Arriba Arriba

I do not understand what the hype is about this restaurant. The atmosphere was not that great and the food was inedible. I’ve never been so disgusted with a meal in my life. I also didn’t feel as if this restaurant was very clean — which is always a big concern in my eyes. Don’t waste your time here!

Just ok. Not really true Mexican food, they add fresh juices to the margaritas but relatively low tequila content. California nachos were fine but wouldn’t order again, same for fish tacos.

My friends and I stopped by here on a Thursday night before a concert for a quick bite and were really surprised. We were seated immediately even though the place was packed. After ordering, we received our order and drinks immediately after. Very impressive considering how busy it was. Great music and atmosphere.

Happy hour drinks with a friendly bartender, good food and a neighborhood crowd is all I need. The prices are reasonable, portions are generous, margaritas are tasty… Note, happy hour prices are only honored at the bar, so order your drinks at the bar and stay for dinner … you know… later.

It’s a nice a place you can sit down for a meal and lose some hearing because of the loud music. I liked their service, friendly and attentive staff. The ambiance is a bit too dark and too much use of colored lights. The wall murals are unique. The nachos were good, the mains were filling. Fish tacos were also tasty. It’s a good place for Mexican food. Just not too fond of the volume.

Drinks were really good and the food was pretty delicious. Yes it is very loud in there but I think for the food it’s well worth it.

I absolutely love the vibe this place! We dined on a Friday night and they had a DJ on the wheels of steel, tearing it up! I was already buzzing from the frozen watermelon margarita with fresh jalapeño juice and the addition of the DJ took my buzz up several notches.
I really try not to devour chips and salsa, but after taking one bite of their salsa, I ended up having two dishes… oops! Not to worry, I still had room for the seafood enchiladas which were on point!
Total gem for Hell’s Kitchen.

Food is pretty bad. Margaritas are strong but too expensive. Restaurant is cute and gay. Music is alright by a live dj sometimes. I never eat everything on my plate. makes you want to lay down.

I’m not trying to be one of those cliché Unilocalers that only write reviews to complain, but I have to talk about my experience at Arriba Arriba west. A few days ago my girlfriend and I got very sick from the food here. I am in the service industry myself, so I understand that there are those who are looking for a free meal, hook up, etc. But I’m not one of those people. I LOVED Arriba Arriba!!! Taken friends here, recommened it to people, etc.
WHAT HAPPENED TO GIVING THE GUEST BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT!!!
I spoke with the manager, explained what happened, asked simply for a refund, nothing more… And was DENIED!!! The one star is for their poor handling of customer service by management. It’s not in regard to the place, the servers/​bartenders, or kitchen staff. Just very unfortunate and have now lost two guests for life.

Been here a few times for either food, drink, or both. It looks big on the outside, but not really that much space inside, so there is usually a wait for a table.
Drinks here are moderately priced. A regular 12oz frozen margarita will set you back $ 8.50 (another $ 1 for a flavor). They do give you a nice amount of alcohol, albeit a bit sweet. Food wise, your run-​of-​the-​mill Mexican food. Usually stick to the appetizers since they’re cheaper. Quesadillas ($ 9) and Nachos ($ 11) are worth getting.
They do give you free chips to start, which is nice since the food takes some time (the drinks are quick however). Fine establishment, but more of a «backup» spot if others are full.

Walking through Hell’s Kitchen, the wife & I seriously had no idea what we wanted to have for dinner, until we came across this busy little place which seemed like it had a good atmosphere. Without a prior reservation, we were lucky to actually get a seat, but luckily we did.
The service was pretty good. Very prompt service from our waiter & there was a guy that was rushing around topping up people’s water glasses. I actually did like that table water was not just put in a bottle & placed on your table. The guy pouring the table water did ensure that there was ice in your glass as well.
I had the chimichangas and a side of steamed vegetables. The steamed vegetables was just broccoli & carrot — even though this was not noted in the menu, I was quite happy with those two vegetables alone. The chimichangas wasn’t too bad. I have had worse, but on the other hand I have had better. I felt that it wasn’t loaded enough and was a bit on the plain side. The pricing wasn’t too bad for what we got though.
A few downfalls of the place. It was just soooooo dark in there. The brightest light in our area was basically a tea light candle on our table. Don’t get me wrong, I do like the romantic mood lighting at a restaurant, but I also do enjoy actually being able to see what is on my plate in front of me — way too dark! We also found that it was a little difficult to hear each other speak with the loud music, and it wasn’t really any sort of Mexican/​Spanish sort of music — it was like we were waiting for Robin Williams from Birdcage to come out of a hidden room, or even Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Very weird indeed.

It’s a loud Mexican place, nothing extraordinary in terms of ambiance but still a good option for food and drinks. Their margaritas are pretty solid (especially if you go for the mama size !). We went there without reservations on a Saturday evening and the host was able to get us seated pretty quickly even though the place was quite busy. Menu is pretty standard but good options. Food was great but we didn’t try the desserts .
Overall, a good experience but it’s not one of the restaurants that make it to my repeat list.

After reading a few recommendations on Unilocal,I ordered the «papa» passion fruit margarita which was a hit & the California burrito which was just ok. The burrito had tomato sauce all over which was kind of odd. My favorite was the salsa & chips which was very fresh & tasty. It was an okay experience, music was good. Host was very friendly.
It’s very dark.

I got a hefty round of «boo!!“s here the way you do when you sit down with a table full of friends who have known you wayyyy too long and order a diet coke (with a lime!) while they all slurp on the slushy colorful margaritas in front of them.
Sadly, I had to leave a little early and missed the moment when the check came and everyone discovered their margaritas were $ 22 each. Lol, sorry, I’m still laughing out loud.
They have some sort of deal where you can get an appetizer, entrée, and small margarita, beer, wine or soda for like $ 15.95. We obviously didn’t do that one, but it sounds like the best deal.
My veggie quesedilla was a-​ok and service was good. It got busier and louder as the night went on.

Ended up here with a couple of friends for dinner on a Friday night before going out. Thankfully, we somehow managed to miss the main rush of people and only had to wait about 20 minutes for a party of 3.
First off, the atmosphere here is electric. This is clearly a popular dinner and jumping off point to the bars around the area. We also appreciated the throwback music as they played a bunch of really good 90’s ballads.
As we waited for our table, we each ordered one of their large margaritas – man were they HUGE! One large margarita and one medium margarita and we were ready to hit the dance floor. Tip on the margarita: go for the passion fruit and coconut – the bartender recommended it and it was delicious!
For food, I decided to go with the Saltadito de Carne, but with chicken instead. This totally hit the spot and was a pretty light dish – no heavy cheese or rice or tortilla. The meat was cooked very well and the sauce it was served with was outstanding. It definitely reminded me of being back home in California.
Overall, the food and drinks were very tasty and reasonably priced and the wait staff was extremely friendly. Definitely a place worth checking out for dinner or drinks on the way to the bar.

On a rainy Saturday night in Hells Kitchen with visitors craving tacos and burritos, we went to Arriba Arriba.
First, they won’t seat you until your entire party is present which is still the most annoying policy ever.
Second, the food is decent but nothing special.
Third, there was a live DJ playing. The music was very loud. However, there was a Whitney remix which made it not too unbearable.

Ein schönes Lokal, um draußen in der Sonne leckere Margaritas zu trinken. Das Essen ist auch sehr lecker und die Portionen sind riesig. Es gibt auch immer eine Portion Nachos mit Salsa auf’s Haus. Immer gerne wieder!

The service here is extremely welcoming. But prepare yourself for an extremely loud atmosphere. We had the loudest most obnoxious group of people next to us. The place is super compact, tables are nearly touching.
The drinks here are great – had a few beers and a frozen strawberry margarita (great prices too!)
My boyfriend had the chicken burrito (grilled) which he thought was amazing. $ 16 for that plus a mini salad, rice and beans. Good price!
I had the fish taco platter. The tacos had cabbage salad on it and tomato salad on the side with rice and beans. GREAT!!! Be sure to ask for extra lime, the fish was kind of bland.
Other than that, we would definitely come again when we visit NYC. Their outdoor seating is really nice too!

Arriba Arriba!
I think I fell a little bit in love with this place. I’ll start off by saying I have to come back. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love me some Mexican food and a drink that will have my head leaning to the side.
The drinks are a little pricey but it’s worth every penny. They come in 3 sizes for the margaritas: bebe, mama, and papa. So yummy and lots of flavors to choose from.
When you sit down you get a complimentary order of warm tortilla chips and salsa. Thank them in advance lol. I ordered the Mexican soup and a small chicken nacho. More than enough food and very tasty. My boyfriend ordered the fajitas and let’s just say the plate was clean by the end of our meal.
If you’re looking for a quiet spot then this isn’t the place for you. It can get really loud between drunk people and the music they play. It’s also very dark in here lol I swear I had the flashlight from my phone on to read the menu. Other than that, this is a must try place! ;)

This place was delicious. They had a good menu with lots of unique options — substitutions are okay too.
I’m not a big tequila fan, but with the list of margaritas they had, I had to try them. I had a couple of fish bowls and they were delicious. I could barely taste the alcohol, but I sure could feel it.
The vibe was fun, but a bit loud. A good place for groups. You may have to wait a bit, but it’s worth it.
The service was a bit slow, but overall it was a great time.

The Quick: I was actually impressed and surprised at how good the food was since this place has the vibe of a fun bar (disco ball included)
The Best Dish: The Fajitas… Everyone had to try mine because I couldn’t stop raving. Plus it comes with generous helping of guacamole!
The Details: We came for a rowdy dinner for a friends birthday. The vibe is loud and fun, even on a Tuesday. The restaurant was full (always a good sign) but luckily there wasn’t a wait. They started us off with warm home made chips paired with fresh salsa, always appreciated. Then the jalapeño cucumber margaritas started, and honestly never stopped. They were incredible but very spicy– make sure to specify how spicy you want your drink. The chicken fajitas were extremely flavorful and cooked perfectly. The chicken was so juicy and was such a huge portion. Overall we loved our meals and had a great time.
The Damage: two rounds of the medium sized margaritas, an entrée each, unlimited chips and salsa, plus Guac to split came to just under $ 50 each with tip. Usually I could consider this very expensive for Mexican food, but it was honestly «gourmet Mexican». Next time I would get a drink during happy hour (only $ 5) to save a bit. Will definitely return.

Most of the tiempo I end up in Hell’s Kitchen. I usually voy to have dinner here but sometimes on the fin de semana the line at the puerta is out of control. It’s good for business, si, pero the way they organize it and the way la hostess takes el reservation is kinda weird y could probably have a better method.
but once you get to the narrow claustrophobic bar, just order una flavored frozen margarita, and get a head start on your noche. and a nice buzz.
once you get to su mesa, service is pretty fast, don’t expect el mejor service, pero it’s efficient y good enough. the burritos and enchiladas are my favorite.
the best feature de this restaurant is el DJ that plays a lot of 80’s musica which i really like. He kinda brings you back into an 80’s feeling which is fun and you can enjoy your dinner in la otra decade while having mexican food. kind of a paradox.
HASTA SPUMANTE BABY!!! Buenos nachos!