Bajau Steakhouse & Seafood Grill — Restaurant in San Miguel de Cozumel

Disappointment and Overcharging of Foreign Customers I am writing to express my deep disappointment and frustration with the experience I had at your establishment. As a foreign customer visiting Cozumel, Mexico, I expected a memorable dining experience, but unfortunately, my visit to Bajau left me feeling deceived and overcharged.

The pricing at your restaurant was outrageously high compared to the quality of the food we received. The dishes we ordered fell short of our expectations, leaving us dissatisfied. Additionally, the excessive charge for a bottle of wine was shocking. We discovered later that the wine, which was priced at $10, was billed to us at an astonishing $200. This significant markup was unacceptable and left us feeling taken advantage of as customers. I believe that all customers, regardless of their nationality, should be treated with fairness and integrity. Overcharging foreign customers due to their unfamiliarity with local pricing standards is unethical and damages the reputation of your establishment and the tourism industry in Cozumel. I kindly request a refund for the overcharged amount on the wine and an assurance that steps will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. It is crucial for Bajau to address these concerns promptly and to review and revise pricing strategies to ensure transparency and fairness for all customers. By sharing my disappointing experience, I hope to warn other potential customers and prevent them from going through the same disappointment and overcharging. I trust that Bajau will take this matter seriously and take appropriate action to rectify the situation. I look forward to your prompt response and a resolution to this matter. Failure to address this issue may compel me to share my experience on various online platforms to protect other potential customers...

Update After Owners Response

My recent visit to Bajau resulted in being overcharged ($200 for a $10 bottle of wine), highlighting a need for all guests to carefully review their bills. Future patrons should be wary, not just of the costs, but also of the immediate request to leave a review on a tablet before leaving.

Take your time. Reflect on your experience and share honest feedback online, once you've returned home. This ensures future customers know what to expect and can make informed decisions.

I hope for a swift resolution to my issue, but more importantly, I aim to ensure others are forewarned and...

For all the of hype from the reviews I was personally let down. All looks with zero delivery on what they appear to promise. From the get go, I wasn’t greeted in a friendly manner by the host, actually I was turned away before even having the opportunity to say hello, then said to him I had a reservation. Not a great first impression. The second I was seated, I felt the waiter was annoyed having to wait on a solo diner at a four seat table. I felt uncomfortable the entire time - don’t accept single reservations if this is going to be the attitude of the staff - I wouldn’t have come. He was polite, but put off the energy that I should order, eat, and go quickly. Nothing on Cozumel is quick, why should my dining experience be fast just because I am solo? Again, not ideal for a place like this. Octopus was ok, more like a calamari dish with some garnish ($550MXN. Crazy). Caesar salad was bland. The steak I had wanted couldn’t have the French fries substituted for a side - totally fine. The steak I ended up ordering was sent out blue, not medium rare. It looked absolutely disgusting and was presented whole, when it should have been sliced against the grain, then plated before serving. This is a steakhouse after all. I sent it back and was already over the experience after seeing the guy on the grill laughing about it. Again, don’t have a glass kitchen if guests can see your staff behaving so cheaply. I was also never served the corn side that was supposed to accompany the steak. I decided to pay and leave. The GM came over to chat and was very friendly and apologetic. I would have gladly paid in full but he generously offered to comp the steak I did not eat. The saxophonist was nice and very talented. The ambiance was high-end. However it turns out it’s just another Cozumel cruise tourist trap. Cruise guests have lower standards for dining. It’s just a fact. It’s not for travelers looking for quality local dining experiences. For the price you are paying here on Cozumel, I expected a far superior experience. There are a couple far better options on the island if you are looking for higher end experiences. Not pleased. You cannot trust a 5 star review of ANY place on Cozumel. Most are simply downright disappointing. Cheers. Menu pics posted so you know what you’re getting into - absurd prices for the embarrassing...

To be perfectly honest Bajau was lackluster. The first time we went a year a ago it was “ok” but coming back to the island I believe this place has not done well to maintain quality. We went in with 5 people and the atmosphere itself is extraordinary. Feels highclass and it’s absolutely gorgeous. The service is absolutely fine as well. We have no complaints about that at all. I order the mojito and honestly is was delicious. Well made and mixed. I don’t recommend the mule cocktail, it’s a little tart, and their coconut cocktail was also syrupy tasting which I wouldn’t recommend. The reason I am scoring them at 2 stars is just plainly the food. I will however say the pork belly appetizer is incredibly delicious and cooked perfectly. That particular dish I would highly recommend. My wife ordered the steak hamburger and I should have went with that, perfect presentation and mix of flavors of cheese, sauce, and steak. What was unacceptably horrible was their flagship dish, the Tomahawk Steak. For a $2500mx dish you’d expect much more. I don’t need it to come out on a carousel, the presentation I wasn’t crazy about, but my attention is on the flavor and texture. It is also advertised as 2 1/2 lbs of meat, it wasn’t. It was tough, slightly dry, and void of flavor aside from maybe some of the fat. For a roughly $140 USD steak, I was unimpressed and very much annoyed. I was also not happy about the up charge on the fries that supposedly are drizzled in truffle oil and seasoned in cheese. The price for those fries are more than double than a regular order of fries, all for a very small sprinkle of Parmesan cheese over the top. Don’t believe me? Order fries and the fries in “truffle oil”

Is the restaurant horrible? No, it is not at all. There are many decent plates, but it’s overpriced for the quality they are trying to convey. For what they’re charging on there drinks and appetizers and Main courses I can confidently tell you to look elsewhere. As a matter of fact we went to Guidos right after, which is an extremely popular eatery 100ft down the road. More flavorful food for incredibly reasonable prices. We spent $6000mx and we were still hungry. Bajau is absolutely beautiful, but I prefer better food. I feel that’s what we pay for. I genuinely cannot recommend. Cozumel has much better...