Bitter Honey delivers a vibrant, Mexican-inspired dining experience tucked inside a warehouse-style space near the Rochester Public Market. The interior leans moody with dim lighting and dark walls, balanced by bold, eye-catching murals. The bar lighting in particular makes it an inviting spot to gather and sets a great tone. We were warmly greeted by Tim upon arrival, who quickly showed us to our table with a few minutes to settle in and look over the menu. Our server, Begum, was friendly, attentive, and fully on board celebrating our 256th Taco Tuesday anniversary, which definitely added to the festivities of the night! We started with a chips + dips flight paired with margaritas. The chips came out hot and perfectly crisp. The standout was the queso with its rich, smoky flavor, and absolutely the one we kept going back to. The guacamole was decent, though we personally prefer a brighter profile with more lime, cilantro, and seasoning. The salsa brought some heat but landed somewhere in the middle overall. Taco Tuesday here is a solid deal at $4 per taco, and the variety made it easy to try several different options. Highlights and lowlights: The camaron (grilled blackened shrimp) taco was a bit underwhelming in flavor. The batatas (fried sweet potato) taco leaned sweet and savory and helped redeem things slightly. The clear winner, though, was the Ojai taco (agave lime fried Brussels sprouts) with jalapeño crema which absolutely delivered on flavor. I am thrilled when I find a new taco that surprises and intrigues me with flavor! From the other side of the table: the Josh Allen taco was declared "fire," though a meatier cut of chicken would have balanced out the heavier breading. The Baja fish taco was solid but not standout, and the carne asada was a bit too chewy. Our meal was rounded out with complimentary churros which was a real bonus for dessert. Don't skip out on this sweet treat. What really stood out was the overall vibe. The staff (including Bailey and Jackie) made it feel like more than just dinner. It was energetic, robust, and joyful experience from start to finish. We'll definitely be back for another Taco Tuesday... or maybe to see what the Cinco de Mayo hype is all about. read more

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I absolutely hate to do this and i'm a server myself, but if i could push zero stars i would. Honestly one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. We came in as a party of 5 with a reservation and were seated right away by the host, which was unfortunately the only smooth part of the night. We ordered drinks first, then nachos for the table. We completely finished the entire appetizer before our drinks ever arrived. When our server (black hair, tattoos) finally came over with drinks, they weren't even ours -- she brought another table's order. Meanwhile, she spent most of the night standing around chatting at the bar while the host was the one who eventually brought us our actual drinks. After finally getting drinks, we sat there forever waiting for someone to take our food order. We were genuinely about to get up and ask when she finally walked over and asked if we "needed more time with the menu." It honestly felt like a joke at that point. Food came out in a reasonable amount of time, but not from our server of course. Most dishes were okay, but the carne asada was unbelievably chewy and the shrimp tasted burnt to a crisp. She never checked on our table once. I literally had to move empty plates to the edge of the table so they'd get picked up. Then the second the last person at the table put his fork down for a moment, she immediately asked if he was done so she could clear the plate. Right after that she said do u have room for dessert and we said no and she left and directly came back dropped the check. The bill was around $140, and instead of cashing us out, she spent another 15+ minutes hanging around the bar talking with a coworker and then the bartender behind the bar while one on their phone. I finally had to walk up and ask her to cash us out myself. Suddenly once the tip slip came out, her entire attitude changed to "thank you guys so much, hope everything was amazing!" I work in fine dining under a Michelin-star chef, and service like this would get someone fired immediately. I understand delays happen, especially with a bar, but the complete lack of communication, wrong drinks, disappearing server, and careless attitude made this experience absolutely awful. Half the restaurant was empty, so there really was no excuse. Tipped $20 which is the lowest i've EVER tipped but literally was so confused what we were tipping for. I'd rather of given that $20 to a millionaire that doesn't need it than her. read more

Bitter Honey - Shrimp & Carne Asada Taco - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

If you're looking for top-tier tacos and nachos, look no further! They also make the best margarita's, especially if you like them spicy because you can order heat levels 1-10. Overall great vibe without the corny decor you get from some Mexican restaurants. read more

I love Birria tacos and this place didn't dissapoint. The vibe of the place is laid back and the music selection was good. Would definitely recommend this place if you're looking for good food and atmosphere read more

Bitter Honey - Bar area - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

Had gone to an event at the yards and decided to stop in for dinner... I was shocked at how pricey the menu was especially the tacos. Flavor wise they were decent but the tortillas do not taste like they are Housemade-most places will do 2 corn tortillas on a taco. They only do one taco which fell apart as you ate it Service was slow, payment system a little unclear... we eventually walked over to the register area and waited for somebody to come and settle our bill with us read more

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Came in on a Saturday at 6pm and it wasn't too busy. Atmosphere was nice, super dimmed lights, quieter music and interesting decor. We got our waters and sodas right away but mix drinks took a little bit, no big deal. My group ordered the chips and dip trio with guacamole, queso and salsa. The dips were in pretty small cups and we ate it up really quick between the 4 of us. Queso was really good, guacamole and salsa were average. Server never asked if we wanted refills, oh well. I ordered the Baja and pollo tacos which were tiny for $7.50 each. Ate them both in about 5 bites. Pollo taco didn't have much flavor but the Baja taco was good. I especially liked the sauce and pickled red onion on it. Service was efficient. Just served the food, ask if we want refills on drinks, and wham bam thank you mam there's the check. For the cost of what you get, I wouldn't make any big attempt to come back. read more

Bitter Honey - Baja Taco on bottom and Pollo Taco on top. Baja was decent, Pollo was bland. - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

First of all, parking was better than I expected. There is a tablet inside the restaurant that you can reserve your parking on. Plan to do that instead of worrying about it outside. Food was good-- $4 tacos on Tuesdays. Options of meats, etc. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't really a choice for tacos or burrito with anything else included.... And admittedly the tacos (especially the chicken one) had a little more grease than I expected. The food, besides that, was clean and fresh-- just not very filling. Four of us split a Guacamole, and I ordered three tacos... and it really needed something else along with it. read more

i have never had a bad meal here! the cocktails are to die for, very creative & changing seasonally. a very relaxed bar atmosphere, nice spot right next to the public market. one of the very few places in rochester that serve mexican food until 11pm! - a must pictured is the "call me al" & chicken chimichanga - my favorites! there was a barback Hanna who checked on me within 1 minute bite back despite a busy friday night bar - i hope they promote her, she was killing it & super sweet! *don't bother with paid parking, grab one on the street, there are plenty :) read more

Bitter Honey - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

Took my mom here for the first time and she LOVED the brussel sprout tacos and the summer lovin cocktail. The bartenders were super nice and she liked the vibe of the bar. Totally worth stopping by! read more

Honestly, I don't like anything about my experience with the FOOD at this restaurant...other than the company & super dope ambiance nothing good here. The food that I ordered was so off-balance. It had no seasoning (the rice) and then the Chile Reno just ragged of hotness so hot I could not even eat it. I should've sent it back. It wasn't even worth a second bite. Nachos and tacos is what I would stick with. This is a Mexican Restaurant for goodness sakes!! The margarita wasn't even good. It had an aftertaste to it and tasted really weird. I will bot be back, unfortunately, I had high expectations. read more

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Only came for drinks so I can't rate the food, but the vibes were great. There's an expansive drink menu with something for all tastes. I also enjoyed that they had a non alcoholic margarita with the option to add flavors. The mango was fantastic. It wasn't too busy so it was easy to get a drink. I also enjoyed how they opened the doors to their outdoor patio. Perfect for a summer evening read more

The drinks were delicious and the bartender was amazing!! The Nacho's were the bomb. Bummer we had to pay for parking but worth it!! read more

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A perfect lethal combination of an expensive modern interior, expensive drinks, ala carte very bland toned down Mexican (perhaps geared towards the bland local population...)....it's a perfect hipster magnet (if that is still a relevant term). It's definitely tuned towards the Gringo end of authenticity....which essentially means not authentic really. I would come back for a drink since I like the location and it's near the Public Market...but the food? Meh... read more

Had 5:45 reservations before a show on a Friday evening. Nice big lot across the street that has signs EVERYWHERE that you need to pay but the restaurant will validate your parking. Too bad I didn't realize that. Nice modern looking converted warehouse space that was pretty busy with a very large bar. We were seated and waited on quickly. Both my partner and I had non-alcoholic margaritas which were quite good but very tart so be aware. Ordered the chips and dips flight to start. Good chips and we both liked all three dips (guac, queso, and salsa). My partner had a steak quesadilla which they enjoyed. I had 4 tacos- 2 Cameron, 1 baja (cod), 1 Josh Allen (buffalo chicken). They were okay- the shrimp was the best so glad I got two of those. I could take or leave the other two- not memorable at all. I was very full with 4 so I'm not sure why people complain about them being small but it's probably because they're 7.50 apiece which is steep. Two mocktails, 1 app, 2 entrees- 90 dollars. About what you'd expect but the tacos, again, were steep. Waiter wasn't great and was sitting at another table chatting with friends while working so that was the vibe there. Very bizarre bathroom situation that leads you out of the restaurant and into some strange cross hallway between multiple businesses back of houses with carts full of trash. Hard to explain but wasn't good. I wouldn't go back but it wasn't bad overall. Probably does killer bar business just based on size, location, vibe, and quality of the mocktails we received. read more

The aesthetic and artwork were lively and fun, but the food, spicy margaritas, and service were underwhelming for what I expected. I was excited to try this place out, but sadly do not recommend. Food was average, service was very slow and on the verge of aggravating for a date night out, and prices were high for mediocre flavors. We left glad we "tried it out" but know we won't be back. read more

Only went for the drinks but wow we had a great time. Bartenders were amazing, honorable shout out to the spicy margarita. Can't wait to return and try the menu- I've heard great things. read more

Bitter Honey - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

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A bit pricey but quality of the food is quite good! Bar is fun, quality bevs. Good service, quite loud

I visited Rochester for work and my coworker and I fell in love with this place! Decent Mexican food and really great drinks. We went twice during our trip! The first night I had their fried fish taco and blackened shrimp taco; both were solid but the fried fish taco had stronger flavors that shined brightly throughout each bite. The next night we went during happy hour and at the time, the dining room was closed so we sat at the bar - so glad we did because the bartender was great! I had the chicken quesadilla- another solid option - though I wasn't too crazy about it being shredded chicken. However, it was super flavorful and a good dish. Service was great both nights, with special emphasis on the service we received at the bar. The bartender was super knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful when choosing between drinks to accompany our meals. The ambiance? Amazing. Think: dark, moody vibes with some neon lights (not overpowering or too much). It's quite dark in there but apparently they have a nice patio - unfortunately it was cold and rainy when we went. The vibes definitely match the food and drink - all around a solid place! read more

I had a blast at Bitter Honey. Their Mezcal selection was unbelievable, and Jared mixed wonderful cocktails. Bitter Honey was crowded with a fun crowd on this Friday night in late January. I was decades older than anyone else, but no one cared. People conversed and laughed with me. The food was pretty good too. Bitter Honey would be great for groups. Rochester is a fun town. read more

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Easy reserving a table and parking. Drinks and appetizers were very good as we had queso dip and margaritas. Enchiladas were just okay as they were smothered with sauce and cream so hard to get true flavor. Service was prompt and friendly and atmosphere was ok. Back again in a while. read more

The decor of Bitter Honey is really nice to me, but others may feel it's way to dark. The layout of the restaurant is straight forward. You have a great looking bar to your left, and past that the spacious dining area. The restrooms are oddly outside of the restaurant down the hallway. Service was really good. I would return. Taco's- At $7 each it's best to get the platter ($24) if you like rice and beans. The 3 Tacos I had was Baja, Barbados, and Al Pastor. The tacos are on the small side, but they are pack with fillings. I would've loved them more if the shells were pan fried. Chips/ Guacamole- was really good. I could've ate this for dinner alone. Loved how fresh everything was Birria taco- I felt it could've used more meat, and with more flavor. The dipping sauce could've been better, if it was the actual stewed sauce from the meat. Mai Boo- if you like pina colada's then you'll enjoy this drink. Very good and refreshing. read more

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I came to Bitter Honey late in the evening to catch up with a couple of past coworkers of mine, and it was somewhat busy. The bar area was full of customers, though the main dining area wasn't too bad. Before our main meals, me and my friends decided to get tortilla chips and queso for the table and it was very delicious! For my main course, I ordered the taco trio and added a side of rice and beans. For my three tacos I ordered the Josh Allen, the sweet potato, and the pollo picado tacos. The rice and beans were very delicious and the tacos each had their own very unique tastes (which I enjoyed), though I felt that they were a little dry overall. I would visit here with friends again! P.S. Our server was amazing and memorized our entire order without a note pad! Very impressive. read more

Bitter Honey - Tortilla chips & queso, rice & black beans, and a taco trio with the josh allen, sweet potato, and pollo picado tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

The food was delicious and our server was very nice and helpful with the menu and any accommodations. Only complaint would be that we were one of the only parties in the restaurant and it took quite a while to get anyone to come around to our table for drinks, to order, to pay the bill, etc. read more

Bitter Honey - mexicali bowl - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

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I love the chicken bowl- so fresh and flavorful and a very generous portion. Their dips are also amazing and a great appetizer to share. I also love their steak and chicken tacos! They have so many taco options and I can't wait to try more in future visits~ The staff is always very friendly and attentive! Every time I've gone, we made reservation and they were always ready on time. Parking is free down the road near the public market, or with a code right across the street. read more

Bitter Honey - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

Average experience and average food. I came with a group of friends and setting up a reservation was really easy, I just called ahead and they send reminder and confirmation texts. We ordered drinks, mocktails, a flights of chips, tacos, nachos, and the drunken shrimp bowl. We enjoyed our food but it was nothing spectacular. The service was friendly but we had to be more proactive with questions, asking about gluten free options, and how to split the bill. The place has a fun environment and a pretty big bar, but I'm not rushing back for the food. Parking: there's street parking, a paid lot right across the way, and a free lot down the street closer to the public market. read more

Bitter Honey - Tacos: Al pastor, barbacoa, sweet potato - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

Bitter Honey is arguably the sexiest bar in town - sleek, great tequila and mezcal selection, delicious cocktails, good looking bartenders and staff, and a super vivacious / fun vibe. If you are single or just looking for a super fun night out with your friends, posting up at the Bitter Honey bar on a weekend around 9pm will be a hell of a time, 100% of the time. In short, as one of my friends said when I was there Saturday night: "Bitter Honey fucks." On the flip side of the coin, eating dinner here is not the move. Our server (who I think was named Jared and was AMAZING with our large party) described the tacos as "street style" aka smol, and $7 is just WAY too steep for one taco. There's no way around it. The tacos are tasty - I went with an Al Pastor and a Josh Allen, the latter being less of a taco and more a fried chicken sandwich but with a tortilla...but the price tag for both was unjustifiable. I would LOVE to see Bitter Honey retool their menu to include some non fussy tacos or entrees at a more reasonable price point. I'll be back for delicious margaritas with friends and the El Tio cocktail that I REALLY enjoyed. If you haven't been, it is time to make the trip to Railroad St! read more

Bitter Honey - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

I really love the drinks here. Bartenders are always so friendly and quick to serve. I love the dark lighting of the bar too with so many authentic decorations. read more

LOVE the drinks, especially the spicy margarita. Vibe is fun and hip. Would definitely recommend for drinks and a night out. Food has limited vegetarian options and they were not very accommodating to adjusting menu options for vegetarian diet. Food was also subpar, gives off trendy vibes but isn't my favorite Mexican place. read more

For girls night out we needed up here. Amazing atmosphere! Such a gorgeous place. A tad bit loud but really feels upscale. The food was delicious! We shared nachos and all the dips were good. They have an NA margarita that was delicious! I had a blackened shrimp taco with rice and beans and I would get it again. Definitely going to be making a trip back with my husband. read more

Bitter Honey - Rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

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First time I had birria tacos and first time I went to this place . It was amazing , service was amazing and the place was very cute . I sat outside on a nice summer day and had coconut margaritas . Would def recommend ! read more

Bitter Honey - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Ahhhhhh, I have mixed feelings about Bitter Honey! I wanted to love them, but I kept getting disappointed along the way. Let me explain. We called to find there was no wait time for a high table for 2 (a continuous wooden table used like a room divider that's set up for couples seating with high chairs). I was ecstatic for a Saturday night at 6pm at a new place we haven't tried yet. There was free parking at a lot across the street as well as street parking around the public market. We walked in and there's a message board that provides the access code for the parking lot if you need it, but the bar was up so we were able to get in without it. We were seated immediately and enjoyed the cool and casual vibe instantly. Our server, Karly was friendly, efficient and fast. She was great! We started with guac and queso with chorizo and chips (realized after they were $9 each and a few bucks extra for the chorizo add). Guac was my favorite - tasty and refreshing. Queso was good too. Texture was more like a sour cream rather than a cheesy cheese dip so it felt lighter. Awesome start! We ordered 4 tacos and made a combo w/3 so it came w/rice and beans. Out of the 4, the best was the shrimp taco. It reminded me of the guac, light and tasty. It went downhill from there. The carne asada was underwhelming that the tortilla was the star; the Josh Allen was a little overfried and the raw slaw/celery was a no-no; lastly, the baja was a nice blend of flavors, but where was the beer batter on the cod? It was gone and mushy when mixed with the sauces. For $7 each, I was expecting too much apparently. Then, dun dun duuuun, what did it for me were the rice and beans. Please please please don't give me parboiled rice and tell me it's Spanich rice. You are doing a diservice to people who eat that and really think that's how Spanish rice should taste. Maybe you're doing the fusion thing, but don't do that to the rice. It's a staple. The black beans. Ugh. Tasted like it was from a can. Gosh, we started out so well and then bam, hit the wall. I would go there for a cocktail and some apps, but if I had the taco which was the most inexpensive meal, then why would I try a $28 meal. Oh! At the start of our meal, we did order loaded fries to go. We didn't get to eat them until a couple of hours later, but they tasted really good and held up well. Ended with a positive. I just don't know if I enjoyed this roller coaster ride to come back for more. read more

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I'm just going to say it- this is my favorite bar-ever. I love the setup, I love the bartenders (shoutout to Evan), the vibe here is so cool and fun. I have not had the food but both times we came we had dinner reservations elsewhere. The tap beer selection is awesome. My husband is a big fan of mescal and tequila- he was stoked about the custom drinks he got. I'll come here again and again. I love you Bitter Honey! read more

Bitter Honey - Extra limes - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

Came here for drinks before a wedding at the public market since it's in walking distance. We sat at the bar, very cool vibe. You can definitely sense the mexican fare from the menu to the drink options. I had a few draft beers that were on a special happy hour price, $4. The bartender was great, we all had a shot of a tequila he recommend. Our group shared some nachos, very tasty and perfect about for five of us. Lot's of toppings that covered the chips... nothing worse than when a place skimps on the toppings. They have a nice raised patio area in the front, nice spot for enjoying the weather and people watching. My only complaint is they don't have their own bathroom. You have to leave the restaurant and go to the shared building with boxcar donuts. read more

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Tried this place for a second time against my will. Lol! Went here for a birthday dinner for a friend. .. Terrible! I don't know how they are still in business. Prices are ridiculous for the quality and amount of food you get. I paid $24 for a chicken burrito, black beans out of a can and rice out of a box.. the beans and rice had zero flavor . I ordered a whiskey ginger and got Tequilla and ginger.. big difference. My friend got a taco .. just 1 taco, it was $7 .. it looked like a $2 taco.. I will never waste my money at this place again. read more

Bitter Honey - Chicken Burrito w/ rice and black beans.. not worth $24 - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

Bitter Honey is located near public market and have the parking lot. When my friend and I first entered the restaurant and we were in awe of Mexican style and loved the way how they designed the walls. It's really amazing!!! The food - O.M.G. It is not something I would expect!!! Food was damn delicious!! Forgive my language. I just have to tell you that their food was amazing!!! My friend agreed with me. We would suggest our girls to have dinner for girls night. I would recommend you all to go this place if you want to have some feeling of Mexican food!!! Thank you for amazing food! read more

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Really good! Surprisingly big too, this place has a full bar by that meaning they have bartenders not you sit at the bar and server will come to you to just get your order, I had reservations and we got seated pretty quickly upon entering. The food was soooooo good the guacamole lacked just a little lime and salt but other than that it was soo good. the baja tacos are perfect. I also drank a berry marg which was perfect!! read more

Bitter Honey - Margarita and chips - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

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So the first thing that I would like to mention is that I appreciate the ambiance of Bitter Honey. Very dim. Casual, yet feels upscale. You can come in a three piece suit, or in nighttime pajamas and you'll still feel just as comfortable. The convenience of the parking lot across the street was a nice bonus. We came as a group of 4. Our server, Emma, was fantastic. She got us our drinks and waters right away. The drinks were great, We enjoyed the margaritas that we chose. They didn't have any Patron so we decided to try to house Tequila Blanco. It was surprisingly smooth and didn't leave an aftertaste. We took a little longer to order our entrees because we were busy talking and looking at all of the cool animal paintings on the walls of the dining room. I wish I had taken photos. Once we decided what we were eating (Tacos, of course - it was a Tuesday!) we waved her down and she took care of us. The food came out within 15-20 minutes, not too long. The taste was phenomenal. I have been to Los Angeles and I have tasted some pretty outstanding Mexican tacos from authentic home-cooked, family-operated taco trucks, and these tacos definitely held their own. The tortillas were soft and warm, the beef was beautifully seasoned and garnished well with herbs and cheese. All in all, I had a great time. We all did. And we plan to return. read more

Bitter Honey - Chips and Salsa - Mexican Near Me - Rochester, New York

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Definitely needed a Friday margarita this week. Not only is Bitter Honey our go-to for mexi food but we also knew they'd adhere to limited capacity and splicing out tables of patrons. On this trip we arrived on the early side thinking it'd be empty, but the hostess had to give us the last non-reserved table! The staff here are always polite and fun. They are respectful of space and wearing masks and still make dinner out seem normal and not scary. The menu changes up frequently. I was bummed to see my favorite carrot tacos off the menu. Which meant the only vegetarian options for tacos were the fried fish or fried zucchini. So I just got the Nachos without ass protein. Which is actually a tip - this also keeps the bottom chips from getting soggy with the oils from meat. We also had the enchiladas in roja sauce. I usually prefer mole sauce but was surprised at how GOOD the roja sauce was. The margaritas here are ALWAYS perfect. I hate overly sweet margaritas made with "mix". The margaritas here are REAL and use simple ingredients- meaning NO sugary mix. Our server assured me the carrot tacos will be back and so will we! Definitely recommend. read more

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Ommmgggg I will never get margaritas from anywhere else again. Everywhere else tastes like water compared to Bitter Honey. The El Tio is good too! The atmosphere is trendy and fun. The bar area is great and the bartenders are fun and interactive. The sitting area might takes your eyes a bit to get adjusted to because it come sometimes be a bit dark, but not horrible. The food is also delicious. Nachos are huge! Come with an appetite for sure! Be mindful to make reservations for weekends as they get quite packed! read more

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Unfortunately a very pleasant meal was ruined by the wait staff who was removing glasses and utensils that we were still using minutes after they had left the bill and said "no rush". This was soon followed by a manager basically kicking us out of our table after just 1 hour and 38 minutes. We had a reservation but for some reason they "desperately needed our table". There was a least one open table that we saw and the table behind us was seated just 5 minutes later. Not sure why they needed our particular table and I didn't see a time limit on their menu. They said that we could go to the bar - in other similar situations restaurants usually offer to buy us drinks for our inconvenience but not at Bitter Honey. Perhaps that is because their drinks are so expensive! Really disappointing and this was our third visit (and our friends' first). Likely our last. read more