1 star rating April 9, 2008 Jenn A.
376 reviews
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1 of 10 worst dining experiences ever

We arrived around 6pm on a Sunday to a quiet restaurant, quickly seated near a window with glasses of water. A group of 6 was seated next to us, followed by another group of 8 after several smaller tables had been seated. Soon, the restaurant was packed. There were only 2 servers.

After 30 minutes, we were approached by a server. We ordered drinks and entrees. 30 minutes later, we received one drink, but it was the wrong one. The second drink -- a lemondrop but it was rather like a glass of vodka with a sugared rim and a curl of lemon zest. My re-made mojito arrived and was quite tasty.

The 6-top and 8-top both started receiving their food. We finally received our appetizer, but the quality was mixed. Finally, we got one entree: the vegetable "Vetapa" was the most bland, unappetizing dish I have ever tried. More waiting and obvious signs that the waiters were poaching dishes for their own tables rather than in order that they were ordered.

The owner offered to bring us something while our dinners were prepared: he brought another drink and we waited. The second lemondrop was better but the second mojito was as bad as the first lemondrop: a glass of rum & mint leaves.

Finally, the owner brought our entrees: seafood Xim Xim and vegetable Xim Xim. They tasted the same as the Vetapa: bland and overcooked. Not at all like Brazilian food I have had elsewhere.

The owner was gracious discounted our meal $10 and offered to personally supervise our next meal. I'm not sure I want a repeat performance. Perhaps it is safer to stick to plantains and guacamole and other appetizers - oh, sorry, "tapas" - in this Brazilian-ish eatery but it's not a place for a nice dinner.

We couldn't even get attention for a water refill for 90 minutes. How does this place win "best Latin American restaurant" in the East Bay Express? If you'd like a 2-3 hour dining experience with bland food, inconsistent drinks and spotty service: eat here!

Jenn's keywords: restaurant, dining, poor customer service, bland food

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