La Buena Vida Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Fort Collins

Very disappointed by my experience today. I've enjoyed the food and margaritas at La Buena Vida for many years. Although it is a little pricy, the food is tasty and mostly consistent (sometimes it could be hotter).

Today, I got my check at lunch and the price was incorrect. The lunch combo I ordered with 2 items should have been $13 plus $1 extra (per) for chicken. This is what I ordered so it should have been $15. However, there is also a section on the lunch menu where you really get the same thing (2 rellenos plus rice and beans) but it is $17. It wasn't super busy so I decided to go to the host stand to pay and let them know it was mischarged mostly so they would be aware. After a couple times of explaining the error, they said they would correct it. They came back with a bill that had the lunch special at $13 and 2 upcharges for chicken at $1.50 each (not $1). I pointed this out and again it took a bit of explaining to make it clear they were charging a different price than what was listed on the menu. Obviously, a couple bucks isn't a big deal but it was more about letting them know their charges didn't match their advertised rate. It became clear that this is how ALL customers are being charged. My waiter had come by and he was very nice about it. However, they needed help from the manager to try to fix it (who I'm fairly certain was one of the owners). She went behind the host stand and then came back clearly irritated and slapped down a dollar in front of me saying, "There! That fixes it." She continued on outdoors. It was incredibly rude. I wish she would have acknowledged that their system had a different price and could have easily said something like, "Oh, I apologize the system is ringing in a higher rate than what is listed. It isn't an easy fix for me so here is a dollar to compensate the difference." I finished paying with our waiter who was very kind and still tipped him more than 20%. It was not about the money as much as the importance of charging what you say. Sadly, she made it clear that she didn't care one ounce about the discrepancy and I feel pretty confident they will continue charging what they wish whether it matches the menu or not. For this reason, I will not return. I know it won't matter much as they are always plenty busy but there are too many options in this town to be treated badly over someone else's mistake.

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We got seated quickly on a Friday night even though they were fairly busy and we had a party of seven. The downside was our table was for six and the way they arranged the chairs made it crowded & uncomfortable. The free chips and salsa were the highlight of the evening. They bring out a basket of fresh yummy chips and three small bowls of salsa including an avocado based green/creamy sauce, a smokey chipotle sauce and a hot salsa that are all incredible. We could not get enough of the chips and salsa. Unfortunately this was the highlight of the evening rather than a sign of things to come. I was craving chili rellenos and so that's what I ordered which at $12 was one of the less expensive items on the menu. It was a let down and just the other day I was at a place for lunch that had a chili relleno combo that was half the price and tasted much better. My wife ordered a burrito that was alright but it cost $14 and was nowhere near the quality & taste that the price tag might suggest. We each ordered a basic margarita and for $9 it was a tremendous let down. I found it ironic that when I went to the restroom before dinner to wash my hands there was a sign on the mirror bragging how they were voted the best margarita bar in Fort Collins. I don't know what that was based on but I can think of five other places off the top of my head that have substantially better margs for a lower price and a similar atmosphere. Others of our party had been several times and they ordered a skirt steak entree that looked pretty tasty but it was also a $18 dish. I would like to try it again to give it another chance but we spent $60 after tax & tip for two entrees and two margs which is outrageous for the quality we got. We were also ignored at the end for about 15min when we wanted the check so we could leave. Maybe the sever was busy as he seemed to be very good at his job earlier so I don't want to judge too harshly but when you go to a late dinner after working out and are ready to go that 15min of just sitting around waiting seems like an hour. Overall this place has potential but is overpriced in my opinion. It's Mexican food & mediocre margs we're talking about not gourmet...

We had an unfortunately bad experience at this restaurant which we have actually enjoyed for several years. It was very busy, and we were quoted a wait of 35 minutes. Twenty minutes later, my 7 year old was crying and not in a good mood, so I checked in to see what the wait would be. I was reported an additional wait of 35-40 minutes. This was upsetting because I was originally quoted less time 20 minutes prior ( I was watching the time). My family was anxious to eat, and we decided to order to go. I ordered $100 worth of food and sat down to wait, while drinking by $16 buena vida margarita. I then went up to make sure that salsa could be included with my meal as it is when we are seated. The hostess told me this would be an extra $1.50. I found this very petty, and so expressed my discontent that I was about to spend $116 plus tip on take out after being misquoted seating time. The hostess was polite and checked with her manager. The manager came forward and I explained that I was a long time customer, always tip well, and had been misquoted waiting time, but he insisted that salsa needs to be paid for regardless… I was taken aback by a manager that seemed to not care about taking care of customers for the petty price of chips and salsa. I even mentioned that I always take care of people tip wise (I typically tip 20% for decent in house service and 10% for takeout). The managers demeanor made me think one of 2 things: either this young man is very inexperienced and doesn’t care about his job, or as my wife suggested and I am now sure is true… That the manager is a relative of the owner and feels he can act disrespectful to customers at his leisure. So… my final tip. You guys have great food, and some wonderful staff. Respect your customers. They are guests in YOUR house. And to the young manager: you are in a customer service position. Be kind to customers even when you are frustrated, and if you are related to the owner, respect the hard work they put in to building a successful restaurant. There are no handouts in this world. I wish you guys continued success, and I will miss your...