Carla

Why is this the cutest restaurant ever?! Rates high for me given its wide variety menu for anyone's taste palette and good vibes ambience. For example, it was super cold out and I was feeling rundown and craving soup. This restaurant had the best pho I've ever had. My friend had the banh mi which was perfectly toasted... but if you weren't in an Asian cuisine mood like we were there's burgers, tacos, Mexican food, American food. Great cocktail menu too with friendly attentive service. No complaints here!

The 4.7 rating is definitely a bit of a head scratcher. Have been to their LIC location and Hell's Kitchen location tonight. Both meals were pretty similar. Food - it's good, but definitely not great. Flavors are a cross between southeast Asian / Latin / American comfort. I get what they're going for in this crossover between cuisines -- it kinda works. Fusion aside, the execution is solid, like i said, everything is pretty good. Just honestly nothing amazing. Ambiance - again, get what they're going for, but kinda falls short. The decor and ambiance is jungle vibes meets neon electric meets disco ball Americana. Another attempt to fuse many styles and it's not that it's a big miss but it's also not a totally cohesive energy. Service - both times we went the service left something to be desired. I'm not a service snob and as long as the service at a restaurant is decent, i much prefer good food and ambiance. But both times the service felt underwhelming. Kind of like they didn't have a good training program and while the staff seems well intentioned, sorta feels like it's a lot of their first day on the job. Shout out to the Maitre d or manager there tonight who was seating tables but also doing everything else. Without him, things would've gone off the rails. Overall, super hard to tell how 4.7 is the current rating -- a score indicative of the very best of restaurants. Could be tied to a lot of happy hour reviews. I'd say this is a solid 3.5, maybe 3.75 and with some improvements the chance to get to 4 stars, maybe. Doubt we'll ever go back after having had it twice but give it a shot yourself and see how you feel!

Popped by for happy hour (weekdays til 7pm), we tried the hibiscus margarita and a classic margarita. While slightly on the sweeter side , they're overall delicious and would get again. Service was on point, and overall a cute space. We didn't try any food this visit but they do have a few happy hour options for food as well. We noticed they have a robot waiter but we didn't get to see it used- maybe next time. (And for anyone nostalgic, this space used to be the gay bar Vlada *may she rest in peace*, formerly known for their many infused vodkas and ice-top bar)

Mixed concept for food with a range from tacos to a classic Vietnamese Bahn Mi. Honestly it was hard to pick just one thing on the menu. We split the Al pastor tacos and Mexican surf and turf. The burrito (Mexican surf and turf) was so juicy, stuffed full of beef and shrimp. The Al pastor tacos had a great flavor with tomatoes, pineapples, and stewed, tender pork. Food came out extremely quickly, and the server was so lovely! Tons of seating and a bar as well! Great lighting and floral decor.

Really cute spot, good for a pre theater meal. We had the shrimp po boy and the jambalaya and both were delicious. Service was fast. if you're coming for happy hour, make sure you sit at the bar! Some good deals on drinks and light bites.

Ordered:Butterfly Pea Lemonade (~$6)6pc Mighty Wings (~$16): crispy potato starch coated wing, sweet soy ginger sauce, sesame seeds, scallion2 Pescado Tacos (~$15): crunchy battered tilapia fish, lettuce, pickled cabbage, chipotle mayo, cilantro2 Beef Barbacoa Tacos (~$15): Mexican braised beef, pickled onion, pickled jalapenos, onion, cilantro2 Vegetarian Tacos (~$13): black bean, sweet plantain, cojita cheese, avocado, salsa verde, pico de gallo, cilantroAya's take:Carla has a really eclectic decor and you can tell they're definitely going for that tropical oasis vibe. This location has two floors of seating; the first floor gives off a very different ambiance than the second floor where we sat. Service here was a bit choppy; once seated, we waited 5+ minutes before any wait staff came by. Once we ordered, the food/drinks came out in a random order. We got the Mighty Wings before our drinks, and the Vegetarian Tacos just never came until we reminded our waitress. The Mighty Wings tasted like frozen wings and the sweet soy ginger sauce was barely coating each wing fully. I wasn't really impressed by any of the three tacos we got. They just didn't come together cohesively and the flavors were just not there. I liked the Butterfly Pea Lemonade, but again I got it midway through my meal which was a bit off to me. For the price, I don't think it was worth what we got or the amount of food we got. Maybe cute to grab drinks at before going to dinner somewhere else but I personally wouldn't come back.

Carla in New York, NY. The vibes are on @carla.hells.kitchen for thirsty Thursday! Their "tropical chic" decor is the perfect place for happy hour, date night or a group outing. They have Adult Capri Sun and a cute decorated converted outdoor van to hang in! Insta: @thehungryswGuac and Queso DipMighty wingsGrilled corn romaine saladBeef barbacoa tacos

I made reservations here for a small holiday party. We just wanted to have a few drinks and laughs at a quaint spot. Carla did not disappoint.We ordered a few drinks, and they were really good. The waiters were extremely attentive and asked if we needed help with anything every 15 minutes or so. Appetizers were really flavorful, satisfying, and delicious. The dinner portions were not huge but satisfying. I had the soup but I wish it had less liquid and more meat. The manager asked if it was anyone's birthday in the group and we had three members of our team celebrating in December. They sent the robot out with churros and sparkles in a glass. They honestly tastetastes better than donuts lol.I plan on returning with friends. I'm happy I found here for my teammates. Thanks Carla!

This spot is in a great location in Hell's Kitchen. I came with my family- party of 17 - as our annual holiday NYC trip. The staff treated us so well. We had upper floor seating, the ambiance is like being in the pacific islands. Love it. We definitely vibed with the whole restaurant.The food was incredible, from the buffalo chicken wings to the jambalaya. I got the hibiscus margarita and it was perfect. Strong and floral.Shoutout to (Tito) Dan for taking the best care of all of us during our visit!We definitely plan on coming back. It was a great experience!

After seeing the bright neon sign and chic exterior I came in on a weeknight with my partner for dinner and drinks and could not have been more impressed!Celine was quick to help seat us at the bar and give her recommendation on cocktails we were deciding between. I ended up with the Apple Cider Hot Toddy which was a perfect choice for the chilly evening while my partner indulged in the Hibiscus Margarita that had just the balance of flavors.Celine was kind and helpful when ordering food as well and helped us pick out the Chicken Fajitas and Cranberry Walnut Salad. The food came out reasonably quickly and perfectly fresh straight from the kitchen. The chicken fajitas were piping hot and we were given a very sizable portion perfect for sharing or for big eaters. The cranberry walnut salad was perfectly fresh and the added grilled chicken was perfectly seasoned to go with it.This place really hit it out of the park on all fronts, really yummy food, fabulous drinks, gorgeous ambiance and furnishings, and spectacular service!