Decided to go to Mamajuana this past Saturday 7/20/2013. Â I arrived at 3:45pm. Â The rude hostess said the kitchen was closed until 4:30pm and directed my group to Mama Sushi. Â We actually wanted to have a few drinks before eating but were not given that option. Â In my opinion, that's bad business with the stiff restaurant competition in NYC. Â Another group was turned away as well. Â I have no desire to revisit and will advise anyone I know not to waste their time.
Review Source:Good place to hang with friends for a decent meal. Not the best service on a Saturday night but I have been during the week and had really good and attentive service. The food is consistent and portions are good size. Drinks and people-watching is what makes a good return location. This area of Dyckman is improving regularly and this stalwart is holding it's own for now.
Review Source:We were visiting the Cloisters and found this spot using Yelp. Â We were very glad we selected it. Â The waiter was among the best we ever had, with full attention to every detail. Â He was able to answer all of our questions and took whatever time needed to explain.
The food was excellent and the portions generous. Â Portions were generous and for us the menu was new and different. Â Although we are not always in this area, we will strongly consider trying one of the other Mamajuana restaurants closer to our home.
The service was horrible it seemed like the waiter was ignoring us and every other table. It didn't take too long to put our initial order in but after waiting about 15 minutes the waiter came back and said he "entered it into the wrong system and wanted to double check what we ordered". Then I saw him go and enter the order into the POS for what was probably the first time.
The empanadas and mojitos were good when they finally came but then began the long wait for the waiter to even show up to ask for the check. The tables surrounding us were having the same issue with asking for water or ketchup and never receiving it and again not being able to get the waiters attention to pay.
Sangria xoxoxoxo
Omar's right; the options for a decent, classy place in the Heights/Dyckman/Inwood area were few and far. But now Dyckman is a place that I like to recommend (thanks, family) for a nice lounge, club, or billiard spot. And as you cross Broadway and go towards La Marina, it's pretty cute! Of course, you still have Cachapas y Mas and Chimi trucks towards 10th Ave for saving your wallet....but that's for another review.
I've been here twice now, but just at the bar (both regular and happy hour), so take this review with that in mind. I had the same bartender both times; very friendly, and so are the other girls that have worked it. It gets pretty crowded! So that makes it sometimes hard to get their attention. Also, like Yanill, I was charged a mandatory 18% my first time, which I wasn't happy about. -____- At least I didn't order food the second time around.
The DJ was playing right next to us when I went on a Friday night, and then they had to remove our chairs around 11:30/midnight to convert it to a lounge-type space. I guess that was okay, but it didn't really feel like a big lounge spot to me. Maybe that's because of the huge "restaurant" atmosphere; the dining tables stay even during conversion, so there's no BIG dance space. ...
Kind of pricey drinks, but I realized later that that was typical for the area ($10 Patron shot - that was actually kind of cheaper, and $12 mixed drink). But that's because I'm a college student on a budget. Had the Fried Calamari appetizer the first time, it was good and basic.
To say that i had a bad experience is only the beginning. The night was a disaster. Called at 1:30pm to make a reservation for 8 hours later only to then arrive and have to wait 25 minutes for them to set up a table! Having empty tables available it seemed the dilemma at hand was that another reservation, that arrived 45 minutes after we sat down need the chairs.... #really. No water offered blender was broken and food was cold! I wanted to share this so that someone can get their lives together because this was the first time i had ver gone there and hearing soo many good things to only have it spoiled because the runners were being insubordinate and waitress was too shy to speak up for her customers is unfair. The fact that i could see the breaks in communication that made not one but two people get up and leave on a friday night is sad for a restaurant that clearly haD so much potential and buzz. Lets pray this was a one time anomaly!
Review Source:The restaurant itself is nicely decorated except the bathroom felt like a trap (Tiny and stall doors even a man had difficulty opening.
The Food was delicious. at least one good thing!  and  the drinks were ok, Wine list needs improvement. Customer service was shitty, we waited way too long to be seated, over an hour and a half and they weren't apologetic about it. after midnight the place turns into a lounge and we were excited to get our dance on. BEWARE its a young crowd, (20's) music was not inspiring. Thank goodness I was there with a group and we made the best of it. Don't believe the Hype.
They overcharge your tab! Beware! Should be ONE star, but manager is super nice and the sangria is great. It was 3 of us and they automatically added 18% gratuity. Um, NO! Not when your fine print says you only charge 18% gratuity if you have;
1. A party of 6 or more
2. After 12 AM
3. If bill was over $100
None of these applied, yet they still charged it. Of course, I got our money back! Every damn cent! I usually leave over 20-25% tip, depending on service but this incident made us leave a lot less. Also, food was COLD yet they took over 20-30 minutes to bring it out. WTF?
I asked for a calamari salad which is $10. They ran out of calamari. Therefore, I asked for chicken as a replacement. They still had the audacity to charge me $10 for calamari salad and an additional $4 for CHICKEN, totaling a pretty $14. Haha, yeah right. You have to be  freaking kidding me.
After speaking to the manager... (didn't get her name, but it was a Thursday evening) I got a new tab with our TRUE prices. Â I only like this place because they have BOGO free Sangria Pitcher (Mon-Fri) before 9pm. Â If you're not a Sangria lover, skip it, especially on weekends! It gets packed.
I've had several nice experiences here,but beware!
MamaJuana needs a new momma!!
:-(
Mamajuana's is over rated but I have to give them props... Before this place opened in the early 2000's, the dining options in The Heights  were scarce.  A lot of typical, low budget restaurants was all there was to choose from.  Fast forward to 2013, the popularity of Washington Heights and the selection of trendy restaurants, bars and  lounges has exploded.  I can easily mention 20 other hot spots that have opened in the neighborhood since Mamajuana's.  In that respect, Mamajuana's gets recognition.  They're pioneers in the Washington Heights "Renaissance".  Not to be confused with the Harlem Renaissance...  LoL
As far as the food goes, I've enjoyed every meal I've had here. Â The menu is Dominican inspired Latin food. Â "Platanos with a twist"... Â Their drinks are strong and their weekend brunch is a good deal (all you can eat and drink for $18). Â Whether you're a party of 2 or 20, this place will accommodate you, Â Patronize The Heights!!!
This review is long over do. I ate here with an ex and I have to say we enjoyed ourselves. The brunch is a buffet and there is a very good selection to choose from. Eggs, bacon, ham and of course Latin breakfast staples. I do love the jack punch!!!! The service staff could use some more training and a course on proper service though.
Review Source:Cozy place, at the right time. Must have the yuca mash, My mom used to force me to eat bacalao , they have a madura and bacalao appetizer, that would get my mom upset, if she saw how I enjoyed it. Most of everything I have ate here is good. They just have a space and waiting time issue. Noise level is typical of a spanish restaurant, if you don't like loud, too bad, enjoy the food.
Review Source:Been here fore brunch, dinner and drinks.
Brunch: It's worth it if you eat a lot, if you don't than it's buffet food gone to waste.
Although they serve unlimited drinks, I feel like they don't refill them fast enough, or maybe my friends and I are lushes.
Dinner: My most recent experience was for my best friend's 30th birthday (October 2012). Â We had a pre-set menu which included the appetizer platter, steak, salmon and chicken. Â Everything was very delicious and the staff was attentive.
Drinks: Â They have very original drinks that taste pretty good but I feel they are overpriced.
I went out to Mamajuana's in Dyckman for a night out with friends this past Sunday and was not disappointed. The restaurant was still open for patrons around 11PM.
However, the section near the bar was the place to be in order to enjoy some good music and drinks. They had a couple of tables available for seating where you could order a few drinks and even hookah for you and your friends to enjoy without having to stand there the whole time.
The DJ played a mix of music from house to bachata to hip-hop until about 3AM. The crowd was loving all of the hits and his energy was amazing from start to finish.
If you're looking to go out uptown, then Mamajuana's is the place to go for drinks and dancing.
I felt so neglected when I came here on a Sat night to dine with my bff....Im not  particularly into Spanish cuisine but decided to give this restaurant a try after being  told how good it was....If you don't speak or understand spanish you might feel a
little left out...:(
The food & drinks were good...I had the empanada trio with garlic fries....And because I'm a lush I started with a ciroc coconut with pineapple, & then upgraded to a coconut mojito....Let me just say that was definitely an upgrade....The mojito was liquid crack....so delicious!! Yummmmm
If you like Spanish food & good drinks you should try this place....however the service wasn't great...The waitress wasn't attentive at all....she was doing a million things at once & I had to literally stop her to get her attention....I don't know about you but that's a biggy for me....I like to be up close & personal with the wait staff....I gave this place two stars because of its nice decor, good drinks,& food.... I'm not sure if I would go again....Well maybe for those coconut mojitos :)
Absolute worst place I've been to in awhile! I ordered the Steak churasso medium....I received extra well done. It was tough and chewy and not seasoned at all! I returned it to the kitchen and waited for 30 minutes in hopes of receiving a new steak instead I received a bill for the entree, which I had returned. I was never told the kitchen had closed for the night. Instead I was charged $4 for the cold French fries on my plate. We slap ordered the sangria.....A Bust! I've drank grape juice with more alcohol in it! To make things worst my friend ordered the sliders and as she was eating one she found a plastic object protruding from the meat of the slider! This place is a joke! This is my first & last time visiting!
Review Source:Mamajuana, it's always a pleasure. Service is fast without lacking quality. DJ spins great music, good mix of bachata, merengue, salsa, reggaeton, dembow, hip hop, r&b, and house. Hookahs are great as well, and the hookah staff in charge of them make sure they are always burn-ready, replacing coals periodically.
If you want to party in a lounge-type setting but still have the opportunity to dance the night away to good music with a good crowd, head to mamajuana.
Sunday dinner.
Four girls.
Service was not slow, but not fast.
Drinks ok.
Food tasteless ( my second visit to mamajuana the food hasn't gotten any better).
The music was extremely loud ( it's not a lounge or club). We were yelling across the table. Not necessary. We asked twice if the music could be lower, and of course they couldn't do anything. I couldn't hear myself think....geez!!!!
Chose this place Sunday evening to have dinner with the girls after a huge fail at La Marina down the block.
Sweet hostess, seated promptly.
Impressed with the space, not crowded, more room, more air.
It was exactly what I had in mind.
Low key night, lots of drinks, lots of catching up to be done.
But..
Right when I started to get comfortable, the DJ comes on!
Now, I'm pissed because it's loud as hell, I can't hear myself, I can't hear the girls, I can't even hear myself think.
If it wasn't for the fact that we just finished placing our order, I would have walked right out. Complete bullshit.
I was very patient, meaning- I was being very good. I didn't complain. I sat and waited for my food. It was a disaster. All around bad. Tried 3 empanadas, a tad too sweet. I also ordered the paella, for $30, to share with my sister. It looked sooooo good but tasted the complete opposite. The quality of the seafood was extremely poor. Everything tasted like rubber. Gross.
It was hard to flag down our waiter as well. They added gratuity to our bill, there were only 4 of us.
I am giving them 2 stars because of their sangria, and bread pudding.
Came to Mamajuana for a night out and was extremely pleased... Going in may be a problem especially if you go late or if you're with a bunch dudes (like I did) The bouncers/doormen and the promoter deliberate who can go inside and will make you wait cause its packed like a MOFO in there... The music is mainly merengue, bachata dance and hip hop as it is a heavily influenced Dominican environment...
--Side Story--
I asked my boy to come with me as we spotted some girls that seemed like the wanted to dance... we were locked on and I asked the pretty girl to dance with me  and while i was dancing I turned around to look for my boy and he's getting thrown out by the bouncer... Apparently he literally bumped into the wrong guy while he had a beer in his hand, I'm assuming that the bouncer thought he was drunk which he wasn't... Whats even funnier is that 2 mins after my boy got thrown out the same bouncer comes up to me and says in spanish that I cant dance by the entrance because there is soo many people passing by so yeah...
There's a lot of hookah smoking even for people that don't have a table and lots of honeys too... Just to don't get thrown out lol
*update* Was telling a friend about the crap-ass experience I had a MJ. Â I heard that the security there beat some guy's head in and put him in a coma. Â So after the sucky boytender cuts you off, security will drag you out and beat you almost to death. Â Afterparty with lots of drugs @ Presbyterian ICU.
I would just not go there ever.
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Not a fan of brunch here! Heard good things about mamajuana and have been wanting to try it out. Eh!!
They charge $18.95 for a buffet brunch with mimosas/jack punch. Ok.
The worse offender was the service- no one explains anything to you and  you have to constantly ask for everything. If I pay for unlimited mimosas for however long, then I expect my glass to be constantly refilled and not have to flag down someone to ask for a refill. Also no one pointed out that they do have an omelete bar ( I didnt even know until I read the reviews) or coffee ( I remembered later on, asked and then got some after). THEN they have the AUDACITY to charge 18% tip for clearing our plates and US asking for refills. To make matters worse they charge our CC another charge. I  am a firm believer in EARNING your tip in the service industry. You dont get a 18% tip for clearing the table, and then me having to chase you for service. Also they should let us select where to sit when it is 80% empty instead of putting us in the corner.
The food itself was ok but nothing spectacular. The buffet consisted more of dominican food and not egg items which I particularly enjoy for brunch.
Buffet items- chicken, beef, white rice, beans, maduros, and mangu (tried it and did not like it at all); eggs benedict (decent), bacon (no eggs to eat with it), breakfast potatoes, pancakes, french toast (both hard and dry), mini crossaints/muffins, fruit, juice, coffee, and apparently an omelete bar I didnt see or told about.
I liked the decor- rustic, charming. But due to the horrible service, mediocre food buffet and flat weak mimosas, I will not be back for brunch.
Let me sum it up for you succinctly: Â Food sucks, service sucks, nightlife sucks.
Damn, why is this place still around? Oh yeah, lack of good options in the area and the need to "fantamear" aka show off. This is an "in" spot in dyckman.
Oh, and you're going to charge me an extra $2 to substitute the rice from my $22 entree to crappy french fries?? Eek! Methinks not.
Skirt steak at papacito's is way tastier, btw.
Another place I've only experienced the night life. Beautiful women to dance with all night long. Latin/hip-hop spinnin all night. The mamajuana here tastes amazing.(better than what I've made...lol) My issue with this place is that they just leave all the tables and chairs out even after the day time. It makes it twice as hard to navigate the crowd to get to the bar or to get the bathroom. I danced with 2 girls by mistake just trying to get to the bathroom, not that I minded.
Bartenders seem very overwhelmed with the volume of people, but manage to get the drinks right. I make it my business to just order liquor neat at places like this so that the bartender cannot possibly mess my drink up. My friends enjoy the drinks here, maybe some of the other reviewers had a bad night with the drinks or are used to having liquor with a splash of juice/soda. In any case, this will continue to be one of my Dyckman staples.
I am so sick of people crying about service. Â It is not that bad, Â People you must learn where you are. Â This place is like visiting Domincan Republic without actually leaving Manhattan...... Â Service is a bit slow, and at times non existent, however this is not a place you go to and expect to be in and out in an hour. Â You relax, order appetizers and drink!! Â for those of you interested in that, go to the one in MIDTOWN where you will get servers from the US, not a family member or cousin of someone that works there. Â This is a great place!
This location has great heart, a beautiful soul, and amazing character.
Manajuanas is a Must when in New York, and no, not the one in midtown!!!
the one UPTOWN, and when I say up town, I'm not referring to the 120's, 130's.. UPTOWN!!!!! 200's UPTOWN, DYKMAN UPTOWN... Â Living in the Lower East Side, this is truly a voyage for us, however one that we do not second guess anytime. Â
Everytime  I visit this place, it never lets me down regardless of who I go with.  I  Love the ambiance, and definitely always a great experience although it does get overcrowded at times.
I have eaten dinner here and chose to stay for the music after, It is a completely different environment. Â a total morph.
The sweet plantain stuffed with bacalao, Â the coconut shrimp, and chorizo are quite good, not dry, over cooked and full of Caribbean flavors that one expects for the type of style. Â if you are hungry, The skirt steak, or churrascaria, I believe it is, is the best. Â I did not try the fish, although it looked good and was highly spoken of from my friends. Â
some words of advise, get there early for dinner, the later you go, the higher the risk of not getting the full experience. Â
Now, the night scene, It is amazing, People that come here are here for the scene. This and other spots on the Dyckman strip are see-and-be-seen locales. The women are always beautiful, I will concede, so that explains what gets the guys in. Â The hookah here is fairly priced, along with the bottle service. Â Not bad 160 for VSOP Hennessy or premium vodka, (goose, or kettle).
Mamajuana means overrated in Spanish. It's true, look it up.
Seriously though, this place amazes me for it's staying power. I'm still not sure why people flock to a place to pay for overpriced and sub-par drinks and food. What's the appeal? Well, I can answer that, actually. People that come here are here for the scene. This and other spots on the Dyckman strip are see-and-be-seen locales. The women are always beautiful, I will concede, so that explains what gets the guys in, but once you're here, not sure what the fuss is about.
I can assure you you'll encounter snooty waiters and waitresses, an excess of drug dealers looking to floss their money and attract one of the shallow ladies looking to hit the jackpot, and so little space to move that dancing is next to impossible.
The bottom line is that this place has no soul, it's like Kim Kardashian in restaurant form.
If you really want a good ambiance, music and the opportunity to interact with intelligent, well-rounded young Latinos, then go to Locksmith or Apt. 78. These places have managed to create quality establishments without the pretentiousness and ridiculous prices.
Last minute dining decisions after crossing over the GWB led me to Mamajuana Cafe.
As "Mamajuana" came through on the text I couldn't help thinking, "a new pair of shoes?"
I parked up the block on Dyckman, and walked down toward the restaurant to wait for Jean to arrive. It was late evening, and I stood across the street in front of the closed bike shop (like a stalker,) admiring the cafe's dark, brick facade, and the building's architecture.
Jean rolls up and enters the restaurant as I slide in somewhat to her surprise immediately behind her.
The large, open space is encapsulated by rich, dark wood, and is dimly lit, creating a somberly romantic ambiance that is offset somewhat with the sounds of imbibed chatter and Latin music. The woman that greets us is all smiles and kindness. We are seated at a small table for two by large windows that look onto the street. The bar is behind me with a flat screen up high showing a basketball game.
I begin to peruse the drink menu, finding quite a few options I would like to try, as I settle on the La Pinta. I can only recount that this drink consists of Brugal Extra Viejo Rum and mint, and that it was quite good. Jean chose a glass of sangria, which I later tasted and was definitely impressed; very flavorful.
I love ceviche, and Mamajuana had two or three ceviches to choose from. I decided to give the octopus ceviche a go, and I am so glad I did. I was expecting baby octopi, but this was actually slices of a much larger specimen. I've never had octopus beyond the little ones before, but this was so much better, (not to mention less creepy.) I was told octopus has to be done just right for perfect consistency, or it could end up being rubbery. This was definitely of the just right variety.
On to the entree where I had chicken stuffed with Dominican sausage...that's right, let that settle in the palate of your mind's mouth. Did you just see the Virgen de la Altagracia? I know I did. That mixed with the vision of Jean sitting across from me almost had me speaking in tongues. No, seriously. This was not unlike a religious experience. I also had a few bites of Jean's skirt steak (oh stop) which was actually quite tasty as well.
Dessert. I love dessert more than ceviche. Favorites of mine: bread pudding, and anything dulce de leche. They had bread pudding WITH dulce de leche ice cream!!!
::enters the Virgen de la Altagracia again::
I think I ice creamed my pants.
Jean had the chocolate cake. This cake was like the ultimate of chocolate cakes. I think they put ten times the allowable chocolate in this cake. I had to finish it for her because she was overwhelmed after a couple bites.
my only slight complaints:
1. Dude, light our candle, nahmean?
2. The menu advises they automatically add an 18% gratuity to groups of 6 or 8 or more. Apparently they actually do this on all checks though. I wouldn't have minded, because I usually tip 20% anyway, then round up to even it off, but the way the receipt is set up it (amount + gratuity without subtotal + fill in the blank for add'l tip) made it hard for me to do that. A subtotal before the add'l tip would be extremely helpful. Not a huge deal, but it would be nice and wouldn't leave Jean wondering why the check is frustrating me so.
I absolutely Love, Love, Love the ambiance here. The décor reminds me of Dominican Republic.
The food's not bad, however I've had better.
The sangria is amazing, do try! I suggest you get a pitcher if you're in a group.
After midnight the restaurant turns into a lounge (by 11pm).
The music is pretty good; it's a mix of Latin & hip hop.
My only complaint on this location would be that it gets too packed, especially around the bar area.
I've literally spent 25 minutes trying to get a drink, annoying!!!!
This place is packed with good looking men & women, definitely hottie central!
Well it's only hottie central if you're in to Spanish men/women (the crowd is predominantly Dominican).
The hookah here is strong, too much of it will give you a head ache.
In the summer time they offer outdoor seating, which I like.
My suggestion to any one going here would be to make dinner reservations close to 10/11pm, this way you will have a table for the rest of the evening.
Also any day of the week is pretty much packed here, makes me think no one in the area has a real job?!!! Â Mon - Sun the party here is rocking.
I think this place was meant to be a bar only and they decided to have food for some reason. The food is terrible and overpriced.
We ordered the churrasco frito and while I understand skirt steak is chewy, this was taking it too far, and the taste did not make up for it. Seriously, if you are going to charge that much for Latin food, make sure it is better than the other spots around Inwood, which charge 1/3 of the price and the food is usually pretty good. Â
Like papasito nearby (which I almost want to say it's a clone of this place), they have a nice seating area outside during the warm months-just wish they had good food to enjoy it.
The place is the essence of eh. I'm merely reviewing the night life, since I was only there for for drinks and dancing.
This was my first and last time at this place. The space was extremely tight and overcrowded. We were standing in between two tables, each with burning hookahs and about 50 people attempting to dance around us....with their coats on.
We attempted to go put our coats away, but the kitchen staff was too busy cooking to take our coats too. So instead our party and apparently 80% of the crowd opted to keep their coats on rather then putting it in the kitchen (aka coat check).
They also only have one bathroom stall and as a female this is a nightmare during a night of drinking.
Drinks were expensive, but at least very strong, music was upbeat and there were a ton of men here. So if you're looking for a place to pick up a guy and drop a few $20's on drinks (and parking) then head here. I really could've done without ever coming here....the music was very DR. If you're not into merengue and bachata, you probably shouldn't come here either.
I went to Mamajuana' for brunch today. I have to begin by saying that it is a disgrace that a Dominican restaurant does not have "los tres golpes" as an option on their brunch menu. When Mangu is offered at a restaurant, you must have salami and queso frito as an option. Its like going to a burger joint that does not offer fries...it does not make sense! Offering bacon instead of salami does not make a restaurant "upscale".
The brunch menu consist of hash browns, eggs benedict on a english  muffin, white rice, black beans, chicken, bacon, steak, mangu and an omelet station. The Mangu was gritty, as if they had put it in the blender to get the soft texture. It also lacked salt and butter. My friends agreed that the mangu was not that good. The churasco was seasoned well but it was overcooked and chewy. I was surprised that the eggs benedict were cooked correctly, but the soggy english muffin was a turn off. The eggs benedict needed some type of sauce. They  have pitchers of mimosas that seem to have been sitting out, as a result our mimosas were flat. So i ordered their jack punch which tasted great but lacked alcohol. The high light of the brunch was the omelet station..the omelet was perfectly cooked. It was light, fluffy with just a hint of color. Â
The ambiance is interesting. In the inwood area people dress up to go to brunch..i mean really dress up. Like going to the club dressed up. The ladies looked like they had just came from el salon, all made up. My friends and I had a good time guessing who's body was made in the Dominican republic and who's in Columbia if you know what I mean...lol.
I think guys would enjoy this place because of all the females. But if you want good drinks and food for brunch, this is not the place. I've had a much better brunch experience at other latin places like Cafe con Leche or Havana Cafe on tremont.
I have only been here on Sundays for brunch and quite frankly I don't know why I don't see you guys there. All you can eat for less than $20!? What?! Seriously!!
What do they have? The normal breakfast foods complete with a dude who makes you an omelette. Then the magic really begins, they have mangu. For those of you who weren't lucky enough to grow up Dominican then you may not know what it is so I shall enlighten you. It's mashed boiled green plantains with butter and other stuff to make it wonderful. With some pickled red onions. Hmmm-mmm-mmm! I [heart] Mangu and so should you!
LOVED this place!  The decor is gorgeous -- a cross between Kittichai and Spice Market.  Atmosphere is sexy and bustling -- Mamajuana's was in full swing when we arrived for an 8pm Friday reservation.  We split a  pizza or "coca" to start (spicy cheese, avocados, yum).  We also tried the tasty sangria, with hints of cinnamon.  For the plata fuerte or main course, my hub had the skirt steak with garlic fries (great and large portion) and I had two tapas for myself: crab cakes and garlic shrimp.  Both meals hit the spot.
They have a dessert chef who cooks out in the open ala Bennihannas. Â Not exaggerating -- he had the flame going three feet high at some points! Â This display succeeded in persuading us to split dessert crepes, filled with chocolate, sauteed bananas / strawberries, and topped with hot caramel and some liqueur (couldn't see what kind) and ice cream...I'm drooling just thinking about this decadence! Â And we had to try the restaurant's namesake shots, supposedly containing elixir qualities. Â
Given that we did the works, the evening wasn't cheap (bill was around $100 for two).  But we had lots of food for that price and an overall fantastic experience, with the exception of  our somewhat absentee waitress.  But even she was nice enough to humor me and decipher my so-so Spanish, so I won't complain much.
HIGHLY recommended if you're willing to come up this way -- muy, muy  bien! :-)
Deep into the 'Heights', my hubby and I searched for a great restaurant that could possibly stylish, but still attracted the locals. Â This was our first weekend in this zip code after moving from the Lincoln Center area, and we were definitely new babes in the (In)wood. Â I was warned that this might by difficult. Â
Yes, gentrification had already hit this historically Dominican neighborhood years ago, I wasn't looking for a Starbuck's. I wanted to know where the local set would actually go when they wanted a great night out. Â I seemed to have found it here at Mamajuana. Â The decor was chic, with a wall of cymbidium orchids along the wall at the bar. Â Huge pitchers of sangria, mojitos and their signature 'mamajuana' drink, (a secret concoction of herbs, sweetness and rum, reported to contain aphrodisiac qualities). Â
Food was thoroughly good, whether it was the crab cakes, the Spanish pizza, the steak or sides like manchego mashed potatoes. Â
The host, Mitchell was extremely personable, with all the qualities an upscale host should be.  I was most happy to find that this seemed to be the nightspot that the sexy and stylish younger set AND wizened older locals joined to enjoy themselves, while being friendly and welcoming to my gringo husband  and myself.
Note, if you are travelling way up here, this place is right off the Dyckman street stop on the A train. (Express, so it's an easy trip!) Â
2nd Note, if you are more senior in years, or your ears are hyper-sensitive, you  might want to visit earlier in the evening rather than later.
When I lived in the Heights, that whole stretch of Dyckman west of Broadway, where Mamajuana is, was pretty much just a way to get onto the West Side highway. Â Now, there's a couple really nice restaurants, and a very cool Irish bar as well in case you're ready for a dive after elegant Mamajuana.
I had the pizza with chorizo and sweet platano. Â I loved the juxtaposition of flavors. Â Very inventive. Â And I finally got my yuca fries, which were very good. Â For the appetizer, we got the steak on skewers with a cheese fondue, which was pretty good, but the cheese could have been a tad richer. Â The paella was delicious, but it is really enough for two people, depending on how hungry. Â This is a good place for everyone in your party to get a different entree and sample amongst each other. Â The sangria was the best I've ever tasted! Â Yes, I should have had some mamajuana, but based on facts I learned later on about it, I'm glad I didn't touch it. Â Let's just say, I was not in the right company for one of its effects, and for the other, my fists of fury were not ready to come out yet.
The service was great and the food came out quickly. Â The decor is elegant, very Spanish colonial, right down to the big, wooden doors at the entrance. Â Overall, a really nice experience, and a welcome change to that part of the Heights. Â I've been hearing about a bunch of great, new restaurants in this area. Â I guess the gentrification is really creeping up there, but now that I've tried a couple of these places, I'm not so sure it's a bad thing.
By the way, I think the dress code here is slightly above casual. Â Everyone was looking so damn good!
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