El Andaluz Cafe — Restaurant in West Miami

I have lived in this neighborhood for 41 years and I have seen my fair share of different restaurants attempt to succeed at this location. Unfortunately this one will be no different. I went with my mother and my son on Mother's Day, we arrived at 3:30pm and were told at 5pm they were having a show but we were welcome to eat before the show began since they were fully booked for that. We sat down and from the beginning the owners wife had a very condescending attitude towards our questions about the menu. Coming from Spaniards descendants, I know my way around a Spaniard menu. This was definitely not your typical menu and therefore my questions should not have surprised the owner. She was quick to inform me her husband is from Spain and she knows what she is talking about. Strike one. I ordered gambas Al ajillo, croquetas de jamón serrano, chistorras for appetizer. Traditional gambas Al ajillo traditionally are served in a clay dish with fresh garlic and olive oil chilli flakes and parsley. These were served in a soup bowl were the size of Chinese rice not your traditional jumbo shrimp, the croquettes had a glob of honey on the plate, never seen that rendition before. The chistorras were ok but it's hard to mess that up. As we were waiting on our food the patrons which ended up being the friends and family of the owners, started to arrive. We were basically made to feel so uncomfortable that I couldn't even eat the terrible food. We also ordered the chuletón which should be the equivalent of a T-bone steak, we got a thin wanna be ribeye that they probably purchased across the street at Fresco and I say this because the owner walked thru the dinning room while we waited for our disgusting food with 3 bags of groceries from Fresco. We complained to the 1 waitress and the owner finally stepped in to tell us its was a mistake to allow us to eat at his restaurant and that he told me he had a show at 5pm. I was appalled by his response. All the patrons around us were staring at us and kept pointing that we were occupying one of tables. After being ridiculed and made to feel like beggars, I gave the waitress my card told her to charge me so I can get the heck out of there. I was charged an 18% gratuity charge which was insane to me. We were not even offered water. The kicker is this was on Mothers Day, you would think as a new business owner to the area that you would treat 2 moms on Mother's Day with a little more respect but unfortunately theses business owner are low class and have zero knowledge of how to run a business. It was the worst experience I have ever had at a dining facility. Taco Bell offers better food and service than this dump! DO NOT GO HERE! I would give it negative stars if I could!! I should add they are under new ownership, the 5 star reviews are from a time when it was under the previous ownership and they actually served authentic Spaniard food not food they purchase from fresco across the street. The owners are rude and disrespectful as you can see from their response to the review below mine. They are entitled and do not care about the customer. Good luck...

I really like the small the feel of this place. The chef made great food, large portions and everything at an affordable price! I believe the bill was $77 and change just for the food.

As I mentioned the food was Great!!! I’d most definitely be an on going client.

We had the, -Calamari (no picture) Large portion. -Mushrooms in sherry sauce (no picture) Large portion. -My girlfriend had the shrimp with some rice. -I had the sausage platter Large portion. -I had a coffee

I’d of gave this place 5 stars.

My suggestion’s

The establishment is too small to have a live artist play music.

The indoor tables are too large, you can’t fit 4 people comfortably next to the other tables. A suggestion. Down size the tables a bit or remove one table to make some space for customers to have a bit more room.

The waitress wasn’t bad. For as small as the place is she could have hustled and been a bit...

The experience was terrible and not worth the price. The oil used for frying had a rancid taste, which ruined the flavor of the fried dishes—it was clear the oil had been overused and not replaced. The paella was excessively salty and unappetizing, making it nearly impossible to enjoy. For the high prices they charge, the quality of the food was shockingly bad.

Beyond the food, the service was unprofessional and poorly trained. Dirty plates with a “Ross” sticker still attached were brought to the table, and the tableware was mismatched, with some wine glasses made of plastic and others of glass. To make matters worse, the management staff was rude and dismissive when concerns were raised.

The only redeeming aspect was the music, which featured excellent artists and created a pleasant ambiance. However, that wasn’t enough to save the overall experience. I can only give...