La Fogata Kendall — Restaurant in Florida

My family and I cannot even rate the food because our terrible experience began from the moment we walked in. A man greeted us and told us we could sit anywhere. His words were backed up by a sign that greets you and states " sit yourself and someone will be with you shortly". There were no booths available so we chose a table nearby the kitchen. I must point out that our party consisted of my two children, my husband and I. We sat there for over 5 minutes and not one waiter came to provide us with menus. We noticed that a band was setting up equipment and a giant speaker was right next to my husband. We spotted another table near the window in the front area of the restaurant and proceeded to move as we did not want to be deafened once the music began. I must point out that both tables sat a party of 6. We sat at the new table and waited well over 5 mins again and not one waiter acknowledged us. They glanced and glared our way but no one came to speak with us. The staff consisted of only male waiters. Finally, one older waiter came to ask us how many were in our party. I responded we were a party of four. He rolled his eyes and walked away with an angry look. I didn't even have time to ask for menus. About a minute later another waiter approached our table and told us we had to move because the table was for a party of 6 and not four. His demeanor was condescending and he refused to respond in English even though I spoke English so my husband could understand what was transpiring. I affirmed that we had been in the restaurant well over 15 minutes, had initially sat in another table for 6 and no one had had the courtesy to approach us. The man insisted in Spanish that we could not sit at this table because it needed to remain available for a party of 6. The waiter never introduced himself, did not apologize for the delay in staff ignoring our presence as patrons. I told him that their behavior was beyond unacceptable and got up and left. I cannot comment on the food quality but I certainly can attest to the fact that the staff is extremely rude and condescending. The sign contradicts the ability to seat anywhere. There was no manager in site. Despite the reviews alleging the food is great we will never consider being patrons of this establishment based on the egregious treatment we received. The arrogance and dismissiveness of the waiters was appalling and a complete turn- off to ever setting foot in that place again. Do better La Fogatta!! And don't discriminate against English- only...

We visited this restaurant recently, arriving around 12:20 PM, and were seated promptly. Our experience started on a positive note with waters being brought out quickly. However, it took about five minutes for our server to acknowledge us. When he finally approached, he didn’t introduce himself but immediately asked if we were ready to order. Feeling rushed, we asked for a few more minutes.

When we were ready, my wife ordered one type of soup, my mother-in-law chose another, and I ordered fajitas. The server informed us that the soups weren’t ready and would take about 10 more minutes. Since we specifically came for the soup, we were fine with the wait. Unfortunately, the 10-minute wait turned into 25 minutes, during which no one checked on us. We needed water and other items, but the lack of attention left us feeling neglected.

When the soups finally arrived, there were still no fajitas. The server reassured us they’d be out shortly, but another 20 minutes passed with no sign of my meal. My wife and mother-in-law felt uncomfortable eating their soups while I waited for my food, which dampened the dining experience further.

Frustrated, I asked to speak with the manager. When she came out, her demeanor made us feel as though our concerns were unwarranted. Instead of offering a meaningful solution or showing empathy, she seemed dismissive.

Eventually, my fajitas arrived, but by then, I was already upset. I ate quickly, feeling that the service didn’t justify the money we spent. Dining out is a treat for us, and we left feeling that our time and hard-earned money weren’t valued. They even included the tip, even though we were only 3 people.

Overall, this experience was disappointing, and will...

BEWARE OF THIS! Before I get into the food, I have to mention an issue with the check. Our waiter, Orlando, brought us a receipt where the tax and gratuity section was covered with white-out tape. The subtotal and total didn’t add up, and when we questioned it, he quickly took the receipt, crumpled it, and blamed the machine. He then brought the correct one — this time showing the tax and gratuity. Please double-check your receipt, because the credit card machine will still prompt you for a tip — which means you could end up paying gratuity twice. Now for the food: It was my first time visiting the Kendall Drive location, and overall, the food did not disappoint. We tried a repocheta, which was absolutely delicious! We also ordered the grilled chicken with grilled onions, grilled pork with plantains, and lomo con salsa jalapeño — everything was full of flavor and well-prepared. The natural fruit juices, especially the mango and lemonade, were refreshing and complemented the meals perfectly. We did have to wait about 25 minutes to be seated, and while the food was worth the wait, the service fell short. Our waiter wasn’t very attentive or friendly, which took away from the overall experience. That said, if you're in Miami and craving authentic Nicaraguan food, I definitely recommend giving La Fogata a try — just be prepared for a possible wait and a service experience that might not match the quality...