Bravo Peruvian Cuisine — Restaurant in Wilton Manors

In 2017, I went to Bravo during the winter (Florida winters can get cold, y'all) and they sat us in an empty restaurant right by the front door where people were running n and out picking up pre-ordered food for take out. We asked if it would be possible to move further away from the door. They moved us one table over to another table that was still in close proximity to the door. Again, the restaurant was empty. We were with an elderly person how really needed to be a bit further than five feet from the front door. Unfortunately, there was either a language barrier or something and they were growing angry that we wanted to be moved further from the door. Note, all this happened within about five minutes of arrival. So, instead of getting yelled at or worrying if someone has done something to our food, we decided to find another place to eat.

Note, this place does have pretty good food, so I just tried them again for the first time since (this is during the pandemic 2021 second wave). I called an order in because I know people aren't really wearing masks in Florida so I figured I would pick it up and take it home. On the phone I ordered a Steak sandwich and a Pollo Bravo. The order taker said the shredded chicken sandwich, and I said no - the one with marinated chicken, bacon, lettuce...The order took about 15 minutes and it was ready when I arrived. Unfortunately, the order taker still got the chicken wrong and so I asked if they could get me the sandwich I ordered and he said sure, that it would take 7-10 minutes. He asked me if I wanted to wait at the bar and I said no, I would wait outside. Having not heard anything in ten minutes, I returned inside where I stood right by the cash register for five more minutes before the people who were looking at me asked if they could help. I said yes that I am waiting on my order and they were redoing a sandwich. The order taker who was behind the person that asked me if she could help said, "oh" and then spoke to the guys through the portal into the kitchen. Grasping that the sandwich hadn't even been requested, I told them I would take the steak sandwich and just go. The guy tried to get me to buy the sandwich that was wrong again and I said not that one, just the steak. So ultimately, I ended up with a steak sandwich for someone else that had sat for a half hour while I thought my sandwich was being made and a big fat zero for myself. It's okay, I can afford to miss a meal. Thanks, Bravo for helping me with my diet instead of me helping you with your business! :-)

I think I have given Bravo enough chances to have a good experience and while their food is probably good, I will never know because they can't even get the service or order correct. So if you go, good luck. I hope you have a wonderful experience and the food is as good as I hoped it would be. I...

Dear Bravo Management Team,

I am writing to express my deep disappointment regarding a recent dining experience at your restaurant on Saturday night. As a longtime customer, I have always admired Bravo for its exceptional culinary standards, particularly your renowned risotto. However, my most recent visit proved to be an unfortunate turning point.

An integral part of my decision to dine with you was the anticipation of enjoying your remarkable risotto, which had previously stood out as the best in town. To my dismay, my expectations were shattered when I discovered that Bravo's risotto is now being made with quinoa instead of the traditional arborio rice. Not only was this substitution unexpected, but it also had a significant impact on the dish's quality.

I must emphasize that the quinoa risotto was utterly disappointing and fell short of the excellence I have come to associate with your establishment. The texture, taste, and overall experience were far from what I had envisioned. It became nearly impossible for me to eat it. Risotto, in its essence, is meant to be lovingly prepared with arborio rice, creating a rich and creamy delight that is unmatched by other alternatives.

This deviation from your original recipe leaves me puzzled and questioning the motivations behind such a change. While I understand that menu alterations occur over time, the shifting of a signature dish without proper consideration for customer preference is disheartening. The risotto was the primary reason my friend and I chose to dine at Bravo that evening, and our disappointment is profound.

Regrettably, this experience has made it clear to both my friend and me that Bravo no longer aligns with our dining expectations. As customers who have previously enjoyed and recommended your establishment, it is with great sadness that I inform you that we will not be returning, effectively ending our patronage to Bravo.

I sincerely hope that you take this feedback with the intention it was given - to highlight the unintended consequences of altering a beloved dish such as your risotto. Should you decide to revert to the tried-and-true recipe, I would be more than willing to reconsider my decision and give Bravo another chance. However, until then, please remove my name from your mailing list and consider this email as a formal request to close my Bravo loyalty account.

I wish you the best for your future endeavors and sincerely hope that you reconsider the new risotto recipe.

Best...

This Peruvian restaurant was recommended to me by one of my Peruvian friends so I already came in having a feeling it would be great. It did not let us down. The ceviche was remarkable - corvina ceviche in a classic leche de tigre, Aji limo, sweet potato, cancha, & Peruvian corn. The pollo anticuchero was delicious - marinated grilled chicken breast, rice, roasted potatoes, salsa criolla. The only let down was the pollo saltado which was okay - chicken breast strips Flambé with onions, tomatoes, sesame oil, ginger with rice and fries. Looking forward to my next visit to Bravo Peruvian Kitchen!

Update: Came in again recently with two friends and we shared the anticuchos (grilled beef heart skewers), yuca and cheese balls, a lomo saltado, and an arroz chaufa. If you ever come here to try out this restaurant for the first time, I recommend these four items plus a ceviche! It's what I will coin as a "taste of Peru!" If you are not too daring, feel free to skip out on the anticuchos but again, they are amazing! The chaufa and lomo are some of the best I've had in any Peruvian restaurant.

Upgrading this...