Isla Del Encanto — Restaurant in Palmetto Bay

My husband and I have been eating here for a couple of years now. It is the BEST Puerto Rican food in Miami. I have written great reviews for this restaurant in the past. We have always had great service, as well.

Sad to say that today's review will not be a very good one. Let me start by saying, I took my aunt to celebrate her 72nd Birthday, since she's originally from Puerto Rico and had never been there. So I had told her how wonderful and delicious this place was.

Everything started great, we were served by Leonel. A very nice young man, whom we loved, because he was very professional and an excellent waiter. We celebrated and ate well, as we always have in the past. My aunt really loved the food. We were all so happy.

Then the checks came, two separate checks. But as we placed our individual card for each check, Leo(Leonel) had apparently gone on his break, so I was told. Then a dark haired Colombian lady (who has been working there for a while), don't know her name. Came to pick up both wooden check boxes with their corresponding cards. She took it to the register and came back with them ready for signing and executing the bills. Except she mixed up both checks, we obviously didn't see how she made the error of getting both checks with their cards mixed up once she got to the register. So when we tell her she had charged the wrong amounts to the wrong cards, she just stared at us. She did not seem to understand what was done wrong by her. She never apologized, she just seemed very lost and confused. Kept staring at us, like with this blank look on her face. We then tell her again what she needs to do, to correct the error from her charging the wrong cards to the opposite checks. So she goes to the register, but she has no idea how to fix it. This was already irritating me, it was taking too long to resolve. I was mostly irritated, because of her attitude, she tried blaming the waiter, saying he gave her the checks like that. Which was not true at all. She was never humble about having made a mistake, never said "I am sorry, I will fix it". Instead she continued to evade the owner, who was around, so that he wouldn't notice what was happening. This went on for about 25min, before I just got up and went directly to the owner and explained the situation. I told him she did not know how to fix it on the register, hoping he would step in and resolve the problem, as any owner would.

Once I spoke with him, he went over to the register for a few seconds and then just left. Now there were 2 women at the register, trying to figure it out. Trying to fix something the black haired Colombian lady messed up. Neither of them were able to resolve the situation. The owner seemed like he didn't want to deal with it. And left them two completely lost, still not being able to fix the issue. That was very dissapointing to me. I expected better attention from the owner. My card now has BOTH charges on it. We ended up leaving after 35min of getting nowhere. She never apologized for any inconvenience to us and had a very cocky attitude, as if we were to be blamed for her screw up with both checks. She needs to improve her knowledge regarding the business she's in and her attitude with the customers, maybe take a class on humility.

That being said Leo was awesome, but unfortunately he left the job of charging his table to the Colombian with black hair lady, she made what began as a great celebration, a bad ending that gave us all indigestion.

I won't be going back to Isla del Encanto any time soon. And when I go back, I sure do hope that lady has found another job. A job she can actually understand and know how to perform her tasks appropriately. And hopefully she'll work on her attitude and learn to apologize when she messes something up.

LEO, THANK YOU for being a great waiter.... I surely will miss going back as often as I used to. The food is authentic PR food and amazing home flavors. But this whole scenario really left a bad taste in...

Well really bad experience I have always been a loyal customer my brother and I and other friends who have also been there sadly to say I went there on June 5th 2022 at about 4.00 pm we sat down waited for the waitress a new girl who I had never seen before was the person who took care of us needless to say you have to take care of the customers in a efficient way anyway she walks over to us and asked us what we wanted for drinks we told her what we wanted we also at that point ordered as an appetizer the alcapurrias told her we wanted the alcapurrias before the food she Said problem and she walks around instead of coming back to us to ask us if we were ready to order she never did we had to call her over so she took down our orders besides earlier ordering the drinks and the appetizer alcapurrias, anyway my brother and I were hungry so another waitress walks over with the food that we ordered after the appetizers and drinks so my brother got a bit upset and mentioned to the waitress that brought the food over he being upset which I do not blame him he Said to her listen we ordered the appetizers before the dam food that waitress got all upset thinking that he was being rude he was not common sense is that if you order appetizers before the food that you would bring that first so being that the waitress got ridiculous about the situation she Said I will call the manager so I told yes call your manager but before he approached us the waitress that did not do what she was supposed to do the one who took our order she said sorry it's my fault so my brother said to her so then go and get what was ordered before the food ,now what happens best is that the so called manager walks over instead of listening to what we had to say he told my brother I heard what you said about the damage food you have to respect the waitress and if not the door is right there I got really upset that he did not listen to what we have to say very unprofessional all he said I heard what was Said so what he did was ask us if we needed anything else we Said no thanks he got our check we paid it he said as a courtesy that he would not charge us for the alcapurrias so I told him that there was no need for that it's just the principle of what transpired he said no thats OK we paid and walked out the waitress never took the time to Apologize for the mistake anyway we left I called the restaurant back asked for the manager when he came to the phone I mentioned to him who I was that I had called him to go step by step what happened and that I apologize that my brother got upset and said dam food which was not an offense to the waitress who brought the food over ,the he mentioned that the waitress told him that we told her to bring the appetizers after the food which was a total lie I told him if that was the case why would we be upset and why when the other waitress brought the food before the appetizers the one that took the order first why would she have walked over to Apologize for her mistake , I took me this long to write a review because I do not to wrote reviews unless they are good but after talking to friends and family members they told we will not go there more and you should do the same , it was lack of education, respect , I work in the customer service business and I have a number of letters of people appraising my work ethics and my customer service ,now a lot of people may not agree maybe they have had better experience then we did first of all I am not one to make up stories I had been a loyal customer there since the previous owners never had a problem but I will never go there again the 2 things that bothered me the most was the waitress not following directions of what she was told and on top of that lying to the manager , and secondly the lack of professionalism of...

I had my own experience in the past with this restaurant and did not return until last week on Friday for their buffet as my father who moved to Miami wanted to visit.

Upon arrival we were received by Jose A. who wanted to seat us at the table across the register. Me and my father asked to be seated further back away from the register where customers go to pay and get up to serve their meals.

Jose’s response was that we could not sit at the other tables because they are for other customers (who haven’t arrived or will they) and that the tables may fill quick.

Just imagine how that made us feel as we were their right in front of him and he’s talking about other customers. I asked to speak to the manager and he gave me Rafael’s contact information (so I thought).

I called the number from my car at the parking lot and Jose A. answered. I went back inside the restaurant and he said he can’t give me Rafael’s number and gave me a business card.

Upon looking at the business card I noticed Rafael is not the manager, he is the Owner. Jose did not even offer to take a message or have Rafael contact us.

I then took my father to their other location on SW 112th st to eat and see if I would perhaps see Rafael there. Upon arrival a man asked me if I was looking for the PR restaurant and I said, “Yes, where is it?” The man said they closed and he introduced himself to me and my father as the owner of the new restaurant.

Unfortunately, I am not surprised they closed. Also, if their concern is that their current restaurant space is too small to accommodate their customers, the restaurant they closed was much larger square footage wise.

I will not be returning to this restaurant and nor will my father. The staff needs to treat customers properly and give the ones that do show up priority and make sure they are providing optimum service....