Churrasco Grill — Restaurant in Olhão

Where to start….. I walked in and immediately was greeted by Francisco my delightful waiter. I asked what he recommended and was told the suckling pig was coming out of the oven as we spoke so decided on that. I waited & waited and finally I was served my meal . Unfortunately it all went downhill from there. I noticed right away the 1/2 inch white hairs all over some skin pieces and all over the meat. Since I had suckling pig many times before elsewhere I know this not to be normal, nor was the very deep brown skin ( almost black) flipped over the pieces and it was pure charcoal. Since Francisco was so nice I was hesitant to send it back so decided to pick the hair out where I could & remove the skin with the hairs out of the way. I tasted a piece that was not so burnt and it was not edible, the meat was completely dry as it was over cooked. I called Francisco over and showed him all the hairs and flipped pieces over to show him how burnt it all was & he was very apologetic and asked me if I wanted something else. I looked over the menu again and by now was not hungry any longer. I asked him for the check and he said he gave the check to the owner to remove the meal from it and I asked to pay for the beer I had. This is when it all turned sour! The owner came over and asked me what was wrong with the suckling pig. I only wished I had taken a picture of it before I sent it back. I asked did you see all the 1/2 inch hairs all over the meat & the skin? ( I had picked most from the meat prior but had a nice pile on the side of my plate along with the skins that had them also) I asked did you see all the charcoaled pieces ? Did you taste it? I said it was not edible since it was so dry as well. She kept insisting in her French accent ( acting like she did not understand my Portuguese when I am fluent) that there was nothing wrong with the suckling pig and that she tried it. I begged to differ and asked to pay for the beer and I would be on my way. She was insisting about continuing to tell me once more about how there was nothing wrong with the meal. After, I just had enough and told her to enjoy it then & I would not be paying almost 30€ for a meal that was inedible and handed her a 10€ to pay for my beer. She brought the change back & instead of apologizing for the incident she decided to tell me how rude I was and she now understood why I was alone in a very clear Portuguese and free of a French accent. Obliviously that’s a go to when there is a problem ….. This is an insensitive individual who only cares about making her €€ and truly does not care about her customers. For her to make such a comment to me is unreal when she has no clue whether my husband passed away recently or not. Not everyone who eats alone is actually alone but for whatever reason she feels those who eat alone are less then. This is someone who does not have a clue on running a restaurant or how to treat their customers eating alone or not!

UPDATE AFTER I GOT A RESPONSE FROM SAID OWNER:

WOW, I am floored at the fact that you choose to blame Francisco the waiter as he was nothing but kind, respectful, professional, definitely something you were not. You obviously take no responsibility for your establishment or its food. Regarding my conversation with you I do not recall being disrespectful to you. After hearing you repeat over and over how there was nothing wrong with the food, I did say “ ok , please just let me pay for my beer so I can go “ & added “ I will not pay for the meal as I could not eat my food”. You never offered to remove the meal from my bill because had you, it would have not escalated. In addition I see you being a liar is another great quality of yours. If you got offended by me telling you that the Leitao was overcooked, dry & full of white 1/2 inch hairs. Then again you are in the wrong business. You chose to make such an insensitive comment, instead of having a better attitude, assuring food is properly processed and prepared and don’t blame everyone else for your...

There are so many wonderful characteristics about Estrela do Mar that my girlfriend and I went there almost daily when spending 10 days in Olhão. Here's what I recommend:

Go next door and buy oysters. My girlfriend raved about how they were as big as her hands and the size of one is more than two-times the size you see in the States (and for half the price). Bring them to Estrela do Mar; they will open and prepare the oysters any way you'd like (for a small fee). I asked for Oysters Rockefeller but the owner made them the French way which didn't include spinach. Absolutely delicious. Just be careful about how many you eat as, because the oysters are so big and delicious, you can get full very quickly. Order whatever the special of the day is. Every single day it was amazing. The presentation of the food was always inviting, almost begging not to be eaten because it looked so good. (No, that's not a contradiction.) Although you might have your preferred wine, make sure to describe your preferences to the owners and ask what they recommend. We tasted some great options. And, by the way, the wines - although very yummy - were not expensive. Sitting outside and watching the city in the evening is extremely relaxing. We'd always come here before dinner to whet our appetites and then question why we needed to go somewhere else. The owners are very friendly and welcoming. They were so personable we always felt like giving them hugs/handshakes when we left (which we did our last day). Overall, we found the prices VERY reasonable and an excellent value. My girlfriend wants to go back to Olhão just for their food - 'nuff said.

Estrela do Mar is an absolute must-stop-place if you're in the area. My suggestion is go there on your first night visiting Olhão. Otherwise, you'll have to live with the regret of "Darn it! Why didn't we come here sooner during our vacation so we could have come...

From the moment we arrived at Churrasco Grill, we were warmly welcomed by Francisco,, whose hospitality truly set the tone for the evening. He was exceptional—friendly, attentive, and full of great recommendations.

We started with a selection of local green and rosé wines, followed by delicious starter bruschetta. Although there was a slight delay with the starter, Francisco went above and beyond by offering us a complimentary bottle of wine—an incredibly thoughtful gesture that made us feel genuinely appreciated.

The main course was the star of the evening: the piri-piri chicken was perfectly cooked, packed with flavor, and everything we hoped for. To top it all off, after such a satisfying meal, we were treated to a complimentary shot of Porto wine.

It was more than just dinner—it was a perfect dining experience thanks to the excellent food, relaxed atmosphere, and Francisco’s personal touch. Highly recommend visiting Churrasco Grill if you’re...