Beso Buckhead — Attraction in Atlanta

Went here last night for their well-promoted Wednesday oyster happy hour. We were seated promptly, but it took over 15 minutes before our server, Mel, came by. She told us oysters were $1 each, which was great, so we placed our order. We also wanted to try more items, but the menu was extremely limited and oddly included things like mac & cheese—which feels totally out of place at a Spanish tapas restaurant.

Before I even get into the food, the place is poorly decorated, yet it's clearly trying to pass as an upscale spot. From the cheap furniture to the lackluster service, nothing about it feels fine dining.

Mel showed up and told us oysters were $1 each, so we ordered a round and asked for saltine crackers—she said yes. We also considered ordering other dishes, but the menu was extremely limited, with random items like mac and cheese that don’t fit the Spanish tapas concept at all.

Since we couldn’t find anything else appealing on the menu, we ordered a second round of oysters. In the meantime, Mel disappeared for about 40 minutes, chatting and wandering around—completely unavailable.

When we finally got the check, we were shocked to see that the second round of oysters was charged at $2.50 each, while the first round was $1. This tripled the bill, and we were never told there would be a price increase. Mel insisted she had mentioned it, which was absolutely not true.

We asked to speak to the manager, who said, "Let me go talk to her and see what actually happened." That response alone was incredibly unprofessional. He returned and defended the miscommunication, saying they explain the pricing well (clearly not).

Even worse, when I brought up that this was nowhere to be found in any of their promotional material, including Instagram or the website, and that customers cannot be expected to guess their unwritten pricing rules, he just doubled down. According to him, verbal communication is all they need and they “don’t have to write it anywhere” . That’s a laughable policy for any restaurant—let alone one pretending to be upscale.

Eventually, they adjusted the oyster price, but then sneakily added a 20% service fee to the new bill. When we questioned it, we were told it was automatic—but it wasn’t on the original check before we pointed out the pricing issue. And again, this fee is not disclosed on the menu either.

This was, hands down, the worst dining experience we’ve had in a long time. The management’s attitude, the lack of communication, and the overall cheap and shady tactics are unacceptable. Instead of trying to squeeze a few extra dollars, they should focus on improving their service and professionalism.

And let’s be clear—we have no problem paying for good service and good food. This isn’t about the price. What’s ridiculous is how they try to sneak in extra charges and make up rules as they go, all while acting like they’re an upscale, fine dining establishment. In reality, they’re nothing but a cheap place with horrible service. Instead of trying to appear high-end, maybe they should actually become what they claim to be. But considering they’ve only been open for 4 months and are already pulling stunts like this, I honestly don’t see them lasting much longer.

Absolutely would...

After looking for a new spot to dine, I came across Beso, and decided to come in and try it out.

Firstly, the restaurant is absolutely beautiful. from the flatware to the floors, I think it’s truly gorgeous. Music is great, and the bar is so pretty.

Unfortunately, there are things I would’ve loved to try, but my partner does not enjoy, so the tapas we agreed on were majority fried. All to say, it seemed majority of tapas are friend. A downside for me. We had the tortas, yuca & cauliflower to start, & the seabass and broccolini for dinner. Best bites go to the tortas and broccolini. Sadly, while the plating of these dishes were stunning, I felt them lacking in some way or another. Specifically the cauliflower (I felt was over-seasoned, even though the flavor was great) & the seabass (which I felt was bland, and the oil it was sitting it gave it an oily texture).

There was also the lack of wine. I’m not a cocktail girly, and there was no wine list and 7 wines available. 1 white, 6 reds, mostly from USA, no sparkling. A lack of cordials and after-dinner drinks as well. The concept is great, but I think this part should be developed more considering it’s dinner.

Our server also could not answer any questions regarding the wine (what they were, where they were from) or the food (descriptions, flavor profiles, etc.)

A lot of this I give grace to them being open for literally 4 days. After speaking with the bartenders (shoutout Shar & Israel, they were so kind to us that kind evening) at the end of the evening, everyone seemed in good spirits about the space, and that was very nice to see. All the staff was very sweet. The manager Sean came around a few times with house shots, and the Chef was roaming, and asked me how the food was. I thought that was very nice.

All in all, we do hesistate to return based on price, server knowledge, etc. But I desperately believe the place could be amazing based on the things said were in the works for the future.

I wish all the best to this space, and will return later to see how it’s settling...

Let’s see…came here for happy hour a month ago and oysters were great! However, I waited over an hour for my next round due to lack of staff and while I appreciate my Bartender being a pro about it, but it’s never ok to keep people waiting that long for food. I appreciate the great service and incredible staff, they too care of my tab for the most part so I decided I’d come back again.

Came back 2 weeks later and the happy hour rules changed to $3 per oyster after 12, and they were super small/thin oysters this time. Also, I noticed there were a lot of rule changes in just 2 weeks of my visit which was odd, and should be noted in menus or happy hour advertisements. This place is super new, and being unhappy at the happy hour is no fun, so idk if I will be back anytime soon. I hope they revisit the Wednesday HH options in future for patrons.

Oh, and watch out for the fees they add on your tabs. I was charged a “service fee” at the bar, which turns out it was automatic gratuity. Not the same of course, and interested to know why any fee beyond gratuity is being...