Overpriced food and an unnecessarily humiliating experience made this one of the worst nights out I can remember. We came to Sha expecting a pleasant dinner in Wynwood; instead, we left disappointed, embarrassed, and certain we would never return.
My wife and I drove down from the West Palm Beach area for a night out in Wynwood. We rarely get an evening like this together, and choosing Sha turned out to be a mistake.
The atmosphere was pleasant and comfortable for conversation. That deserves credit. Unfortunately, the overall experience did not live up to what we expected from a restaurant charging these prices.
The hummus was standard. My pistachio salmon, ordered medium, arrived overcooked--a small, expensive plate presented as fine dining without getting the cooking right. I told the staff that the salmon was overcooked, but they did nothing to acknowledge or compensate for the mistake. I ate it anyway because I do not like sending food back. 5/10.
My wife's saffron risotto with lamb was disappointing and overpriced. 2/10. The tiramisu was good, although heavy on whipped cream. 8/10.
I also found the Mediterranean branding misleading. The meal we had did not deliver the Mediterranean dining experience we expected. To me, the restaurant put more effort into making the plates look sophisticated than into delivering the flavor, cooking, and value to justify the prices.
What made dinner enjoyable was the conversation with my wife. The restaurant contributed very little beyond the setting.
Then came the part that ruined the evening.
We asked our waitress what was next door, and she recommended visiting the adjoining Boho House for drinks. She directed us through the doors beside the bathrooms. We followed her instructions into a dark, dirty-looking patio with people sitting on the ground, then followed the people ahead of us toward a sparsely occupied lounge. A bouncer greeted us as we entered.
Then a gray-haired man, whom I understood to be Juan E. Shamizo, approached us and asked, "Who are you?" He told us we could not be there and needed to get out.
We explained that our waitress had sent us. His response was that she was new and did not know, and he then proceeded to escort my wife and me out of the lounge area in front of everyone. Being publicly escorted out after following his own staff's instructions was humiliating and completely unnecessary.
So your staff directs paying customers somewhere they apparently should not go, and your response is to embarrass those customers in front of everyone?
If we needed a reservation or separate permission, that should have been explained clearly. There was no reason to approach my wife and me as though we had knowingly trespassed. We had just spent our time and money at Sha and followed your employee's recommendation.
Train your staff. Communicate your admission rules. Take responsibility when your own team gives instructions. None of that should become the customer's problem.
I lost my temper and called him an asshole. I am not proud of that, and I own my reaction. He should show the same willingness to own the way he treated us before I reacted.
Juan, if you are reading this: what exactly did you accomplish? You embarrassed two dinner guests, upset my wife, and turned an otherwise relaxed evening into an experience we will remember for all the wrong reasons. Was asserting your authority over a nearly empty lounge worth that?
I have spent decades managing complex businesses, and I can tell you that being in charge does not excuse treating people with contempt. Your handling of this situation showed arrogance and poor judgment when basic courtesy could have resolved everything in seconds. The way you spoke to us was belittling, and your staff's mistake became our public embarrassment.
In business, treating customers this way costs you their trust, their money, and their recommendation. You lost all three from us.
We did not ask for special treatment. We expected the minimum respect any customer deserves. Your staff's mistake was yours to handle--not ours to be humiliated over.
Average food. Inflated prices. Poor communication. And a deeply insulting end to the evening.
The part that should bother you most is how unnecessary this was. You had customers who were willing to stay longer and spend more. We left angry, embarrassed, and certain we would never give this place another dollar.
Never again. If you are spending your money in Wynwood, skip Sha and Boho House. Consider KYU, Lira House Wynwood, or Manta Wynwood instead. After the way we were treated, we would not give Sha or Boho House another dollar. read more