Tasca Brava

After visiting many Iberian neighborhoods in the northeast, I was very excited to hear that Tasca Brava had incredible Paella. The wait was over an hour, and to my dismay the Paella was horrible! The baby shrimp in the Paella tasted like they were frozen and the other morsels of meat were very small and had no flavor. The service was very slow, the owner definitely had an attitude, and it took well over 20 minutes just to get a check! Our bill was over $80 for Paella for 2 and a carafe of Sangria, too much in my opinion...but the chocolate flan was to die for! Unfortunately, I won't be going back. Pros: Sangria and Flan Cons: Everything else more

I went to this place for my boyfriend's birthday, after reading the other reviews on this website. I totally agree with them. I'm Italian and I know stuff about food :) - and this food was awesome! A bit more expensive than where we usually go (wonderful filling dinner with two glasses of wine and dessert: $68 included taxes). I have a post about it on my blog (italianintheus on blogger) but it looks like I cannot put links on this website. Pros: service, food, ambience Cons: on the expensive side more

My husband and I went yesterday for the first time at lunch time. Right when you enter the restaurant you feel like you have entered into a different world, into Spain. The atmosphere is great, they play original Spanish music. The owner was our waiter; he was very knowledgeable and had great customer service. His wife is the chef and her food is AMAZING! I am Portuguese (next to Spain for those who don't know) and they are definitely serving real Spanish and some Portuguese foods. This is the place to go if you are tired of the usual chain restaurant food. The concept of Tapas is great because its small amounts a food and you get to try different things without being too full. And the deserts - to die for!! The Flan is, by far, the best I have ever had, even better then the ones from NYC. This place is different from the usual american restaurants! You need to try and see how Spanish and Portuguese people do it. Try this restaurant, you will love it. Pros: Ambience, service, great fresh food Cons: Hidden in a shopping plaza behind a KFC/TacoBell (hard to see from the road) more

*UPDATED* I had posted a glowing review after my first visit, but now, after going back a few times, I am really not pleased with Tasca Brava. The waiter CONSTANTLY pushes the hard sell (the most expensive wines, the sherry from 1920something, bags of coffee, etc etc) and is definitely scurrilous when it comes to bills for large parties. I highly resent the condescension, which is unforgivable regardless of how good the food is (the food is excellent, every time, all the time). One notable exception, though: I am thoroughly confused by the use of canned olives to garnish dishes. Bleccch. I really want this restaurant to be a success, because the food (besides the canned olives) is truly amazing, but I am done, for now, with being treated like a second-class citizen by my waiter. Pros: the AMAZING food! Cons: the head waiter's attitude. more

Not a flan fan, but the Chocolate flan is to die for! Great variety of tapas all around. Good variety, all fabulous! more

I have eaten at Tasca Brava 4 times so far... every time has been a treat. I think that this restuarant is one of Raleigh's quiet gems. I am particularly impressed by the soups, which are rich and full of intricate tastes. I have tried about twenty of the numerous tapas and have yet to find one that I wouldn't order again. I also want to make a comment about the waitstaff. I have seen some negative reviews of the service at this restaurant on Citysearch, which have surprised me, and I wanted to address these. Each of the times I've eaten at Tasca Brava, the service has been earnest, friendly, and enthusiastic. They obviously have a sincere love of the food they're sharing, and they also have given great advice every time we've asked for recommendations. Perhaps the negative comments from other reviewers haven't taken into account that this is a small, family-run business, rather than the usual fleet of hired waiters. Pros: romantic, incredible food Cons: none more

ALL -- and I mean all! -- the soups at Tasca Brava are phenomenal, from the refreshing gaspacho to the flavorful Sanchoco hen soup to ANY of the soup-of-the-day specials. The chocolate flan is phenomenal. The braised baby artichokes, wild boar sausage, and carpaccio de gambon are phenomenal. Actually, 90 percent of the unpretentious but incredibly flavorful and obviously homemade tapas at Tasca Brava are phenomenal. I've been to my share of upscale New York and Boston restaurants, and to be quite honest, Tasca Brava can compete on any front except perhaps price, thankfully. If you're looking for a trendy place where the main focus is the scene but not the food, this is not your restaurant. If you're looking for an unpretentious, un-hurried, romantic place where you can enjoy a leisurely, delectable dinner, a nice bottle of wine, and interesting conversation with someone you enjoy spending time with, then this is your restaurant. Pros: tapas menu, homemade food Cons: none more

My husband and I had read the mixed reviews on Citysearch, but were looking forward to some authentic tapas. We were seated promptly in the attractive restaurant by a very nice hostess. And then we sat. And sat. Someone who was apparently our waiter flipped his hand at us from a distance of 20 feet, and then we sat some more. We had time to read the menu several times, discuss wine selection at length, and eat all the complimentary plantain chips before we realized that the waiter's time and priorities were going to be focussed completely on the table of 8 (big tippers?)he was still hovering over. After 15 minutes (no water, no further acknowledgement) we left. The food may be wonderful, but a remedial course in customer service is needed. We drove across the street to a wonderful restaurant and had a lovely meal there. Cons: non existent service more

Our "experience" began and ended with poor and rude service. In the middle was crappy food. The servers either brought the wrong tapas, forgot to bring them altogether, didn't understand English well, and were generally rude. The food was not prepared well. It was either cold, lacked flavor, overcooked, or undercooked. I can't say there was anything that the four of us really enjoyed, even though we all have very diverse tastes. The owner asked if we enjoyed the meal; we told him we did not. He became visibly upset and told us we were wrong. He interrogated us on what specifically was wrong and sampled from two or three tapas left on our table, saying how wonderful they were. As we were leaving, we heard the Flamenco dancers chastise the crowd to stop clapping if they were not "professional clappers". We also overheard the large party near us discussing similar complaints about the food and service. This was probably the worst dining experience I've ever had, especially when you consider the combination of high prices, horrible service, and terrible food. The only positives I can say about the place was the unintentional comedy (the caricature of an owner, flamenco wannabe's, etc.) and the decor. Just as some of the positive reviewers can't believe or understand the negative reviews, I'm just as incredulous over the positive reviews. The over-the-top reviews seem fake, but who knows. I've added to my review because I just want folks to consider the great divide between reviews and realize that at best your experience will be spotty. At worst, your experience will mirror some of the negative reviews, which means you will be broke, still hungry, and angry. Pros: Leaving, unintentional comedy, Ambience/decor Cons: EVERYTHING ELSE, EVERYTHING ELSE, and... EVERYTHING ELSE more

I have dined at Tasca Brava many times. The food is always unique and exceptionally fresh. The variety of the menu is impressive. One could dine here many times and not order the same thing twice. The owner is always willing to explain the dishes to customers. Don't miss the special breads - they are incredible. I have dined here with my husband, with other couples and with large groups - every experience has been great! Pros: Variety, Quality, Service more

I happened upon this restaurant by accident. I was looking to have lunch. I had a fabulous experience. The owner Juan from the moment I walked in the door, explained everything about Spanish Tapas that I did not know. I ended up having the best food I have ever eaten. The Tapas dish with the huevos and goat cheese, the cream of artichoke soup, the Sangria was amazing and you simply will not believe how magnificant the chocolate flan was. Everything was soooo fresh! It was so good I brought my son back for dinner. He has fallen in love with the Avacado drink, it was creamy, mild and like a smoothy but a thousand times better! This is a great place for a romantic dinner, family dinner and your co-worker's fun night. Pros: Food, Service, Quality of Food Cons: Hidden, Not on main street, never heard of it more

The owner recommended Artichoke and Goat Cheese soup. It was$6.43. All I could taste was cream of potato. I was told no chips althouugh the person in the table next to mine was munching them and told me it was free. The owner asked if I wanted bread to go with the soup and told me "no nothing" here comes free. After spending $8.00 I left the place still hungry. Cons: portions less, food not tasty, expensive more

Its a simple review, the food is great, expensive, and the owner has an attitude more

SERVICE: I realize that the North Raleigh location has just opened. Staff was accommodating, but there are just so many times, one can ask "is everything OK" before being annoying. Not their fault, I suspect, but every staff person stopped by to ask at least twice. Meanwhile, no water, took menus away too soon, wanting to take plates too soon. FOOD: Tapas orders came out of kitchen almost at the same time. Portions small. Except for the mussels (excellent), our selections were flat tasting and a bit dry. Didn't try any exotic items. When we insisted on getting new plates for each tapas, manager remarked that other people just reuse plates. Habaneros sauce still on plate, no way do I want to put anything else on the plate! No decaf coffee served claiming theres no good decaf bean. Really? Tea selections varied but not well matched to desert choices. Pros: N.Raleigh location, Roominess, Has potential Cons: portion size, spotty service more

Went there with my wife and kids last friday, 7:30 PM. Ordered two portions of Paella and some wine. I was offered two drops of a "recommended" wine, I could not taste anything wrong, so the owner pored two glasses. YUCK! that must have been two days old!. To start, we ordered the cheese sampler. What ridiculously small portions! Then came the wait. After 1.5 hours we ask for some bread for the kids, and were told no(TAPA's restaurant and NO BREAD???). However, we could order "Bread" from the menu(not free, obviously). 9:45 we decided to leave. I asked the owner to cancel the order (he refused). To avoid a scene, I paid everything $69.39(left the paella as a gift for the owner and the cook), then left after 5 pieces of cheese 3 olives and the wine. NEVER AGAIN! Pros: none Cons: Expensive, Terrible Service, TAPAS and NO BREAD? more

I thought I had found a new favorite spot until my second dining experience. The glasses of wine were scant and over-priced, the portions were small (even for tapas) but what took the cake was after ordering several mediocre tapas and ending with the mussels (which I admit are very good) we asked for a few additional slices of bread to dip in the sauce the mussels come in and we were told we could either buy them or go without. That was just poor customer service. We were all shocked that after a $100.00 worth of appetizers they refused to serve us a few slices of bread at no charge. I was embarrassed I took my guests there and will never return. more

Don't be fooled by Tasca Brava's humble appearence! Get ready for a wonderful experience of delicious food exploding with flavor and a well-orchestrated meal, timed to let you to enjoy every bite. Don't come with any other plans--you'll want to stay as long as you can. It's a great place a group of friends so you can order several tapas and pass them around. The owners are very friendly and work hard to make sure you have an excellent time. Make sure to try the amazing black bean soup!! Pros: Excellent Food, Friendly hosts, Slow dining Cons: , Can be expensive more

This place is absolutely UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. It's like a 5-star place in a little strip mall. I can't believe how good everything tastes! I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND the black bean soup...the only downside is that no other black bean soup you'll ever have will come close to the one at Tasca Brava. Also recommended is the asparagas dish- it's great, even if you're not crazy about asparagus. Also - the Gauva Passionfruit dessert is AWESOME. It looks like something from a 5-star restaurant - I have no idea how they make it and it's one of the best desserts I've ever had in my entire life. Plus, the owners- Juan and Marta- are the nicest people i've ever met. They pour their hearts into Tasca Brava and are so genuine and have a wonderful passion for their food. It's a CRIME not to at least try Tasca Brava once. SERIOUSLY!!! Pros: Best food ever, Best owners ever, Authentic and Genuine Cons: , Hard togivedirections more

We've been going to Tasca Brava for over 2 years now and have taken several people there. I can honestly say that in terms of food quality and service it's the best restaurant I've ever been to. The owners are incredibly nice and they remember us every time we come. Give this place a shot. You won't regret it! Pros: great food, awesome service more

A few friends and I tried it last night...fantastic! We tried everything from the sangria to a cheese platter (awesome) to the soup of the night...baby artichoke heart and goat cheese (even better)! The service was delightful...she was more helpful than imaginable and the entire meal was something I will want to experience again and again...be sure you're ready to relax and enjoy, this is not something you'll want to rush. Pros: food, service more