CombatCritic's TravelValue™: 2024

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Monday, June 24, 2024

Olhão (Faro), Portugal: Decent Food and Service, But The 30% Discount Elevated My Rating

Tacho d'Avo

Urbanizacao Village Marina 21A

Olhao 8700-292 Portugal

+351 289 722 249

Prices: €€€€

I wish I had seen the TripAdvisor 30% discount on the ala carte menu before we went last night, but, as it turns out, we received the discount without asking ... HOOAH!

We were the only people in the restaurant at 18:30 when we arrived and had our pick of tables. Unfortunately, they had no air conditioning on this hot summer evening, so we had to switch tables to a shadier place as the sun went down and into my wife's face.

We ordered a 1/2 liter of house red wine and a small Cheese and Sausage Board (€7.50) to get us started. The wine was decent and the board adequate with salami, two cheeses, three types of ham, and some olives.

My better half decided on the Basil and Pine Nut Ravioli in Roquefort Sauce (€18/€12.60 with discount). They were more tortelloni than ravioli, but the dish was very tasty and filling. My Sicilian wife was very happy with her choice.

I ordered the Steak with Roquefort Sauce (€20/€14 with 30% off), coming with fries and rice. The steak was medium in size and the sauce very good, but the meat was quite chewy. I had asked the server about the Large Steak for 2-3 people (€40) because I had seen photos of some great looking T-Bone steaks online, but she could not tell me what kind of steak it was or much else for that matter.

The service was good overall, but nobody bothered checking on us after the food was delivered and I had to go find some salt and pepper for my meal. We waited so long for someone to return that I ended up going up to the cash register to pay.

CombatCritic Gives Tacho d'Avo 7 Bombs Out Of 10 (5 Out Of 10 if we hadn't received the discount)... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Leroy Merlin - Fraud, Rudeness, Unprofessional Behavior, and a Total Lack of Integrity

Here is a video detailing all of the problems I have had getting Leroy Merlin (Loule, Portugal) to honor the 5-year warranties on the €5,000+ awnings we purchased in May 2022 (over 2 years ago

1. We were defrauded by their installation contractor who justified the nearly €800 installation fee by telling me tat the job would take 2-3 days. In actuality, it took him less than 8 hours to install both awnings - an unheard of €100/hour labor charge here in Portugal.

2. One remote control has not worked properly from the very start, but Leroy Merlin refuses to replace the remote even though it is still under warranty. If there is a sudden wind storm we would not be able to close that awning before damage to the awning would occur.

3. The awnings do not close completely, exposing the awnings to inclement weather and possible damage.

4. The tubing that contains the electrical wiring has failed, falling from the brackets meant to retain them.

5. Leroy Merlin never apologized for the extremely rude treatment I received in the store when trying to arrange delivery. A female calling herself ‘manager’ and a female, supposedly in charge of delivery/logistics, by the name of Maria Biato were both extremely rude, condescending, and insulting because I couldn't speak Portuguese, along with many of their other customers. Their behavior was appalling. I know that we are in Portugal and should speak Portuguese when possible, I’m trying, but many expats have told me about how difficult it is for non-Portuguese speakers to navigate the Leroy Merlin website and deal with their employees in the store.

CombatCritic Gives Leroy Merlin 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My WALL OF SHAME ... MORE BOMBS ARE BETTER!

One Bomb Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Faro, Portugal; Great Expectations, Oustanding View, But A Disappointing Breakfast Buffet

Harune Restaurant - AP EVA SENSES HOTEL

Av. da República, 1

8000-078 Faro, Algarve, Portugal

Phone: +351 289 540 100

Email: book.eva@ap-hotelsresorts.com

Website: Harune Restaurant

Prices: €€€€

I had heard about this restaurant, its buffet breakfast and lunch, and the amazing view of Faro's boat harbor, Ria Formosa, and the Atlantic Ocean, so we reserved for a Sunday breakfast.

I had reserved for 9:30 am, but when we arrived we were told that our reservation was for lunch. No worries, the hostess took our money (€16 each even though their website says breakfast is €13).

The restaurant is modern with big plate glass windows overlooking the sea and terraces where you can sit when the weather is warm enough. It was a tad chilly that morning so we parked ourselves near the buffet.

They have cheese and ham, a small salad bar, fresh fruit, cereals, and yogurt, but our focus was on the hot breakfast buffet They made omelets, but the choice of ingredients was sparse. The freshly cooked sunnyside-up eggs were very well done and they had a big quiche with egg and potatoes, but it was gobbled up an hour before breakfast ended and they did not bring out a fresh one

The bacon looked very strange, some kind of processed meat made to imitate bacon, but it was not very good. How hard can it be to provide real bacon? I can find it in numerous local supermarkets, but we get this processed garbage. Instead of breakfast sausage, they had chorizo and there were no potatoes except for the ones in the disappearing quiche. A breakfast with no potatoes? I don't think so!

There was a nice selection of bread, but the toaster was pretty much useless, having to put the bread on the conveyor belt three or four times to get it even lightly toasted.

The coffee machine was extremely popular and the line was very long because the machine was terribly slow. There was another machine at the other end of the room, but it was not working. The coffee situation was the long pole in the tent because everybody wants coffee with their breakfast yet only one slow machine.

The dessert selection was minimal and not all that appetizing so I did not partake.

This place desperately needs REAL bacon, a breakfast potato offering or two, a couple more coffee machines, a few more omelet ingredients, and a price that matches the one on their website.

I doubt we will go back.

CombatCritic Gives Harune Restaurant - AP Eva Senses 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

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Olhão (Faro), Portugal: Decent Food and Service, But The 30% Discount Elevated My Rating

Monday, June 24, 2024

Olhão (Faro), Portugal: Decent Food and Service, But The 30% Discount Elevated My Rating

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Leroy Merlin - Fraud, Rudeness, Unprofessional Behavior, and a Total Lack of Integrity

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Faro, Portugal; Great Expectations, Oustanding View, But A Disappointing Breakfast Buffet

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