Han Table Barbecue Porto — Restaurant in Porto

⚠️ WARNING: This restaurant uses a deliberate scam to trap customers into paying cash. If you're a tourist or local — AVOID Han Table BBQ Porto.

We had dinner at Han Table BBQ Porto on Friday, July 25, 2025 and were subjected to an experience that was not just disappointing — it was dishonest, aggressive, and deeply unethical.

After finishing our meal — totaling approx. €82 — we were suddenly informed that they do not accept credit cards because their machine was “broken.”

This was the first time we heard about it. There was no sign, no verbal notice, no disclosure when we sat down or placed our order. Had we known, we would have left or, at the very least, ordered less. But by the time we were told, it was too late.

We calmly asked why they hadn’t informed us earlier. The staff offered no apology. Instead, they stalled for over 30 minutes, claiming they were “checking with the manager.” Then they came back with an unacceptable response:

“It’s not our fault. Your options are: go to an ATM or make a bank transfer.”

We were stunned. We made it clear that we would not go to an ATM and we would not make a foreign bank transfer — both because we were not informed, and because this was their failure, not ours. We told them we had €60 in cash, and that was what we were willing to pay.

A responsible business that values its customers would have acknowledged the issue and resolved it with professionalism and respect. But instead, when we told them we were done and would be leaving, the situation escalated dramatically.

The staff became aggressive, confrontational, and physically tried to block us from exiting the restaurant.

At this point, a Good Samaritan — another diner — stepped in and offered to pay the €21 difference just to stop the scene from worsening. That’s the only reason the situation didn’t end with police involvement.

After returning home, we searched online and were shocked to discover dozens of nearly identical stories from previous customers — all describing the same excuse:

“Card machine is broken. Cash only. No prior notice.”

It is now clear that this is not a one-time failure or coincidence — it is a systematic and ongoing scheme. We strongly believe that this practice is being used to:

Avoid accepting card payments

Avoid issuing proper receipts

Avoid reporting full revenue and paying taxes

This is a serious violation of consumer trust and likely of tax law.

We are in the process of filing a formal complaint with Portugal’s consumer protection agency and are reporting this case to the Autoridade Tributária (Tax Authority).

Han Table BBQ Porto operates in a tourist-heavy area and seems to rely on the assumption that most customers — especially travelers — will not take action.

But we will.

⚠️ If you're reading this, take it seriously. There are many wonderful restaurants in Porto. This is not one of them. Do not reward deception. Do not support intimidation.

You...

Unfortunately, one of the worst restaurant experiences of my life. The food was ok (as long as you've never eaten in a Korean restaurant in Korea or California.) When the 82 euro bill came, we wanted to pay by credit card -- as is the case in 95% of the restaurants in Portugal. They said that their credit card machine was broken. We said we only had 60 euros cash on us. One staff member said "sorry, but the machine broke." It was not clear whether the credit card machine broke "last night" or "this night" or "since you walked into this restaurant." We got different stories from three different staff members. We asked why they didn't tell us that it was cash only, when we arrived. They did not mention it when my wife made the reservation online. They did not mention it when we arrived. They said there was a sign "in the bar" mentioning it. But later they said this was BS. And I usually don't scan all the walls of a restaurant when the host is walking me to my table. S​o we asked to talk to the manager. All 3 of the various employees told us that "there is no manager. The manager is not here." We said "OK, go ahead and call whoever is supposed to be managing this restaurant." We had to wait about 10 more minutes, then another employee told us that we still had to pay by cash. They had already suggested that we pay with a bank transfer, or Paypal, or that I walk around and try to find an ATM. We said this was unacceptable, since they never warned us about the cash only policy. We said we would pay 60 euros and leave it at that. My wife and I started to walk out, and the tall staff member -- who is about 30 years younger than my wife and me, and about a foot taller -- stretched out his arms and blocked us from leaving the restaurant. I was afraid he was going to tackle my wife. We all started yelling at each other. One nice Portuguese gentleman, at a nearby table, asked what the problem was. He kindly volunteered to pay the difference. So we gave him our 60 euros and he paid the rest. (Muito obrigado.) After 30 minutes of paying drama, we were able to finally escape this restaurant. As you can imagine, this is not how we wanted to enjoy our Friday night. When we got back home, we looked at the online reviews, and realized that this is a consistent pattern at this restaurant, of bullying customers into paying with cash. I don't know if the owners of this fast growing chain are reporting their cash income to the Portuguese tax authorities. You can draw your own conclusions. But we will never be...

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t leave angry with anyone, and I’m not saying this with emotions running high… I just want to be upfront with those who might get misled. They ask us to leave a review at the end, and that’s what I’m doing.

There were three of us. I had always seen this restaurant and wanted to try it. In total, it cost around 100 euros. At first, they said it would be enough for three people, but it wasn’t. I have nothing to say about the taste, but I can be very honest about the quantity: it’s not enough. For 100 euros, we could have eaten until we were stuffed at any other restaurant.

The waitress even noticed that we weren’t satisfied and asked if we wanted to order something else. We ordered another dish, and only then did we start to feel like we wouldn’t leave hungry.

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If you still decide to go:

Don’t get the 58 euro menu (I think that was the price). It’s better to order two of the 30 euro menus because the quality is the same, but you’ll get more food.

Take note: most of the reviews are full of praise, driven by the charm of the waitstaff. And it’s true, they are kind, attentive, provide great service, and definitely deserve a tip (which we left for their good service). But don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t judge a restaurant by its waiters. It’s important to leave satisfied in both quality and quantity. You don’t need to kill a whale and feed a pack of wolves, but don’t say there’s a dish for three people when there isn’t. The dish is large, but keep in mind that the meat is cut in the Asian style: extremely thin.

If I were to suggest anything to the restaurant, I’d recommend adding some potatoes or more vegetables… this way, at least the...