Reservation made 4 days in advance and it wasn’t even in their system when we arrived.
Service was unacceptable — staff pressured us to order drinks, yet it took over 45 minutes to get them (including water). They kept removing our drinks before we finished and rushed us through the meal. We asked for a dessert menu and they brought whatever they wanted instead.
Food was just as bad: the mofongo was rock hard, the chicharrón looked fried in old oil, and the fried calamari was terrible.
Overall, very disappointing experience. This place is now on our blacklist and we would not return.
Food: 1
Manny Lopez
Cafe Rubio has been one of my go-to restaurants for a very long time. When I think of Cafe Rubio, I think of luxury, great food, and a beautiful ambiance. Unfortunately, my last few experiences—especially the most recent one—have changed that perception.
Over the last three visits during the winter, the restaurant has been uncomfortably cold inside. There’s really no excuse for customers to be freezing while dining. If the space can’t be properly heated, the restaurant should either find a solution or reconsider opening under those conditions.
Most recently, I celebrated my daughter’s 13th birthday at Cafe Rubio with a group of about 14 people. We were seated in a corner near the door, where it was especially cold. Several of us couldn’t even take our jackets off, and I was personally very uncomfortable the entire time. Sadly, what should have been a special memory now feels overshadowed by that experience.
The service that night was also disappointing. Given the size of our group, at least two servers should have been assigned to our table, but only one person was handling everything. I understand that Cafe Rubio is known for a slower, more relaxed dining pace, but this went far beyond that. Our drinks—simple sodas and one mixed drink—took close to 30 minutes to arrive, which is unacceptable.
To make matters worse, the food arrived cold. Considering the price point of the restaurant, customers should reasonably expect hot food and a comfortable dining environment. Between the cold temperature, delayed service, and cold food, the experience felt chaotic and poorly managed.
Communication with our server was also uncomfortable. Asking basic questions or raising concerns felt awkward, almost as if we were being a burden. At one point, a member of our party who doesn’t speak Spanish well was met with an unhelpful response, which felt out of place and unprofessional for a restaurant that presents itself as upscale.
Overall, this experience—combined with the previous visits—has left me deeply disappointed. Cafe Rubio was once a place I truly loved, but unless I hear that meaningful changes have been made, this will likely be my last visit. I genuinely hope the restaurant can address these issues and return to the level of quality and care it was once known for.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Ingrid Bassallo
We went to this place to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I was surprised by the size of the place. The food was great. I ordered a cordon bleu, and my husband ordered one of the Mets dishes.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Chris devonish
Food was ok. Nothing amazing but the atmosphere was very nice probably a better lounge spot than a restaurant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Angeline Ramadhar
Very clean , the music was good and service was good very friendly and relaxing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
edward ortega
It’s the best place to go in queens
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Johny C
The place is very clean from the entrance and has a nice décor that gives a good first impression. The restrooms are well maintained, which is something I always appreciate in a restaurant.
The service was friendly, the music added to the atmosphere, and the cocktail I ordered was quite good. The food was well presented and tasted great. Overall, everything was pleasant, and it’s a comfortable spot to enjoy a meal or a drink.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Christopher Espinosa
What happened to cafe Rubio? Used to be an awesome place before Covid , now it’s like they hire crappy people with slow service and bad attitudes .
Went on a Sunday night and my food took an hour and a half to come out, and when it did, it was cold. I told the server and he asked me “what should I do” ???? Really??
Server never even offered to refill water. Never came to check on the table. What a bad experience . This place has gone down the drain. That’s what happens when you focus more on the bar and hookah than food. Never coming back. So many good memories here . Wish it was what it used to be.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
Julio Diaz
Food is wack no good taste dry
J R3
The chicharron de pollo was good but the beans were flavorless it is missing auyama otherwise would be 5 stars if they added that
Reservation made 4 days in advance and it wasn’t even in their system when we arrived.
Service was unacceptable — staff pressured us to order drinks, yet it took over 45 minutes to get them (including water). They kept removing our drinks before we finished and rushed us through the meal. We asked for a dessert menu and they brought whatever they wanted instead.
Food was just as bad: the mofongo was rock hard, the chicharrón looked fried in old oil, and the fried calamari was terrible.
Overall, very disappointing experience. This place is now on our blacklist and we would not return.
Food: 1
Cafe Rubio has been one of my go-to restaurants for a very long time. When I think of Cafe Rubio, I think of luxury, great food, and a beautiful ambiance. Unfortunately, my last few experiences—especially the most recent one—have changed that perception.
Over the last three visits during the winter, the restaurant has been uncomfortably cold inside. There’s really no excuse for customers to be freezing while dining. If the space can’t be properly heated, the restaurant should either find a solution or reconsider opening under those conditions.
Most recently, I celebrated my daughter’s 13th birthday at Cafe Rubio with a group of about 14 people. We were seated in a corner near the door, where it was especially cold. Several of us couldn’t even take our jackets off, and I was personally very uncomfortable the entire time. Sadly, what should have been a special memory now feels overshadowed by that experience.
The service that night was also disappointing. Given the size of our group, at least two servers should have been assigned to our table, but only one person was handling everything. I understand that Cafe Rubio is known for a slower, more relaxed dining pace, but this went far beyond that. Our drinks—simple sodas and one mixed drink—took close to 30 minutes to arrive, which is unacceptable.
To make matters worse, the food arrived cold. Considering the price point of the restaurant, customers should reasonably expect hot food and a comfortable dining environment. Between the cold temperature, delayed service, and cold food, the experience felt chaotic and poorly managed.
Communication with our server was also uncomfortable. Asking basic questions or raising concerns felt awkward, almost as if we were being a burden. At one point, a member of our party who doesn’t speak Spanish well was met with an unhelpful response, which felt out of place and unprofessional for a restaurant that presents itself as upscale.
Overall, this experience—combined with the previous visits—has left me deeply disappointed. Cafe Rubio was once a place I truly loved, but unless I hear that meaningful changes have been made, this will likely be my last visit. I genuinely hope the restaurant can address these issues and return to the level of quality and care it was once known for.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
We went to this place to celebrate a friend’s birthday.
I was surprised by the size of the place.
The food was great.
I ordered a cordon bleu, and my husband ordered one of the Mets dishes.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Food was ok. Nothing amazing but the atmosphere was very nice probably a better lounge spot than a restaurant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Very clean , the music was good and service was good very friendly and relaxing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s the best place to go in queens
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The place is very clean from the entrance and has a nice décor that gives a good first impression. The restrooms are well maintained, which is something I always appreciate in a restaurant.
The service was friendly, the music added to the atmosphere, and the cocktail I ordered was quite good. The food was well presented and tasted great. Overall, everything was pleasant, and it’s a comfortable spot to enjoy a meal or a drink.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
What happened to cafe Rubio? Used to be an awesome place before Covid , now it’s like they hire crappy people with slow service and bad attitudes .
Went on a Sunday night and my food took an hour and a half to come out, and when it did, it was cold. I told the server and he asked me “what should I do” ???? Really??
Server never even offered to refill water. Never came to check on the table. What a bad experience . This place has gone down the drain. That’s what happens when you focus more on the bar and hookah than food. Never coming back. So many good memories here . Wish it was what it used to be.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
Food is wack no good taste dry
The chicharron de pollo was good but the beans were flavorless it is missing auyama otherwise would be 5 stars if they added that
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