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Home > Restaurants > Bonita

All Reader Reviews of...

Bonita

338 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11211
nr. S. 3rd St.
718-384-9500

6.0 "Mixed Reviews"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10		 Write Your Own Review
42% Would you go back?
42% Would you take a date?
14% Would you take kids?
28% Would you go on business?
28% Would you go on a special occasion?
Food: 5.9
Service: 6.3
Décor: 8.1
Value: 6.3
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  • Showing reviews 1 through 7 of 7

Fairly good food doesn't make up for bad service

JMR from 11238 | Posted on 11/22/08

Overall Rating: 4 (Not Recommended)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? No
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 7
Service: 2
Décor: 7
Value: 6

We visited the Williamsburg location with five other people. The hearty chile relleno and tacos were good, though an order of guacamole was forgotten. When it was time to pay the bill, we were told they don't do separate checks, so we figured out the bill with three cards and one person paying with cash. The waiter said he could only use two cards. When the manager came by, he said, "I'm sorry, we can take three cards"--what we were trying to do in the first place. After we left, we were chased down the street by the waiter--the person paying with cash forgot to put it down--something that wouldn't have happened had they separated the checks. We apologized and paid--we hadn't been trying to run out on the check. The waiter then apologized, admitting that he doesn't like to run more than a few cards. So diners beware--Bonita has no credit card policy--it's based on what the servers or managers deem convenient. The food is good, but not worth the hassle.

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3 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

Inconsistent

heavycologne from 11211 | Posted on 1/19/08

Overall Rating: 4 (Not Recommended)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? No
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 2
Service: 6
Décor: 9
Value: 3

Really hit or miss. Food is sometimes great sometimes horrible. The chicken is disgusting. Tastes almost like its boiled (not grilled) with lots of gristle. It almost seems like, depending who's working, the same dishes I order are made differently every time. I am not opposed to shelling out money for something tasty. But the food quality has certainly gone downhill here in general. This place used to be very good. I used to be excited to eat here. Not anymore.

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63 out of 134 people found this review helpful.

Overrated is an understatement.

kab1 from 11200 | Posted on 11/6/07

Overall Rating: 4 (Not Recommended)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? No
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 3
Service: 5
Décor: 9
Value: 4

New to Williamsburg, I thought that this restaurant looked promising- always heaving with people and very good looking! I went for brunch- my eggs were overcooked and my friend's looked like dog food. And it took quite a while to get our food- in this case, definitely not worth the wait. But surely all these people I'd seen overflowing from inside couldn't be wrong. Maybe it was the breakfast? So I went for dinner. Waited forever for the privilege of paying $8.50 for some corn chips that are usually free. Didn't get told any specials- only for brunch? Steak enchiladas and pork tacos were ok but portion sizes are small and relatively expensive. And the staff were incredibly lethargic. Got the glass for my coke. 5 mins later got the coke. the kitchen staff rang the bell to indicate the food was sitting there ready- it sat there for 5 more mins. It was an early dinner- there was one other table. Overall, it was a very disappointing experience particularly as it looks so nice from the outside.

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158 out of 286 people found this review helpful.

I'm not impressed

lovelyjmb from 11205 | Posted on 2/14/07

Overall Rating: 4 (Not Recommended)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? No
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 3
Service: 6
Décor: 7
Value: 4

I have not been to the Williamsburg location, but a Bonita recently opened up in my neighborhood (Clinton Hill) on DeKalb so I went to try it out. It looked great from the outside and seemed like it was always crowded so I thought it had to be good. Turned out to be just mediocre. The prices are high for the small portions and when other Mexican restaurants are serving chips and salsa for free I didn't expect to have to pay for it. I orded the quesadilla, which came pretty bare -- no sour cream or guacamole, and I had to order a side of rice (which was white rice!) and beans. It's ok if you aren't expecting much and just want a near by place to go with friends, but I'd rather go to Los Pollitos on Myrtle Ave.

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286 out of 536 people found this review helpful.

Lo Mejor

Barajas | Posted on 5/11/05

Overall Rating: 9 (Highly Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? Yes
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 9
Service: 8
Décor: 8
Value: 9

I have enjoyed going to Bonita on almost a weekly basis for two years. It's one of my all-time favorite places. My husband, who is Mexican, misses Mexican food dearly and Bonita is one of the only places that can satisfy him. The chiles rellenos are so good - but ask for extra warm tortillas. The taquitos are so perfect. To be frank, I'm not crazy about thier desserts - but you'll be so happy with the food you won't even want any. And the staff is great - friendly and laid back.

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307 out of 596 people found this review helpful.

The best I've had

GiveBackMyPants from 10014 | Posted on 5/4/05

Overall Rating: 9 (Highly Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 9
Service: 9
Décor: 9
Value: 10

This restaurant is a Manhattanite's best reason to cross a river. Between the windows, the sangria and fish tacos, I thought I was having dinner in Havana circa 1965. Though it's good anytime of year, Bonita is the perfect place to sweat on a sweltering summer night.

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245 out of 493 people found this review helpful.

Consistantly charming and reliably tasty.

fisharejumpin | Posted on 6/19/03

Overall Rating: 8 (Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 8
Service: 8
Décor: 8
Value: 8

I keep coming back to this place. The food is fresh and simple, the staff is friendly, and the restaurant itself, with its diner counter and stools and its casement windows, is charming. Personal favorites include the steak tacos (with cilantro, sour cream, and a chipotle sauce), the fish tacos (lots of crisp shredded lettuce), and fried plantain with chicken and sliced avocado (this is a frequently offered special.) The sangria, which comes with tart little pieces of apple, is good, but I don't think they can sell liquor, only wine and beer. I especially like to come here for brunch; the cafe con leche is always well-made, and it's so nice to sit by the open windows.

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267 out of 527 people found this review helpful.

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