Vamos

The food is great here and the staff is very friendly. I come here every time i get a chance. I recommend it to anyone looking for a nice atmosphere & great food. The drinks are very well made too. Don't get me started on the desserts they are to die for. ...YUMMM!

Pros: BEST QUESADILLAS

Posted 10/20/09

This has become one of my regular spots. The food, the drinks the whole experience is wonderful. If you're not into loud music though, this place might not be for you, and New York City might not be either. I've never had a bad experience there. The waitstaff is always so wonderful and always makes my experience a good one.

It is always busy and they are always running around so give the guys a break! They work hard, they work all night, so don't be a snob and try to complain that they have bad service because I have seen first hand how hard they work. The bad reviews below seem to be from close minded people who can never be satisfied.

Thank you Vamos for always being so accommodating and for the best happy hour! See you again soon!!!

Pros: The food, the margaritas the service!

Cons: Absolutely nothing!!

Posted 06/12/09

Ok, so I haven't ever been to the restaurant, but I live across the street and down the block, and Vamos has been blaring the same salsa music seemingly 24/7 for the past few days. I guess it's their Cinco de Mayo marathon, but I don't care! It's 4am on a Tuesday night and they only just stopped, after the police came on a noise complaint. Ugh. I need sleep! Vamos needs to invest in some sound proofing, please!

Pros: None

Cons: LOUD!

Posted 05/05/09

I've been to Vamos a few times and the food has been consistently fresh and delicious, great margaritas as well.
I recommend shrimp salad, quesadillas and lamb burritos. There is a nice selection of desserts as well, tres leches cake is my favorite.
The atmosphere is festive and casual, they play great selection of music.
I'd recommend this place for a group of friends or even a date and will definitely go back.

Pros: good food, nice ambiance, nice bar

Cons: none

Posted 12/03/08

It's just around the corner from my apartment and I am hooked on it. It is a great spot to get drunk and also to eat wonderful food. I had some taco thing last time and it was awesome. Me and friends come here at least once a week.

Posted 11/11/08

I ate here with my fiance and he always finds cool placest. This isnt the coolest, but it is inexpensive and darn good food. I will return with friends im sure. He said he found them on Citysearch.

Posted 11/11/08

Manny the bartender is a no personality loser. He was very rude to customers and staff. He yelled at a bartender in training right in front of me...I was so disgusted that I closed out immediately. Dont go there when he is working.

Posted 07/28/08

I think what most people need to know with regards to this restaurant is that overall its a good place. I say good because there are a number of things that bring down what could be a wonderful place. The portion sizes are tiny. People have been writing about that for a long time now and the restaurant has still not done anything about it. For the portion sizes the restaurant may seem expensive, but the food itself is absolutely wonderful. Their drinks are wonderful, especially their Mojitos. It's understandable that because they are specialty cocktails they take a long time to make, but it is really disappointing when the reason you don't get your drink quickly is because the bartender has to go and remove glasses from a dining room table to pour your drink into because they've run out (this happens even when the restaurant is relatively empty). I've dined there a number of times, and the waiters and waitresses that take care of us are a charm, there really are no complains about the service. One thing you'll notice if you become a regular is the change in atmosphere when the restaurant owners visit their restaurant (which is usual since they live in StuyTown). Instead of improving it seems everyone tenses up, and you can feel the vibe in every aspect of the restaurant, which makes wonderful nights like the Saturdays when there is a live DJ feel like a business dinner. Speaking of special nights, they have a great array of choices. Monday is all you can eat tacos, Tuesday burritos, Wednesday fajitas, and Saturdays there is a DJ. Even with these events you still should be able to get a table fairly quickly, as long as the host or hostess isn't MIA. If you are looking to have an overall better experience I recommend you either sit outside where it is quieter or at the bar, where the bartenders are sure to entertain you when you spark up a conversation. Give the restaurant a try, it is completely worth it.

Pros: The bar and specialty cocktails; The outdoor seating

Cons: Parking; portion sizes

Posted 07/26/08

I have been going to vamos for some time now. It is such a great spot. Some things to consider - The music is always on point sometimes there is a live Dj that accompanies the great food and well mixed drinks. The atmosphere goes "beyond trendy."
The food is just as spectacular as the atmosphere. Most dishes put an "interesting spin" on regular Mexican food and are very tasty. I love it! I?M Going to happy hour tomorrow 2-4-1!

Pros: Bathroom, Food, Open kitchen, Music

Cons: Not open 24 hours

Posted 07/24/08

I really like their chicken mole poblano, it's a chicken dish w/ a brown sauce and sesame seeds, their hanger steak with it's side mashed potatoes. Their Yakito's are amazing! and I love the special drink they serve on monday nights- it has cucumber in it with strawberries.... Delicious !!
The service is always very fast and attentive, I have never experienced rude waitstaff or managers.... so go see for yourselves !!!

Pros: Drinks ! SERVICE !

Cons: Parking

Posted 07/23/08

I went here for dinner and had a great experience. The food was aawesome. I love the atmosphere too. But most importantly is the margaritas. They have to be the best in the city. i think i have found my new margarita monday spot. hahah. go, for your own good!

Posted 07/23/08

I used to go there all the time b/c the 'hood is really lacking in more mid-scale restaurant/bars. I overlooked the price of things b/c i just didnt want to walk several blocks to go someplace else. after the 1st few months of them being open, they went to from nice big glasses for the $9 margaritas to a really small glass for their $9 margaritas. fine, still not intersted in walking several blocks. the food was so-so and i only ate there is i was really hungry, didnt want to order in AND was willing to pony up for the huge price tag on the small portions. fine, still not interested in walking several blocks. finally, i had to apply the rude factor (which is the only thing served in ample portions) by the dinner manager. i feel that now i can finally get myself to walk several blocks for good food, friendly staff and much cheaper drinks. bye, bye Vamos!

Pros: close to my apartment

Cons: the dinner manager

Posted 07/14/08

It's a shame - this is a great location and even with the shortage of restaurants in the Sty town area and the fact that I live across the street - I would not go back to Vamos. The food is OK but overpriced for what it is and the margaritas are great. The service is horrible. Even when the restaurant is half empty, it takes them 10-15 minutes to seat you and then I've waited up to 20 minutes for someone to even take my drink order. I've eaten there several times as I kept going back for convenience sake and never had good service. I complained to the manager - a short little guy with a mohawk - who couldn't have been ruder. Twice when I was there people were smoking at tables and when I inquired about asking them to stop (I was with a very pregnant friend once) - little mohawk man told us to take him to court!!!! So many other great Mexican restaurants in the city - skip this one.

Cons: Horrible service - especially little mohawk man manager

Posted 07/14/08

Finally the truth is coming out about this place (thank you to the 2 previous poster's). the food is NOT worth the price. the drinks are small and expensive and the service stinks. walk a few blocks to the west and you can find a much experience.

Pros: forces me to explore other restaurants

Cons: basically everything

Posted 07/14/08

I am in love with this little place. Great food. Great dining experience all together. Owner and staff are very kind as well.

Posted 06/04/08

After living in Stuyvesant Town for 14 years, I am glad there is finally a good Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood. It's a little more pricy than your basic burrito joint, but everything I have eaten there is yummy. Try the Al Pastore tacos with the pulled pork or the shrimp with a watermelon margarita!
They even have a brunch menu which is very good. Some of the reviews complain about small portions byut I don't find that to be true. I think people are accustomed to super sized portions at Mexican restaurant.
One complain though, the've screw up delivery orders a lot. Might be becuase they can't hear-it is a bit noisy.

Pros: great cocktails, great tacos

Cons: very noisy

Posted 05/17/08

What I like about Vamos is it's great, big space. The food is good, not extraordinary but pretty good. They have really reasonable specials Mondays through Wednesdays. I had the burrito which I liked, the guac was good and the tres leche cake was really good! Our waitress was fantastic. I would def try it. Great music and a good place for large groups.

Posted 01/30/08

A girlfriend and I went here for dinner the other night for the first time and really enjoyed ourselves. The watermelon margaritas, with silver patron and serano chiles were incredible! Sweet, salty, spicy, and refreshing! I had three and I would have had more - but our dinner had me stuffed! The guacamole was quite good - not the best I've ever had, but pretty tasty - although a little over priced for the amount. The salsa and chips were right on. We spilt the Ensalada Mixta for starters - a huge house salad with jicama, avogodes dressing, queso fresco and tortilla strips - it was delish. My friend had the Cochinita - yucatan style slow cooked pork with mixed marinated onions wrapped in a banana leaf, and it melted in your mouth! I had the Al Pastor tacos - pulled pork topped with caramelized onions, pineapple and cilantro wrapped in corn tortillas, that were incredible. A perfect pairing of sweet and savory. We were delightfully impressed. The service wasn't half bad too! They could have been slightly more attentive, but they made great recommendations and I always appreciate that. The decor was very tastful - even for a mexican restaurant. It was festive but not over done like same places can be. Although, the bathrooms could use a coat of paint. Overall, it was a memorable dinner and experience and I will definitely be back for happy hour!

Pros: Delicious food and margaritas

Cons: Slightly unattentive service

Posted 10/28/07

Vamos is not super expensive, but it's the little things that get me. A squirt.... of sour cream, on a plate, remember a SQUIRT, is $2. A very small black beans and rice as a side order (in a small bowl) is $5. It was just not worth it. There wasnt much flavor in any of the food. I would not recommend this place to anyone. It's a shame too, because I love Mexican and I live right across the street from this place!

We waited 15 minutes, on a Tuesday night at 6 o'clock for the waiter to take our order, and the place wasn't even packed.

Posted 07/17/07

One Tequila, Two tequila, Three tequila, floor!
A great variety of tequila mixed drinks will floor you but in combination with the delicious upscale Mexican food it will make your night. A perfect place to meet with friends and family or even a blind date.

Pros: Everything except the con

Cons: a little noisy but go early and you're fine

Posted 03/31/07

If by any chance you end up in that neighborhood and you UP for mexican food, Vamos is the place with no doubt you want to have the "fish tacos"!

Posted 03/28/07

We had girls night out and went to Vamos. Perfect place to hang and chat. The drinks are absolutely delicious. The food is great, service friendly and prices reasonable.

Pros: Great ambience and delicious margeritas

Posted 03/27/07

i think that every reveiw on here, except for the two critical ones are writen by friends or employees of this place. i would not be surprised considered how business savy this place feels, top to bottom. i know this is an unregulated ongoing concern of citysearch reviews in general, but i think its in the restaurant's best interest sometimes to just listen to their customers instead of their accountants.

Posted 03/20/07

This place really does have AMAZING maragritas (I don't work there). They are also very nice to regular customers (and I'm sure they're nice to new faces, too). It is NOT everyday cheap Mexican, but moreso a "fancy Mexican" establishment (I sense some sort of "fusion" in some dishes), and it's NOT cheap. However, it's great for a night out with the semi-upwardly mobile and I've seriously never had a better margarita.

Pros: Great drinks and food

Cons: High prices

Posted 03/18/07

i would happily eat mexican every day of the week and am always on the hunt for a new place so i was willing to venture to the culinary wasteland of murray hill to try vamos. from the outside it looks a bit like a strip mall restaurant in the burbs - but thankfully the interior is more impressive. i waited at the bar for my tardy friend and ordered a margarita. typically i am an "on the rocks w/salt" girl, but the bartender encourgaged me to try a cilantro margarita which was amazing. once seated, our waiteress - who was adorable and very efficient - recommended the tuna tostadas for an appetizer - absolutely delicious. i was thrilled with my shrimp tacos and my friend loved her entree (whole red snapper). perhaps the "active" girls in the previous review should come back on a monday - we were told us it's all you can eat tacos for $20. we will definitely be back.

Pros: service, creative drinks, good food

Cons: location

Posted 03/14/07

I went there the other night for my weekly ?girls? night? and we definitely took the right spot. We were all very surprised by the quality and freshness of the food, this is serious Mexican food presented in an elegant manner and in a funky modern decor.
Everything is prepared and served with great care and attention to details, I especially liked their fried red snapper, it was juicy and perfectly cooked. We all started with a few of their gourmet Tacos which might be some of the best in town and enjoyed sharing and tasting, the only thing is that our cocktails took a little long but it was worth the wait as their concoctions are fresh fruit based and very inventive. So if you want to try something new in the Mexican scene just go ! or I should say "Vamos!"

Pros: Cocktails, fresh food, Atmosphere, good for large groups

Cons: can be too noisy for some people

Posted 03/13/07

I was so excited when Petite Abeille decided to branch out and open Vamos! I couldn't wait to try it- boy, was I disappointed! I went on a random Thursday night with a girlfriend- we ordered the seared rare tuna appetizer, the carne asada (beef) tacos and the camarones enamarado (skewered shrimps and scallops) entree. First came the beef tacos- which was pretty decent but not spectacular. Then the tuna appetizer came- it was baby palm-sized- it was good but we only got a bite each. Then our entrees- it consisted of two skewers- each with ONE medium sized shrimp and ONE medium sized scallop- meaning that the entree consisted of TWO SHRIMPS and TWO SCALLOPS for $21! We are normal, active girls with healthy appetites! We couldn't believe that everything on the menu came in such small portions!!! The food is decent but way overpriced considering the small portions! Skip VAMOS until they realize that they are serving people, not kittens! Plus, it was disheartening to see a new restaurant so focused on the bottomline... not the Petite Abeille way at all!

Pros: nice atmosphere, trendy

Cons: INCREDIBLY SMALL PORTIONS, mediocre food

Posted 03/13/07

three glowing reviews written on the same day using terms like "i extended this unique bar experience.." and "The decor is contemporary Mexican and the ambience is festive"? Vato, please! the place is nice looking, a potentially nice addition to a neighborhood that is very clearly underserviced. but the food is not spectacular by any means and they are pushing the far limits of what you can charge for 2 Tacos ($9 for two tiny tacos). the portions are small, quality is unnoticeable, even the free chips are served in the tiniest little paper bag. The whole place reeks of "restaurant business 101" cost effectiveness, marketing hooha. Petite Abeille used to be a cute neighborhood place and now its a chain ready to be stamped out at the mall and this is clearly their next move. that said, i will give it another shot, hopefully the people of the neighborhood are not so desperate for decent food options that they won't voice their opinions and get this place to perk up a little.

Pros: Cozyy, there's nothing else in the neighborhood.

Cons: There's nothing else in the neighborhood.

Posted 03/07/07

I went there several times already. The front bar is a great place to enjoy a few margaritas (with cointreau!), have a few dips in their world-class guacamole and enjoy the atmosphere, just wonderful. I extended this unique bar experience with dinner in the restaurant, service was very good and the food is always good. I highly recommend the red snapper, it is good stuff!

Pros: Atmosphere, Food Quality

Posted 02/12/07

I ate at Vamos a few times since its recent opening and every time the experience has been amazing. I'f you're looking for a great authentic mexican dish accompagnied by a solid drink at a reasonable price you should definitely try out VAMOS!!!!

Pros: atmosphere/drinks/location/crowd

Cons: none

Posted 02/12/07

If you want to have the best margaritas, you've got to go to Vamos!!! I've been visiting around town looking for the good margaritas. They have a Blood-Orange margarita that's out of this world. It's so delicious.... and their bartenders are definitely not skimpy on alcohol ! It's not premixed. The bartenders all have the recipe down. Their drinks are potently delightful. I also had the cilantro margarita which was also really good. I have to go back and try the others.
The decor is contemporary Mexican and the ambience is festive. We sat at the bar and ordered the guacamole which was made to order so you could taste that it was fresh and the balance of the ingredients were just right. We ordered the pork tacos which we loved and we also had the fish. That was an amazing fish!! and the sauce was light and spicy. WOW.
We're definitely going back!!! The bartender was fun and attentive. That's all I need good drinks, good food and friendly smiles.

Pros: Great drinks; Great food

Cons: Neighborhood is just coming out, so not a lot else going on in the neighborhood.

Posted 02/12/07