Any comments on Arriba Arriba for Mexican food in NYC? Looking at the one in midtown. Saw they have good early bird specials - 11.95 includes appetizer, entree & margarita - what's the "catch"? Is it good food & nice atmosphere?

Also planning on Carmine's for another night - is 1 entree & a salad enough for 4 women to share? Just curious how big the portions really are....

Any other suggestions in that same price range & location for our 3rd night? We like atmosphere.

How pricey are drinks at the rooftop bar at the Met?

One other thing - does anyone know if it is the same Arriba Arriba on 3rd Ave as on 9th Ave? The one on 3rd has a website with a menu & I am hoping it is the same one as on 9th.

have not been to Arriba Arribal. But Carmine's is pretty good, family style, just be prepared to eat. Another good restaurant is Churrascaria Plataforma. It's a brazilian restaurant on 49th street...www.churrascariaplataforma.com

Thanks - I've been to a churrascaria in Brazil - which was great. Curious what the prices were like at this one in NYC per person. My friends might enjoy the experience.

There is another good italian (one of many) in the theater district called Becco Restaurant.

A good friend of mine got miserable food poisoning from a meal at the Arriba location on Third Avenue (UES), so I've never tried it.

But, hey, they can't poison everybody, or they'd be out of business, right?!?

Wow - brings back memories. I used to go there when I couldn't afford fine dining...lol. All I can say is, it's a NYC chain...cheap but nothing special. Atmosphere? No. I've know people who got food poisoning there too.

I suggest you walk up 9th Avenue north of 45th Street (there are a TON of restaurants) and find something that appeals to you. Many will have a menu in the window with prices. My favorites along that strip are Delta Grill at 48th (very good Cajun, reasonable prices, fun atmosphere), Island Burger a few blocks north (~50 types of burger, very cheap, no atmosphere), andthere's a good Thai restaurant in there somewhere too. Among a billion other things.

Just a note - I didn't get these replies until AFTER my trip and it turns out we did eat at the midtown location - I think it was 9th & 51st. All 4 of us thought our food was great with very good guacamole. And, none of us got sick! Lucky us! Lunch special was $6.95 per person - good bargain!

After a couple of their margaritas, who can remember what the food was like? Glad you enjoyed it!

Marilyn, you've just reminded me of what is often "mistaken" as food poisoning. After a night of pitchers of margaritas it's not unusual for a person to spend a night really sick and throwing up. It's always so much more dramatic to say "I got food poisoning there" than to say "I got so drunk I spend the night throwing up".
If one has not gone to a hospital, had his stomach pumped, and been diagnosed as having true food poisoning, it is usually something else.

Patrick LOL!
My mantra is "Tequila is NOT my friend." Unfortunately I don't always listen to my wiser self.

The really odd thing reading this thread is that the friend I was with at my only meal at Arriba Arriba did indeed get seriously ill the next day. He woke up barely able to move and spent the next year of his life struggling with some bizarre form of rheumatoid arthritis (diagnosis by default) that had never before manifested itself. I know it's silly, but I've always wondered if getting hammered on those margaritas had anything to do with it.

I GO TO Arriba 3 ave. for long time, always i have good food , creative cuisine , and my potent margarita, they have variety of tequilas, friendly service , great atmosphere . good choice for upper eastside