El Raval — Restaurant in Austin

Updating my review to say that, had we received an itemized bill, I would not have taken the time to write a review about not receiving an itemized bill. Our server told us that he could print us a receipt since we were splitting the bill. Neither of us were handed a "folder" or recall seeing one placed on our table. If this is your standard practice, then somewhere along the way a process or communication (ie "Here is your itemized bill") broke down at our table, and it might be good to acknowledge this possibility instead of replying defensively and insisting we are mistaken.

I would also urge you, Laura, to consider professional boundaries and the inappropriateness of your attempt to connect with me on LinkedIn – I assume to discuss my review – instead of through a proper channel such as your business contact form, which you referenced here. Quite honestly your action feels aggressive and left me unsettled. (And to think, last night, I was only mildly irritated about an itemized bill!)

I will sign off with a final bit of constructive feedback, which is that you consider hiring an independent business manager who is not emotionally invested in your business to handle customer reviews moving forward.

Food overall was pretty good save for the pan con tomate, which tasted pretty bland (like canned tomatoes dumped on toasted bread) and looked unappetizing. Bummed, because that's one of my favorite snacks. We enjoyed our drinks, and the service was fast and attentive. My only major complaint came at the end when we were ready to settle. I do like that more restaurants are finally moving to tableside credit card machines, but absolutely hate that you must request an itemized bill! It makes it awkward for EVERYONE : Eg, do you make the busy server run back and forth to print and bring the bill? Do you review each item in front of them in awkward silence to make sure you were billed correctly? Will the server think you don't trust them or that you're one of "those" diners who tries to dispute every charge? Will your dining companions think you're high maintenance, or worse, a cheapskate? Then of course you have to tip with the server standing over your shoulder. And it all happens so fast, so of course people usually just hand over their credit cards in good faith to avoid the awkwardness, as we did -- and you really have to wonder if that's part of the intent. BTW, this practice also communicates messages about the restaurant, intended or not.

Bottom line: Why would you want to place your guests and servers in such an awkward position? Just bring an itemized bill as a practice before you come with the credit card machine. Europe seems to have figured that out, why can't we?

Finally, as a side note, I think it's audacious for restaurants to put 20% as the MINIMUM tipping option on the screen. It again feels like reliance on psychological/social pressure, as the server stands over your shoulder, to not be the cheapskate who picks the left-most option or enters something customized. (Btw we happily tipped 20% as we always do for...

We honestly just had one of our worst dining experiences here in many years. We booked for Mothers Day dinner, and showed up a 15 minutes before our reservation. Our table wasn’t quite ready, but we’re early so no big deal. We waited and now it is 10 mins past our reservation and our table wasn’t yet ready. Finally, we were sat at a table, but now had to wait another 10-15 minutes for our waiter to acknowledge us.

At this point, we had been staring at the menu for quite some time, so we were ready to order. Ordered and our first dish, the Gambas, came out maybe 15-20 minutes later. A bit slow but not terrible. The dish itself was decent. Not the best version of the dish we’ve had, but satisfactory.

And here’s where the real problems started. We had to wait another hour before we got another dish, and that was only after complaining to our waiter and the manager (?). They both claimed the kitchen was backed up, but looking around, they were busy but not packed, and multiple tables around us that came in later already had several dishes.

So we waited, and then eventually all the other dishes came out at once. It was obvious at this point that the waiter had forgotten to put in our order, or the kitchen lost the ticket. But they never acknowledged it.

So, we had the short ribs (mediocre and expensive for the portion size), cauliflower (undercooked), the stuffed squid (amazingly boring and bland, and a bit rubbery), and two paellas. The seafood paella was overcooked and just ok. The duck confit paella was pretty decent, and the best dish of the night. The duck confit was well done and flavorful.

That said, at this point we were just rushing to eat since it had taken so long to get food out. We were starving, but all of the food was just ok at best.

Worst thing, despite the terrible delay, when we got the check, not a single thing was comped. No sincere apology, just deflection. They even charged us for the extra bread our young daughter asked for while we waited so long. $3 for extra bread despite waiting 90 minutes for our food. Seriously, you can’t even comp some bread while we waited?

I also heard the manager mention there was something special for Mother’s Day, and heard him mention to the waiter to make sure it was sent over, but we received nothing.

So, a quite terrible meal, and one where, pretty cub start to finish, you completely...

I want to start this review by saying that I’m Spanish, from Barcelona and actually from El Raval. I used to own a bar near Paralel, and live right next to their logo, which is el gato de Botero in la plaza del raval. El Raval has a very unique soul, and I’m not just from there, I’ve been deeply involved in the neighborhood’s culture and history, and I even have it tattooed on my arm.

That’s why I was genuinely excited to try this place. I wanted to feel a little closer to home. But unfortunately, I left disappointed. And it honestly makes me a bit sad to write this, because I can tell there’s an intention to bring something meaningful but it feels disconnected from the essence of what it’s trying to represent.

I had pan con tomate, seafood paella, and Basque cheesecake. The pan con tomate was far from what it should be. Traditionally, it’s made with crystal bread, very thin and crunchy, and finished with olive oil and salt. What I got was a thick, random slice of bread and a cup of tomato purée. No olive oil. No salt. Just not it. And for $7, it felt careless.

The paella… well, I wasn’t expecting much being in Texas, but I still hoped for a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t awful, just very off. And it doesn’t come with alioli. Alioli belongs to fideuà, and even then, served separately. No socarrat at all, the crispy bottom that gives it character was missing. The squid was chewy, the prawns decent in size but not in quality, and overall, it lacked flavor.

I understand most people here might not know the difference. But when something so dear to your culture is presented in this watered-down way, it hurts a little. Especially when something as iconic and simple as pan con tomate comes without olive oil on the wrong kind of bread.

I’m not saying the kitchen can’t cook. I think they probably can. But it feels like corners are being cut wrong ingredients, wrong textures, not enough care. And that makes everything taste bland, no matter how nice the presentation is.

If someone from the team reads this, I genuinely hope you don’t take it the wrong way. I’m not here to tear anything down I’m just hoping this helps you reconnect with the real spirit of what you’re trying to share. Because when it’s done right, Spanish food doesn’t just fill you up it makes you...