Rosa Blanca

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1. p

   phillyfoodie

   Philadelphia

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on May 31, 2015

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Wonderful brunch! It was our first time here and the food and ambiance lived up to expectation. Another great Garces restaurant. The food was delicious: Cuban french toast, bagel with smoked salmon & yummy cream cheese; Vaca Frita. Drinks were memorable and strong. This definitely will become a place to enjoy in the future, Thanks for helping to make a birthday celebration so special.

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2. c

   clarapq

   Philadelphia

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on May 22, 2015

   overall4food4service3ambience4

   Great Latin American Food, "Ropa Vieja" and "Cordero al Caribe" highly recommended. The environment is nice with a very friendly and professional service.

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3. p

   phillymomma

   Philadelphia

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on May 16, 2015

   overall5food5service3ambience5

   We went to Rosa Blanca for brunch this past weekend and we were delighted! The food was marvelous and the Bloody Mary's delicious! It is large and spacious which is a huge plus on the Philly brunch scene. We will be back for sure!

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4. P

   Penmark

   New York Area

   5 reviews

   4.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on May 15, 2015

   overall4food5service5ambience4

   The ambiance is very comfortable and relaxed. The food was delicious- beautiful flavors blended together. We loved our cocktail- Smokey Hemingway. It was quite unusual. Our server was engaging and made the meal even more enjoyable. The Masitas de Puerco was so moist and the sauce nicely spiced. We did a salad, a couple of small plates and an entreé to share and it gave us a nice sampling of tastes!

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5. DO

   DiningOutOfTown2

   Philadelphia

   43 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   43 reviews

   Dined on May 15, 2015

   overall4food4service4ambience4

   I've gone to Rosa Blanca regularly for the past year; and the food, service, and ambiance have remained very good.

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6. JB

   JBflash

   Philadelphia

   8 reviews

   4.0

   8 reviews

   Dined on May 10, 2015

   overall4food4service4ambience4

   Took our mom's here and they enjoyed it. It was something different and the food was excellent. As usual with these restaurants, the bar bill will hit the hardest. The spicy gin flower infused cocktail was excellent. The bloody mary was not my favorite...it was thin and watery and I prefer one that is more hefty. That and the fact that there was no music (Cuban music would have been awesome) playing are my only complaints. The emanadas were tasty, as well as the flank steak and pork with eggs. Great service!

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Philadelphia

   6 reviews

   3.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on April 25, 2015

   overall3food3service1ambience3

   I was very excited to dine on exciting latin cuisine. We had a very strange server who did not have any clear idea of the menu or specials. We tried the upgraded tasting menu and found that it was very hit or miss and the hits were only singles. The one outstanding taste was the octopus appetizer which was outstanding. Restaurant was very loud

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8. T

   Torr

   Philadelphia

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined on April 24, 2015

   overall1food1service1ambience2

   Very disappointed with this place. Portions were ridiculously small. We order a cuban sandwich and the octopus salad. The octopus was rubbery and chewy. The cuban sandwich was very small and plain. The quality of the meat wasn't the best, having a lot of fat. Avoid this place if you can.

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9. a

   alanm804

   Philadelphia

   32 reviews

   vip
   1.0

   32 reviews

   Dined on April 18, 2015

   overall1food2service2ambience2

   First time we were truly disappointed at a Garces spot. The service was plain slow. The front station was confused when we arrived - it took three people talking to each other to eventually seat us. Although the waiter really tried to keep up, it took ordering them twice and over 20 minutes for drinks to appear after we ordered them. At his recommendation, we ordered the special rib dish. It was dry, over spiced, partially burnt and anything but special. The rest of the dishes were just ok - not nearly what we expect from a Garces restaurant. Tinto and Village Whiskey are two of our favorite places. Distrito is close behind. The ambience was plain loud --- plus we were seated at a banquette where at 9:00 pm the band/singer took over the adjacent table to setup their gear/instruments about two feet away making us feel like we were "in the way" (good thing we didn't order desert or coffee). This may be a jinxed location for Garces. We went to its predecessor Chifa one time and never went back although it wasn't nearly as bad as last night's experience.

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10. S

    Suzanne

    Nashville

    10 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on April 11, 2015

    overall4food5service4ambience4

    Great second visit. It was much busier on this visit because it was Sat night. Noise level very high so we asked to be seated downstairs which was fine after we asked them to lower the music. Music was great but we needed to talk during our meal. Food was fantastic! Lamb curry out of this world. Service pleasant and of course we shared a Cubano sandwich.. There will be more visits but maybe not on a busy Sat night.

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11. j

    jenb30

    Philadelphia

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on April 11, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    My friends and I were looking for a place to celebrate a birthday, and we chose Rosa Blanca. The dining room had a lively atmosphere and the round corner booth was perfect for a group. The service was excellent and the GM, Beth, introduced herself and made sure that we had everything we needed. The guacamole is some of the best I've ever had and the cheese bread (pan de bono) is delicious. I could've eaten that as my entree! The smoked hemingway cocktail was excellent, and the mojitos are perfect - not too sweet. We all had different entrees - skirt steak, ropa vieja, pollo a la brasa, fish of the day, and even a Cuban. We couldn't finish all of the food but we tried. The flan is seriously a must-get. As we were finishing up, a band was setting up because they have live music on the weekends. I will be back to try their brunch! I love that the food is simple and flavorful and isn't something you can find on every other menu in Philly.

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12. DA

    DARFoodie

    Philadelphia

    37 reviews

    5.0

    37 reviews

    Dined on April 2, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    If you want authentic Cuban food. Rosa Blanca is on point.

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13. DM

    DMCMP

    Philadelphia

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on March 29, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Amazing guacamole with smoked pineapple. Corned beef hash was not what I expected because the meat was on the side and not mixed in with the potatoes and peppers but it was absolutely delicious. The little hit of vinegar brightens it all up. The drinks are fantastic too. Service was wonderful. The music was a bit loud but overall outstanding dining experience.

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14. T

    Tweakie

    Philadelphia

    154 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    154 reviews

    Dined on March 28, 2015

    overall3food4service3ambience3

    On this visit we found our waiter to detract from our overall experience--he seemed perfunctory at best--for example he said "let me get your drink order cause I have these two credit cards to run through the system" --he rushed through the specials and wanted to take our total food order quickly instead of giving us a bit of time to enjoy our drinks then order--now, the restaurant was not crowded so I felt there was no reason to be hurried like this--

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15. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 21, 2015

    overall2food4service1ambience1

    We waited a long time to be seated. We waited even longer for someone to come wait on us. It ended up that the bartender not only had to attend to the bar, but he ended up being our waiter as well. I don't know if they were short staffed that night or what the issue was, but it was not a good experience. It was not the waiter's fault as he knew the food and drinks, but he could rarely get the time to break away from the bar long enough to wait on us. Also, the noise level was extremely loud.

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16. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    39 reviews

    4.0

    39 reviews

    Dined on March 21, 2015

    overall4food4service4ambience3

    There was a problem in beginning because the stairs downstairs were dark and scary. There was an elevator but it was outside and the staff didn't seem to either know or want to get involved. Once that was straightened out, the other problem was we ordered the chef-tasting menu & it was unorganized. Food was good.

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17. f

    foodoyoflife

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on March 21, 2015

    overall3food4service2ambience3

    I took my family (two younger sisters, mother, boyfriend) to eat to celebrate our Dad's new job. When we arrived a curt hostess told us we could not sit in a booth until our table was ready. There were three empty booths and instead she said we must sit at the bar. My parents (61 and 53) both have knee problems and the booth was the best option until the table was ready. The hostess was rude and argumentative. We eventually got a manager who immediately sat us in the booth and prepared a table. When she took us to the table, the area downstairs where we sat was private and quaint. The manager was courteous and attentive. Then, the pleasant server explained the options and specials, we ordered and eagerly anticipated the food's arrival. We thought the poor service was over but then the food came and the orders were wrong! The food runner insisted my Mother's steak was well done even though we could see the meat was pink. Then my sister ordered pork but got shrimp. When the server came to check on us, we told him of the errors and he took the food away to fix the errors. We were disappointed to wait to eat. Those whose orders were correct had to eat cold food and my mother and sister had to wait several more minutes without food while the rest of us started to eat. The server offered us free dessert but the attitudes of the hostess and food runners left such a sour taste in my mouth! That behavior is unacceptable. I trust losing business is not part of the plan so poor service must be replaced with attention to detail and catering to the customer and not the employee's personal needs.

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18. s

    sebnmg

    Minneapolis

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 20, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    The manager, Ilon, as well as the rest of the staff from hostess to servers were fantastic!

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19. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on March 14, 2015

    overall3food4service3ambience3

    Very quiet for Saturday brunch. Food was good. Service was okay, not bad. Would have enjoyed a livelier atmosphere.

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20. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    45 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    45 reviews

    Dined on March 8, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Awesome enjoyed our meal and the cocktails with our tapas meal

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21. m

    manny

    Philadelphia

    10 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on March 4, 2015

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    New place by Jose Garces does it right--bit electic as part diner, part high end restaurant. But food is well prepared and service was top notch.

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22. J

    Johnnyphl24

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 28, 2015

    overall1food2service3ambience2

    The both time I've bee To Rosa Blanca the service has been really bad and the taste of the food is not very good. I went to Rosa the week it opened and it was a really horrible experience. The Food, Service, managers were horrible. I decided to give it One more this past Saturday. Nothing has changed. Drinks too slow to come to the table. The Server was not really good and food was so so . I won't be going again. Twice was enough.

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23. S

    Sabnat

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 28, 2015

    overall3food2service3ambience4

    Appetizers were good but main dishes were just ok, specially the Ropa Vieja that has a spice that is definitely not traditional in Cuban cuisine. Churrasco was a little bit better but had too much pepper. Guacamole was good. Overall the place is too pricy for the quality and not what you expect from a Garces restaurant.

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24. P

    Pearl

    Philadelphia

    41 reviews

    4.0

    41 reviews

    Dined on February 28, 2015

    overall4food4service3ambience4

    It's one of those places that sets up having a great, lively time- and that's what we had. We asked our server to slow the pace down (we ordered a lot of different plates to share)- otherwise, the night might have ended too soon. Interesting flavors (smoky, sweet), great mojitos, really fun place. Can go really casual- another plus. We all loved it!

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25. n

    nocurse2004

    Philadelphia

    18 reviews

    4.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on February 22, 2015

    overall4food5service4ambience4

    Try the coconut conch chowder. Best soup I've ever tasted!

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26. n

    nefilm

    Philadelphia

    22 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    22 reviews

    Dined on February 20, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Meeting some friends we haven' seen in a while I chose Rosa Blanca. And glad I did. It was a viciously cold night, and the hostess welcomed us in and took our coats as she showed us to our booth. Server was there to help us select some nice warming beverages and we also ordered a selection of small plates and appetizers. The server returned and guided some of us through our choices and we placed our orders. Then the food started to arrive... and it was all fabulous... from the crispy plantains to the cubed pork to the fried skirt steak... all was perfect. We all shared a desert and some coffees... Our server was always attentive and there when needed. All in all a great night

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27. D

    Dental2338

    Philadelphia

    9 reviews

    1.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on February 14, 2015

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    V day dinner was an overall disappointing experience!!! Portions were extra small not to mention the taste of the food was horrid!!!! Was expecting so much more for $60 a person!! Very Uninviting menu. Kind of scarred my boyfriend now he wants to do v day at home next year. Will not return to eat. To party downstairs at Nacional maybe but definitely not returning to eat!!!

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28. d

    deedeeg

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 14, 2015

    overall1food2service2ambience3

    We were not aware that a special tasting menu was the only option for the evening. I picked this place as my husband is Cuban and he would be able to enjoy Cuban foods. but the chef had the idea to serve a "tasting menu" where you had no choices from the menu we had looked at online. Imagine my husband's disappointment when he could not get a pork dish, bean and rice, and yuca frita! This was our combination valentine's day and anniversary celebration that was a real bust. The tasting portions were tiny. I'll just focus on the entrees. The seafood dish has 1 shrimp, a tiny piece of lobster from the claw - not the big juicy piece the skinny "thumb" piece as big as your pinky. then 4 little clams the size of your thumb nail over squid ink pasta. There was supposed to be chorizo in it, but we didn't find any. There were 2 small pieces of squid. How do you share a shrimp and a piece of lobster the size of your pinky? The dessert was also a joke - "strawberry shortcake." There wasn't even one whole strawberry on the plate. There was a half a scoop of ice cream and three small pieces of cake that 2 people were supposed to SHARE. This is valentine's day and you can't even give a normal size dessert to share at least? AQll this for $60 each - are you kidding me??? the meal was only worth $60 for the entire meal since it was basically only enough food for 1 person. imagine paying $148 for this limited tiny menu plus 1 drink and a cup of tea?? We will never go back even though they might have good Cuban food. I don't know how squid pasta is a Cuban dish anyway. I didn't know what most of the foods were when we read the menu. But what could we do? Now I know to walk out no matter what. When we didn't like to menu we should of left but it was a celebration and where could we go at 7:30 on a Saturday night for Valentine's. I was called to tell me of the special menu but they didn't tell me it was the ONLY menu for the evening. BIG BIG DISAPPOINTMENT.

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29. GR

    GarcesRegular

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on February 14, 2015

    overall3food3service3ambience3

    There was a valentines menu that consisted of a lot of different foods but it was more like a tasting menu then a dinner menu. Unfortunately it wasn't as good as we had hoped. We've eaten there for the past two years on valentines day and I have to say the seafood and pasta dish was a little out there. The rest of the dishes were tasty, we only wish there had been more of them. When you have men to feed the quantity left us still hungry. A pizza about 60 minutes later was our final dinner. The service was ok which was surprising. We waited 20 minutes between our apps and entree and then when it arrived were a bit underwhelmed. One short rib, and a large bowl of ink pasta with mini squid and 2 mini clams and a plantains. Since we love this restaurant we were majorly disappointed.

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30. r

    rosa

    Philadelphia

    18 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on February 12, 2015

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Authentic cuban food served in unique combinations. The plantain chips were awesome with the cevice and guacamole. We chose the tasting menu because we weren't really experienced with cuban food. I loved the starting item...these rolls made with manchego cheese. We finished with the chicken in rice which was cooked to perfection. My only recommendation to the restaurant is to serve less food for each selection... YES...I said less. By the time we got to the end of the meal I didn't want to eat anymore. I would definitely come back here again.

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31. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 3, 2015

    overall4food5service5ambience5

    I went with a group of coworkers for lunch. The food and server were fabulous. My only complaint is that the food took a very long time to come out and I had a meeting and needed to leave before I could finish.

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32. HS

    HoneySuzy

    Philadelphia

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on January 25, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    this was my second time at Rosa Blanca, and they wowed me again! went out with girlfriends for lunch and enjoyed everything! the server was really nice, the booth was big and spacious, and the food was excellent. would ddefinately go back!

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33. TG

    TravelGirl

    Chicago

    519 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    519 reviews

    Dined on January 24, 2015

    overall4food3service4ambience3

    We were excited to try a new Garces concept although it was lots of fun we were disappointed that it really wasn't anything special. Restaurant was super dark and although there were seating areas near the front and the restaurant was empty (totally) they seated us in the very back of the place. Booths are tall and dark colored adding to the gloom. It was restaurant week and we all had the lunch/brunch offering. Food was good, basic eggs, breakfast meats, etc. All prepared as ordered although some of the eggs were over-cooked. Sangria was reasonably priced and tasted good but didn't seem to have much alcohol in it. You know it's lacking when you have four glasses and don't feel anything. Our server was pleasant and helpful but not very talkative. All in all nothing wrong with our meal, just not as good as it could have been.

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34. K

    Kimberly

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on January 23, 2015

    overall4food5service5ambience4

    We decided to go to Rosa Blanca for restaurant week. To our surprise the food was excellent. We were told that we can choose from 2 items for our first course. I had the grilled octopus and the shaved hearts of palm salad. The octopus was cooked perfectly. It was very tender and accompanied by a delicate sauce. The salad was very fresh and substantial. My husband enjoyed the octopus and the shrimp ceviche which was very good as well. For my main course I had the pan seared stripped bass with grilled scallion. The fish was cooked perfectly. It had a crispy exterior with a perfectly cooked center. My husband had the skirt steak which was tender and accompanied by a delicious sauce. My husband ordered the house featured wine which was a lovely grenache however he was not told the price until we received the bill. It was a little expensive at $98 for a house feature for restaurant week. This is the second time we have dined at this restaurant and have not been disappointed. The back round Cuban music is vibrant. They also have live Cuban music which starts after 10:00PM There is also dancing at the club below the restaurant.

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35. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on January 23, 2015

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    The fried pork shoulder was great! Rosa Blanca has friendly and knowledgable staff - loved all of the recommendations I received.

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36. a

    ag2014

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on January 18, 2015

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Went for brunch not knowing they would only be serving the restaurant week menu...but worked out. The shrimp ceviche was delicious, the cobb salad was really nothing special and the coconut custard dessert with mango sorbet was incredible. My sister ordered an order of plátanos maduros for the table and they were TO DIE FOR. Overall a good first impression!

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37. J

    Jmax

    Philadelphia

    30 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    30 reviews

    Dined on January 18, 2015

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Restaurant week and a bad weather day. Beefsteak tomoato sandwich was on perfectly toasted bread. The hearty corn soup had just the right little bite. Coconut cream with mango sorbet dessert was exactly the right size and truly delicious!

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38. m

    mlyum

    Philadelphia

    23 reviews

    4.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on January 17, 2015

    overall4food4service3ambience4

    Very good food, hut they didn't seat us until 45 minutes after our reservation. What a pain! However, the food was delicious and the live music that started up as we were finishing was certainly a treat!

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39. M

    Mich

    Philadelphia

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on January 17, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Haven't been to this spot since it was Garces' Chifa, which we miss, but we were glad to see yuca fries and cheese bread on the menu… still awesome. Best French fries ever with the perfectly prepared skirt steak. This Cuban food is well-flavored and delicious. Our server was very helpful, and the service was good. Uncomplicated menu. We shall return...

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40. M

    lawrenceM

    Philadelphia

    43 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    43 reviews

    Dined on January 6, 2015

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent food and service in a unique setting for brunch, lunch, dinner, and later in the evening. Wonderful breakfast dishes remain available all day long.

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