Bougainvillea's Old Florida Tavern — Restaurant in South Miami

I have been a customer of this establishment for probably over 20 years. I have of course seen many changes in both the staff, the management, and mostly the attitudes of the employees. Although for the most part there are a few very respectful, kind, and attentive staff members, there are also a few who could absolutely use some additional training and/or personality adjustments. If I'm going to bring my friends, and all of our hard earned money to spend at any bar, I expect to at least feel welcomed and treated kindly. When I try to talk to management about it, I usually just get shuffled off to the side as if my opinion doesn't matter. Maybe to them my one little opinion doesn't matter but it should. I grew up in this town and I know many people, not only in the bar business but all around this city and I can very easily take them to any other bar or restaurant and not go to this place to spend my hard earned money. As well they have absolutely upped their prices to a point that some people don't want to go there because they're just too expensive. We're not on Miami Beach and the drinks should not be costing $10 or $11 a pop, without tip! That is just ridiculous. I'm sure there are other establishments in the South Miami area who would care to listen to a customer such as myself not only to keep my business but to teach the employees what should and shouldn't be done when it comes to their customers! So my opinion is that there are other places to go spend your money and enjoy a great time in South Miami without necessarily having to go to this bar. If management happens to read this and would like to reach out and actually get my opinion and hear what I have to say I will be more than happy to share...

One of my favorite local dive bars! Lol 😆 such a charming lil hole in the wall! As a wedding and event DJ in Miami I really appreciate good live entertainment, and there's great live entertainment on the weekends! I regularly come here when I don't have a gig that night. You can get up close to the stage with the talented bands that have the latest time set in the area (end at 1AM). Here are some clips of one of my favorite, unique local bands @Tremora, but all the bands I've seen here are really enjoyable, AND there's no cover or minimum (same for the other pub crawl venues nearby). It's small, so it gets pretty crowded on the weekends. As such, it can be hard to get a drink at the bar, and it can be a tight squeeze so be patient. It's worth it! That's part of the charm here. It feels like you're in a friend's living room. The crowd is cool, and I've never seen any altercations despite how crowded it can get. It is loud, so you may wanna wear ear plugs if you're near the stage. There's also an outside terrace with more breathing room and space. An added plus is there are several local bars and restaurants within a short walking 🚶‍♂️ distance of

The reason I gave this a 2 is because of one of the bartenders. The vibe of the place was great and the music was amazing but I’ve never had my mood killed as fast as I’ve had here by a bartender. I literally never write reviews because I generally am easy going and will be fine anywhere but this was the most rude service I’ve ever had. I know for some people it might seem like a joke, but I asked for a simple favor for the bartender to take a picture of us and he told us, “I’m a bartender, not a photographer” completely serious. I mean any normal human being would have been cool with doing us the favor. I still tipped him because he did make us our drinks but honestly this is the stuff that gives Miami and Florida a horrible reputation. I grew up here and I left for school and I forgot why people hate it here and this was a big reminder that the service industry is the rudest...