We were starving late Friday afternoon and the boyfriend was craving nachos (as always), so I suggested we head up to The Heights for no other reason than it was literally across the street, and I was pretty sure nachos were on the menu.
The upstairs rooftop area is a fairly nice place to spend the early evening, but it gets much louder and rowdier later on - definitely more of a college scene. Even while we were there, there was already small crowd of undergrads wielding fake IDs clearly several drinks in (oh, the days!) Happy hour was reasonable, as are a lot of bars in this area: $4 drafts, $4 glasses of wine, and $5 margaritas.
The nachos turned out to be somewhat underwhelming. They put shredded carrots on top, which was an interesting twist, but the salsa and guac was just okay. I had the chicken burrito. It was a huge portion, though mostly filled with rice and beans.
Our waitress took a while with our drinks and delivering the check, but overall, if you feel like a decent margarita and okay food in a college-y atmosphere, The Heights isn't a bad way to go.
Tonight was the first time I went to the Heights Bar, The atmosphere was very college like, the music was a little loud, since we wanted to chat and eat at the same time without screaming at each other. We tried to go to the roof top deck but it was packed,  so we ate in the regular eating area. I had a burger and salad with the house dressing. The burger was cooked perfectly cooked and had a great  flavor throughout (the bun was toasted too.)  The salad was a good size portion and the house dressing was really good too. The entire wait staff was super friendly and when we asked for a sample taste of the sangria, the gladly made a fresh taste batch.
I highly recommend this place the food and drinks not only tasted good, they were reasonably priced. I will definitely go back.
3 stars in the afternoon for their first happy hour or a Monday evening.
1 star Friday and Saturday late night.
A big Columbia staple. Friday and Saturday the place is FILLED with 19-year-old Barnard gals in small dresses and high heels and too much makeup for what this place is. They're pretty lax on IDs so as long as you have any kind of fake you WILL get in. Crap music.
MUCH better at off hours. A nice place to sit and have a margarita with a friend and will probably run into someone you know if you go to Columbia. Relaxing place with enough seating that it doesn't get crowded. Bartender is fun if you get chatting with him.
We stopped in for lunch and had a wonderful experience. The lunch specials offer a great variety of options at a great price. We also had some margaritas...yummy! I had the pesto dish and it was wonderful. My wife had the burger and loved it! Service was great and is certainly a place to check out.
Review Source:I enjoyed The Heights. The staff is incredibly friendly and conversational. The margaritas are literally to die for. I had strawberry and peach mango. The food is not very good. I had the chicken quesadilla, but the chicken was dry and the cheese was sparse. If it weren't for the margaritas, this would be a 1 or 2 star review. The atmosphere is pretty chill and hipster. I enjoyed the roof top seating.
This is the place to go if you want a tasty margarita. Go during Happy Hour. Also, the size of the margarita is perfect!
I think it might be time to give up on The Heights... Â I took a break from this place several months ago after a waiter refused to serve my party of 6 after we closed out our $200+ tab inside and asked to move upstairs to the roof because the wait staff would not tone down the excessive air conditioning (we were practically the only people there and they still would not accommodate us). After being refused a comfortable temperature, refused service because we were not ordering food, and receiving snotty looks from the waiter who refused us when he realized he would have made 5x's as much money off of our 'drinking only' selves than the table he took who ordered 2 orders of wings and 5 waters... I was done with The Heights, until a friend suggested giving it another try yesterday.
I wish I could say The Heights redeemed themselves: 25 minutes to get margaritas that come out of a machine and being abandoned by our waitress was hardly redemption. Â Then factor in that our party of THREE was charged a 20% gratuity??? I asked our waitress where and when we were made aware of this 20% gratuity and she assured me it was on the happy hour menu, which is super since we were denied happy prices due to being there at BRUNCH time. Â She avoided producing a menu to show this 'policy'. Â
Our waitress did oblige taking the gratuity off the menu, after which a manager came over to explain he had printed our check and added the 20% as a "courtesy" ( ummm.... To WHO?) and because we were a "large group"... Again, 3 people constitutes a large group?? Let's also factor in that our drinks were $15.00 so the majority of the gratuity was based on drinks, which I think is in pretty poor taste.
Sorry Heights, you are still yet to get it together, and I will not be sticking it out until you do.
AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL. STAY AWAY.
I'm so disappointed. I ordered a Garden Burger (because I'm a vegetarian). When it came it had BACON on it. I understand that maybe some people order garden burgers with bacon (weirdos), but the Garden Burger DID NOT COME WITH BACON ON THE MENU! And I had NOT ordered it with Bacon. Â I'm sure it is safe to assume that if someone ordered a Garden Burger, it's most likely because THEY DO NOT EAT MEAT--WHY WOULD YOU EVER AFFIRMATIVELY PUT BACON ON A GARDEN BURGER when it is USUALLY VEGETARIANS that order it?!?!
I told the waiter who apologized and sent it back. Less than a minute later, they bring it back. Â How could they have made another Garden Burger so quickly? Well--this is the most awful part of the story--THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT AGAIN! All they had done was take the bacon off! So the Garden Burger was still covered in bacon grease--I CAN'T EAT THAT AS A VEGETARIAN? If I had only wanted the bacon off, I couldn't have done that MYSELF!! I couldn't believe that they had merely taken it off! SO ILLOGICAL!
I assumed that they would comp my part of the meal for the awful treatment but no--I still had to pay. Â
This really is an awful establishment that is not vegetarian friendly. Stay away.
The Heights' food is mediocre at best. Their buffalo chicken wings and buffalo chicken fingers are pretty good, but nothing else stands out. The only reason I come back here from time to time is for their happy hour special. I'm a fan of their frozen margarita that comes in various fruit flavors. I also like sitting on the rooftop on nice days. But other than their happy hour and nice venue, it's a rather dull and mediocre place. I recommend you come here only for the drinks and finger food.
Review Source:I've been going to the Heights for the better part of a decade. Â The food is good and is reasonably priced--especially the $6 lunch specials--and the booze is pretty good value too. Â For a place that's essentially a college bar, the wine is fairly good. Â Over the summer I enjoy sitting on the rooftop deck and surveying Morningside Heights over drinks. Â One of the neighborhood's best spots, I think.
Review Source:I have been to the Heights a few times when I have visited New York and I left happy every time. The people are friendly and will be there to help you of needed. The food is awesome, I especially enjoy their guacamole (which normally I am not a fan of). I'm not a big drinker but I did enjoy their cocktails. Have not had the pleasure of eating outside since it rained every time I went but I can't wait to. Will continue to visit the Heights every chance I get!
Review Source:I've been to The Heights a few times during my time at Columbia, and it is always for the happy hour margaritas. I never usually order anything more than an appetizer, which is always good but not necessarily spectacular. The drinks on the other hand, are pretty damn good. You can't go wrong with the mango margarita or the Louisiana Hurricane. If you're looking to get good happy hour drinks at cheap prices and hang out with a couple of friends, the Heights is the place.
Review Source:It's going downhill, but so is the whole neighborhood in terms of cheap, good food and drink. I've been coming here since this place was Nacho Mama's. Back then, their $2 frozen margaritas caused my (male) roommates to black out! Sick, good fun. Huge steak burritos, great beers at the bar... flash forward to now. The food is still decent, but the portions keep shrinking and prices keep going up. Drinks no longer so cheap and strong. Beer not as good. More crowded than ever, because the neighborhood simply has less options. I suggest off hours only, I would never come here when it's mobbed. Not worth it anymore.
Review Source:I've been coming to the Heights for my entire college career, and my impression of it has changed substantially from beginning to end.
At first, it was the place that everyone wanted to go to. The Heights was where Friday and Saturday nights so many people would try to end up! Their frozen margaritas were awesome, their chips and dip were awesome, and the atmosphere was so college!
But then, there was a shift where I decided, no I don't want to be part of the collegey scene, packed with a thousand sweaty people yelling over loud music that makes its way out there on those days, so I started coming on Mondays - Thursdays, first for their afternoon happy hours, and then later just in the evenings to relax, and I asked myself, how have I not been here at this time before?
The Heights is a place that my friends and I always go to catch up (with the required one frozen margarita...or two...or three). The servers have always been so friendly, and the people I see there are awesome! I love going back because I always run into someone I know or haven't seen in a really long time, which makes the Heights a great place to reminisce about college. The music varies at times, and their food is alright for vegetarians, but their margaritas are my main priority!
I would say that if you are above the age of 21, skip the Friday and Saturday nights in favor of other places, but otherwise, it's a great place to hang!
Came here because I heard the fruit margarita (namely the mango and passionfruit margarita) was incredible.
My Columbia friend and I showed up at like around 1AM soaked through, trekking through a hurricane (basically), so I could try this amazing fruity-ass drink. The bartender said "We are out of the mix." I tried to reason that I'm from out of town and I really just wanted this drink. Then the bartender went into rude territory and snapped at me saying it's late and we shouldn't have expected it -- note that they close at 4AM. I quit reasoning with this chick when she asked me if I wanted beer...
Rude.
The atmosphere was also meh. Many of my Columbia friends frequent the Heights, so I had high expectations. But honestly, it's probably one of the jankiest bars that I've been too. The decor and everything just screamed sketch. Plus, the bartender was just rude.
Maybe I'll come back and try this place out again, but I'm so not impressed.
During the week, on 'off nights' I think this place is really not that bad. I can see it getting very crowded late and on the weekends. Food seems to be of average quality, but they do have a fairly good selection of drinks. During the summer, the rooftop is the place to be. Margaritas are made strong, but are definitly addictive. Overall, I'd say this place is good if you're out early or is your first stop of the night. Staff is fairly attentitive, but the lack of space during the months when the rooftop is not open can be a deterrent.
Review Source:Sunday brunch at the Heights used to be a staple, when I lived near it. Â Listen, when your Sunday drink brunch special is a bloody mary and I ask for one, the response should not be, "we are out of bloody mary mix." Â I do not want a mimosa or a glass of champagne, i WANT a bloody mary. Â This is not okay. Â The breakfast omelets we had were fine and the server could not have been a sweeter lady, but when you are known for having a good bloody mary and you turn down a patron at noon on a Sunday, in a half filled dining room, you have fallen off. Â As a former bartender, I almost asked them if they wanted help in putting together a new mix. Â Are you out of the ingredients or is there no one there willing to make it? Â The kitchen gets the 3 stars, the lack of your staple and interest from what appeared to be the manager, ='s disturbing.
Review Source:Eh, this place is ok. Â I walked past this place a million times. Â Went in once. Â Once. Â Upstairs there were drink specials, I think it was like $6 for a frozen marg. Â Whatever. Â Trust me guys, go to Havana Central for your drinks. Â Must better, and this place I guess I'm too old for. Â College hang out for sure, esp the top floor.
Review Source:Maybe the summers are better with the open rooftop?
It was an odd experience being at this bar and the crowd didn't mix very well.
The drinks weren't great either.
I don't think I would try this again even though I live fairly close to it - it just didn't seem like a great place for groups and was cold in the winter.
Oh the joys of cramped NYC trendy restaurants!  Tight on space, big on service!  The server was friendly and the atmosphere cool.  I had a The Heights 8oz Burger, it was sheer joy!  The buttery bun, perfectly cooked beef and fries were tasty!  I ate more than intended and enjoyed every minute of it.  The view from here  is amazing. Worth the work out walk all the way to The Heights!
Review Source:Hah! Looks like I came here during the wrong time. I guess if it takes you 30 minutes to get out of a food wasteland, The Heights is perfectly functional. They offer cheap drinks during its 4-7 pm happy hour, which I had missed, and therefore I drunk a laughably alcoholic cocktail that I'd feel quite comfortable feeding to my 5-year old nephew. I think he'll find merit in its sweetness and summer iced-tea quality. I also tried some buffalo wings, and they were spicy like I had requested but much too sour for my tastes. Be absolutely prepared to be treated like a student - be asked at every floor if you're here for food or drinks and definitely have your ID handy if you're gonna get a drink.
Review Source:I would recommend only coming here between 3-7 during happy hour. Â It's not the kind of place you want to take someone on a nice date or brunch or anything like that.... it's just the kind of place you go with some friends when you want $5 frozen margaritas!!! The food is good but not outstanding. The service is hit or miss. Â If you go for drinks only and want a table the staff will basically tell you that if a party that wants to eat comes then they will tell you to move from your table. Â Basically the only reason why The Heights is getting two stars over one is because they have really good $5 frozen margaritas (during happy hour only!!)
Review Source:This place was ridiculous - a bunch of new friends who are starting grad school next week (ie we're 24-29 years old) were turned away by a pompous bartender who took all of our IDs to his "special light" and decided all 5 of the California IDs were fake. Â I wasn't even sure of his reason but when he made the blanket statement and my jaw dropped to the floor as I am 28 and haven't even been carded since who knows when - I guess that's what you get for going to a "college bar" ??
It would have been nice to try this place - but I guess they value idiocy over sales.
The only thing this place has got going is the $4 margaritas. Don't be an idiot and drink them on an empty stomach like me, because I felt hammered halfway through my first one and had to put in an emergency order of chicken wings, guacamole, and nachos. I went there during the day once and it smelled like this unsettling combination of cleaning solution and a Carman elevator after Friday night. By which I mean it smelled like old vomit. And this wasn't in the bathroom either, this smell was in the dining area. My dining partner and I had to crack open the windows to get some fresh air into the place, though the clear alternative should have been to leave.
Roof is awesome if you want to feel like you're one story higher than everybody else, but during my time there, it's been open maybe ... what, four times in total? If it's not raining, they're doing renovation. If they're not renovating, they're closed for Greek Week. If they're not closed for Greek Week, the place is packed with writhing undergrads doing shots and dancing to Usher on the bar. I don't understand the people who insist on sitting at the tables on a Thursday night and shouting into each other's faces. How does that in any way make for a meaningful conversation? Jeebus Christ, just go to Tom's or Vareli next door.
The Heights is hands down my favorite place to go for happy hour in this neighborhood. You can't beat $4 margaritas (every day from 4-7pm)! Try the peach. It is totally amazing and they definitely don't skimp on the tequila.
The only reason I am giving them a 4 instead of a 5 is that the food is... forgettable. Definitely nothing to write home about, but good enough. Especially once you have a marg or two.
I was so surprised to find there was a place with an open rooftop in this area! Really comfortable location with a bar up there too.
They have delicious and strong martinis for just $5. You have tons of options for flavors too. I got the strawberry mango and had no regrets. I will definitely try their other flavors next time! They also have surprisingly good salsa and chips for just $3. Perfect combo with the martini! Grab a friend, chat, and enjoy the view and fresh air up there!
The tale of the  Maragarita Happy Hour Challenge:
25 minutes and counting til happy hour commenced, my neighbor and I took it upon ourselves to take full advantage of the margarita special. The clock was ticking and our waiter stopped by.
She asked what can I get you, and we responded, "2 frozen, STAT." An 8 oz frozen maragarita? hah! Please!!! you are just asking to be taken advantage of!
Next thing I knew we had finished four, a nacho plate, and some popcorn shrimp and I don't remember how we got down those steep-ass stairs without breaking my neck....
Ah.. well the roof was open.. and sunshine makes everything seem that much better.
Where did my money go?
5 stars, just for the happy hour margaritas alone! They taste great and have a good mix of alcohol mixed in with them! :D
I've only been here for the weekdays though (Monday - Thursday). There's usually only a seat or two left, if even that, then. So I can't imagine how busy with undergrads and Columbia students Friday and Saturday it is,
Great way to pregame if you plan to go out after. Only bad things is though, the area - where are you going to go after? :P
Strawberry, Raspberry, Peach, Passion Fruit, and Banana margaritas either frozen or on the rocks in a 10 oz  glass for $5 during happy hour!!!!!!!
If you are still reading this review, then you must not have understood what I just wrote. Â This place has some of the best margaritas I have ever had. Â They have all of the above flavors and you can even mix and match!!!!! Â I order a strawberry banana margarita...it is delicious!!!!
They have a nice rooftop where you can enjoy these cheap margaritas. Â Service is pretty good. Â It can get packed, so expect a little bit of a wait during happy hour.
The food is nothing spectacular, but all you need is great drinks with a not so good meal.
Hello, brunch. Following a long night of celebratory imbibing, we traveled to the Heights in search of nourishment and you got it, hair of the dog. For $9.95 on the weekends, the Heights offers your choice of brunch entree plus a $3 mimosa, glass of champagne, Bloody Mary, margarita OR draft beer. Hmmm... we're in NYC so I'm thinking the price tag screams impending food failure.
I was wrong! A mere 20 minutes later, I was able to wholeheartedly vouch for the eggs Benedict with bacon. Benedict is a back-up on my last meal list, so I've tried many, many versions. But the Height's rendition ranked among the best. My friends enjoyed their omelets, chef salads, breakfast burrito and of course, cocktails. The mimosa could have used a more liberal pour of bubbly, but at $3 it's a steal. Also, the Heights serves 6 or 7 fantastic import drafts if beer is your preference.
Service is unapologetically woeful, but they did let us linger for an extra hour and refilled our coffee/water often. Oh, and don't sit at the table closest to the door during the winter as the steady stream of incoming patrons will require the pesky presence of your coat.
Damn it feels good to be a gangsta!
I know what you're thinking: roderick is a gangsta? That's right, son! I'm down with OPP and you know me! Let me explain how I achieved gangsta status at The Heights.
so one Columbia student took her two sad-sack friends to The Heights because it's a preferred hangout for Columbia students. Plus, it has a rooftop bar during the summer, which is cool and the gang. Unfortunately, tonight was when it was 200 degrees outside and the humadidity was at "bad hair day" level. And as you all know, hot air rises so I was sweating my "Columbia Lions" off, if you know what I mean. Of course, the three of us drinking alcohol during a heatwave probably wasn't a good idea.
We came here just after 10pm and the rooftop closes at 10:30pm. So at that time, the staff instructs everyone to go down with their drinks and they can continue the festivities down there.
Now this is where the "roderick is all gangsta" comes in. So we go  down, bill in Columbia student's hand. She asks me, "so where can we pay this?" To which I replied, "Umm, we don't pay it, let's just go before they catch us."  And down the stairs and out the door towards 110th Street we went. Needless to say, we probably can't show our faces there again but it was fun while it lasted.
Oh yeah, the rooftop is a really cool hangout space. May I suggest coming here like just after 10pm? You'll be glad you did - wink, wink...
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