Lil Greenhouse Grill — Restaurant in Miami

I honestly feel a little bad leaving this review because the owner was really kind and our waitress provided good service. That said, I was genuinely shocked by the food, especially considering this spot has a 4.7-star rating on Google and there are a few TikToks hyping it up.

We had a party of 7 and arrived at 7 PM. They close at 8, so we called around 6:30 to confirm they could still accommodate us. The atmosphere was okay, small, older space, nothing fancy, but we weren’t expecting luxury. The old-school R&B/soul music was a nice touch. The food, though smh that’s where things fell apart. At this point, it felt like we made a donation instead of getting a meal. We did have $13 comped off of our tab and the kids liked their food, for the most part, which is the only reason our visit wasn't a complete waste.

Adult meals: Yellow rice - rancid, inedible. Mashed potatoes - untouched, my mom said they looked dirty and if it had butter or salt none of us could tell. Cornbread - standard, nothing memorable. Collard greens & cabbage - uneaten, flavorless. Grilled shrimp - looked grilled but somehow weren’t cooked, per my grandmother. Sangria - pretty presentation but not tasty. Lemon pepper wings - completely drenched in lemon juice, too tart. The wings are smoked, but taste more burnt. Mango habanero wings: no mango flavor at all, just spicy. Seafood cake - strong fishy smell, but was decent.

Kids’ meals: Cheeseburger and fries - no complaints here, simple and safe. Buffalo wings + mac & cheese - my cousin really liked her food, she said it was too much sauce but she ate everything. Fried shrimp + mac & cheese + green beans - mac and shrimp were fine, but the green beans were straight from a can and definitely not fresh.

We waited awhile for the food, but none of it came out hot. Maybe the food used to be better when the owner was the one cooking, but whoever is behind the kitchen now is doing something, but it’s not cooking. I feel like the owner should've noticed that half our food wasn't eaten and we didn't take it to-go. My sister wondered if going near closing time affected our experience, but honestly, service and food quality should be consistent until closing. We paid our check, but it didn’t...

Disclaimer: My husband and I have eaten at Lil Greenhouse Grill on multiple occasions. We have never been disappointed with the food and have told our families and friends about this place. The customer service has always been nothing but excellent.

However, today I decided to order take-out for the first time after a long 10 hour work day. First, when I called I was placed on hold for over 6 minutes. I hung up and called again and someone took my order. This was at 6:45pm. Since we frequent here often, I know that the rib dinner is always sold out. So I specifically asked the waitress on the phone if there were still rib dinners left. She replied, "yes". I went ahead and ordered a rib dinner and a wing dinner. I was told it would be ready in 20-25 minutes. I was still at work. By the time I left and got to the restaurant, it was 7:30pm. When the waitress left to check on my order, she returned with another young lady. They began to stutter and could not get the words out of their mouth when they stated very quietly, "I'm sorry, we're out of the rib dinner." Which was the driest apology I have ever received. Either they didn't know what they were doing or they were lying. I hope it wasn't the latter. I replied, "when I ordered over the phone at 6:45pm, I was told you still had the rib dinner". They just reiterated the same statement, "we're out of the rib dinner." They didn't even have my wing dinner ready. I just ordered an appetizer and kept my wing dinner order. I waited over 30 minutes for my food (at this point I had no idea they were preparing another order). The waitress did not have the decency to let me know that I would have to wait that long. I received my order at 8:07pm. If I would have known that it would take that long, I would have gone somewhere else. I'm a stickler when it comes to customer service and the service I received today was unacceptable. I would rather eat at a restaurant with terrible food and good customer service than eat at a restaurant with good food and poor customer service. I will not be returning to...

Seconds chances are never promising!!!!! Decided to give this place another chance after my first horrible experience. Lets back track. I visited a while back and placed a to go order. After waiting for 30 minutes upon my arrival after being told my food will be ready in 15 to 20 minutes, I received a greasy bag full of food with sauce leaking for it. The woman who bought it out looked at the bag leaking with sauce and continued to hand it to me. I asked her for another bag indicating "hey there is sauce leaking from the bag" as she just handed me the bag and walked away. Today I visited around 12pm. I called to place a to go order and was told 15 to 20 minutes for my food. I arrived and was asked my name by the hostess as she proceeded to go to the back. Ten minutes passed as people were entering the restaurant as the same hostess were sitting them down. 15 minutes passed, as the same hostess came back out and asked me for my name for the second time as I told her again. She proceeded to the back again as now we are approaching twenty minutes. Another woman walked through the door asking everyone were they helped as all replied yes. Thirty minutes passed as the same hostess comes back out and ask me my name again for the third time and what did I order? I stated to her my name again and said is my food ready as she replied the kitchen does not have an order for you. At this time waiting almost 40 minutes, driving over 30 minutes to get there is unbelievable. First, this place seems like they need help as they are under staffed. Second, if you see a customer awaiting for a while and have to ask them there name twice, there is a problem. Be proactive, take charge and immediately figure out a fast solution. Customer service one on one, never let a customer walked out the door upset for inconveniences like this. This could have been a easy fixed and resolved as she looked at me and didn't offer anything or say nothing and allowed me to walked out the door. I will never return here again or recommend this place to many...