alaMar Dominican Kitchen

Review summary

1. C

   Christine

   VIP

   Phoenix

   14 reviews

   5.0

   14 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food, service, and atmosphere were fantastic! Paul served us delicious drinks, made our group feel welcomed, and was super pleasant . The food was delicious with so many good flavors. I wish I could take this place back to phoenix. It is so good. Definitely a must spot if you are visiting Oakland.
   

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2. S

   Sharon

   San Francisco

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   Dear A la Mar Dominican Kitchen Management, I wanted to take a moment to share feedback regarding our recent dining experience at your restaurant. We visited to celebrate my husband's 75th birthday, as we love trying different cuisines. It was our first time dining at A la Mar Dominican Kitchen, and while we were excited about the experience, we unfortunately left feeling disappointed. Upon arrival, we were seated promptly, and our server quickly provided menus, which we appreciated. However, when she returned to take our order, I mentioned that I had questions about the menu, and her demeanor immediately changed. She appeared frustrated, frowned, and became noticeably rude in her responses. My husband was taken aback by this reaction, which set a negative tone for the evening. Additionally, we noticed that the restaurant was not particularly clean, and our menus were stained. While I understand that the restaurant offers a street-food-inspired dining experience, cleanliness is still an important aspect of customer service. As for the food, while it arrived hot, the crispy whole fish was overcooked, leaving the meat dry on the inside. The mustard greens were overcooked, and the squash mixed in was mushy. The plantains were decent but nothing exceptional. Towards the end of our meal, the server’s attitude improved—she smiled, checked in on us a few times, and was more pleasant. However, the initial rudeness had already impacted our experience. When we received the bill, a 20% tip was pre-highlighted. While I normally wouldn’t mind, due to the rocky start, I chose to adjust it slightly to 18% to reflect our experience. Overall, our dinner did not feel like the enjoyable night out we had hoped for. I truly believe that those working in customer service should leave their personal frustrations behind and provide a welcoming and helpful experience for their guests. I hope this feedback is taken into consideration.
   

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3. S

   Sharon

   VIP

   San Francisco

   14 reviews

   5.0

   14 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   There for a birthday celebration and the food was amazing but the service was supreme. Jessica made sure our celebration was wonderful. Great time had by all!
   

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4. j

   jackie

   San Francisco

   3 reviews

   1.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 1

   Way too loud. Out of dishes on menu does not match website or Yelp. Very disappointed
   

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5. J

   Joanna

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was great! Our food was served haphazardly; an appetizer came with 2 out of our 4 entrees. That was weird and then maybe 5-10 minutes later they brought out the other appetizer and entrees. I had mentioned in the reservation that we were there to celebrate a birthday but they didn’t mention it or did anything. Maybe I should’ve reminded them but why ask on the app if this reservation was for a special occasion? By 7:30pm they had already ran out of three of the popular cocktails which was a bit of a bummer because I really wanted to try their Morir Soñando which was my favorite traditional drink as a kid and they have added a blend of alcohol to it. Regardless, We all enjoyed our food, especially the fried goat, the whole fish on a bed of red beans and the oxtails. The waiters were friendly which made up for the timing of our meals. We will definitely return!
   

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6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   New York City

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on 16 February 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 2

   On site menu didn’t match at all the online menu and the waitress acknowledged it hadn’t been updated in years with something like the traditional “kipe” snack as appetizer no longer on the menu. The pernil was very fatty. We really looked forward to the elevated Dominican recipes from one of ours, a Dominican “top chef” but left disappointed.
   

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7. W

   William Edward

   San Francisco

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on 16 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   The food was FABULOUS!!! We had the Oxtails (A++), the Red Snapper (A+++) Service was personal and thoughtful!
   

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8. A

   ANISH

   San Francisco

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on 15 February 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Food was good. Tasted similar to Indian food surprisingly. Loved their lemon herb sauce.
   

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9. R

   ROSA

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 12 February 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Food was delicious. We had to get some extra food to go.
   

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10. S

    Steve

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 26 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    The food is very good. The staff is what makes the place for me. They couldn't have been any nicer or more professional. Good people
    

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