Tasca Brava

Although i've only been to this location of Tasca Brava, they have about the best tapas in the area. Most of the hot or cold dishes are good especially the potato salad/tortilla dish/grilled eggplant and the ham and cheese. Can get pricey as portions are naturally small, but they do offer entrees as well. Flamenco once a month. Pros: Variety, Relaxed Atmosphere more

I have been here several times and have always been pleased. I always manage get there around 8pm on weekdays, so there are no crowds and the owner has always been my server. I have been with just one person and with a group and the service and quality of the food never varies. I have tried most things on the menu and all have been VERY good. Definitely try the Esparagus sauted in garlic... The paella is awesome and the wild boar chorizos are very yummy. It's a great way to try a bunch of spanish food without feeling like you are committed to an entire meal if you don't care for something. The owner loves to chat about Spain and his wife and her AMAZING cooking. I would try very hard to go on an off-peak time to ensure the best service. The culture of Spain (and most countries in Europe) view eating as an event... not to be rushed. So if you don't expect lighting service and want to enjoy a pitcher of sangria and conversation with those around you, this is a great place to go! Pros: great way to taste a lot of foods from Spain, food is presented well and tastes great Cons: parking... luckily my friend lives within walking distance more

The paella was delicious and worth the wait. The tapas were very small, I did not think the one with watermelon was "outstanding" as the owner/waiter raved. It was 4 small pieces of watermelon in vinegar or something for $7.00, big ripoff. The other tapas we had was ceviche & it was delicious. The wafer like dessert was good but also nothing exceptional. I would not return as we paid $90 and this was not a $90 dining experience. I think the owner/waiter needs to work on his people skills & I wish I had listened to other reviews prior to going. They are right on target. Pros: some food good Cons: waiter/owner more

We truly enjoyed Tasca Brava. The food was exceptional and the service attentive. I tried the Solomillo Extremeno and my dinner partner enjoyed the paella negra. Both were great. Our dinners were better than many we had in Spain. Best to go early on the weekends and to enjoy the great Spanish wine. The coffee flan and sherry are awesome. Hope you will enjoy this as much as we did. Pros: Food, service, ambience, wines, sherries..... Cons: Slow food, but worth the wait. more

I've been going with my friends for over 3 years and we will keep doing it in the future. I've eaten in many Restaurants in the Triangle and in other States. I can't compare it with any others because it's unique. This is the Best Spanish Tapas outside of Spain. You really feel like your are crossing the pond when arrive. The atmosphere, the music, the decoration, the dim light, etc. The food is authentic, made fresh and there's options for everyone: vegetarians, etc. I personally recommend the Chorizo de la Holla Podrida; also try the specials. The sangria is outstanding, they have an excellent selection of Spanish wines and sherries with the PX and Moscatel highly recommended. I always have a great experience with the friendly service. So, if you go on a weekend be prepared to enjoy a multiple foodgasm. Pros: Food, wines, desserts, fruit juices, sherry, etc. Cons: Slow, authentic, multiple foodgasm more

My family of 5 ordered numerous tapas plates... at an average price of $9.00 per plate... 1/4 of the plates were NOT GOOD and of the plates that were better a couple consisted of just two bites each. The two dishes I had were good, but not to die for, some were misrepresented (advertised as containing more expensive ingredients than actually showed up in the dish), some were so-so, some awful (asparagus that was waaaay oversalted; salmon that was soaked in lemon juice and salt - totally overwhelming the flavor of the fish). One person in our party ordered a sausage dish that simply was not good - not only to him, but to everyone at the table. When the waiter/owner asked us how we were enjoying our food, I told him it was only so-so and pointed to the sausage dish as an example of a "miss" (the asparagus and salmon had yet to show up). Instead of saying something along the lines of... I'm sorry that you did not enjoy the dish... he implied that the problem was ours, simply saying "well, everyone else loves it". The waiter/owner was pushy and argumentative. Not surprisingly we will not return. Pros: some of the dishes were good Cons: inconsistent food quality; pushy, unfriendly service, poor value for the money more

We love this restaurant. No, it's not a place you'd take your fussy 16-year-old, but if you want intense flavors in interesting and authentic tapas, here's the spot. Try the pulpo a le gallega, thin slices of octopus with olive oil and crunchy salt crystals surrounding a mound of goat cheese mashed potatoes with spicy paprika -- fantastic! The expresso is wonderful, and there are a couple of desserts that are to die for (if you're a coffee lover, there's a dessert that will keep you awake all night). The restaurant is in the Fresh Market strip mall on Falls of the Neuse in North Raleigh, so you have to search it out -- but it's well worth the effort. Pros: Interesting food Cons: Location more

Tasca Brava is an undiscovered gem. We've eaten there twice and the food is by far the best tapas i've ever had (and I've had lots). All the food is freshly made from scratch and very authentic. The owner/waiter is very attentive - offering wine suggestions and explaining about the food. I'd highly recommend it as a change of pace for the standar fare that Raleigh seems to offer. Pros: great food, great service Cons: none! more

I have never written a review here before, but I was prompted to do so by the two experiences we had at Tasca Brava. The first time we went there we arrived at 8:30 from Durham on a Saturday night. We were the only customers, and the owner basically told us that he was closing the kitchen and we could only have cold tapas. He then went on to berate us once we sat down for not ordering more food. The second time that we went to this restaurant we had reservations for 9 people for a birthday party. The owner refused to put together two tables despite the fact that there were only two other people in the restaurant. The food is good, but incredibly over-priced. I would NOT recommend Tasca Brava to anyone who wants polite service or reasonable prices. Pros: good food Cons: cost and service more

I recommend this restaurant based on the food alone - it's great for a unique culinary experience. Love the sangria and the tapas are wonderful. Beware of the snooty owner and he is also very pushy - if you know that going into it it will not ruin your night. Save room for the chocolate flan! more

I am from Spain. I found that the tapas we tried:garlic shrip, mushrooms and the spanish croquets, were cooked well, except for the fact that they all were too spicy. In Spain these kind of tapas are not spicy. There were so spicy as to be difficult to eat. It is a pity, because I had great hope for this restaurant Pros: Variety of a very different type of cuisine from the average fare Cons: goof intentions but too spicy for a spaniard taste more

The finest restaurant experience we've had in years!!!! The meal was extraordinary! And the service was GREAT!! We were served by the owner, Juan Samper, and he is a wonderful man! Later, his wife, Marta came out and joined us and we had a blast! These are folks I could easily call friends. As for the specifics of the food, we ordered the Paella Negra which I highly recommend. It will look a little scary, but just eat it. You won't regret it! (Oh yeah, if there's just two of you, plan on bringing some of it home, 'cuz there's a lot of it.) For dessert, we had the Coconut Flan and the Chocolate Flan. The coconut was great, but the Chocolate Flan really is to die for!!! And PLEASE order the coffee!! But be forewarned: Juan is a self professed "coffee nazis." Hard core. But some of the best I've had in a long time. Usually I'm a "black w/suger" man. This time I had a straight expresso with nothing in it. Wow! Smooth as silk. I could go on & on about the place, but I won't. Just check it out for yourself. It's a Grest date spot. But, if you like to get in, eat and leave, don't go. This is a place where you take your time and enjoy every single morsel & moment! We'll be going back again, and again, and again. Matter of fact, I told Juan the next time we show up, don't even bother with the menus; just serve us your reccomendations. Pros: Simply Great! A little pricey, but who cares when you get the best!!! Cons: none more

We were there for PAELLA. The wait staff was very helpfull. Everything was spectacular and wonderful. We were informed the paella would take 35 min. - worth the wait! It was great. The staff was friendly and humurous. We order coffee, extraordinary. The Spanish wines were immaculate. Pros: Food, wines, desserts, coffee, etc. Cons: Slow food to savor more

What a treasure for Raleigh and the Triangle Area in general. We took food out home from the restaurant so that we could enjoy the food and not be hassled by our young children. We didn't realize the level of quality we were in for...the food was fabulous! This restaurant is a hidden treasure for the area. more

and the no recommended remark goes only for the horrible, uneducated and pushy service we got from the owner....it was by far the worst experience we ever had. had to wait over 20 minutes before this owner/waiter wanna be showed up to ask us what we wanted to drink....we already knew what we wanted and for my surprise after reading more complaints about this gentleman we were told that what we ordered was not gonna be enough.....the kitchen people does a wonderful job...the food was very good....and that's what we told this owner/waiter...along with the bad service we received. the reply was the following: if you ever go to spain you will receive worst service than tonight....what this colombian gentleman doesn't know is that spain is one of our favorite culinary destinations along with one of the best service we've ever received. perhaps this gentleman needs to save some money and buy a ticket to spain, and experience the great service and food there. he definetly needs to either get a friendly staff or totally change his attitude, because i'm not recommending this restaurant to absolutly anybody just because of his horrible service. Pros: good food Cons: colombian owner has terrible manners/ no customer service skills more

Two of us were there for lunch. In a 2hr. time span, only one other person came in. The owner was very full of himself. Everything was spectacular and awesome according to him. We were told the paella would take 35 min. - it took one hour and no one else was there then! It was very good. The owner said they don't have much business. No wonder. We were in the front room where the TV was. It was a Spanish station and very loud. I asked him to turn it down which he did but later turned it up because HE was watching it. He also swept the floor while we were eating! There were only dead plant leaves on the floor and he could have done that before they opened. When I asked for decaf, I got a speech about decaf not being healthy! He brags about the wine being from small vintages in Spain which makes it very expensive but who cares here!! When I scrapped the rest of the paella into a take-home box, he told me to scrap more out or he would eat it. It was burned on the bottom and we don't care for burned rice so I left it for him! If it weren't for the owner, we would go back but he made the meal nearly unbearable. He needs to learn some "people manners" if he is to remain working with the public. Pros: good ethnic food Cons: service more

What a wonderful restaurant to celebrate a special occasion or to just celebrate and enjoy the bold but sophisticated flavors of Spain. The service is spectacular, the atmospher captures the heart of Spain. The suggested dishes are always worth trying. What some patrons interpret as "pushy" service has in our experience been better described as artful and tasteful direction into new taste adventures. Tasca Brava will remain at the top of my short list of restaurants for celebrating the special moments of life! Pros: The service more

Worst service I've ever received in a restaurant. None can touch this evening's experience. We were a party of 5 celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday. Very agressive waiter. Contradicted most of our statements to the point that it was embarassing. Waiter complained that my mother-in-law didn't order enough. They were out of two dishes. Waiter talked back rudely, to me, my wife, & our two friends, ... on separate occasions. A party of 2 next to us got up & left, after the same waiter was rude to them. A party of two on our other side had to ask the same waiter if he could remove the waiter's daughter from resting her head on their table. & more & more.... to cap it off, The waiter added 15% to the bill (for a party of 5, with only 3 table occupied in the restaurant). Cons: Worst waiter service I've ever had in a restaurant was tonight for our birthday dinner. more

Want to go to Spain but don't have the time? Then go to Tasca Brava and enjoy the best of Spain with owners Juan and Marta. I have had the privelege of travelling different regions of Spain and have taken the time to educate myself about the varied cuisine and culture of that great country. I am quite pleased to have part of that culture and cuisine right here where I live. The food is authentic Spanish and nowhere in Spain have I had anything that topped what's available at Tasca Brava. The soups are always delicious and should not be overlooked. All of the tapas are wonderful and I have tried almost all of them. The paella negra is a must, there is really no way to describe it with words alone. I figure that I've been to TB at least 50 times and have never been disappointed and I have always been treated wonderfully. Just like in Spain, if you act like you want to be there they are extremely grateful for your visit. Don't forget the desserts, all prepared in Marta's kitchen, they are a fine way to end your meal. Juan has an extensive knowledge of the wines he carries and he will always lead you to a perfect choice. Try their coffee and I bet you end up taking a pound of it home to enjoy. If you have a taste for fine sherry you should enjoy what's available at TB. It's so nice to have a place like Tasca Brava to frequent. Treat it like Spain, don't rush it, just savor it. Obviously I love this place and it's important to me. If you become a regular there is no doubt that you will feel like part of Juan and Marta's family. They are good honest people with a genuine respect for good food and good people. Just like Spain! Saludos! Pros: great Spanish food Cons: it's not in Spain more

Have you ever been to a restaurant where the food is excellent but you have to fight through so much inconvenience, confusion and nonsense that it's just not worth it? If your answer is no, go to Tasca Brava and see for yourself. I went on a Saturday evening with some friends not knowing that it was "Flamenco Night". The restaurant is too dark so even if you could read the too-small print on the crammed menu, you wouldn't be able to without a flashlight. But before we could even ask about the menu the lights went lower and a floorshow of amateur flamenco dancers began. The sound was deadening, not to mention obnoxious. It was impossible to order until after the first "set." Hungry we waited until the machine-gun sound of heels stopped and managed to figure out something to order. We ate wonderful dishes and were ready to order the main dish -- paella -- when the "second set" began and this time the dancers wanted audience participation. I'm trying to enjoy my food and someone is begging me to get on the dancefloor! Oh Leave me alone! The whole experience would have been funny if not so expensive. The food is AUTHENTIC and very, very good, but the restaurant doesn't stand a chance because: (1) the lighting is bad; (2) the menu is too crowded; (3) the wait staff doesn't introduce the new customer to the culture of ordering tapas so if you've never done it before, do your homework ahead of time; (4) service is very slow; and (5) I don't need the Wake County Chapter of Flamenco Dancers stomping through my entree. Pros: Excellent Food Cons: Lighting, Location, Service more