Tasca Brava

Truly Terrible Experience!!  I still can’t believe how rude the owner/waiter was to us.  In fact, I have never been spoken to like that in a restaurant, outrageous! To top it off, the food was nothing to brag about.  The soup was very delicious, but it was downhill from there.  The entree and two tapas dishes we tried were not good.  I wouldn’t return there if you paid me to go.

By {screen_name} 05/15/11

Do yourself a favor and eat here!  I tried unfamiliar tapas and loved every flavorful bite!  Perfect for an intimate dinner or a small group to try something ethnic and authentic!  Fantastic wine, ooo la la.  The owner is passionate and conversational.  He made us (and nearby tables) feel very welcome and appreciated.  I even overheard another table say to the owner, “You should be busier.  We eat out all the time and this is the best food downtown.”  BTW, save room for homemade sorbet, no kidding!

By {screen_name} 08/02/09

I have been going here for some time now. I love Tasca Brava! Every time I go I get the guy running the restaurant as my server. He is from Spain and is very knowledgeable about the food. It was also my understanding that his mother is back in the kitchen cooking! We barely even look at the menu and instead let him choose a few tapas for us, and we haven’t been steered wrong yet. The sangria is excellent and I highly recommend it.

By {screen_name} 05/22/09

I good not believe it when I opened the site today to find a place to take a friend to dinner tomorrow and saw the recent reviews.  It sounds like we all had the same server!  I have never been spoken to so rudely in my life, especially by someone I was paying good money to.  It’s such ashame that my son and I had our night ruined by the behavior of this man, because the food was actually very good and probably the most authentic Spanish cuisine outside of Spain and def in Raleigh.  Not worth the poor service though.

By {screen_name} 03/18/09

Seriously take this restaurant off your “Featured” list ! The owner is rude and an ass.  There was nothing nice about this establishment.

By {screen_name} 03/13/09

Ditto to what Dexter said above.  My girlfriends and I (always looking for new tastes and experiences) tried Tasca Brava last night and never even got around to getting food, we were SO insulted by the owner/waiter and his very rude and condescending manner!  We left and had a FABULOUS time at Sitti instead!  When we politely told the owner that we would try it another time, it wasnt the atmosphere we were looking for this night, he said we just needed to go find some fast food!  That was his answer after insulting us several times. We have now heard from many people that he has been insulting to them as well…no way to run a restaurant, especially in a recession!!

By {screen_name} 03/13/09

I loved this place.  The owner was very authentic, energetic and extremely helpful.  Everything he recommended was outstanding.  The food was awesome.  I would recommend this to anyone who wants to try something new and authentic…you’ll love it.

By {screen_name} 01/02/09

I had such high hopes for this restaurant, and the food was pretty good (except for the stale plantain chips) and inventive…antelope, exciting!  Unfortunately, our server disappeared for a long time, only to return to tell us that they had “lost our order”.  After we waited even longer (sans waiter), we got our food, and when done, again couldn’t find the waiter. Finally, we got our check only to find that we had been mischarged. I actually had to find another waitress and threaten to run the card ourselves to expedite things.  Eating at a nice sit-down restaurant shouldn’t be self-serve.

By Annie 12/16/08

A Taste of Spain in the Triangle.  I spent a summer in Madrid and this restaurant takes me back there with fond memories of its food and music.  I’ve had the chance to dine here many times—in the Cary location, the North Raleigh location and now on Glenwood South.  The Paella es delicioso!  The service is friendly and efficient.  The owner is very knowledgeable and makes helpful suggestions. All the homemade soups are fantástico .  The Gazpacho is great. The homemade desserts are mouthwatering. The distinct hot and cold entrees are delectable.  I highly recommend this fine dining experience.

By {screen_name} 11/11/08

We have had nothing but great experiences at both Tasca Brava locations - The new one downtown is awesome. I’m guessing the ‘guests’ with bad reviews like to get their food in huge quantities within minutes of sitting down. Tasca Brava is al about relaxing, taking our time and enjoying the company of your partner (guests, etc..). The owner (Juan) can pick out great wine and food if you simply listen, he knows his kitchen and the cuisine he’s offering. If you insist on being annoying then I’m thinking your experience may be different from ours! We often question him regarding wine or food and he has always explained (sometimes slipping between spanish and english which is really fun) clearly and accurately the answer.

By {screen_name} 11/11/08

We went to Tasca Brava on Friday night. I found the experience to be fantastic. The service was great from start to finish and the food was spectacular. We had the tomato bread for an appetizer and then had the paella for dinner. There was enough paella left over for a second meal. We met the owner and he couldn’t have been nicer. I was a little suprised to see the negative reviews pertaining to the service. We had some of the best service that we have had in Raleigh.

By RaleighHound 09/29/08

The list of things that are bad about this restaurant are plenty.  Totally overpriced and terrible service that is an insult to the customer.  I would not suggest this place to anyone after eating there recently.  If you know good food, good wine and good service and have a knowledge of the culinary world…. then SKIP Tasca Brava.  A complete let down that wont be around for much longer if they continue on like they are now.  I’d give them 1 star; at least my hunger was satisfied.  Wish my expections could say the same. No wonder they couldn’t make it in North Raleigh!!! Don’t believe the hype.

By {screen_name} 09/07/08

Let me start this by saying that I have never posted a review online, but felt that I should after the experience I had at this restaurant tonight.  I suggested to a couple of my friends that we try this place out as I had heard the food was pretty good.  The food was pretty good but the service was so insanely bad that we felt actually felt uncomfortable being there - as if we were imposing. 

We had the misfortune of having the owner wait on our table.  It all started to go down hill after he actually yelled at my friend (twice) to ‘put the glass on table’ after she attempted to be helpful in passing her glass to him to pour the wine.  It only got worse when we tried to order our food.  I have had tapas many times before - at a lot more authentic restaurants than this one - and I feel (as I’m sure many people do) that it is best to share several dishes as a table.  It is a lite meal - not something that you eat when you’re famished.  After ordering four dishes (for three people) the owner asked us what we were going to have for dinner.  We informed him that we were just interested in tapas and would start with what we ordered and go from there.  The owner - quite rudely - demanded that we place our entire order immediately as they were ‘very busy’ and would not be able to take any additional orders later.  For reference, the restaurant was not exceptionally busy - I saw at least four open tables immediately around us and it’s not a big place.  The owner - again very rude and agitated - told us that we did not order enough.  At this point I was shocked/creeped out and told him that we would be fine - if we were still hungry I would go anywhere else than to have to spend any more time in that place. 

The food was pretty good although our wine glasses went empty and water required at least two requests, as did the check.  I also noticed that the two tables around us were clearly agitated with the service and overheard a waitress apologizing to a table waiting on a coffee order, explaining that only the owner makes the coffee drinks as he is “very particluar”.  The other table near us had apparently been overcharged on their bill - it seemed like it took the owner about 30 minutes to rectify the situation. I don’t care how good the food is (of which this was not exceptional).  If you feel uncomfortable dining there it’s not at all worth it.

By {screen_name} 07/27/08

The new location is perfect. Cozy inside and ample outdoor seating.The food is outstanding—had homemade wild boar sausage tapas which unbelievable. Tried the Sangria which was delicious but will try the wine list next time as the owner will help you make the perfect selection as he did for the table next to us. HIGHLY recommend.

By {screen_name} 07/06/08

Went on Thursday evening for a girls night out and cannot wait to go back! The owner waited on us, and everything he suggested was divine! We ordered tapas, and all were yummy. Highlight of the night? Ending it with the coconut flan, which I will have sweet dreams about!

By mb6210 07/02/08

We went last night and ordered from the tapas menu only. Everything we tried was great, especially the mussels with chorizo/wine-cream sauce. We wish they served a little more bread with it to get every last drop. Liberal use of manchego cheese and cilantro here is a good thing. The service was a little confused, which is to be expected at 1+ weeks, and chef Hans was super helpful. Ask him to make some potatas bravas and put it on the menu as a permanent item. The potato tart is not as satisfying and the roasted potato dish. He promised some home made boar sausage was in the works as well.

By {screen_name} 05/29/08

Haven’t tried the new location, but this is some of the best food that I’ve ever eaten in Raleigh.

By Mark 05/23/08