Carolina Ale House - Miami — Restaurant in South Miami

FRAUDULENT CHARGES & HORRIBLE SERVICE.

Yesterday, at this location, I had the worst dining experience in years. Our group of over 50 that came in for the "College Night" deal. The deal was supposed to be for pitchers of beer which started at one dollar & moved up in price by 50 cents every 15 minutes that passes from 9-10pm. Little did we know how awful of an experience we would had ahead of us.

I walk in around 9:20pm & most of our group is already there, taking up the majority of their space, filling over 5 tables & bar space. Once I started saying hi to everyone, they all mentioned how our waitress was nowhere to be found & everyone was in need of refills. So I went over to the bar & asked the bartender (an old blonde lady) to ring me up for some pitchers. To which she responds to my request by asking "Are you with them?" with an unfriendly tone & a pissed off look that set the stage for the rest of the evening. I told her that I was & started taking out my card as she refused to serve me. The rest of the bar was empty inside except for one small party opposite to our large group & some people playing pool, so I couldn't understand what the service issue was. I told the bartender that I haven't seen our waitress & neither has our table. She completely ignores me & doesn't serve me my drink, so I head back to our tables & wait for our waitress to show. At this point our group is upset because they realize their orders are not being put in on time for the deal on purpose so they can make more money off of our group.

After another 15 minutes or so, the waitress (Karla) appears. I explain to her that the bartender would not serve me any beer but says she doesn't have any more pitchers for me but says I can order a tower that has 4 pitchers worth of beer. (You're having a deal based on pitchers but don't have enough for 50 people?) So we order a full tower & realize that there is no way that there are 4 pitchers in these tiny towers. We finished two pitchers that were already on the table & poured the entire tower of beer into the two pitchers & realized they were trying to overcharge us. At this point our group is getting collectively upset by the lack of service & treatment by the staff. Once our waitress reappears again, the beer deal is over. We show her the empty tower & two full pitchers explaining that we know they are trying to rip us off. She says "Oh, well you're not supposed to fill pitchers." to which we responded "That's not the point, you're charging us for double what you're giving us." She reluctantly agrees to call the manager, a young guy completely oblivious to the quality of service & attitude of his staff.

We explain the overcharge issue to the manager who just says "We'll see about that."

We watched him get a tower from behind the bar & measure it like we did. When he came back, instead of acknowledging that they were ripping us off he says VERBATIM: "Well, I'll tell you what guys, how about I get the table ONE." We told him the point was that they were blatantly lying about how much beer we were paying for & their bartender would not serve us. We finally came to a compromise where he stated that he will charge us for two pitchers per tower. He says nothing about the waitress' absence when the place was not busy or about the awful bartender that kept turning people away with a scowl on her face. It became a "dare" for new people who were walking in late to go up to the bar & try to order a beer just so they could see what kind of service we were dealing with.

So I ask the waitress for a tower to which she says "I don't have, find me one" when I could see where the manager had taken them from. I bring over an empty pitcher from the table & the waitress tells me I can get it filled & she will charge me. So I set it on the bar & ask the blonde bartender to fill it, to which she says "No, you haven't paid for that." (Since when do you pay for your drink before you receive it?) I tell her something along these lines & she tells me "You're not my customer." (WHAT?!)

The rest can be...

We selected this eatery to dine at a few days after Christmas on a lazy Sunday just after noon because of the large outside dining area (sports bar) to lessen risk of exposure to Covid-19. My dining partners and I had eaten at the Carolina Ale House in Doral a number of times always leaving satisfied with the service and our meal choices so we felt confident in our decision to eat at this establishment on Bird Road, sadly we were quite mistaken. I am a “glass half full” type of person deciding to look at situations and experiences with a positive attitude, doing my best to give others the benefit of doubt even when circumstances keep getting worse so in this particular case I take some responsibility in my decision to keep “hanging in” when in hindsight, my party and I should have simply thrown in the towel at any point before the completion of the meal. Upon arrival we were told to seat ourselves and we chose a low table and chairs off to the side of the bar instead of a high top table and stools. Our server came over and welcomed us by introducing herself and telling us of a soup special before leaving to get waters which she did not do until a full 20-25 minutes later. We sat watching her seat and serve drinks to three other tables, two of which were seated after we were, though all others were on one side of the bar while we were situated on the other side. No worries at this point because we were enjoying a nice cool breeze while sitting outside as we chatted amongst ourselves. Finally when our waters arrived and we were asked for our drink order, we ordered EVERYTHING we wanted all at once - drinks, soups and entrees - as we were pretty certain this server was not going to be diligent in checking in - we were correct in our assumption. About another 20 minutes for a draft beer and Bloody Mary (of which I was told was delicious w/the right amount of spice and finished off w celery stalks, bacon, olives and cheese making the drink impressive to look at and a yummy snack while continuing to wait) and the third drink ordered nowhere in sight THROUGHOUT the entire experience only until the very end after repeated requests. Our French onion soups came an additional 25 minutes after the drinks - tepid in temperature though delicious in flavor, I’d have really enjoyed this soup had it been hot. When our entrees were served, the breaded fish and burger were not hot and the fries were cold to the touch. My entree was completely wrong altogether and was taken back by our server though I was tempted to eat the chicken avocado sandwich because I was quite hungry at this point. My dining partners were hungry as well and chose to eat their food in spite of the cold temperature. My entree came in an additional 30 minutes, long after the others in my party had eaten all they could stomach (cold food that’s typically eaten hot isn’t appetizing). My patty melt was piping hot and admittedly delicious. The hamburger meat had a smoky flavor to it and the fries were crispy and tasty. Not a great dining experience. I recognize at any point I could have sought out and spoken to a manager to see if corrections could be made and would suggest others do so if their experience ended being the same as ours, this time I decided to let it go and not make the same mistake again. We will not be back to this establishment and will go back to the Doral location...

If you're looking for a spot in Miami that delivers the perfect combination of laid-back vibes, delicious food, and top-notch service, look no further than Carolina Ale House on Bird Rd and 67th Ave. From the moment you walk in, the welcoming atmosphere makes you feel right at home, with friendly staff who are more than happy to make recommendations and ensure your visit is perfect.

The space itself has that perfect blend of sports bar energy and cozy pub vibes. There’s plenty of space to gather with friends, watch the game, or enjoy a casual dinner out. The patio area is fantastic when you want to take in the Miami breeze while sipping on something refreshing.

Now, let’s talk about the food. Carolina Ale House absolutely nails it with its menu. Whether you're in the mood for wings (which are amazing), burgers, or something a little more adventurous, they’ve got you covered. The Hickory BBQ Burger is a must-try if you love a good smoky flavor. And if you’re a fan of a perfect combo of crunchy and juicy, their wings will have you coming back for more. Don’t even get me started on the fries—they’re crispy and seasoned to perfection.

Drinks? They’ve got an extensive beer selection, with local brews to classic favorites. Their cocktails are fresh and well-crafted, but you can’t go wrong with a cold beer on tap to go with those wings.

But what really sets this place apart is the service. The staff is super attentive, fun, and genuinely cares about your experience. Whether you're a regular or a first-time visitor, you’re treated like family.

Final Thoughts: Whether you're catching a game, grabbing a bite with friends, or just enjoying a relaxing evening out, Carolina Ale House is one of those spots that delivers on all fronts. Great food, great drinks, and even better people....