Salento Steakhouse — Restaurant in Jacksonville

Located in a very unassuming strip mall in Mandarin, I had no idea what to think of this place prior to going in. However, as soon as we walked through the door I was smacked in the face with the aroma of grilled meats and seasonings. I glanced over at the table closest to the door and saw them eating a huge bowl of what looked like red bean soup and some meat I couldn't place at the moment. That mixed with the cute decor made me super excited to eat here. Having seen the stew, my husband knew he wanted to try that as an appetizer, so we did. It was incredible. It came out steaming hot, and the meat I couldn't place earlier was chicaronnes, which they made crispy and complemented the red beans in the stew wonderfully. The flavor of the broth was incredible and it was easily enough to be a meal for one person. But we didn't stop there. I had seen the pictures of the meat boards before arriving and my husband saw the blood sausage, so we went for it with the Salento House, which is a combination of all the meats and comes with 4 sides. The menu advises it feeds 3 to 4 people and our lovely waitress said we'd have enough for a midnight snack, but we just laughed her off because my husband can put away a meal no problem. Welp, this came out and we were not prepared for the amount of food piled on the mini grilled it was served on. And everything was cooked to perfection. We ordered the steak medium rare, which I suggest going down a heat because it was underneath a lot of the food so once we got to a few pieces they were medium, which was totally fine with us. For the sides we got green and sweet plantains, veggie skewers and yuca fries. Yum! They also serve three homemade sauces with the meats: a mayo based, a chimichurri and a hot sauce. They were all delicious and compliemented the meats really well. We honestly were stuffed and it didn't look like we made a dent. And for the price it was more than worth it. My husband and I both had good portions for lunch and dinner the next day. I did want to try their Tres Leches for dessert, but they were all out, which was probably a good thing because I don't think I really had room for it. We will definitely be making this a place to take our family, as they live right...

I ordered the Cowboy steak, it is market price. When I asked the price the server let me know it was $36, (remember this for later) which was about the same price as the other steaks so I ordered it. The first time it was cooked to the wrong temp so I had to get a new steak. Which was inconvenient as the rest of the table finished before I got my food. But when they brought it back, it was perfect. One of the best steaks I’ve ever had. Mistakes happen and working in the service industry. I know it’s not uncommon so I don’t mind the wait.

When I got the bill however the steak was listed at $73.50. Which is obviously a pretty big difference, when I went to the counter and asked my server she told me once again that it was $36 before being corrected by another server. I double checked and she said it was $36 for a 3rd time before manager stepped in and asked what happened. As a restaurant manager, I feel like I have a high standard for how customer service should be handled. I was slightly upset because I probably wouldn’t have ordered the steak if I knew its actual price, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Honestly, the most upsetting part of the experience was the managers reaction. She proceeded to contradict me, not make eye contact and argue with me for the next 10 minutes. After asking the rest of the table and demeaning me, she continued to offer me a coffee or dessert after I’ve already told her I was leaving and I didn’t want that. Finally, she gave me a gift card, which was not the same value as the steak which was incorrectly cooked, and Improperly priced. It was not even the difference between the price I was told and the price I paid.

I really enjoyed the food and will definitely be back, but I was just disappointed by the bad customer service. If your staff doesn’t know the prices of the food, I shouldn’t be held...

I did not realize this was a Colombian restaurant until we pulled up into the parking lot (my fault for letting someone else make the choice for dinner! 😂

This location is new to the area so we decided to give it a try. The hostess seemed a bit overwhelmed at the time we walked in. She may have just been learning the seating chart/staff assignments. The wait at the front door was a bit long to be seated (and only one couple in front of us) because of that.

Once seated, the experience began. Very tranquil vibe… The staff was very friendly. Our waitress had a few issues when it came to knowing the menu / answering our questions about the food & ingredients. Once we figured out our choices, we were given bread and 2 dipping sauces…. Neither of which were explained to us (should definitely be done because not everyone knows about the tangy/tart flavoring or Colombian food!) The entrees (both steaks) were phenomenal! Pricing was $$$$.

The only real issue we had with the restaurant/experience is that our food came out in shifts… the salads (okay— that’s normal), the appetizer (also normal), the sides came separate from the entrees….. basically as soon as it was finished being cooked…. It came to the table instead of plating everything together. I got my appetizer after my entree was finished…. 🤯

The dining room seemed a bit cramped …. Tables too close to one another and you could clearly hear the next-table’s conversations. The decor was current and very eye-appealing. Doesn’t seem very kid-friendly to me. More of an adult atmosphere.

Definitely willing to give it...