The Texan — Restaurant in Angra do Heroísmo

This is our second year staying at Açores Auténtico, one of the reasons is the proximity of the restaurant. We never ate a meal, because I can eat authentic Tex-Mex in the US. We did have appetizers and drinks most evenings. The appetizers were wonderful, the drink selection is vast. I drank my first Japanese bourbon which Jeff recommended. The service was outstanding, such polite and attentive staff. The Texan is doing a great job at being an authentic Tex-Mex restaurant. My only complaint was when I ordered a margarita with no ice and salt on the rim. In Texas, the southwest US, and actually any place in the US the rim would have been salted with coarse salt which melts very slowly on the lips and mouth, and there’s a bit of a crunch to it. It introduces the salt taste subtly. What I got was a rim with 3/4 of an inch of thick table salt which immediately made a lovely margarita undrinkable. The salt immediately melts on the lips and melts into the drink. I talked to Pedro about it. He was totally unsympathetic, took me into the bar to show me how The Texan does it with a lovely spice rim. How was I supposed to know this? He didn’t offer to have another drink made for me, nor comp me the drink that I did not drink. Through various conversations over the following days, I discover much of the staff knows about the stupid American woman who complained about her drink. That was so unprofessional. We will likely return to Açores Auténtico next year, and maybe I’ll try the margarita with...

I’ll start by setting expectations: this is a US inspired restaurant, with dishes and drinks similar to what you might find in the US. But you’re still on a small island in Europe. Keep this in mind. I was reading some of the reviews talking about service and selection, etc. Don’t confuse the Azores with the US. It’s a much smaller working age population and they have a vastly more relaxed culture. As travelers or visitors we need to be respectful of local customs and service capacity and also local food/drink resources.

Ok, that all said, this restaurant is part of a bigger family owned establishment. It’s all focused on creating a fun, relaxing and welcoming environment. You go here to enjoy time with friends and family and maybe try a new twist on a familiar (American) dish.

It’s good for people who are not familiar with Portuguese cuisine and want something they know. Menus are in both English and Portuguese and they will help accommodate food sensitivities, like my gluten allergy.

The food quality will depend on your specific likes/dislikes and again, the available food sources. I thought my food was great. But I also think if you’re in the Azores, then go have some local seafood if you want the freshest most authentic experience.

But you cannot beat the fun and relaxing experience you’ll get here. The best part is the garden with music in the back. If you’re in a hurry, try some of the food shacks peppered around the city. Come here...

Really thrown off by these reviews, this place is very very bottom of the barrel. The service was atrocious had to practically jump up and down for attention to get a table in a totally vacant restaurant. It’s obviously a tourist trap but the food is lousy, our entrees were served hardly warm, and our drinks were even warmer…. A total let down, not worth it at all. You’re better off at Burger King or any of the snack bars around. Avoid at all costs.

Update based on owners reply: The restaurant was empty, no one entered during our time there, there were no reservations that we interfered with. We were the sole diners in the establishment for this early dinner service. While I recognize the festival was occurring hours later that evening, there was absolutely zero impact at this time - excuse noted however. The food and drinks were served warm - this is a fact and yes frustrating paying for a meal that’s not hot and drinks that are not cold - wasting money is frustrating. The owners reply speaks volumes to their disregard for their primarily tourist diners - defensive over bad products - not recognizing room for...