Accommodated a group of 7, last minute on a Sunday. Our server was really warm and friendly, music was good, had a variety of drinks to choose from. I really enjoyed my plate, and my friends liked theirs also. Would definitely be back when in the area!! It's a great vibe and would be good for a date night or friends night out. read more

Visited Vaka with a group of 10. The food was good, but the experience had some issues. We waited about an hour to be seated despite having a reservation, because our table was given to the wrong large party. We were also offered sauces without being told there was an upcharge, & ended up being charged for an extra drink we didn't order. Tbh, this wasn't my first choice since this place has had service issues before. I guess I was too hopeful things would go differently. read more

Never again will I go to Vaka in Lawrence, MA. We saw several cockroaches on table, seats & wall read more

Vaka Restaurant - The bill for dinner at Vaka..... they threw in the roach for free - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

The drinks here are definitely the highlight they even do a mojito flight that's strong and worth trying. The food, however, was just okay for me. At times it felt either over-seasoned or under-seasoned, and I've definitely eaten at better places. The service was fine, nothing too special. This is very much a Spanish restaurant vibe the music is super loud, so you'll probably find yourself yelling just to have a conversation. Inside, it's dimly lit and nicely decorated, but there aren't really any good photo-op spaces. The bathroom is also small and not always the cleanest, which was a bit of a letdown. For me, the prices felt a bit high for what you actually get. Not my favorite spot, but if you're coming mainly for drinks, you'll enjoy it! read more

Vaka Restaurant - Mojito Flight - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

This place has been on my list for a long time! I was here with a few coworkers after work. The interior is very sexy! The vibes would make a great night out! We opted to sit outdoors on the patio. The patio space was a little dusty, but I guess most people come for the vibes. They have a very extensive menu. We got a few appetizers and shared. Everything was delicious! Our server was very nice and had great recommendations! I had a blue drink, which was a little too sweet for my taste. Will be back for the food and definitely to check out the late night vibes! read more

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We went in tonight because my gf has been dying to try them and it was her birthday! She got some sushi that she loved. It's not my thing, but she says it's good! The service started off slow. We were one of maybe 3-4 tables and it took a hot minute for anyone to come by but after that it was great. The music and decor and lights and all make it a really fun place for dinner and drinks! Loved the vibe! Already planning to go back w friends! read more

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We had a reservation to celebrate a friend's birthday and ended up running a bit late. I called the restaurant, and they were very understanding and told us it was no problem to still come--good customer service right from the start. We ordered a variety of dishes, including sushi, yuca stuffed with beef, chicken, and shrimp, yakisoba, and a few appetizers. Everything was delicious. The yakisoba was the only dish that took a little longer to arrive. Overall, the food was excellent, and I would definitely come back just for that. For anyone unfamiliar with the area, there is a parking lot behind the restaurant, which is very helpful. Street parking in front of the restaurant can be difficult unless you're very lucky The music was a bit loud, but nothing too bad. Overall, a great experience with amazing food. read more

Love this place! Food is amazing, music is on point, staff I interacted with were kind. When we arrived it was busy. We had a 2hr limit to stay at our table, they told us in the beginning before we sat. Over all I really enjoy this place. read more

It's a no for me. Even though the staff are nice, the ambiance is beautiful and the music was a vibe; the food was not up to par. We ended up ordering two drinks in cobra cups , which tasted like juice , it was good but didn't taste a lick of tequila in there. Second drink was passion fruit and tequila and that was better! For food we ordered the Chicken Coquettes which seemed more like tuna and not chicken was semi drive and mushy with a hard shell. It also oddly smelled like corn dogs. The salmon with fried chicken , the salmon was overcooked and the rice was a little dry. Both items were lukewarm and under seasoned. The sauce they but on the salmon has an inquiring taste so it wasn't finished or taken to go. The Bandeja Banileja which is rice and beans , steak , chicharron , tostones , green salad ( with white dressing ) and avocado ... I only liked the rice , steak and avocado. The tostones had no salt and no sauce , the white dressing was tasteless and heavy. The steak was cold but cooked to perfection. I ended up reheating that and the rice up when I got home. However, I may attempt to come try the sushi because it seemed popular but other than that it's not worth the drive. read more

I had my daughter's 30th birthday there with 20 attendees. My reservation for 7 PM and when we arrived, our section was not ready. Place was busy so we had to stand and wait to be seated. We receded as tables became available. There was one section that we kept requesting that became an occupied before we were all seated, but the hostess refused to allow us to sit there. After I asked a third time she finally let us sit there. I called multiple times to confirm my reservation and every time I was told I was all set. I asked if there was an area that I could possibly decorate, but clearly I was not able to decorate because people were seated when I arrived. We had to ask for a server because it took a while for someone to come and take our orders. We were assigned one server for 20 people. Imagine how long it took to take 20 orders in environment. First, the young lady took orders that took well over 30 minutes to serve. The drinks were coming out either one at a time or two. I asked Natalie if she can get some assistance though it took a while, but finally a gentleman was assigned to our table. When we finally received our drinks, the servers disappeared so I had to ask again for the server to take our order only to be told a few more minutes. I believe she had too many tables to serve while the host is Natalie was holding sidebar conversations. The place was busy. After we took our orders once again, the meals were coming out one at a time until the gentleman join our original server. The food was good, but yet orders for messed up and had to be returned to the kitchen to be corrected. Some of my guest didn't eat until after everyone was done eating. My final bill was over $1300. I was confronted by a gentleman, introduce himself as one of the partners. He asked me if there was something that he could do to make my experience a better one and I asked him maybe a free meal for my daughter in the future but instead sent everyone a shot . Though the food was good. It was cold. I don't believe I'll be returning. read more

I have been wanting to try this place for a long time and it didn't disappoint . Food was fantastic! Split an app and entree. Server was very knowledgeable and I love the decor. read more

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Everything from the ambiance, the food and the service were amazing! Their menu selection was so extensive that we had difficulty deciding on a dish. They all seemed so delicious! Their drinks were at another level! Beautiful presentation and the taste did not disappoint! Our server was Melanie super attentive, super kind and met all our needs. We will definitely return to try their other dishes. It was quite busy for a Tuesday night in which honestly felt like a Friday night! With the happy vibes and music. I highly recommend! I do want to add, if you have photosensitivity/with flashing lights this may not be the place for you or your children as these lights are used during birthday celebrations through out the evening. Lastly, they also have outdoor seating. read more

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Food was incredible!!!! Atmosphere was amazing! Service was good, a little slow, but she was very nice. Definitely recommend. read more

Vaka Restaurant - Chicken teriyaki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Service was TERRIBLE. Our server with the bubble on his eye did not check on us, waited 2 hours for 5 pieces of wings and they were smaller than the sauce cup. we got two drinks and a appetizer and our bill was $75. NEVER coming here again. read more

Cool place, nice food and great restaurants too the ambience of the place makes me want to visit again

food was decent (kinda greasy) but the service was horrendous. the worst thing i've ever experienced at a restaurant. my friends and i came out for a birthday celebration. my friend called to reserve a week in advance. when we got there, they didn't have the reservation at all. our waiter was not rude but very confused the entire time. it was super loud, we couldn't hear each other. we had to get close and do a lot of pointing when ordering and explaining. drinks took at least 25 min to come out, and appetizers about 15 min or more after that. they didn't even give us utensils or napkins!! my friends asked for 2 forks and received 2 chopsticks. my friends also ordered specific drinks, pointing to the ones they wanted from other customers nearby that had it, and the waiter brought out the wrong ones for both of them. even though we told them there was a birthday before and during the dinner (about 5 times total), it took them over 2 hours and multiple reminders to bring out the celebration. we didn't know there'd be a cake and they charged us for it without telling us! there were more weird moments throughout the night like when i didn't want to order an alcoholic drink and just wanted water and was judged for it. the waiter would also take my order, then walk over to take my friend's order (same table) then come back to me forgetting he just took my order. this happened at least two more times with other friends and forgetting peoples order. there wasn't a language barrier so im not sure why it was so confusing. i never write negative reviews unless its very bad. i understand that it's a saturday night and they were busy, but theres no reason to be so horrendous. we didn't even have water for most of the night! when they did give us water, it was mostly ice. when orders were wrong, they didn't even offer to give us a refund or a correct drink. the drinks were also super strong and not great tasting. overall very very expensive for what it is. super sad that my friend had such a bad experience on her birthday. read more

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I went here for a family dinner for my birthday. We wanted to try something different. Our server was nice and attentive. It was quiet as it was a Tuesday. It was dark inside so perfect for a future date night. We brought the kids but came early enough that it wasn't an adult scene yet. They have a large bar area and plenty of seats inside. The main thing that stuck out on their menu was unique sushi flavors. I like tempera (cooked) style sushi. It did not disappoint. My favorite was the Hampton beach roll. It was a Tuesday and they had this one on special for $6. We got two. One with guac and one without. We recommend getting it without guac. The flavor were so good together. The sweet plaintain on top was unexpected and delicious. We ordered one other sushi roll, crunch roll, with shrimp, mozzarella and bacon, and this didn't have the traditional sushi taste. It was good, but not what we were hoping for. More like a unique mozzarella stick. We also ordered the general Tso's chicken with a side of beans. The kids split one order of the kids chicken tenders and fries. Both were crispy and well cooked. The presentation was so cute. Things were a bit pricey. For a water (they brought out a bottle of still water and two kids juices it was $20. We were not expecting that. Also, like other reviewers, tip was already added so just look at the receipt. All-in-all a good dinner but a little pricier than expected for what we received. read more

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Jackson our waiter was excellent We're going back in 2 weeks. We would love to have hem agaim read more

Vaka Restaurant - Margarita 2942 was excellent - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Food was excellent. The server Christian was wonderful. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere with friendly staffs.

My experience at Vaka Restaurante was disappointing. While the table service was acceptable, there were issues with my order being incorrect, and the quality of the meat was poor. Overall, it did not meet my expectations. Video: taenia "parasite" read more

This place is kind of weird but awesome. The food isn't that great. I got this lobster thing. I couldn't even eat it because they doused it in the sauce that just made it way too much, so that was $50 going to crap. I did like the rice and beans, though, even though my beans were more sauce than beans. The food is expensive and I can't justify the price but it's quite the experience. Is really loud in there, so it's like clubbing while eating, but they play good tunes, so it's a fun clubbing while eating. The service can use a little professionalism, but all in all, I did like our server. read more

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My wife and I love Vaka! Tonight I went with two of my friends and they really liked it too. We made a reservation and they sat us right away. Everyone we interacted with was very nice, from the person who showed us our table, to the waitress, and whom seem like the manager who I briefly chatted on our way out. The food was delicious and on time. I've seen other reviews complain about the tip being included by default on the check and while I agree is different, it's clear on the bill and as long as you check your bill (which you always should) you won't have a problem. We are definitely going to keep coming back! read more

I brought my girlfriend here for Valentine's Day. The food was AMAZING. Our waitress looked like she didn't want to be there, but I don't blame her. It was the busiest restaurant I've ever been to. Really cool atmosphere. Definitely will be coming back read more

The food was good, the ambience was good too. The service was trash. David you're not a good server. I sat by the bar and you acted like if you were serving the entire restaurant. Your sections wasn't even that big. I didn't get my appetizers at the same time. The drinks didn't come at the same time. I also got the wrong appetizer. Then I got my entree but had to wait 5 to 7 min for my friend to get her entree. After we got our entrees the correct appetizer came in. I tried to cancel the late appetizers but you refused to remove them from my bill. But i will say at least it was good. David... uhm do better. read more

Good food but took too long to serve the food. My wings were served before my rice and I had to reeder my wings because by the time my rice arrived, my first serving was gone. Drinks were good and ambiance was good. read more

My friends have been dying to take me here so we finally made it happen. Even arriving on a Wednesday night, they still informed us they were limiting table to 90 mins at a time even though they were less than half full. We waited the additional five minutes for our third party to arrive before getting pleasantly seated. For drinks we tried a variety including the margaritas, kike, Pina colada con alcohol and more. Although some were certainly too sweet compared to others, we thoroughly enjoyed the creativity of how the drinks were served. For appetizers we shared Asian Chicharron and Mofonguitos De Yuca con ajo which were delicious! Chicharron was crispy, salty, and sweet. Mofonguitos had some yummy fillings ranging from shrimp, chicken and beef. Entrees shared between us included the Pescado Samana con tostones, Cibao Roll and Trucho Roll. Fish was cooked well and serve on a stick, literally. Tostones were perfect for the creamy and spicy sauce served on the side. I thought the sushi was a little dry but tasted okay. Dessert was the Passion Fruit Tres Leche which was divine! Moist and soft with the tart passion fruit layer. We were a big fan. Overall, we had a great experience including wonderful service and the stylish ambience. Highly recommend others to check them out as I will certainly be back. read more

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Came here today and I don't plan on returning. The quality of the food was The fried calamari and wings Oh and they automatically add tip to the bill and after you pay they add the option to tip again. If you don't look at the bill you'll end up tipping twice so be aware. 1 cause the waiter was nice. read more

Jackson was amazing, he served my party and was very tentative and helped us out a lot. thank you!!! read more

Vaka is such an amazing experience with exquisite food! The staff are enthusiastic and the menu is extensive. Great music and atmosphere. Love it there. read more

Came by for dinner, the food is very well prepared! I would say it is pretty pricey for the sushi rolls that are fully cooked (aka no seafood). The Ninja roll I got was about $16, and it was just chicken teriyaki, rice and plátano. My fiance got the chicken teriyaki dinner and it was $25 for just the chicken, rice and asparagus. The service was okay, our server kept pushing us to try their alcoholic drinks, but again the price point is wayy too high for the amount of drink you get. It took us about 15 min to get a box and the check due to the high amount of birthdays there were that day. The ambiance is loud, definitely a place to go to for a birthday dinner/pre game event. It's definitely not an everyday restaurant. read more

Vaka Restaurant - Ninja Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Service and food was good. The drinks on point and the ambience comfy and romantic. We ordered margarita and it was reallyyyy good! Oh and also an exotic drink and it was good! read more

Vaka Restaurant - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Come for the vibes. You'll probably hear it before you see it. This place is lively to say the least. It's ideal for a birthday celebration but I wouldn't recommend for a first date unless you don't mind having difficulty hearing your date. Lol The drinks are the selling point, coming in with overly exaggerated presentations which I absolutely love. The food is ok which is what influences the stars in this case. The sushi is pretty good but the traditional Latin dishes are just ok. I'd recommend you come for drinks only. read more

Vaka Restaurant - Pescado Ninja Coco. White fish stuffed with crabmeat and shrimp. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

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La comida es riquísima pero te añaden propina automáticamente en el cheque... la comida se tarda una eternidad.

Terrible experience eating at this restaurant. Service , very slow, had to called the waitress to get our order for drinks, it took 20 minutes before we could get our check to pay, no customer service training at all. Food, was impossible to be eaten, everything was so salty that we couldn't finished it. I would not recommend this place to anyone, it is not for people that are out of town or unfamiliar with the local places. BAD read more

I went with my family for my daughter's birthday and the food was great. The atmosphere was nice. NOW the service was awful. The waitress brought every appetizer separately and took over 40 minutes to bring it out. The drinks were extremely late and we had to keep reminding her that she forgot this or that. Because of the service our experience was not pleasant and on top of that the tip was 18% which she did not deserve. read more

I order a chicken teriyaki "bento box" on Uber eats. worst "bento box" I have ever had. it was literally stir fried chicken and veggies smothered in teriyaki sauce. worst part it wasn't even a bento box!! bento boxes usually come with rice and other food items which are all keep in separate compartment. all I got was a box with the stir fry chicken and some nasty banana dessert that was also smothered in teriyaki sauce...they just need to advertise their "food" for what it is...garbage. I don't understand how people can say that their food was good or delicious boggles my mind. read more

I chose to celebrate my birthday with friends at Vaka in Lawrence after seeing numerous posts about the restaurant. It looked like a lively spot, so I made a reservation, got all dressed up, and was excited to enjoy the night. However, parking was a challenge--the streets were packed, and by the time I finally found a spot and walked to the restaurant, we arrived about 10 minutes past our reservation time. I checked in with the concierge, who was visibly busy and told me to hold on. The place was completely packed--every seat was taken, the entrance was congested, and it was clear they were overwhelmed. A manager approached us, acknowledged our reservation, and preemptively apologized for the delay, saying, "This is a restaurant, and things happen." This was before we even voiced any concerns. Another 10 minutes passed, and a different concierge rudely told us they wouldn't honor our reservation because we were now more than 15 minutes late. The irony? We had been standing there waiting for the first concierge to get back to us the entire time. At that point, it was obvious that they had overbooked and were struggling to accommodate guests. Honestly, even if we had arrived on time, I doubt we would have been seated promptly. The staff was unprofessional, disorganized, and dismissive. I wouldn't return, nor would I recommend this place to anyone expecting their reservation to actually mean something. read more

This place is 10/10 , I have a great experience every time . I usually get the Ninja sushi roll and the mofongitos de yuca (pollo) !

Great service and food, loved it. Place is nice and comfortable, will recommend 100 percent read more

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I called several days in advance to ask how to reserve a table, and I was given one set of instructions. I confirmed everything with my group based on that information. But when the time came to actually make the reservation -- six days in advance -- I was told something completely different. It was extremely frustrating and disappointing, and it showed a complete lack of organization and internal communication. I felt disrespected, as I trusted the information you gave me and made all my plans accordingly. I'm leaving this feedback in the hope that situations like this won't happen to other customers. read more