We had great expectations for this lively Tapas bar in Atlanta; however, upon arrival, our evening seemed to be destined for a slippery slope of disappointment. We were seated at two unevenly matched and sticky tables, one that had to be balanced. We ordered drinks, mine being sangria, which was watery and lacked the sweetness one expects from sangria.
We then ordered tapas and our night changed forever. Our server recommended the bacon wrapped dates, stating that they were the most popular on the menu. We received our order, along with other choices, and were totally shocked when my sister began to pull a hair approximately six inches long from her mouth. We all sat in disbelief and disgust at what we witnessed. We immediately called our server to the table. He said that he would get the manager on duty. He returned and said that the manager was too busy to see us and that she would take that single order off our bill and give us a replacement order.
My sister did not want to leave...we were celebrating her husband's birthday. We remained and had the Paella that we ordered in advance, which proved to be average, at best. We opted out of desserts, hoping to put a quicker end to our dining experience at Fuego. I finally demanded that the manager come over to our table. After a longer than necessary wait, she showed up and offered us a 10% discount on top of the replacement of the "hairy tapas" that we received.
The lesson here is that the fast-paced Atlanta restaurant business needs to slow down, keep food preparation standards high, give attention to its customers, and never forget how fragile a business this is. When Fuego gives more attention to these matters, they might be able to consider themselves a high competitor in the stellar Atlanta market. Until that happens, I recommend that you visit other restaurants that practice these actions dutifully.
Fuego Spanish Grill
1 review –
