Ole Mexican Grill

04/06/11

Meaningless Reservations

by petwidow at Citysearch

This was favorite Cambridge restaurant. However, if you want a reservation beware. I requested a reservation by email and got no reply so I called the next day. I was told that my reservation would be written down but not confirmed until someone responded to my email. Days later when i didn't get the email I called to ask if I could confirm my 7:15 reservation by phone. I was assured all was fine. The next day Ole called me to confirm my reservation for 6:15. When I said it was the wrong time I was told they couldn't seat me when I wanted. If I ever want a reservation there I'll need to get it in writing.

08/27/09

Ole is terrible!!

by JohnM12345 at Citysearch

Hands down, the worst experience that I have had in a very long time, if not ever!!!

A group of 5 of us went there for dinner on a Tuesday evening at 7:30. It was clearly very busy, as they had opened the back room. We were seated and proceeded to have drinks and guacamole (which was excellent). However, this is where any semblance of an enjoyable evening ended.

Our main courses were brought to us after nearly an hour and a half. Of the 5, 2 were cold and 2 were overcooked to the point of being inedible. We made our server aware of the situation and simply asked to have the meals removed and for our bill (it was 9:30 and we had to work in the morning).

At this point, the manager came over and apologized, which we accepted. Most of us have been in the industry and understand that this happens. No big deal. We would have come back had the situation been resolved at this point.

After another 15 minutes, we still had not received our bill. I went to the manager and asked, again, that it be brought to the table. She informed me that she was bringing us desert, but she had failed to let us know, which left us wondering what was going on! I declined the offer and asked for the bill. The manager then, haughtily brought the bill to us. SOME OF THE MEALS HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED. At this point, I am furious!! For the third time, I ask for the meals to be removed (and now I am demanding that all food be taken off the bill, which should have been done in the first place). The manager has the audacity to tell me that she was doing me a favor by bringing us desert (which we never asked for or wanted) and taking the terrible, 1.5 hr wait dinners off the bill.

At this point, I have reached my snapping point. I tell the manager that I want the bill immediately because we no longer want to be in the building. She tells me, with a flip of her hand as she walks away, "just go." OK, fine!! I tell my group that we are just leaving. At this point, the general manager arrives and informs me that we do have to pay for our drinks and actually wants us to pay for the single correctly cooked dish. I tell him we will pay for the alcohol but want to leave ASAP. The manager actually then had the nerve to offer us a free drink in the future like we were considering ever returning!

NEVER. NEVER. NEVER WILL I, EVER, RETURN TO OLE. It was a shame because our waitress was sweet and the ineptitude of Ole clearly lies in the hands of their miserable, petulant management.

• Pros: Our waitress: she was kind, accomodating, and hard working!
• Cons: Everything else!!!!

04/22/09

Ole Vs Border

by juanhiz at Citysearch

I went here after having been a loyal Border cafe customer for years. I had heard about it from beantownbite and it lived up to the stellar review. We tried a variety of things, mainly off of the tapas (back of the menu). I highly recommend the guac, mainly for the experience. The crowd is older, but the cool part of the older crowd.

• Pros: Real Mexican Cuisine
• Cons: Nothing

01/21/09

Ole offers upscale, non-traditional Mexican cuisine with some of the freshest ingredients around.

by hardinghouseinncambrdge at Citysearch

Ole Mexican Grill offers upscale, non-traditional Mexican cuisine with some of the freshest ingredients around. Every meal is like a party in this vivid orange and yellow dining room that makes you feel like you?re south of the border. Irresistible fresh guacamole is prepared right at your table with a lava stone mortar and pestle. Wash it all down with a dazzling selection of margaritas, wines, and over 22 premium tequilas. The sophisticated appetizers are out of this world, including scallops sauteed in olive oil, chile arbol and roasted garlic; and their famous chilies rellenos - fried mild poblano peppers filled with shrimp and cheese. Then there are the enchanting main courses. Favorites include grilled marinated tuna steak with tomatillo-avocado salsa; and pan-seared wild Sea Bass with grilled orn polenta and red bell pepper-chipotle. For a fun night out with wonderful unique food, Ole Mexican Grill delivers. Ole!

12/23/08

Horrific staff

by sas19 at Citysearch

I can only review as much as I experienced, and unfortunately, the little I dealt with was unacceptable. I'd eaten at Ole to-go and enjoyed the small bite I had on my over to the movies, so I decided that the restaurant would be great for my 11 friends and me on my birthday. I called Ole on a Wednesday for a birthday the next Friday (over one week in advance) and they let me know that the reservation was all set, and that a manager would call me later to confirm since it was a large party. Life went on and the following Wednesday, I realized I should call since they wanted to make sure we were all going to show. I spoke to a rude hostess (who's name I should have gotten), who said that she is the only one who would have been answering the phone the previous Wednesday and went on to suggest that I never made the reservation. She said it was impossible that I called, since a party of 50 was already reserved. I said, if that was the case it would have been fine for me to have heard that ONE WEEK AGO while I still have time to make reservations. I was so angry, especially since I had never received such rude treatment in my life, without a single apology. Not to mention, this was 2 days before my birthday and I knew how impossible it would be to get s reso for a large party. All in all, the small burrito I had at Ole to-go was yummy, but the staff and experience so far at Ole makes me think twice now to ever eat there.

• Pros: Ole to-go was a far better experince
• Cons: The rudest staff in the history of my dining experiece