Restaurante Mi Sombrero — Restaurant in Albufeira

Mi Sombrero.

Wednesday (evening) 21st September 2016

Mixed feelings about this Mexican restaurant.

On arrival we were kept waiting even though there were tables prepared and available, the waiter's walked right past us and in so doing gave us the clear impression that we weren't welcome, especially as other couples were seated and treated in a far more welcoming manner, we watched as other diners received first class service whilst we were largely ignored and were clearly kept waiting for everything from being seated right through to receiving the bill.. On a positive note the food was first class; however we won't be coming back because good manners cost absolutely nothing, there are plenty of decent restaurants in the old town of albufeira and we will be giving our hard earned wages to such types instead of paying to be insulted by the staff at Mi Sombrero..

After being kept waiting ten minutes for the bill while two other diners and another couple who we made friends with asked for their's AFTER us and were long gone as' we once again politely asked for the bill for the third time. When we eventually paid the bill the waiter simply gave me my receipt and turned and walked away without a single word, this same waiter was extremely friendly and polite to the other diners during their meals and thanked them for visiting the restaurant as they left. Being a polite and courteous gentleman I did have a quiet word with the waiter as we left our table, I told him "The food in your Mexican restaurant is fantastic, however your treatment of me in particular was disgraceful, you have come across in a manner that says I am not welcome in your restaurant, you need to work on your interpersonal skills towards a decent and polite member of the public who chose your establishment to dine out".. All I received was an arrogant smirk which pretty much confirmed all of the above..

Both my wife and I were constantly polite and also smartly dressed, there was no legitimate excuse or reason for how I/we were treated that evening.

However; I (and my wife) know exactly why I was treated in this way (and so do they), I need...

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!! As I'm writing this review I'm still pulling out the chewy chicken stuck in my tooth. 2 adults, 2 teens and 2 children dining experience. Starters, average for the price you pay. Mains, 5 out of 6 meals were average. The 6th meal, mine, chicken fajita, the chicken was dry and chewy, 5 out of 6 meals edible, so not too much of an issue, until I called a member of staff over to tell them about the chicken, he never spoke English so called the 2 owners, told them the chicken is dry and chewy, they both laughed at me, their response, ' I've sold loads today, not 1 problem, your being awkward, you don't want to pay'. All I expected was for them to offer me a replacement or another option, instead they went over to another table and asked them 'How was your chicken fajita today', loud so that I could hear. This was getting quite embarrassing now. I have my own catering business, so I believe I know my food. Told them I'm a chef and they laughed at me, in front of my family and other diners. Explained to them that we've ordered all this food, we're not happy with 1 item and you can't take criticism. They took my meal away from me in anger and muttered to themselves in Portuguese, something about the British. Never in my life have I ever experienced the owners of a restaurant laughing in a customers face and get angry over criticism. The food by the way was below average and well overpriced. Pic of my receipt attached, so this is a genuine...

Sigh.. I’ll start by saying I am from Colorado and have access to some of the best and most authentic Mexican food in the world. Nevertheless this place misses the mark by far. Nothing wrong with the service, although I was told that tap water was not good to drink there so fine, I paid for a water. I got chips and guac to start. The guacamole is not good. Very thin. It must come from a jar and if they claim to make it themselves.. I’m sorry but that would be even worse. On top of that it’s an unacceptable portion size for 6€. Barely enough for half of my chips. Now onto the main course. I got enchiladas. The refried beans are the worst I’ve ever had. A puddle of slop. Again a small portion and had a strange almost bbq flavor. The rice was flavorless and a bit overcooked. The enchiladas were okay but can hardly be called enchiladas. Chicken wrapped in tortilla with jalapeños. Topped with a very basic mild salsa and some ranch. I’m not sure what I should expect from Mexican food in Portugal but it is sadly nowhere near authentic and they are clearly cutting corners...