Bossa Cuban Bar - Latin Cafe (CLOSED)   610 Main St Houston TX MY REVIEW: I had visited Bossa on my first trip to Houston about a year ago. The food wasn't great, the service was average and we didn't see what the excitement was about. Last month I went back against my better judgment to take a new employee out for lunch. The food was not that good, the meat was rare when I mentioned well done and the rice and plantains were over seasoned. I am Cuban American and lived in Miami all my life and I am still trying to figure out what part of Cuban cuisine did they have. All I saw were cheap imitations of traditional dishes. Needless to say I was ashamed to bring my co-worker and will not be going back. NAME: Cubanandconfused SUBMITTED: 7/19/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 06/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: A couple years ago I gave Bossa a fantastic review. Back then I felt like I had walked in to an exotic Caribbean Latin club, leaving the City far behind as I entered the restaurant. I could imagine Ricky Ricardo coming out at any moment to play BaBaLoo. The atmosphere was so thick and perfect, truly Cuban or Caribbean. Tonight, was as far away from that Caribbean place as one could get. I was back on dusty, hot and humid, Main St in Houston, except I was behind glass in the air conditioned restaurant. If Ricky Ricardo was any where around, he has definitely left the building. The music was too loud, the sheer draperies separating the rooms were gone and was the wonderful romantic Latin atmosphere of my past visit was no where to be found. The Mojitos were awful, lacking flavor and alcohol, the calamari was more crisp and batter then anything else, the crab dip lacked crab, and the Paella was only fair, having the saltiest piece of lobster I ever ate in it. The Paella had a Smokey flavor that could have bordered on just plain salty. I give credit to the service though, as our waiter was excellent. Maybe I should of complained, but I shouldn’t have too. There were just too many things out of kilter, bad drinks, food problems, and loud music. I will register my complaint by never coming back. Reviewer “X” says never again... NAME: markh a.k.a. REVIEWER SUBMITTED: 7/15/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: bossa is terrific! they have a new chef, and he's doing a marvelous job! we've had the paella (delectable) the chilean seabass, the beef tenderloin and a bunch of things not on the menu. everything's been great. for a real treat, just ask your server if the chef will 'feed' you that night. if you're lucky, they'll just start bringing out food until you cry uncle! get a pitcher of mojitos (they're not too strong) to rock out the meal. it's incredibly, evil, but be sure to ask for the deep fried cheesecake for dessert. imagine a piece of your favorite strawberry cheesecake rolled in an eggroll. tasty, tasty. i can't wait to go back! NAME: karenkay SUBMITTED: 6/5/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: june 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: Totally love the "new" Bosa. We had wonderful appetizers and my tuna entree was perfection. My friends shared the paella which they said was delicious and another pal had the pork chop that she said was a little dry but the flavor was excellent. The mojitos were delicious too. We shared a "trio" of desserts which were served in small glasses with accompanying small spoons - a very clever idea and a perfect size for the calorie conscious who just want a "little something" to conclude a perfect dinner. Am looking forward to going back there very soon! NAME: Tallolah SUBMITTED: 1/8/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: January 5/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Nice atmosphere, quiet when you go early. The food is overpriced for what you get. My husband had the sea scallops which were fabulous, perfect taste. But everything else was just so-so. The black bean soup was very bland. The crab dip didn't even taste like it had any crab in it. My wine was old and flat, like it had been open for a day or two. Their mojito's have always been really good, however. I wouldn't waste your money on the place when there are much better restaurants around. NAME: Katy SUBMITTED: 12/26/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/22/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Atmosphere was great, excellent quick service! Ambiance was pretty good, the Mojitos were not bad, a little light on the alcohol but tasty. The GM was great, and greated us, the bar selection is above average. I would recommend this place to anyone. NAME: mendez210 SUBMITTED: 12/18/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: December 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Took some friends who were in from the UK and had been to the restaurant prior to it's closing and thought it was fun before. We ordered a round of appetizers for the table which were awesome...except for the cold calamari. The entrees were completely aweful. A friend ordered the churrasco rare. They served it not bleeding and sliced. It was quite embarrassing. Then, after dinner, which no one finished their meal, we ordered coffee and cappuccinos. The coffee was burned. At the end we told the manager and he sent us home with a complimentary bottle of wine and took off some of the bill. Don't waste your time or risk it with this place now. There are way too many other fine restaurants to spend good money on in this fine city. NAME: Ron SUBMITTED: 12/9/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: After all negative views was apprehensive about going there but went anyway. We were very satisfied. Went for early dinner. I had the Empanada Sampler, Side Salad, Carrot Cake tasting & Raspberry Mojito. My friend had the Mariquitas (fried plaintain), Side Salad, Chocolate Mousse taster and Iced Tea. Our bill was under $40. My empanadas consisted of two pork and two corn, the pastry was light, crispy & non-greasy and very flavorful, the salad had a light and tasty citrusy dressing and was a perfect touch to the salad. The mojito was my first, very pretty and tasty and the carrot cake came in a cute shot glass and was just the right finish to the meal. My friends plaintains were perfect lengthwise slices and were fried to a light crispiness. They were a grand complement to the black beans & corn which were seasoned just right. These appetizer portions were of good size for us to make a meal out of and we left there full and satisfied. Our waiter was not snooty at all but very helpful, showed up when we needed him and we were not made to feel rushed at all. We ate on the patio: the ambience of the restaurant, the nice outdoors breeze, and the music from the radio made us feel like we were in the Caribbean, we were just missing the blue ocean. We left surprisingly satisfied and will return again. NAME: Audrey SUBMITTED: 9/21/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/20/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Since this place was purchased by a national American-fare restaurant chain, the food and it's taste has been watered down. I guess there were some cost cutting efforts in the spice and seasoning department as well as the electricity. READ: food was bland and cold. It's sad. NAME: geisthaw SUBMITTED: 8/7/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 06/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Two years ago a friend took me to Bossa's for dinner and it was fabulous. Lots of changes since then. I recommended it to friends and we met for dinner last night. It was a complete disappointment and somewhat embarrassing. The food was tasteless and seemed to have no seasonings at all. My plate (Sea Bass - one of the most expensive items on the menu @ $23-24) was cold and the rice bed beneath was mushy. My husband had a steak entree and it was not good either. The last disappointment of the evening was NO ENTERTAINMENT as they claim to have on Friday and Saturday nights. I highly suggest Bossa remove any mention of entertainment from their advertising, as this is very misleading. I suggested Bossa's to our friends, because they not only wanted great food, but live entertainment as well. We received neither! I will say though, the Mojito's were very good. We will not be returning. NAME: Very Disappointed Tonya SUBMITTED: 4/23/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/22/06 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: This was my first visit to Bossa's. I was excited because I had heard so many great things about the pressed meat sandwich. We made reservations for dinner and arrived around 9:30pm and were immediately seated. Our waiter (Christopher) was very attentive. We ordered appetizers and I ordered a mojito. The mood was very romantic and the music was soft along with the lighting. Although, we didn't see the sandwich on the menu. We thought the oversight was because we didn't know the name of the sandwich. We ordered sandwiches all around and were told they are not available for dinner. I guess Christopher saw the disappointment on our faces. I told him this was the reason we chose Bossa's initially. Well, the chef was very accommodating and prepared the sandwiches for us anyway (for a slight upcharge). We were not disappointed! The sandwich was huge, I could only eat half and that was too much. The bread was crisp and the cheese had just the right amount of gooeyness. It was heavenly. I definitely will return for the service and to experience additional menu offerings. NAME: Jazzie SUBMITTED: 4/17/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 04/06 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I haven't been here in about 3 years, so wanted to check it out. We love the ambiance, music was good and not too loud. I was worried about getting a bad waiter, but ours was very attentive, and check on us at appropriate times. The food. Ok, well, past reviewers were correct, it is average for the price. My date had the special, which was a filet mignon. It was unevenly cooked, and we let manager know about it. He was extremely gracious and offered to replace it with anything. He decided he only wanted some coffee. This is the kind of good service we don't often see. They went above and beyond to make us happy, and even comp-ed the steak. I had the scallops, with shedded pork and mash potatoes. The scallops were good, but a little over cooked, the potatoes were boring. I wouldn't get it again. We also had the 3 cheese appetiser, he liked it, i wasn't impressed. I would come again because of the great service and the atmosphere, maybe for lunch or happy hour, but it's just kinda disappointing for dinner. NAME: yummyinmytummy SUBMITTED: 1/10/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/8/06 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: My girlfriend and I spotted Bossa after an evening at S*ambuca, right across the street. We thought it looked like an incredibly hip, contemporary place, so we stored it in our "Restaurants To Visit" list. A few weeks ago we did. The ambience is pretty cool; what one would expect from a latin fusion restaurant. They claim to have the best Mojito's in town...I don't think this would be a stretch of the truth at all! They were outstanding. The drinks seemed to really get the evening off to a great start, along with the artichoke dip as an appetizer. The dissapointment for both of us, came with the entrees. It is not that they were bad, its just that I expected more. I had sea bass in a sort of creole salsa. The fish, in general, did not taste the freshest. My girlfriend's dish was much better than mine. The consenses between us, was that it is a decent restaurant. The problem for restaurants in Houston is that there are so many of them. Thus, when I have a mediocre experience at one, I am apt not to return to it. I usually have no problem finding a new place to explore. Best thing to do regarding Bossa? Go have Mojitos, then go somewhere else for dinner. NAME: Morgan Weber SUBMITTED: 9/14/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/24/05 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: This was our first visit and we were excited about it. The spinich artichoke dip appetizer was good. We both ordered the Ahi Tuna. It had such a strong fish taste that we had to send it back. They brought us filet. Fillet is supposed to be very tender and cut with ease. It was chewy, tough to cut and without much flavor. How can you mess up filet mignon? This was a dissapointment at best. We will never return. NAME: dissapointed SUBMITTED: 8/5/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 08/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: I used to work here as a waiter so I tried everything on the menu for free, but the food makes me come back as a customer. You would think going back to a place you worked at usually doesn't happen, but the ambience is great, service decent and drinks are good as well. I went there fore my college graduation dinner this past May with some friends and was not disappointed once again. I recommend this place to anyone who wants a nice dinner out with friends or significant other. Be weary on certain nights like Friday, however, because the music is very loud and will detract from a romantic night. NAME: Very nice SUBMITTED: 7/3/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 05/2005 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... MY REVIEW: My friend brought me here for a Birthday dinner. I had never been here before, so I was excited about trying something new. Here's a rundown of my experience with the restaurant: Ambiance/Location: The restaurant is located in the heart of downtown. If you want to make it a dinner and night out on the town, this would be a lovely place. My friend valeted his car, but there are decent parking spaces within walking distance (unless it's later in the night, then you might have to walk a couple of blocks). The restaurant itself is nice. There is a nice patio where you can hangout and enjoy the scenery. I was surprised that the restaurant was kind of small, or shall I say cozy? The setting tables were fine and everything looked really nice. Lighting was good. Service: I don't remember our waiter's name (not sure if he actually said it), but he was nice. He was a little slow at getting back to us after we got our initial drinks, but other than that, he was fine throughout the meal. This is one of those restaurants where they re-fold your napkin if you get up to go to the restrom. They also clean the crumbs off the table, which is nice considering I can be messy at times. I did have a problem w/ some of the standby waiters always trying to take my plate away when I wasn't finished yet! That is one of my biggest pet peeves. My friend ordered a mojito. It was really good! Definitely something to try... there's is on the sweeter side. I just had a water. Appetizer: We had the Satay Skewers. You get one skewer of each: beef, chicken, tuna, and shrimp. All are served on a small platter with it's own unique sauce and a mango/pineapple salsa in the middle. I really liked the tuna and the wasabi based sauce that came along w/ it. The salsa was really good also. My only complaint w/ this appetizer is that it's not enough. It's hard to share this app. because there's just not enough food. I know it's an app. but a 2in. by 1/4in. of meat is barely a tidbit. Entrees: I had the Plantain Crusted Mahi Mahi and my friend had the Habanero Shrimp. 1)Mahi Mahi: The fish is served on a bed of rice w/ a mango salsa and platain chips. The flavor in this dish is more sweet than savory. I actually liked the texture of the rice w/ the crusty fish and the chips. The fish was lacking in flavor though. I had to ask the waiter for salt because it was so bland. Other than that, it was a decent dish. Not sure if I'd recommend it though. 2)Habanero Shrimp: This was actually a really good dish! I wish I had gotten this instead. This dish reminds me of a crawfish etouffee almost. It's a huge serving also. Flavored rice is nestled in a shallow bowl full of the thick soup. The chucks of tomatoes taste really good. I suggest this dish if you're looking for something a little spicy and hearty. Dessert: We opted to share the restaurant's version of a Banana Split. The bananas are fried and topped on coconut ice cream w/ pineapple bits. The banana and ice cream mix was good, but I thought the ice cream was a little bit too sweet. I had to wash down every bite with water! Overall, this dessert was quite tasty. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at this restaurant. I would return but I'll make sure to stay away from the Mahi Mahi dish. :-) This is a perfect place for a nice date. Big crowds might consider another place. On Friday nights, they have live latin music.. which is always a plus. So, if you're looking for something w/ flair and fun flavors, this place is an option. Total Price: $60 before tip. NAME: calily SUBMITTED: 6/9/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 06/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Fun place to eat, the food is great specially (the pork medallions), They have live bands every friday latin by the way. Really nice hang out place to meet pleople. NAME: Amore SUBMITTED: 3/23/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/18/2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times MY REVIEW: This was my first visit to Bossa and everything was fantastic. The Mojitos were perfect. They are a steal during Happy Hour. We were not disappointed by the food either. Everyone at my table tried a different entree. From the Filet Mignon, which was prepared perfectly to the wonderful Scallops, no one was disappointed. The Crab Dip appetizer was rich and delicious too. The appetizers and desserts were delicious as well. Best of all, the waitstaff and bartenders were extremely attentive and fun. Great food, great dining experience! NAME: shoppingdiva SUBMITTED: 3/9/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 03/2004 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: This carribean/fusion restaurant is fun and food is awesome. Music live on Fri. nights, It is in the heart of booming Houston.Across from the old Rice Hotel and S*ambuca's.walking distance at happening places. Great bar!!!!! The best crab cakes and steaks! Desserts not that good.Try it! NAME: E.Poisel SUBMITTED: 2/11/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: Jan 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Yea yea, I realize the food is not "authentic" but it's still worth tyring. In my opinion the dishes were modern and quite good. Most importantly my date loved it so the vibe for the rest of the evening was great. The live salsa band was awsome and will get anybody moving. I strongly recommend it to impress a first date. NAME: lady's man SUBMITTED: 1/7/2005   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/2004 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: The Latin music was lively and the atmosphere romantic. The waiters are handsome and attentive. We ordered the Crab Dip as an appetizer - delicious! This is a meal in itself. The filet mignon was out of this world and so was the Tres Leches dessert. I highly recommend this restaurant for a romantic evening out. NAME: A. Schmidt SUBMITTED: 12/1/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/04 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: What a fun ambiance, and the food is great, too! I would definetely recommend this place to others. The cute waiters are a plus, as well. I loved the appetizers, especially the spicy fried calamari. I had a very flavorful and colorful salad (it was lunch time). I did, however, leave room for dessert, and the flourless chocolate torte had my companion moaning a groaning at the table. All in all, this was a very positive dining experience, and I can't wait to go back there again. The service was very efficient, I enjoyed the latin music and the crowd was very lively, even at lunch time. NAME: Geri SUBMITTED: 11/13/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/04 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Just visited Bossa tonight for the first time. I read the reviews and was concerned about the service and prepared myself to call a manager if necessary. I was pleasantly suprised that our waiter was attentive, prompt, and pleasant during our entire dining experience. I like the trendy atmosphere and the latin music added to the ambience. I do agree, however, with the poor reviews of the food. I had the Paella dish and my date ordered the Mahi Mahi. We both thought the Three Crab Dip with chips was much better than the entrees. Both of our dishes were bland. The flavors melted together with no particular taste or ourstanding quality. The portions were acceptable. If I had to return for a business function, I would. However, I would not return again on my own as the atmosphere, service and music would not outweight the lack of flavor in the food. End the end....it's all about the food. :-) NAME: Chap SUBMITTED: 10/31/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/2004 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: Late dinner after the ball game was very good. Our party of six was seated promptly without reservations and we enjoyed GREAT mojitos (the only thing Cuban in the menu!). Apetizers were great! Good crab dip and the arepas were very tasty but defenitely not what we called arepas in the Caribbean. Dinner was great, we all ordered different dishes to taste as many as possible. The fillet mignon was great, the salmon in banana leaves was a favorite as was the tuna. Other excellent notables were the Sea Bass and the Paella. I had the paella and I can tell you that the portions was very generous, lots of good seafood but a bit too much tomato, that's just a matter of taste. In all, after 2 pitchers of Mojito, we certainly enjoyed our evening. Give it a try with an open mind for "Latin inspired" meals. NAME: Caribbean lady SUBMITTED: 10/12/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/09/04 FREQUENCY: Visited once MY REVIEW: In resonse to the comments by reviewer "DUH", I need to get my tax dollars back becuase you obviously should not have passed reading comprehension in grade school. Yes, the sign does say "CUBAN BAR and LATIN FOOD." And, the resteraunt attempts to create Cuban dishes that appeal to the trendy, "I'm different from the regular Joe" crowd. The food is indeed different but, in no way Cuban or Latin for that matter. I challenge you to find a Latin culture that adds cocnut milk to black beans (yuck!!). You won't! What if I told you that this resteraunt proves that food does not matter to the hip and trendy of Houston. The ambiance is great and that is all that is about this place. CUBAN...... they wish. NAME: cubalibre SUBMITTED: 9/29/2004   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/04 FREQUENCY: Visited once ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY