Ambra

I felt the price point was a bit high given the quality of the food alone, but I can totally justify paying it due to the ambience and the quality of the services. Our server was fantastic and very knowledgeable. However, there were out of several bottles of wine that required a lot of back and forth. Do stay for dessert. 😋

I felt the price point was a bit high given the quality of the food alone, but I can totally justify paying it due to the ambience and the quality of the services. Our server was fantastic and very knowledgeable. However, there were out of several bottles of wine that required a lot of back and forth. Do stay for dessert. 😋

I hate to only give 3 stars, because it really should have been 5. Unfortunately the service on Saturday evening while sitting at the bar was not on par with the demanding price. I don't mind paying a premium, but, the service, of all things needs to be exceptional. To be clear, the service was not horrible. It was very okay. There were multiple bartenders, but it seemed like only one was "assigned" to us. This isn't a problem if the attention was there. This was our first time and we really didn't feel welcomed...just a lack of hospitality. Nobody was mean or anything like that...but I felt like I was at any other restaurant chain where my tab would've been $50, not 4 times as much. The lobster mac n'cheese, the crab cakes and the cheese cake were exceptional! I'll likely go back at some point, but I won't be in a hurry. Next time I'll try a table (but I enjoy the bar to make conversation).

I hate to only give 3 stars, because it really should have been 5. Unfortunately the service on Saturday evening while sitting at the bar was not on par with the demanding price. I don't mind paying a premium, but, the service, of all things needs to be exceptional. To be clear, the service was not horrible. It was very okay. There were multiple bartenders, but it seemed like only one was "assigned" to us. This isn't a problem if the attention was there. This was our first time and we really didn't feel welcomed...just a lack of hospitality. Nobody was mean or anything like that...but I felt like I was at any other restaurant chain where my tab would've been $50, not 4 times as much. The lobster mac n'cheese, the crab cakes and the cheese cake were exceptional! I'll likely go back at some point, but I won't be in a hurry. Next time I'll try a table (but I enjoy the bar to make conversation).

Marcos was a great waiter he treated us so well and made sure my birthday was well celebrated! I love coming in here the atmosphere, food, and drinks are amazing definitely worth the money.

Marcos was a great waiter he treated us so well and made sure my birthday was well celebrated! I love coming in here the atmosphere, food, and drinks are amazing definitely worth the money.

- Food: I ordered a 14oz New York Strip ‘medium rare’. We received our food fairly quickly maybe about 10-15min. I was really disappointed once I received it the quality of the meat was great but the outside of the steak was OVERLY seared and burnt. Eating into it I would get a crunch and the flavor of the burnt steak was overbearing the flavor of the steak itself. I’ve had steaks all over the US and by far one of the worst for the price point. - Service: Our server was not very attentive and wouldn’t check in on us nor asked how the food was, he also took our glass bottle of water when we were only halfway done with it. At the end of the expedience I wanted to order myself dessert but our server never came to check on us and I gave up on ordering dessert and decided to just conclude our experience with AMBRA. We had to get a lady (I believe a manager) to get our server so we can pay and he hovered right over us while we were tipping. - Environment: AMBRA of course is known to be a beautiful restaurant and it lives up to it, very wonderful moody vibe with low lighting but still the perfect amount where it’s not too bright. Out of all the restaurants in the Valley it’s definitely one of the most if not the most beautiful. Overall: Although the environment was wonderful and the food was quick to come out the rest of the experience was downright terrible. I won’t be returning anytime soon unless some changes are made because it’s not worth it for the $$$.

- Food: I ordered a 14oz New York Strip ‘medium rare’. We received our food fairly quickly maybe about 10-15min. I was really disappointed once I received it the quality of the meat was great but the outside of the steak was OVERLY seared and burnt. Eating into it I would get a crunch and the flavor of the burnt steak was overbearing the flavor of the steak itself. I’ve had steaks all over the US and by far one of the worst for the price point. - Service: Our server was not very attentive and wouldn’t check in on us nor asked how the food was, he also took our glass bottle of water when we were only halfway done with it. At the end of the expedience I wanted to order myself dessert but our server never came to check on us and I gave up on ordering dessert and decided to just conclude our experience with AMBRA. We had to get a lady (I believe a manager) to get our server so we can pay and he hovered right over us while we were tipping. - Environment: AMBRA of course is known to be a beautiful restaurant and it lives up to it, very wonderful moody vibe with low lighting but still the perfect amount where it’s not too bright. Out of all the restaurants in the Valley it’s definitely one of the most if not the most beautiful. Overall: Although the environment was wonderful and the food was quick to come out the rest of the experience was downright terrible. I won’t be returning anytime soon unless some changes are made because it’s not worth it for the $$$.

In Austin we are surrounded by fine dining, so we were excited that McAllen was diving into upscale dining. Overall great food, excellent selection of wine, and service. The major negative aspect was no free refills on coffee or non-alcohol beverages (sodas), tea not even offered. Our designated driver asked for tea- they don't offer. Sodas are charged per can, you must ask for a glass- otherwise server just brings you a can. Having a fine dinner and then a can is brought to you? NOT EVEN Logans, Saltgrass, or Longhorn DOES THAT? We asked for coffee with dessert. Server brought out coffee first, 10minutes later dessert. Then to find out no free coffee refills. Server told us they use pods for coffee and management counts the pods and they must charge per cup of coffee made. The dinner was a great experience, up until the end. That left a sour note on the restaurant. My advice- go to Flemings, Perry's, Chris Ruth, III Forks... and observe - learn how to improve Ambra. It's not by penny pinching on sodas, not offering tea, or charging per cup of coffee. Do experience the great food but expect a charge for everything brought to the table.

In Austin we are surrounded by fine dining, so we were excited that McAllen was diving into upscale dining. Overall great food, excellent selection of wine, and service. The major negative aspect was no free refills on coffee or non-alcohol beverages (sodas), tea not even offered. Our designated driver asked for tea- they don't offer. Sodas are charged per can, you must ask for a glass- otherwise server just brings you a can. Having a fine dinner and then a can is brought to you? NOT EVEN Logans, Saltgrass, or Longhorn DOES THAT? We asked for coffee with dessert. Server brought out coffee first, 10minutes later dessert. Then to find out no free coffee refills. Server told us they use pods for coffee and management counts the pods and they must charge per cup of coffee made. The dinner was a great experience, up until the end. That left a sour note on the restaurant. My advice- go to Flemings, Perry's, Chris Ruth, III Forks... and observe - learn how to improve Ambra. It's not by penny pinching on sodas, not offering tea, or charging per cup of coffee. Do experience the great food but expect a charge for everything brought to the table.

Vibe: 7/10 Ambra has a great vibe and design, but there were a few minor things that felt off. For example, having Coke cans on display at the table took away from the restaurant’s upscale atmosphere. Another odd choice was a random YouTube video playing on the big screen, showing someone walking through a city, it just didn’t fit the setting. However, the strangest part was the music. The upscale ambiance was diminished by the upbeat techno playing in the background. Something smoother and more refined would have complemented the restaurant's aesthetic and design much better. Food: 8/10 The food was great overall, except for my steak, which was cold in the center. When paying $54 for a filet mignon, you expect it to be cooked as ordered. That said, the flavor was excellent, and I only asked the waiter to cook it a bit more. My partner ordered the salmon, which she said was cooked perfectly, and the rice was fantastic. For an appetizer, we had the lamb chops, which were also great. The sides were perfect. I got the truffle fries (10/10) and the lobster mac and cheese (9/10). Service: 5/10 The only downside was our waiter. He seemed fairly uninterested in serving us, not a deal breaker, but worth mentioning. His attitude didn’t match the standard expected in a fine dining establishment. I’ll chalk it up to him possibly being overwhelmed and hope for better service next time.

Vibe: 7/10 Ambra has a great vibe and design, but there were a few minor things that felt off. For example, having Coke cans on display at the table took away from the restaurant’s upscale atmosphere. Another odd choice was a random YouTube video playing on the big screen, showing someone walking through a city, it just didn’t fit the setting. However, the strangest part was the music. The upscale ambiance was diminished by the upbeat techno playing in the background. Something smoother and more refined would have complemented the restaurant's aesthetic and design much better. Food: 8/10 The food was great overall, except for my steak, which was cold in the center. When paying $54 for a filet mignon, you expect it to be cooked as ordered. That said, the flavor was excellent, and I only asked the waiter to cook it a bit more. My partner ordered the salmon, which she said was cooked perfectly, and the rice was fantastic. For an appetizer, we had the lamb chops, which were also great. The sides were perfect. I got the truffle fries (10/10) and the lobster mac and cheese (9/10). Service: 5/10 The only downside was our waiter. He seemed fairly uninterested in serving us, not a deal breaker, but worth mentioning. His attitude didn’t match the standard expected in a fine dining establishment. I’ll chalk it up to him possibly being overwhelmed and hope for better service next time.

Our server Marco was absolutely attentive he took care of us and made sure we had a great time for it being our first time here .He recommended us the best plates and drinks and we really enjoyed them.We will most definitely be coming back and request him as our server.

Our server Marco was absolutely attentive he took care of us and made sure we had a great time for it being our first time here .He recommended us the best plates and drinks and we really enjoyed them.We will most definitely be coming back and request him as our server.

Our server Sergio was super nice & super patience with us! He gave our first visit at Ambra a great experience, if we were to come back, we would definitely hope to get him again as our server.

Our server Sergio was super nice & super patience with us! He gave our first visit at Ambra a great experience, if we were to come back, we would definitely hope to get him again as our server.