La Teresita Restaurant

My daughter and son in law rented out the banquet hall for May 11, 2012 for their wedding ceremony and wedding reception. We were told at time of booking that everything was included in over all price including decorating the hall. We were also advised that if we wanted to over see the decorating then we also may do so that way the bride could have it decorated they way she wanted it. This place is a disaster!! On Wednesday night at 6 pm we were told we could come in and start bringing decorations in and we could also start decorating with the staff. The staff didn't show up until 4 hours later and when they did show up they had an attitude problem. They apparently didn't think any of us understood Spanish (or didn't care is probably more like it) and they were making very rude comments about us and commenting on how they would never get married there or have their reception there.. Well let me tell you if we knew at the time of reserving the hall what we came discover only 3 days before the wedding we WOULD NOT HAVE rented this banquet hall. The staff is lazy and very unprofessional. If we didn't decorate the hall ourselves then it wouldn't have been done.. They did nothing that we asked them to do if they did anything at all. On Thursday morning we returned to continue to decorate some more only to find out that they didn't do anything after we left (ABSOLUTELY NOTHING) we found the hall the same way we left it the night before and the staff didn't show up until 10pm the night before... We were reassured by Nicole (she was the coordinator) that everything would be ready by Friday morning that the staff would work through the night.. Friday morning (the day of the wedding) we came back to drop off the flower arrangement to find the ceremony room not even half finished, decorations still hanging in the reception room from a prior event, floors were filthy, dance floor wasn't waxed, buffet table and all other table cloths and chair covers were wrinkled. The chair covers that were placed on the chairs were half off and the sashes were thrown on in any order and tied in a knotted bow. The place looked horrific. I immediately tried to contact Nicole and as usual she did not answer my phone call. I went down stairs to the restaurant area and had a few words with the staff at the front desk whom contacted Nicole. When Nicole arrived I was livid. She was horrified at the way the place looked as she did not stay to over see the decorating the night before. By this time I was in a panic, Nicole advised me that she would personally decorate the place herself and have it ready by 7pm (the time of the wedding) I advised her that that didn't ease my mind any. My fiance' and my nephew dropped me off and went back up to the restaurant to make sure that the place was indeed going to be ready. Nicole, my fiance' and my nephew finished decorating the banquet hall and put the final touches on the rooms (NOT THE STAFF!!)... I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone ever to rent out their banquet hall.. The staff is very lazy, rude, and unprofessional.. If I wasn't so angry at them I would have been embarrassed for them!!.. Honestly I wouldn't rate this restaurant one star, this was the worst experience I have ever had with any establishment... We should have been refunded at least half our money back but wasn't... I can only hope that the people who did not do their jobs the way they were suppose to be done that one day when a special day as this was for my daughter and son in law comes around for them that they get back what they deserve... When you are in a business such as this then you should care enough about people and respect their wishes instead of doing your best in ruining their special day... This place is a JOKE!! more

Had a very flavorful dining experience. The Ropa Vieja was tasty, vary flavorful and was a generous portion. The cuban bread went perfectly with it. And the Spanish Bean Soup was scrumptious. $7.99 The Arroz Con Pollo can be said the same for. However the chicken may have sat warming a liitle to long, but still fairly good. $7.25 The plantains were cooked real nice leaving a nice yummy coating on them. The Flan was also good. $2.75 Service friendly and fast. Atmosphere. Free standing building. Table and chairs with booths also. Hanging plants, lot of pictures on the walls, a gazbo in the center of the dinning erea with table and chairs. Nice decor comfortable and pleasant. Also was clean. Went back again to have the Cuban Sandwich. Here it has been voted best several different times so here goes. It is on good cuban bread and was good and only $4.25. As far as best in Tampa Bay I say no. Danny's all American Diner in Tampa has it beat but it is $6.99 so depending on price who is best. Both are worth the money. Also had the Puerco (roast pork cuban style) $5.75 and that was only ok the cuban was better. A Good place to eat. more

Have been eating here since they moved into the present location. Love the Arroz Con Pollo --- but the price has increased, and the size of the chicken serving has decreased. Get a lot of rice (has the price of rice gone up that much?) They no longer put peas in it (must have gotten more expensive, too). On top of this, they charge .35 for a Styrofoam take out box. Why?? This is an insult to their customers. Can I afford the .35? Of course I can. That's not the issue. Are they increasing their revenue by this .35? I think not. SHAME ON THEM!! I eat out a lot, and this is the ONLY restaurant that charges for a takeout container. Very low class move! more

I consistently get very good Cuban sandwiches and garbanzo bean soup here. The dessert treats are quite tasty, as well. A good choice for reasonably priced authentic Cuban food. Pros: Very good food, very good prices more

I have been to this restaurant several times with my boyfriend and I have never had problems at this restaurant. On the contrary, we have enjoyed the food, which is absolutely delicious and the servers were very pleasant with us. Pros: great service, great food more

we have patronized this place for yrs...most of the time the service is good....food is good....the prices HAVE gone up a bit....but still decent...we like it more

If you want to be treated like you are the dish washer in a restaurant then Please come here. I used to come here all the time and didn't have much to say about the service other than it was average. Now I think that it has gotten worse. The food is good but it also has taken a turn for the undesirable. I ordered Black Beans and Rice for my side with the Media Noche sandwich. Well needless to say I actually counted the total amount of beans and i had 12 in my black beans. I guess beans are in mass shortage. I mentioned this to the server and her attitude was aweful. She instructed me to order the large next time. Ok.. I am only one person so a large would have been over doing it but 12 beans? Common... I have been there probably about 30 times and never have I seen them be so cheap on such a cheap item. My wife ordered a pork sandwich and when she just got the pork then she continued to tell us that we should have ordered the sandwich. Even though my wife pointed to the menu when she ordered and the server looked at what she was ordering. Pros: Food is at least warm Cons: Service, Food, Service, Service, Service more

The ropa veija with the black beans and white rice is tender and tasty. Don't forget to order maduros to compliment the meal. Excellent choice for either a quick lunch or a lengthy afternoon meal. more

If you want a great Cuban restaurant go to the Habana Cafe in Gulfport. Excellent food fantastic service always a great time. Pros: affordable and not a hamburger. Romantic if you're into S&M. Cons: They hate you for buying their food. more

We thouroughly enjoyed our dinner at La Teresita. The service was very good, the plantains were great, our Ropa Vieja was good, and the value was GREAT. It's not the best Cuban food on the planet, but it's great compared to most restaurants we've been to in St. Pete. We all enjoyed our dinners and will definitely go back. I would recommend it. Pros: Good Food, Good Service, Great Value Cons: Feels cramped inside more

That means inexpensive, but that also refers to the inside appearance and quality. Simple, quick, and not bad. Just greasy. Prices are definitely great. Pros: Price, Authenticity more

I can not believe how inexpensive this restaurant was! The food was very good. Pros: inexpensive Cons: uninviting exterior more