CombatCritic's TravelValue™: Olhão

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Showing posts with label Olhão. Show all posts

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, January 31, 2024

Olhão, Portugal: Store Bought Food, Prepared By Italians ... MEH!

Capriccio Italiano

Rua Doutor João Lúcio N. 4

Olhao 8700-456 Portugal

Phone: +351 910 551 818

Prices: €€€€

Very nice people, Italians, trying to make a living, but I was not at all impressed. The prices look appetizing at first glance, but you get what you pay for.

For example, L'insalata Caprese (€6) usually costs €8-€12 elsewhere, but what we got was, maybe, two small tomatoes and one €1.25 ball of mozzarella out of a package from Pingo Doce with a little olive oil and diced basil.

My wife ordered the Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli (€10) in a butter and sage sauce which was half a bag of Pingo Doce's €3.50 tortelloni, not ravioli, you get the drill.

I decided to try the Porchetta (€7), a huge, tender pork loin rolled with herbs and spices, wrapped in the pork skin, and baked at low temperature for hours (see photo), but what arrived at the table was razor thin slices of fatty pork, again, probably from Pingo Doce.

The highlight of our meal was our server, Ravi.

We were satiated, but disappointed. Being married to a Sicilian and having spent many years in and eaten untold numbers of great meals in Italy, I expected much more from the Italian owners. Sorry, only the truth from this guy,

CombatCritic Gives Carpiccio Italiano 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

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

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Olhão (Faro), Portugal: Playa - Mediocre Service, Overpriced Food , and Small Portions Left Me Unimpressed ... FOOAH!

Playa (Mexican)

Avenida 5 de Outubro

Marina Ria Center

8700-408 Olhão Portugal

+351 289 705 254

eqrplaya.pt/en

Prices: €€€€

MENUS BELOW

A new Mexican restaurant in Olhão, the second in town (Hola Torito being the other), I was excited to give it a try ... HOOAH!

The macho-man server who greeted us, rather, who made me feel rather unwelcome, failed to impress and that was, unfortunately, a sign of things to come.

Spicy Playa Margarita €22

The server mentioned earlier, who turned out to be our waiter, was equally as unimpressive in this role, unfriendly and obviously very impressed with himself. He seemed more eager to chat with his buddies than pay attention to us, so there you have it.

Guacamole €6.90

Carnitas Quesadilla €9.90

Shrimp Quesadilla €10.50

The Spicy Playa Margarita - pitcher €22 - tasted very little like a margarita and had minimal alcohol, but the 'spicy' designation was spot-on. The four of us shared an order of Totopos with 2 Salsas (Chips and Salsa - €3.90) and a Guacamole (€6.90). The chips were homemade and pretty good, the salsas tasty, and the guac not bad, although €4 for a few chips, a little salsa, and no refills was not a great value.

Beef Tacos €9.90

We decided to order several dishes to share, a Carnitas Quesadilla (€9.90), a Roast Beef Burrito (€12.90), and Roasted Beef Tacos (€9.90) and that is exactly what we got. There were no side dishes, no rice and beans, no nothing, just a quesadilla, a burrito, and two tacos. There weren't even side dishes on the menu ... FOOAH!

Beef Burrito €12.90

The scenery, on the other hand, was spectacular with views of the Ria Formosa, sailboats, and the barrier islands from the outdoor terrace.

Don't expect endless chips and salsa and ample food on the plate. like we are used to in the USA, so one entree is hardly enough to satiate. The food was decent, but for the quoted prices - €5 a pop for a taco for example - Playa is not a great TravelValue and the service was unimpressive. I do not see us returning here any time soon because Hola Torito is a much better value and their food is better and more plentiful, besides, I can make better Mexican food at home for far less.

CombatCritic Gives Playa 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

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Vancouver, WA: No Veal, No Deal – Olive Garden Delivers Mediocrity with a Side of Sticker Shock

Monday, June 24, 2024

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

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Olhão, Portugal: Store Bought Food, Prepared By Italians ... MEH!

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Olhão (Faro), Portugal: Playa - Mediocre Service, Overpriced Food , and Small Portions Left Me Unimpressed ... FOOAH!

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