An inviting place, from outward appearances. The woman outside who welcomes you in is also very convincing. It's another story inside.
I've read reviews on yelp of people claiming they were treated poorly because they were foreigners. I always thought to myself that maybe if they tried to speak the language, they would have a better experience. I am bilingual, English and Spanish, and but for a few words and idiomatic expressions, I can communicate very well. El Buo, last night, made me think that there is merit behind the anti-foreign sentiment that others claim.
My partner and I stopped in for a beer and a shot and a late night bite. Things started out fine, but there was some confusion about the shot. While there was a fully stocked bar, the only shots they served were one of three liqueurs (limoncello is not what we had in mind). I quickly thought to myself that a shot and a beer is just something that is not done in Spain so we ordered just beer. It was as if I had just kicked the waiter's mother because after that he treated us like the wadded up napkins thrown on the ground in tapas bars.
We decided to order calamares andaluz. There was a young lady seated near us with a small plate of about 4-5 pieces of cheese. I asked the waiter what it was, and he said it was fried cheese with honey. We ordered that as well. When he brought the cheese out it was a plate full, not the small portion we had seen; enough to constipate a horse for a week. I said to the waiter, in Spanish, that I expected to get the same plate size that we had pointed out. His response was, with much indignation, "well now your bill will be much more expensive, won't it". I was so angry that if his mother had been there, I would have kicked her!
The calamares and the cheese were actually quite tasty, but I had to choke them down with the bitter dish the waiter served with them. Our dessert was more maltreatment from the waiter. My partner asked him for the bill. We waited and waited as he continued a conversation with the young lady with the cheese. It wasn't until I bluntly asked again for the bill that he brought it.
This experience has made me a more wary diner in Spain. I still love this country and will visit as often as I can. It is confounding, however, that for a place that relies so much on tourism, that we find people like this in the service industry. I should know by now, there is no escaping a**holes.
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