top. Enciladas came in a thick dark sauce that was more like a mole, the salmon was lightly cooked and in a spicy tomato base sauce that gave a good combination though wouldn't necessarily chose that again. The waiter did forget our plantane side, but we couldn't have eaten it anyway as so full - he was very apologetic.
Drinks:
Couple of tequilas - went for the traditional standard - were on the small side, though good quality and clearly made by a mixologist, not just thrown together a la cheesecake factory. We later had a couple of the white wines (Sauv., Reis.), both perfectly acceptable for long drinking after a large meal.
Close off:
My friend and I ended up chatting late into the night and decided to stay for a glass of wine or two rather than risk the late night Sunday bar scene. Staff were more than happy for us to stay until they switched off the lights. For two starters, two main courses and two tequilas, the cheque rolled in at $99 - pleased with that as both of us were full of food that we had enjoyed.
Bottom line:
I'm relatively new to mexican food, coming from the UK, but this certainly is certainly 'up scale' from the take away dross that frequents seamless. Not a bad date location, but certainly a great spot to take a few friends. Could imagine some rowdy nights/brunches here with a big group, but also a good spot with work colleagues. -
Review from Hilary H.
Oh, Rosa -- I so wanted to be virtually transported to the bright lights and fabulous flavors of Acapulco, but everything fell sadly short. I did feel transported, but rather than the golden beaches of Mexico it was to the over-processed lands of Las Vegas. Flashy decor, cavernous spaces and minute attention to how everything looks rather than to how it tastes, even to the point where they have a decorative container of Agua Fresca at the entrance that you could not drink. That's right, they have decorative water welcoming you that you cannot drink.
My companions and I went for the Lunch Crunch option - a bento box style lunch option created for those of us with limited time and a desire for a taste of everything from tacos to soup and even flan. Unfortunately, they fell short on flavor, composition and quality, but not as short as the ceviche sampler that was less than fresh and so not worth ordering.
The service was weird. All I can say is that it was weird. The guy didn't seem to know the menu well, was sloppy during the ordering process, had very little communication with or understanding of what was happening in the kitchen and, when my companion inquired about swapping something - anything - for the flan he absolutely will not eat, he basically said the kitchen wouldn't do it and he had no other choice but to eat flan. Weird.Comment from Rosa M. of Rosa Mexicano 8/19/2013Hello Hilary~ Thank you for taking the time to provide… More » -
Review from Ali G.
Brooklyn, NYExcellent food, but what really makes this place stand out is the atmosphere and service. Large tables, spaced far enough apart that you're not sitting on top of your neighbor. Accommodating waitstaff and they cheerfully seat large parties without a reservation, even on the weekend. Best of all, the bathrooms are clean and smell like cinnamon.Comment from Rosa M. of Rosa Mexicano 10/21/2013Hello Ali! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts about… More » -
Review from Nicole B.
Brooklyn, NYI have been to this location a few times lunch/dinner & brunch and all of the times have been good. the food and service was delightfiul. I especially like the skillet tacos and the table side guac is DELICIOUSSS!!!!!!
But brunch was a great surprise because I did not know rosa's did brunch a must try!!!
The location in the 50's seem more stuffy then the 18th street location which was a bit more relaxed, but can get loud during dinner.
I will be back!!!!
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