Sambuca

Where should I begin? Do I start with the mushy samosas served to me? Or with the 45 min wait time when I had a reservation? Or maybe with the rude attitude I faced from the manager? Either way, the bottom line is that this place is horrible — both food and service wise. Don’t waste your money.

Do NOT waste your money. I repeat– do. Not. Waste. Your. Money. I don’t understand how this place has the luxury of having 3 stars when it deserves 0. This is my first time here (on a Friday night) and I see why it’s so empty. By far the worst customer service to match the repulsive food. The food quality is equivalent to Costco frozen d’oeuvres — except those are better. One thing I cannot stand is petty business tactics. Will NEVER be back and hopefully this place shuts down because it’s a waste of great real estate.

Really wasn’t impressed with this place. Came here on a Saturday night with 6 other girls, looking for a nice relaxing delicious classy dinner. We were seated upstairs with a perfect view of the live jazz band — we loved the entertainment aspect! There is a small $ 1 charge on your bill for the live music fyi. Also there is space for dancing. Seems like it’d be a cool date idea except everything else about this place is not great.
The place firstly fell flat on the food, and completely faceplanted when it came to service. We tried to order appetizers but the waiter straight up completely forgot one for a girl who just wanted a side of broccoli to tide her over until dinner arrived. No apologies, no making it whole, just «oh ok would you like that as one of your sides for your main?» However! The buca beignets were good. I didn’t try the mac n’ cheese which was our second app, but the other girls were not impressed.
My main was the miso sea bass. The flavor was good but the fish was frankly overcooked. It was slightly burned on one side, and the meat was chewy and had that «tacky to your teeth» texture of overcooked fish. I swapped out the rice for the fire roasted veggies which were absolutely soaked with oil. The other side of apples and bok choy was actually a very interesting and tasty combo which was enjoyable until I bit into several large rocks of raw sugar — wtf?! Several other girls also got the miso sea bass and all of theirs were overcooked. The girl who had the shrimp really liked hers, and the girl who had the scallops was also a fan. So maybe try those.
For dessert most of us wanted a nice espresso but were told the espresso machine was acting up. I opted for a simple coffee, but one girl asked if they could try a cappuccino. That cappuccino was the absolute worst coffee drink I have ever had. So we learned our lesson! We also all split a tiramisu. This is not a traditional tiramisu at all — it had no hint of coffee flavor and the texture was a lot more like cheesecake — very different.
All throughout this it was a struggle to get our waiter to pay us any attention. There was a large group in their party room, and while they had multiple waiters for that big group, our guy was clearly paying them far more attention. Ok that’s understandable, but it still didn’t make our experience very enjoyable.
I don’t see any reason I’d ever come back here. Not impressed. And I don’t think any of the other girls plan on coming back either.

Absolutely the WORST Mother’s Day Brunch! EVER. Terrible eggs to order, awful orange juice (from a can), terrible desserts (tasted like instant box pudding, cool whip and a splash of Hershey’s syrup). I could go on and on about what an awful experience it was, but I’ll leave it at that.
I’m giving one star because it’s required.

Wonderful experience in downtown Houston. One of the best places to enjoy music, dance AND eat well. Very well.
Marcel, our waiter, took very good care of us and made some of excellent recommendations. Enjoyed the Bibb salad, buca beignets, crawfish etoufee, filet & ribeye. Also had delicious cocktails and marcel recommended some great wine pairings. Overall made for a really beautiful and fun night! Will be back for sure.

We loved this place! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was perfect and the drinks were strong. We had a great waiter, so our service was perfect too. Would definitely go back to Sambuca while visiting Houston again!

«Check» — Another restaurant off the curiosity list and probably not one I’d visit again.
What’s the big deal? Not impressed at all. I do like the downtown scenery but the food and live band weren’t that notable.

I didnt get the atmosphere of sambuca. I cant pinpoint why. But its not a big deal.
Went for a business lunch. It worked really well: waiters were attentive and efficient. The menu had a really good selection, and the fish and chips were pretty good and exactly what i was expecting.
Coworkers loved their lobster enchiladas. Maybe next time…

Came here for Easter Sunday. Disappointed. Seated upstairs, but brunch buffet was downstairs. Awkward carrying our plates filled with food upstairs and possibility of tripping. $ 32 per person and no drinks except water included. Overcooked eggs Benedict ordered 1, then asked for another, but to ask for egg
not to be cooked through. Still came out dry, fully cooked through. Waiter was so super nice and apologetic. He made up for the awful food.

This restaurant had excellent food, cooked perfectly. The waiter was semi-​attentive and made a great recommendation for a first glass of wine but made an improper wine pairing for the flank steak (needed a more full-​bodied wine like a cabernet). The atmosphere is dark but that is what the owners are going for, I guess. The receptionist was accommodating but gave us an exaggerated wait time (40 minutes turned out to only be 10 minutes). On the surface, this is great, but it is bad for planning purposes. I had to deduct two stars:
1. There was live music (which is a plus!) but the sound was too loud to have comfortable conversation, even areas away from the band. I must say, however, I enjoyed the band and the little dance floor and I was able to enjoy a slow dance with my daughter, which was really special.
2. The bathroom was a hot mess. Stall number 1: occupied. Stall number 2: water (I hope) on the floor. Stall 3: water on the toilet seat. Stall 4: door didn’t lock properly and the divide between stalls 3 and 4 is coming off the hinge on the wall.
For the price of the entrees and drinks, I would expect a more sophisticated bathroom experience. To management: spend some money fixing the issues, and ensure staff check the loo regularly, if you are not going to have someone stationed in the bathroom during dinner hours.

We love this restaurant. The band is amazing and it’s a fun place. The food always delicious! We go a few times a year.

This restaurant is a great dining option when you are downtown in the theater district. It is conveniently located within walking distance to Jones Hall, the Revention Center, Alley Center, and the Wortham Center, and they take reservations early so that you have time to enjoy a meal before your respective performance/​show.
We made reservations online, and were seated within minutes of our full party’s arrival. The atmosphere has a unique flair, with low lighting in a variety of bright colors, and a full stage in the middle of the restaurant. The tables and chairs looked like they could be easily removed to turn the venue into a dance club.
Service was good, our server had a bit frantic, but charming personality, and was excellent at communicating with us about the timing of our meal. The best drink, by far, was the Texas Mule. It was one of the best versions of a Moscow Mule I’ve had — definitely try it!
We had calamari to start (I would try the shrimp & crab dip next time), which came out quickly with a nice warm marinara sauce. It was okay, but nothing special.
Entrees at the table were varied, but highlights were the Lobster Enchiladas (not a bite left on the plate), and Fettuccine Carbonara with Shrimp. Portion sizes were large, two adults could easily share one large entrée dish if accompanied by an appetizer or salad course. I particularly enjoyed the Acapulco Shrimp as a light entrée — it was full of delicate pieces of perfectly cooked shrimp and chunks of fresh tomatoes and onions. I really would order it again!
Overall we enjoyed our dining experience and would recommend to anyone looking for a fun restaurant downtown with character. The menu has a ton of items on it, making it perfect for large groups.
Cheers!

The BEST venue for live music with a supper club vibe in the city of Houston. Don’t miss Tianna Hall, The Zentenos & The Shapeshifters! Lois Albez is also a great bet along with Doppelgänger. :) great food, swanky atmosphere and fantastic music!!!

Service wasn’t great. We had a reservation at 9 didn’t get seated till 930. We paid for the expensive table and seat is way in the back. The hostess was very snobby. Not very organized with their event for Valentine’s Day.

My husband and I have eaten here a few times. We enjoy the music most times and the food has been good. It’s not super great and when we went last night the house band was playing. We enjoy the jazz more often. The band was ok, but we were on the front row, not my choice, so conversation with our table was a challenge. It’s a nice place to hear live music and do a little dancing for sure. Everyone at my table enjoyed their food too. I will say their Shrimp and Lobster bisque is DELICIOUS!

Been here a couple of times and enjoyed a good cocktail and the Buca Beignets! The live music is very nice as is the atmosphere. I have yet to find an entrée that blows me away, especially with respect to the pricing. The staff is hit or miss; last nights staff was great but I have had other experiences. The ladies bathrooms need some servicing.
We will definitely return for more Buca Beignets and the Sambuca 75 cocktail and live music.

This is a little bit of a late review as I was here for my company Christmas luncheon. The food was ok at best. The service wasn’t even that great. The atmo was dark and uninviting. My previous experience at Sambuca was back in 2014 during the summer heat and I was really looking forward to having another great dining experience. This time, however, we were seated upstairs in a private area with chaffing dishes and a whole bunch of other clutter in the back which made it seem that this room was for either a) storage or b) make shift conference room/​lunch room/​or whatever the occasion might be if someone is bringing a big group of people and needs some sort of privacy.
From the moment I got there until I left I was freezing the entire time. The air conditioning was on full blast and I felt like I had to continue eating in order for my body to continue producing the effects of «diet-​induced-​thermogenesis» … As if that wasn’t bad enough the lobster bisque looked delicious. But that is where it stopped. The flour wasn’t even cooked properly and therefore you would have an amazing spoon full of soup but the next time you would get a lumpy mouthful and all you could think of is Fergie singing *my lovely little lumps (check it out)* and not in a good way!
My entrée was the steak which was supposed to come with a side of breaded taters and green beans. The green beans and the steak did come but the potatoes were missing. As I was unsure what the missing part was on my plate as everyone else seemed to have this portion on their steak dish I asked my colleague if it was because I had requested no bacon on my beans and she told the server that me and another one of my coworkers was missing their potatoes. Although he did bring them to us on a separate plate we were half done with our steaks by that point and anyone who is a fan of meat and potatoes knows that if you don’t get your meat and potatoes together your level of satiety just isn’t the same.
The dessert was the dessert trio and it went something from flavorless to very sweet to let me comatose you with all the sugar I can. Although it was all too sweet for me, it did not stop me from finishing it all because I have no will to stand up against the sugar gods. Another negative for me was that they don’t provide valet during their lunch time and it led to me having to park in a garage that was $ 14. Now I understand that it is downtown Houston and parking can be expensive but I also understand that this is Houston, Texas, and not Los Angeles, California. But I digress …
I had such high hopes from Sambuca but it was a disappointment. Maybe it’s not a good setting for office lunches with a prix fixe menu. I’ll try you again one day for dinner with the live music and all … *insert broken heart emoji*

Excellent service and attention. Ask for HELEN as your server she’s extremely attentive.

Have mixed opinions about this place. Food was par and the service was okay. Nothing to rave about.

The room we were in had the AC blasting and it was uncomfortable having to eat lunch with my coat on. Sure it’s Houston but when it barely hits 60 on some scattered days in December, you don’t need the room that cool!

First time that I’ve been here. It was a cool environment because they have a rooftop patio. The service was good as well.
We had a few signature drinks and I really wasn’t impressed. The food that the waitress recommended was decent, but nothing to write home about.
Two apps and a few drinks =$ 120

The days of supper clubs is almost non-​existent since most of American society doesn’t enjoy dining and dancing in the same spot. There are a few locations around town that still offer this type of atmosphere, including Sambuca. When Sambuca first arrived on the restaurant scene, they were the cool kid on the block with their modern bold and striking colors, large dance floor, and a stage set up to entertain patrons. As they have aged, there’s been a lot of change with the food, staff and even the layout of the restaurant.
Sambuca was a lot cooler and had a much better lineup of live jazz music when they were first opened. It’s still a pretty decent place to go for tapas/​appetizers, drinks and live music, although the place is a lot more crowded since they did away with the dance floor and the music isn’t as stellar as it used to be. The Landry’s corporation is all about making money, so quality is pretty often overlooked when it comes to food and atmosphere. Check their website for special/​ticketed events and their music lineup for the month; this will help to prepare for your next visit here.
The parking is probably the worst part of the experience with this restaurant. Unless you’re willing to find a parking spot on the street, you might as well pay for valet since this area is practically impossible to find decent parking. Between the restaurants and hotels, they’ve pretty much cornered this block in regards to any amount of reasonable street parking. Their patio is pretty large, but this is downtown and a lot of people still smoke outdoors. If smoking is your thing, you’ll have a great outdoor patio to enjoy your cancer sticks while lounging on their sturdy metal chairs and tables.
Inside you’ll find the entire place practically low lit to channel their inner jazz star and it helps to set the mood for a romantic date night out. The bar is to the left of the hostess stand is typically pretty full while the main dining area is primarily to the right and the dance floor/​stage area being off to the left just beyond the bar. No matter where you sit, you’ll be able to hear the music, you just may not be able to see the band playing it. The staff is professional, but hearing them is another challenge if you dine here during a night when the band is loud. They’re used to it, so they will work with you if you just point on the menu what you want.
Menus are always interesting when it comes to small plating since there is such a smörgåsbord of options to choose from. There’s a little bit of everything from American, Italian, Mediterranean, Spanish, and even a little French mixed in to their tapas menu. Don’t worry, if tapas aren’t your thing, you will have plenty of soups, salads, and regular dinner entrée’s to choose from. Be mindful that because this is a Landry’s owned restaurant, the portions of the entrée’s will be the size of a small platter. Unless you want to take half of your dinner home, opt for the small plating’s.
Sambuca does offer a happy hour on drinks, wine, beer, and small plating’s, so if you’re wanting to try the menu without committing fully to their regular prices, then happy hour might be a better option for you. This is still a restaurant worth trying if you’re looking for smaller plating dining options and live music since there aren’t many options in Houston, let alone downtown, for this type of atmosphere. Keep in mind that this is not a place for foodies, it’s for those wanting atmosphere, and when I mean atmosphere, and I mean the music because you won’t be able to hear yourself think between the crowd and the band.

The ambiance here was nice, quiet, sophisticated, and put me at ease right away, and the service was very attentive, but those are the only things I liked about this place. The food was memorably mediocre, especially the spinach salad which had some nasty uncooked mushrooms on it, which would be unpleasant under any circumstances but really didn’t go with the other flavors in the salad, which were otherwise pretty good, if unrestrained (too much bacon, too much dressing).
Some pretty OK live jazz started up at one point, but the ‘90s playlist on the stereo didn’t get turned off soon enough so there was an awkward overlap period that was kind of hard to deal with as well.
It seems like the area could use a place like this, if they did what they’re trying to do well, but they need to work on the food. For now, I’d say stick to drinking if you must go!

While visiting a friend in Houston, he suggested dinner and drinks at Sambuca. Located in downtown Houston, it offers American eats and live music daily. We spit the goat cheese stuffed articokes, the «Buca Beignets» (a beignet stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto served with jalapeño-​basil and balsamic glazes), dilled havarti potato tots, and «The Cosmo» pizza (spicy vodka-​spiked tomato cream sauce with prosciutto, topped with smoked gouda, Canadian bacon, portobellos, Italian sausage and goat cheese). The stuffed articokes and the beignets were excellent. The pizza’s topping were great but the crust needs some work, and the tots although tasty didn’t really wow us (maybe add a housemade ketchup?). Overall, I enjoyed my meal and the hip yet relaxed atmosphere. BTW — Service was excellent (thank you, Luis) and the food arrived in a very timely manner.

I hate to write a negative review about Sambuca. I want to love this place, especially after hearing Jones Band and enjoying a nice bottle of wine.
One thing that I will not tolerate is bad service. From the moment I entered the hostess lied about the kitchen being closed and said that I was not able to be seated at a table. I then spoke with management who admitted that the hostess had lied. Our server told me that closing time was at 2, however at 1:15 I was being kicked out. One of the busboys pushed a chair into friend purposely.
I will not accept blatant disrespect from any establishment.

Stopped in this past Thursday evening for appetizer and drink.
Cocomojito, and crab dip are really good. If you looking for refreshing drink and like coconut, order this drink.
We usually sit at the bar, service is faster.
Parking: be really careful where you park. We parked a couple of blocks away. When we returned there was a piece of paper do not tow, vehicle was parked here before covered metered was placed.
Music was a little slow and Thursday night there was only a small crowd.

The food was OK, and the service was OK. Nothing was absolutely terrible, but nothing was really great either.
As far as service goes, our waiter was very nice and apologetic when items came out wrong or late, but it would have been really nice to have them come out right in the first place. For example, when our appetizer didn’t come out, our waiter profusely apologized and comped the item – and was, again, very nice about it when I mentioned my entrée was prepared wrong – but it would have been nice to not have to remind him about our order.
The food was just OK. The salmon on my salad was a bit greasy, even though I’d asked for it to be grilled and healthy, but it tasted great. The hummus trio was actually nice (when it came out after our entrees) – warm pita with regular, bell pepper and beet hummus.

Generally terrible experience. When I called in to place a reservation for our group, the hostess made sure to mention that we had to seat within 15 minutes of the reservation time or wed lose the reservation. When we arrived, the restaurant was empty, but because only two of the six of us were in the restaurant while the others navigated a myriad of construction and valet zones to find parking, we were forced to stand around and wait until another couple came in to be seated.
Despite telling them in advance, per their listing on the Houston Restaurant Weeks website, that we were present for that menu, the waitress went out of her way to go through her full speech on all of the specials not on the menu, even though we’d indicated that we had an event to go to and didn’t have much time to waste.
The first course came out quickly enough, but the second course just wasn’t coming out. Two of our friends who opted for dessert and drinks instead of a three course meal got their dessert before the first course even came out. There was simply no logic to the order that the food was coming out. Even worse, those two friends ordered drinks they had seen on the restaurant’s menu online earlier in the day, only to be informed that those drinks were seasonal specials that were now out of date and couldn’t be ordered.
After 40 minutes of waiting for our entrée, we told the waitress that we wouldn’t have time to finish the meal at this rate and to cancel the last two courses. She insisted on trying to salvage her sale and rushed to the back, coming out with a tray of entrees just minutes after we requested to cancel, and offering to box them to go. There was no dessert and we weren’t planning on waiting another unknown amount of time for that, so we insisted that she honor our request. We also made it clear that the rest of our party was not in a rush, just my girlfriend and myself, but they took the entire tray to the back and threw it all out anyway.
The manager swung by and asked what was wrong, then spent another 10 minutes or so trying to fix it. She came back with a receipt where I was charged for everything ordered at the table even though we’d made it clear that we were only asking for the check for the two of us. I went to pay it and made it clear to my other friends that they’d screwed up and put their first courses and desserts on my tab, and we departed.
I found out later that the restaurant had charged one of the other members of our group for the full amount of their meal, including the portion that I had paid for, and had allegedly adjusted my tab accordingly, but had naturally preserved what was now an excessive tip for the waitress. I’ve reached out to the restaurant and left a message for them that has not been returned this week.
For those who stayed behind and ate the full meal, they said that the food was mediocre at best and they’d had better food at Luby’s. My girlfriend and I ended up at a Dennys for dinner following the event we attended, where we got much more prompt and attentive service than we received at Sambuca. I would not recommend this place to anyone. The only high point were the assistant waiters, who did an exceptional job keeping our glasses full.

What in the world went wrong with this place?
So, they say they have a strict reservation policy and that if you don’t use it in 15 minutes, you lose it. Ok, fine, not a problem for me. However, yesterday early evening on a Friday, it was far from full. It seems to me a bit silly to have that strict of a policy if your restaurant is half empty and your waiting for a few more people from your party.
So, we’re seated and I make it a point to order and tell the waitress, I don’t want to wait for my friends. I was going to a concert later that evening, so lingering wasn’t an option.
The waitress seems to think that’s code for: tell cooks to take 40+ minutes to cook your order.
Now, remember what I said earlier about the half empty restaurant? There really wasn’t any reason for the food to take that long. It should have been out in 20 – 25 minutes with the amount of people in there, the majority who were mostly drinking– not eating.
At the 40+ mark, we tell the waitress to cancel our order (our being me and my bf) and no one else. The BF tries to give his credit card to the waitress to simply pay for what we ate– a salad and a soup, so we can rush out, as we’re already late. The waitress is still trying to get us to take the food to go, which hasn’t come out.
A manager is brought out about 5 – 10 minutes later and she tries to salvage the situation, saying it was ok, to cancel. I explained the situation to the manager and she she was more than accommodating, but the waitress insisted, INSISTED on doing whatever she wanted, making the manager look incompetent. The manager clearly understood that only me and my bf had to leave at that point the food finally came out.
Everyone else at the table said that they were staying. What does the waitress do?
THROW OUT EVERYONE’S FOOD.
Really? What kind of immature temper tantrum was that?
The waitress offers a weak apology, «I thought everyone was leaving,» but she knew, she heard, she was just angry and didn’t want to help us. Earlier she had mentioned she didn’t think the manager would honor our request. Well, she was wrong and I guess she, «got us back,» by throwing out everyone’s order.
Not classy at all.
Then she charges my BF for everyone’s meal, even though we said it was just us. He pays for my friends, because at this rate, we have to go and can’t deal with the incompetence here as we’re more than half an hour late to the concert at this point. So we had been there for more than an hour and a half at this point, with no meal and those that were going to eat lost their food and would have to wait longer, for them to cook it again.
We leave and via text message, we find out they charge one of our friends who stayed behind again for the same meal we paid for earlier. They charged us everyone’s meal on the table and the waitress recharges him for the same meal? They apparently gave him some receipt showing that we were only charged «our food». Umm, no; the huge bill was because they charged us for everyone’s drinks, appetizers, things of that nature. A salad and a soup isn’t 70+ dollars.
So now we’ll have to take those receipts and ours and fix that. Sambuca may have at one point been a lovely place to go, with a great ambiance, but when you have waitresses trying to push for large tabs and annoyed that the manager actually sides with the patron and takes it out on the other customers, well you have a problem. It’s behavior like this that causes trendy restaurants to close if they get away with it enough as eventually people stop coming.
It’s not worth the risk, unless you really like to sit in a restaurant for more than forty minutes without your meal. You might as well start a diet and leave at that point.

What in the world went wrong with this place?
So, they say they have a strict reservation policy and that if you don’t use it in 15 minutes, you lose it. Ok, fine, not a problem for me. However, yesterday early evening on a Friday, it was far from full. It seems to me a bit silly to have that strict of a policy if your restaurant is half empty and you’re waiting for a few more people from your party.
So, we’re seated and I make it a point to order and tell the waitress, I don’t want to wait for my friends. I was going to a concert later that evening, so lingering wasn’t an option.
The waitress seems to think that’s code for: tell cooks to take 40+ minutes to cook your order.
Now, remember what I said earlier about the half empty restaurant? There really wasn’t any reason for the food to take that long. It should have been out in 20 – 25 minutes with the amount of people in there, the majority who were mostly drinking– not eating.
At the 40+ mark, we tell the waitress to cancel our order (our being me and my bf) and no one else. The BF tries to give his credit card to the waitress to simply pay for what we ate– a salad and a soup, so we can rush out, as we’re already late. The waitress is still trying to get us to take the food to go, which hasn’t come out.
A manager is brought out about 5 – 10 minutes later and she tries to salvage the situation, saying it was ok, to cancel. I explained the situation to the manager and she she was more than accommodating, but the waitress insisted, INSISTED on doing whatever she wanted, making the manager look incompetent. The manager clearly understood that only me and my bf had to leave at that point the food finally came out.
Everyone else at the table said that they were staying. What does the waitress do?
THROW OUT EVERYONE’S FOOD.
Really? What kind of immature temper tantrum was that?
The waitress offers a weak apology, «I thought everyone was leaving,» but she knew, she heard, she was just angry and didn’t want to help us. Earlier she had mentioned she didn’t think the manager would honor our request. Well, she was wrong and I guess she, «got us back,» by throwing out everyone’s order.
Not classy at all.
Then she charges my BF for everyone’s meal, even though we said it was just us. He pays for my friends, because at this rate, we have to go and can’t deal with the incompetence here as we’re more than half an hour late to the concert at this point. So we had been there for more than an hour and a half at this point, with no meal and those that were going to eat lost their food and would have to wait longer, for them to cook it again.
We leave and via text message, we find out they charge one of our friends who stayed behind again for the same meal we paid for earlier. They charged us everyone’s meal on the table and the waitress recharges him for the same meal? They apparently gave him some receipt showing that we were only charged «our food». Umm, no; the huge bill was because they charged us for everyone’s drinks, appetizers, things of that nature. A salad and a soup isn’t 70+ dollars.
So now we’ll have to take those receipts and ours and fix that. Sambuca may have at one point been a lovely place to go, with a great ambiance, but when you have waitresses trying to push for large tabs and annoyed that the manager actually sides with the patron and takes it out on the other customers, well you have a problem. It’s behavior like this that causes trendy restaurants to close if they get away with it enough as eventually people stop coming.
It’s not worth the risk, unless you really like to sit in a restaurant for more than forty minutes without your meal. You might as well start a diet and leave at that point.

Loved the ambience and the music was engaging! I had the Red Snapper with dirty rice étouffée, spinach and crab meat… very filling and large portion size.
Dessert was awesome with the toffee and ice cream! The bar stayed pack and the scene was 25 to 35 year olds and older.

Came here for a couples night. This place in and of itself is the kind of place I like…
That means… its kinda sexy, classy, etc.
I’ve read many reviews about this place. so when my friend mentioned it. I agreed.
Upon entering… its very dark (a plus)
They have a section off in the cut that doesn’t have a view of the stage… which is where we got seated… Luckily two of the four chairs were angled towards the view of the stage and those are the two we ladies sat in and let the men have the non-​view seats… teeheee !
The band was «OK»…nothing special. and quite frankly, a bit too loud for a restaurant.
But, whateves ! It wasn’t something that would keep me away.
The service was great. Our waiter was very attentive, not annoying and not mia either. So, he gets cool points !
The drinks were «Meh»…
Texas mule served in a water glass… Hmm. OK …WHATEVES.
I also had a Sambuca 75… not good !
Then, the heavens parted the clouds. and my friends ordered an Apple Jack.
O.M.G.
Soooo good… I gave my mule to my hubby and ordered myself an Apple Jack !!
Delicious…finally !
The food…
«SIGH»
I’M THE ONLY ONE who didn’t order steak… I had the shrimp and crab scampi. it wasn’t bad, per se. but it didn’t do anything for me, either.
We had appetizers.
«sigh»
Tuna Poke (hubby)
Escargot (me)
Mini tacos (friends)
NONE of us enjoyed our appetizers.
Smh…how is this possible ?!
«sigh»
Overall…I liked the restaurant…
But, the food and drinks, minus the Apple Jack
Need better seasoning and thought put into the dishes.
I’m sure I won’t return… not because of anything bad with the restaurant or service… just…
Not worth the money.

I was excited to finally try Sambuca, but after trying it I was less than impressed.
We ordered:
Maple Bourbon Sweet Potatoes
Chicken & Beef Satay
Prosciutto Mac & Cheese
The sweet potatoes were actually pretty good: flavorful and sweet. The Chicken & Beef Satay was spiced but dry and cold. The Prosciutto Mac & Cheese was horrendous. We had to send it back, because again this dish was cold and lacked flavor. It tasted as though they just boiled the pasta and added a little milk or cream without adding the main ingredients: cheese and prosciutto.
The band playing was ok, and the restaurant was really pretty, but that is not enough to bring me back to Sambucca.

Went here for a friend’s birthday, I looked up the place before going and I already suspected that I was probably going to be disappointed.
And yes, my assumption was correct.
First of all let me tell you, never in my life have I been to a restaurant where I ordered a glass of champagne & was given a PLASTIC champagne glass. For a restaurant like Sambuca to give their guests plastic champagne glass? Not to mention a party of 10+. Please tell me what restaurant has the audacity to do that?
Sambuca does.
Already disappointed with the lack of value as a customer as I sip out of my plastic champagne glass, I had the roasted duck breast appetizer.
Let me tell you, you don’t have to be a culinary expert to know that duck is one of the fattiest meats. How did my duck come out dry? Mysteries of the Sambuca kitchen, they just keep amazing me with each dish.
Already disappointed with my dry duck, I had to sip on some more champagne out of my plastic glass to prevent the duck from stopping half way down my throat and choking me.
I said okay, maybe I can get over the duck and the plastic glass. I ordered the champagne chicken, it’s not that hard to cook chicken correct? Sambuca amazes me again. My chicken was dry, flavorless.
I doubted myself and said maybe it was just me until I saw my friend ask for a side of steak sauce from the waitress as he began to salt his steak with the salt shaker on the table.
Then I was appalled.
First of all, good steak should NEVER be eaten with steak sauce. There is no need for steak sauce when your meat is cooked and seasoned to perfection, juicy and tender.
Steak sauced is used to drown flavorless dry steaks, which is exactly what it was used for this occasion. Already disappointed with my order I tried a piece of my friend’s steak; dry, flavorless and uninspired like the rest of their food.
Everyone agreed that the steaks were disappointing, dry and flavorless as they continued to salt their steaks.
Unable to finish her steak, my friend ordered their prosciutto mac & cheese.
At this point, I thought no one can mess up mac & cheese right? Sambuca, you have defied all odds. You guys deserve an award!
The mac & cheese tasted like heavy cream with pieces of burnt prosciutto.
Dissatisfied with my meal & the amount of money I paid for this garbage, I finished my champagne in my plastic glass and left.
Never will I again return to Sambuca.
I don’t know how anyone would say their food is delicious, their food is dry, flavorless and uninspired. I don’t see how any self respecting chef with a passion for the culinary arts would feed anyone this garbage.