The ropa vieja here is the BEST steak dish I've ever had anywhere. Â Bursting with flavors, seasoned great, and great texture. Â Not Chewy or fatty at all. Â The rice and beans included were delicious too. Â The guacamole appetizer also was a winner. Â The strawberry sangria was better than the passion fruit i thought.
There was a live band Saturday night so pretty loud in the place but a good atmosphere and I saw outdoor seating in the back courtyard.
One star off for two reasons - One: automatic gratuity which I never like to see, although reasonable amount. Â And two: i think it's pricey, especially for the area. Â Would definitely come back with a good deal or just to pick up some ropa vieja.
Amazing sangria! You can get all different flavors. The best is guava which they don't make anymore!! Everyone should request it so they will bring guava back!! The new tamarind flavor I have yet to try but everyone other flavor is great and STRONG! A pitcher here is a mere $25 and is MUCH better than their pricier and AmEx-only neighbor piopio. The sweet potatoes fries are awesome. I didn't really like the empanadas when I tried them but we don't really come here for food. My boyfriend and I must have come here over ten times in the past year. The waitstaff is super friendly and once you're nice and inebriated, you can head next door to the club  they own! :)
Review Source:Had 1-deep fried bulgar wheat meat ball, had some other stuff in it. 2. Gloria libere burger. 3.empanadas. 1 and 3 were bland with 2 was okay--NOT a burger, its a quesadilla.
Food i had above was bland--compare to menu. Biggest issue with this place is the UNNECESSARY pricing, happy hour drinks, but ONLY at the bar, $2 for substitution sweet potato mash for yucca mash. Automatic $20 gratuity on bills $100 --we had party of 3. Â Drinks-WEAK!---I didn't feel it, didn't taste it, has 2 mojitos. This is a petty way of getting money from people.
The live salsa band alone is worth going to la Gloria for! The lead singer sound eerily similar to Ruben Blades.
Moving on to the food. The ropa vieja is de-licioso. I've come back specifically for it. Fried pork chops were only okay, I was surprised at how dry it was. But everything else, from the sangria to the ambiance, was perfect. Oh, and did I mention the Maduros were a little bit of heaven?
La Gloria is a Cuban & Dominican restaurant located in Jackson Heights, NY. Â This place was recommended by a neighbor of mine, who knows that bf and I are big foodies.
FOOD:
This review is for Sunday brunch only. Â
- All items on the menu comes with free mimosas. Â Woohoo!
The 2 entrees ordered for brunch are:
1) Huevos Benedictos
2) Churrasco - skirt steak requested to be cooked "rare", which really equals "medium" in the American steakhouse definition. Â The inside was slightly pink - no red. Â Sweet potato fries were substituted, since the restaurant ran out of fried yuca.
Both entrees were delicious. Â 5 stars on the taste of the food alone. Â Kudos to Executive Chef Chris Cedeno. Â Additional plus is that the entrees were only $10 or $11.
CONS:
- The sweet potato fries substitution costs $2 extra; it would have been nice if the waitress had notified us.
- Small glass of coke costs $3. Â Yikes!
- We waited 50 minutes for our entrees. Â Be prepared to sit and wait and wait and wait and wait. Â The taste of the food is worth it.
ATMOSPHERE:
- Sexy. Â Sexy. Â Sexy.
- Loud with the DJ and Bar in the front of the restaurant.
- Outdoor seating in the back of the restaurant (No Smoking Allowed - Hooray!)
ENJOY!!
Came here on a whim this past saturday night. Â Just looking for some good music and a decent drink. Â The DJ was on point, the drinks were flowing. Â One bartender was having a better time than everyone in the whole place! Â She was dancing and going crazy to every song. Â At first I felt like- Oh that's cool- get the crowd hyped, but then after awhile, it was enough. Â They have hookah, and a few small table areas besides the bar. Â Drink prices were pricey for the neighborhood- $12 drinks. Â It wasn't to crowded, which is a plus. Â TV played videos which went along with the songs being played- I like that- another plus. Over all, I would only come here if I was in the area, and thirsty for an expensive drink. Â The music was good, don't get me wrong, but I can have the same thing in Manhattan, where it's ok to pay alot for a drink. Â If you don't mind that, then you can have a great time here.
Review Source:Went here this past Friday and I must say I had a great time with a long time friend. Â The food was really good and I didn't expected to be as good as it was. The Dominican Nachos are to die for never had anything like it. I also had the roasted chicken with potatoes and vegetables it was delicious you definitely wasn't getting restaurant food chain at this place. Â The food is pricey but worth it. Â If you have the sangria make sure you are getting a ride home because that stuff is good and lethal They also have a club next door and it was definitely a place where you will be on the dance floor all night. Â I might have sat down once because I was drunk from the Sangria lol but I will be going back
Review Source:I was going to write this review immediately after I ate here but then I wanted to take a beat to make sure I just wasn't blinded by my food high.  I was struggling to find a place for 14 of us to celebrate my husband's birthday.  A coworker had recommended this place and it was on my list to try.  I was a little leery of using my husband's birthday celebration as the first time I tried it but based on her rec and the reviews here, I gave it a shot.  I made my res through open table.  I received 2 confirmation calls from Chris who couldn't have been more pleasant or accommodating.  When we arrived, I got a little nervous because no one was paying attention to us but once we were finally seated, the goodness began.  We immediately had full water glasses and an old cigar box full of buttery, hot pressed bread.  Our server Joseph was great at making suggestions and answering questions about the menu.  He helped me gauge how many and which appetizers would work for our group.  I don't understand coconut sangria but I don't care because I loved it.  There was also praise from the group for the red sangria and the raspberry mojito.  Our apps included  the calamari (yummy dipping sauce but great on it's own), the platter with all the fried stuff (name escapes me right now) and the Cuban nachos.  All were delicious.  I had the Anti-Comunista which consists of roast pork, maduros, and white rice and black beans. I barely touched the rice and beans!  The portions were so big; I was stuffed.  My favorite part was the pickled red onions that they garnish the meat with.  I ended up getting some extra on the side.  The meat was very tender and decently flavored.  Also got tastes of the ropa vieja (tasted like mom's!) and the coconut tilapia (tasty and not cloyingly sweet).  Others also had pork chops, shrimp and steak.  There were no complaints from anyone in our group and we definitely had a couple of  picky people.  We got an extra side of tostones and maduros.  I rarely enjoy tostones from restaurants.  They just don't have the right crisp.  These were on point and even better when Joseph brought out some mojo for them.  The place was packed but our water glasses were full and Joseph checked on us frequently.  At one point, a friend and I were going to ask Joseph a question and before we could even finish turning our heads to look for him, a chef jumped out and asked us what we needed!  I later found out it was the Chris I had spoken to on the phone.  They brought out a cake I provided with Happy Birthday and then served it.  As crowded as the place was, they never made us feel rushed.  The appearance of the place was great too although the seats took some getting used to for some people.  The portraits are cool, especially when we realized the one at our table was of our server!  The restrooms are an interesting setup. There was also wonderful live music.
So overall, despite the initial inattentiveness at the door and the lounge next door (see the PS below), we had a great time here. Â I am really looking forward to going back, especially for brunch!! Â Thanks Chris for saving my hubby's bday! Â
PS-Went to their lounge afterward and could not have had a more opposite experience. Â Staff was rude. Â No red wine and music was meh. Â It was early in their night but if the doors are open, you're open for business. Â Hard to believe they are owned by the same people.
It didn't start off well. Â We went for brunch on Sunday, they didn't offer it because it was Mother's Day but failed to mention it when we made the reservation. It was a bit difficult as a non-Spanish speaking group to ask questions about the menu. After we ordered, we waited one hour and five minutes before anything, even bread, was brought to us. Â This was a challenge because we had kids in our party and asked them to bring out food as it was ready.
When it finally came, we had a hard time getting silverware so we could eat. Â After all of this inconvenience, we ate. It was delicious. Everything was cooked to perfection, was tasty and looked inviting. Everyone enjoyed their meal.
It gets 2 for service, 4 for food- 3 overall.
The service was great.. Our server Edward did such a good job! From the food & Dessert  recommendations, To making sure everything was just splendid! The Food was delish! & the Pudin de Pan we had for dessert was hands down the best I've ever had! Can't wait to go back for Brunch.. I heard it gets wild & Fun!
Review Source:Not one to go above and beyond with ratings solely b/c i'm not easily impressed. However, this was a good place. Had my weekly sunday dinner with my best friend once upon a time. For some reason we always did latin restaurants. I guess it's b/c the vibe is the most casual and fun and the food is almost always delicious. Long story short we got the yuca chips and guac as an appetizer which was really good. Generous amounts of guacamole and the chips were something different. We also had their mango house made sangria that comes in their own signature bottles. For my entree I had arroz con pollo served with maduros. Â It was very good. Big portions. Took some home. With all the drinking we were doing I got full quickly. My friend got the pollo en crema de ajo. Chicken in a garlic sauce served with vegetables. It looked pretty good, but I liked my entree better. All in all the food and drinks were good and is definitely recommend it. Every night they have different themes and they are known for their brunches. Will definitely go back for one of these events.
Review Source:Love this place!!
We got their calamari, salmon, steak. The yucca fries were so good that i cant wait to get more. The service was very friendly and on time. We were seated next to the fire place, very romantic and soothing. Â Strongly recommend this place, especially for a date night or friends night out.
Amazing service, got a free drink cuz we had to wait 10 minutes! Great live music, and the best part, was that they are on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a>.
- Got the skirt steak and the salmon, both were delicious. The Yuca fries are a bit dry, but I've never had a moist yuca fry.
- The Yuca mashed potato from the salmon entry was amazing! a must get.
Great atmosphere! Their live band is amazing! If I was getting married in the states and not Mexico, I would hire them! Waiters not that great, the water boy much better (this is why they lose a star). If your going from brunch on Sunday, try the Chicken and Salad with Mangu, with a glass of Passion Fruit Mimosa. This place has become a staple and somewhere I make sure to visit twice a month! No question...
Review Source:The good:
-The server, Stacey, was very pleasant and efficient.
-The décor was nice and pleasing.
-The drinks and the food for brunch were excellent. Â The passion fruit sangria was delicious.
The bad:
-Street parking only.
-Ambiance was lacking. Â This place was just plain loud. Â We had reservations for 1:30 pm. Â When we got there was a DJ near the entrance. Â I was there with my dad, wife, and two young kids. Â The music was really pumping for a Sunday afternoon. Â Right there I realized I made an error going there with the family. Â A friend had recommended the place. Â He had raved about this place. Â This was not a family friendly place. Â It was difficult to have a conversation at the table because the music was just too loud. Â I did bring it to the attention of the server.
-There was a group sitting near us that were laughing it up a bit too much in the presence of my kids which was very annoying. Â The female in the group had a real bad potty mouth. Â
-The seating was awkward and the tables were wobbly (a big no, no in my book)
After driving around for an hour looking for parking I was annoyed! My fault though, 1am on a Saturday! So I park, show ID and enter this lounge with people dancing and drinking to the DJ who is on point. I find my friends and dance the night away. Packed and full of good energy. Strong drinks and attentive bartenders. Nice space and very cool BATHROOMS! Â Nicely Mixed crowd. DJ: latin, top40, House, reggae.
Didn't get to eat this time, but I will soon.
lLOVELOVELOVE LA GLORIA! Everything is so damn excellent! Bread should not taste that good! Neither should sangria! Or anything else!!
Ok, really. I've eaten there twice to date. First, I had the Paella. Let me tell y'all, come hungry, like "I just spent the night in jail and didn't eat the PBJ they offered me"-hungry, or share it with someone. It's a bowl chock full of amazingness! I ate some, took it home, and it served four other people total. That's just nuts.
My second attempt was the salmon and mashed potatoes. Dude, seriously? Who is back there catching, killing and cooking the sea critters?! It was fantastic!! I got angry near the end, because the fish was disappearing...
The BF got the Anti Communista both times. Roasted pork to kill for. Their frijoles negros are extra tasty, too.
I'm going at this backwards... Apps. We love the empanandas. I think we just get the cubano style. They're off the hook.
SANGRIA. My soul was place in this human body so that I could enjoy sangria (and everything else fermented and poured in a glass) I am a big fan of the coconut peace one. Damn. Yo, if I bring an empty container, idk, like, a GALLON, you think they'd fill that sh!t up for me?!?! Just sayin'. I mean, I'll PAY and alladat... I'm really glad I don't live any where near La Gloria. The folks who do are probably fat or broke now. I know I sure as hell would be...
EVERYBODY IS HELLA NICE. You ever been to a spot like that? Where you just wanna hug the staff and hang out with them after they're done working, and take them to the place next door and dance with them and buy them shots? You're gonna wanna. We did!
All in all, YAY!
Came here for dinner and it was great! We ordered Mariquitas, Churrasco a la Gloria and Paella. The food came very fast and it was delicious. The portions were very big and very very tasty. The wait staff was very attentive and we never had to really ask for anything because they made sure our glasses were always fun and stopped by numerous time to see if we needed anything else.
Would definitely come here again....
You have to try all the empanadas. They are delish!
Just tried this place a few weeks ago, went around 6:30pm, not crowded, had our choice of seating. Â I had the roast pork and hubby had the arroz con pollo. Both delish. The waiter was attentive and the atmosphere was calm and relaxed. Â Great place to dine!
Went here for a pre wedding diner and we had the whole lounge part to ourselves. Â Their sangrias are pretty solid. Â The food was served buffet style and boy was it good. Â They had moro de habichuelas(rice and beans),pernil(pork),chicken and churrasco. Â The churrasco was so tender and juicy yummm my mouth is watering right now. Â Will definitely try this place next time I am in town.
Review Source:Went twice for early brunch and we were the only ones there. Going to make a point of going a little later next time to see if it gets busier.
But that is by no means a complaint!
So happy to have found a good Dominican breakfast so close to home.
Chimosa is delish.
Definitely going to stop by for drinks one night.
Things here apparently don't get popping till about 1am....and theres no cover which is cool!
It's a nice little caribbean-style spot - they play a mix of salsa, merengue, dancehall, bachata - as you'd expect. Â The music was decent but i wasn't really feeling the crowd - also a lot of people seemed to come in groups and stayed in their groups... and unfortunately there werent many good looking girls.
Trust me when I tell you this place is nothing special.
I have been here a hand full of times for the night life and the people that come here are jerks guys/girls...
Really, Really small place which equals a small dance floor which intern leads to it being super crowded with rude people that don't have the words excuse me in there vocabulary.
Yes the unisex bathrooms are super cute...
The drinks to me are pricey and weak, one particular bouncer was really cool (don't think he works there anymore) can't speak for them all. Oh did I mention the bartenders are rude.
WHAT IS THIS I READ, THEY SERVE SUNDAY BRUNCH?
I had absolutely no idea. Well glad people enjoy the Sunday brunch because the Friday/Saturday night scene sucks.
Not impressed =/
I went here for a Sunday brunch.. I was a little disappointed with the choices of the brunch menu and we got there at 2:30 the waitress rushed us telling us the kitchen was going to close in 5 mins ( mind you brunch is from 11-3) so since i was so rushed i couldn't even peruse the menu the way I would have liked to..I wound up just ordering a steak sandwich. It wasn't bad perhaps if they served it with some kind of chimichurry sauce it would have gave it a little more flavor. The french fries were just blah and my friends plate looked like they gave her a half an order of fries. Luckily she doesn't eat much and she was fine with it. I do have to say that the 2 free mimosa are great that is a plus and i love the decor and atmosphere. It seemed to me that most of the people that go there are regulars. It was like everyone knew each other. the DJ was great he played really good music.
I actually went there to see a friend of mine perform a comedy act. He was supposed to perform at 5 pm. When he arrived it took quite a while before he performed so by this time, we were hungry again. We had to wait for the kitchen to open up again at 6pm. We waited and we ordered fried calamari and empanadas. (just 2 appetizers to share). The calamari was excellent. crisp, flavorful, not chewy at all on top of a great salad and very good..and only 10 bucks for a generous portion.
The empanadas I decided to just get chicken ones. They serve 3 small ones for 7 bucks. It was sitting on top of a corn salsa which was very good as well.
By the time we finished eating our food the place was very, very crowded. My friend decided that she wanted dessert. She ordered a flan. It was pretty good. they serve it with fresh strawberries and whip cream.
One thing I didn't like was some guy came over to us asking us if we were leaving. Apparently the place was so crowded that someone wanted our table. I don't like feeling like I'm being kicked out so my friend and I decided to just call it a night and leave.
I would go there again if I'm in the mood for Dominican and Cuban food and loud music and crowds.. Its cool!
I was here last night and definitely had fun. Lots of dancing.. small place, but it works.
First of all, there are no "signature" mojitos. The bartender said they don't have them. So I ordered a well vodka and soda.. $8. My friend got something I can't remember and it was $12!! HUH?! This is Jackson Heights, son! Not some ritzy spot on the LES. After 2 drinks, I couldn't afford to drink anymore. Won't be coming back.
The name is inspired by La Gloria Cuban cigars.
It's a restaurant and lounge and the decor, food and music are all Carribean/Cuban/Dominican. The space itself is really tastefully done with wood playing a starring role throughout.
They do Brunch and have a great outdoor space out the back so take advantage while the weather is still warm enough. Service was great, the food itself was impressively presented and really tasty.
Mangu: (mashed plantains) with salami, cheese, and 2 eggs. Mangu is a traditional Dominican breakfast dish that comes with slamming red onions soaked in vinegar. Here it was moist but not greasy. Very good.
Cubano: There's too many so-called Cuban Sandwiches around NYC. This one is the closest I've had to those I've had in Miami. My wife is Cuban and she respected La Glorias'. Pernil/pork moist and well seasoned, nice thin bread, crunchy on the outside, soft inside.
Update to follow after checking out the dinner and/or dancing.
I went here last night...
Awesome looking place. Â Northern Blvd should'nt have something this new, fresh and sexy...but they do.
The cool unisex individual bathrooms, dark red walls with glass accents...very cool.
The girls in this place...GASSED. Â The fact that it was about 3 guys to every girl was very very very very bad.
My boy DJs there and he says it's normally better...but I'll have to check it out again. Â The only way I would is if I ever take a date out in the Jackson Heights area and we stay out that late in the finest borough.
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