Jaguar Bolera - Raleigh — Restaurant in Raleigh

We wanted to love this place so badly since we are huge Top Chef fans and enjoyed watching Manny so we were excited to try it out on a recent Saturday afternoon for lunch.

Like: greeted at door by a friendly Gal who told us the lay of the land. Dislike: discovered they only serve brunch menu until 3pm. They should make that clear on their website cause the regular menu is what enticed us in on a Saturday for lunch.

Like: Gals at counter were nice. They even let us get a wrist band for drinks there after ordering our food, so we didn't have to go elsewhere, which is what we had originally been told to do.

Neutral: the 18% automatic service charge. I had thankfully read reviews about it and knew to expect it. Have no problem paying service charges even when we are getting our own utensils, drinks, and ordering at a counter.

Like: food is brought to you. Like: Wings good. Juicy. Zesty sauce. Husband said brisket sandwich was good. Dislike: The $18 sandwich came with nothing on the side. And wasn't exactly huge. Same with the wings. Liked that they shaved the celery, but come on, maybe it was half a stalk's worth? Big dislike: We had just paid $45.98 for these two items and both of us were not even full. Note, we have zero problem paying higher prices when they are warranted , but come on, throw in a bag of chips, a cup of slaw, something with that sandwich! How about a whole stalk of celery and maybe a carrot stick with the $18 wings?

Bigger dislike: (bordering on hate): the drink system. We have been to multiple places over the years with the pour your own system, but the system they are using here is flat out awful. Other establishments will have you pay a certain amount and then you pour what you want up to that amount. Here you give them a credit card, get a wrist band and have to trust them. Thought I'd have a glass of wine. Found a chardonnay that I've had in the past. Saw it was $2.00 an ounce, which sounded reasonable. Grabbed the same size glass I use at home, started to pour and literally a trickle came out. No big deal, but how do I know if I got charged for a full ounce or what? Went back to the counter and one of the gals checked my band and assured me I hadn't been charged for it and pointed to the drinks on the other side.

Okay, went over there, and poured what I would have expected to be five ounces and looked up and it said EIGHT ounces. Uh, no. At this point there were lots of people at the counter so I just sucked it up. Husband went for beer and came back with mostly foam.

HATE: Time to leave. Still hungry. Have spent $46 on food and "service". And have no idea what exactly our card will be charged for the glass of wine and beer foam. Went to counter to ask about cashing out. Well, you don't do that there. Told we would be cashed out in 24 hours. But she could cut my band off. Okay...thanks.

It's been over 24 hours and I have still not gotten a receipt about the drink charges via email. They had sent an immediate receipt for the food, so I know they are capable of doing so. Went online to my credit card and discovered the charge for our drinks was $25.37. Just for my own sanity I went home and used a measuring cup to measure 8 ounces of liquid in the same size glass and I know for a fact that's not what I poured.

Nitpicking: Only one soap dispenser and one dryer were working in the women's room. Not a big deal, but it's a new place so why aren't both working?

Overall we both left feeling ripped off. Hate that! The two things we did eat were good, but not any better than what we could get elsewhere with full service. I get that restaurants need to come up with new concepts that have less staff to pay, but the weird thing here is there appeared to be plenty of staff around.

Games: the sign said darts, board games and cards are free. Maybe we should have played something to feel better about having spent over $70 for one sandwich, some wings, a glass of wine and a glass...

The place was nice but that’s as far as it goes! When we (party of 2) first arrived the stench of musk (it someone like musky armpits) was so baffling…I was embarrassed considering I was taking someone out for a birthday lunch date. I have never come to this establishment but decided to try it out based on a TIKTOK REVIEW for the occasion. Upon reaching the “ORDER HERE” station…I let the woman Know this was my first time here and I was unaware how it works. (She was about 5’4 wearing a purple fitting pencil dress and long brown hair, Caucasian) Extremely unfriendly, not helpful. This is a restaurant where customers pretty much DO IT ALL- so the least she could have done was ASSIST with direction. I ordered my food and she didn’t mention drinks so I asked “do we make our own drinks or how does this work?” She replies “well you can grab a cup from there (pointing) but drinks you pay for separately and you wouldn’t make your own drinks we make them however you want” with a very condescending tone. At this point my date interceded bc she was VERY RUDE! He told her “we are not asking about alcoholic beverages” I interjected and said “remember, I’ve never been here so I’m not familiar” so she replies “ok well it was a miscommunication. I’ll add the drinks. Is that all?” But the fact is- it wasn’t a miscommunication at all, she failed to do her job And assumed. I honestly would have left but was on a time crunch and who wants drama on a birthday date. My date is a PARTNER at a franchise restaurant in Apex and was extremely disappointed, and myself, utterly embarrassed. To top it off- we are now looking for a seat and we have to ask someone to show us where set get our drinks. The guy (light skin/caramel complexion with short textured wavy hair) helps us and ACCUSES us of trying to get free beverages. He states “hey listen we typically are supposed to make customers pay for drinks but just go ahead and grab a cup” as if he was aggravated- at which he was corrected by my date bc this was paid for with my food. Whatever games or entertainment they offered we were not told how to participate or navigate the restaurant to get the best bang for my buck. All we saw were darts. Other people playing but we had no service or directions for the duration of our session; nor did anyone seem like they wanted to be bothered. The restaurant was pretty EMPTY! The food was decent. I definitely want to share my experiences on my social platforms (TT/IG/YT) bc I was utterly disgusted and disappointed. If the customer does it all- the least you ask could do is be pleasant and helpful!...

Jaguar Bolera – First Visit, Likely My Last

I visited Jaguar Bolera for the first time yesterday (Thursday at 6pm), and while it wasn’t too crowded which was a plus, the overall experience left much to be desired.

When we walked in, no one greeted us or offered any direction. Since it was our first visit and the setup is very different from a traditional restaurant, we had no idea where to go or how things worked. After wandering a bit, I stopped a staff member who kindly explained that we needed to walk to a separate section to order food.

At the food counter, we were met with a very dry, rushed greeting despite being the only ones in line. After ordering, we were directed to a different area for drinks, where Paula greeted us warmly and explained the drink options available. She was honestly the highlight of the visit. Still, I found the drinks to be overpriced $8 for a 4oz pour is steep.

The food arrived quickly, which was a nice surprise but unfortunately, the quality didn’t match the speed. I ordered the dry rub wings and brisket. The wings were terrible the flavor was unpleasant, and I only ate a few out of hunger. The brisket chunks were cold in the center, like they hadn’t been fully heated. I brought them back and told the staff I didn’t want a refund, just properly cooked food. The manager apologized and offered to make a fresh batch, which I appreciated. But when they came back, the brisket was hot… and rock hard. The manager checked in again, and at that point, I just said they were fine, I was hungry and tired of the back and forth.

Another issue was the lack of transparency with the drink bill. I wasn't able to view my final total before leaving. The charge just showed up on my card later that night, and I only saw the amount the next morning.

As for the games no one explained how to access or play them, and after the food experience, we weren’t really in the mood to stick around.

Overall, I wouldn't return unless they improve the food and better orient first-time guests. It’s a unique concept i.e pouring your own drinks, playing games, ordering food separately before seating yourself but it really needs clear communication and more attentive service. A simple walkthrough or welcome for new guests would go a long way in making the experience smoother and...