Boteco — Restaurant in Miami

I had been craving feijoada for what felt like an eternity, so I finally decided to treat myself at this restaurant for the first time. However, the entire experience turned out to be a major letdown. The service was lackluster, and the food barely managed to meet the standard of mediocre. Despite my husband only ordering a small appetizer since he wasn't particularly hungry, they audaciously charged us for a FULL meal for him just because he gave him some of my food so he could try it for the first time. Outraged by this blatant overcharge, I demanded to speak to the manager, only to be met with the most disdainful attitude from what I can only describe as a rude woman if I can even call her that. Throughout our conversation, she showed no regard for my concerns and even threatened to review security footage to verify if my husband had indeed eaten anything. Incensed by her dismissive behavior, I found myself on the receiving end of her condescending tone and finger-wagging, as if I were a misbehaving child. The sheer audacity of her actions left me seething with anger, and I stormed out of the restaurant, leaving my husband to foot the bill. To add insult to injury, they had the gall to include a 20% service charge, despite the abysmal service provided by our waitress. It was a disgraceful experience from start to finish, leaving a sour taste in my mouth that not even the most delicious feijoada could wash away. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!

MY RESPONSE: Your response is disappointing. I never once praised the food as 'delicious'. It was mediocre at best, and your inability to comprehend that is concerning. The rudeness of your staff member initiated the confrontation, to which I simply responded in kind. My husband's demeanor was one of annoyance, not embarrassment, as he attempted to diffuse the escalating situation caused by your staff's threat to review surveillance footage. Money is not the issue; it's about the fundamental principles of customer service, which your establishment clearly lacks. Trust me, your establishment won't see another dime from us, and my social media review reflects the truth of our experience. Your failure to address the behavior of your staff speaks volumes. We will gladly take our business elsewhere where customers are treated with respect.

UPDATED AND FINAL RESPONSE: Your establishment's ludicrous policy is a testament to its incompetence and financial struggles. I've traveled extensively and have been to many restaurants and never encountered such absurdity. Your staff's inability to handle the situation professionally only reflects poorly on your management. My comment about the cost of my bag was to emphasize the principle, not money. It's clear that your priorities are misplaced. Rest assured, you couldn't pay me to set foot in your dumpster of a restaurant...

12/13/22 in response to Restaurant's second response: I don't work for Texas De Brazil. What you should do is send your bartender over there so that he/she can taste the Caipirinah and learn what's good. Last remark, you still didn't address the food, the least you can do is provide customer service but instead you just keep showing how offended you are. For future reference, take the opportunity to invite the person back to improve the experience and show that you care about your business. Good luck to you and many blessings. 12/5/2022 Update: In response to the reply from the restaurant. #1 The place was half empty, and it was like 1pm. Again, save yourselves the $7 parking, plenty space on the road. #2 I thought the waitress was ok, didn't deserve 20%, 10% at best. She was overall pleasant and she is not why I originally gave your restaurant 2 stars. However, timing on serving the food is off. Can be improved. #3 In the response from the restaurant they didn't address why I sent the food back, so that to me is poor customer service, (the fries were drenched in oil and the shrimp tastes like frozen shrimp. For $18 I think you should serve fresh shrimp) also you may want to disclose that your drinks have a double shot. I've had some amazing Caipirinahs, specifically the best one at Texas de Brazil, and Boteca's Caipirinah does not compare. My feedback is not to bring you down, it is to help you see how you can be better. You are in the service industry. I'm sure you know money doesn't grow on trees. So if I'm going to spend $90 on lunch, it should, at least, be a pleasant meal. Thank you for YOUR feedback. 12/3/2022 First and foremost, parking is $7... Just for parking in their lot. There's parking on the street, save your money. Second, do not order seafood, Brazilians are known for their meats, stick to what they know. I ordered the Sauted shrimp and had to send it back... I ordered a Caipirinah and it was a complete fail. The lemons were rancid and the amount of liquor was overbearing, nothing sweet or pleasant about this experience, steer clear. Last, beware of the 20% gratuity that you're obligated to pay. Came here as suggested by @josiaheats but it was overall not a good meal experience. We had 3 skewers , 3 juices, 1 caipirunah, 1 xburger and total was $87. Not worth it. Now for what was good: We watched a world cup game, and...

Our first time and very likely the last. First impression was not good. I wanted a new place that would have some entertainment /music and found on the internet, as it was my friends' birthday, and we were treating her and her husband. Per their menu and website, they have happy hour M-F 5-8pm, got there Friday 7pm. I asked for their Happy hour menu and was informed happy hour stopped at 7pm. I told waitress I had spoken with someone that spoke very good English, she stated the "Manager" who I mentioned I would go early to enjoy some of the happy hour promotion they offered. Fine, we were granted happy hour prices for 1 hour. Fair enough, yet I hate when you have to argue about something that is clearly in your menu. Do not appreciate a "switch and bait" type of place. Note - Language barrier also may be a problem, we speak Spanish but even then, it was difficult to understand. I guess most guest are from Brazil. The food was quite tasty, and appetizers were good, but not better than any other Latin restaurant. I ordered a side rice, and it was $7 (I thought was ridiculously priced) and looking at their menu it is $5, so the menu is not updated in their website, but hey so be it. To be fair, we ordered Flan and it came with a sparkle for our friend birthday, which was a nice touch by the restaurant. However, what really put our stamp of "REJECT' to this place is the final bill. They charge for a cover fee $5pp, for the little band which was mediocre. That is not much, but it was a surprise. No where, not on website, not on menu does it notify the customer of this hidden fee. AND, in addition, the gratuity is charged for food and the cover, so we paid an extra $4 for the band as gratuity...(?) I was not going to argue, but these are the things I am seeing from these little mom and pops in Miami that just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. We paid $24 extra for a band that I thought was part of the restaurant's vibe and what would make them different. We should have gone done a repeat to Bayshore Club in Coconut Grove, they have same price range, nicer vibe and elegance, live music with no extra cover. Overall, for this place I give a 2 star for not being...