colombian restaurants

[cancunhound]

... in response to Re: Re: colombian restaurants, posted by jim c on Aug 21, 2003

That's a favorite of mine also for empanadas & cerveza.  Very amuzing to see the waiters traverse the street traffic to bring it.  Sometimes hard to get a table there.

[Cali James]

... in response to Re: colombian restaurants, posted by DallasSteve2 on Aug 20, 2003

I'm bad with names but I think I've been to the restaurant you described.  It's more or less a buffet and they have an elegantly furnished upstairs.  The place I'm thinking of isn't on Avenida 6 but 6A.

[zack]

... in response to Re: colombian restaurants, posted by DallasSteve2 on Aug 20, 2003

will do. Thanks for the info.

Zack

[Pete E]

... in response to colombian restaurants, posted by zack on Aug 20, 2003

Because Colombians don't tend to tip the waiters don't make the mental connect between good service and tips,it doesn't compute for them.
However I have eaten at several good restaurants in Cali where sevice is good.My favorite is a place called something like the greenhouse in spanish.Its not to far from 6th ave and Chipi Chapi.Good food,good service.Cali Viejo is also very good and the service was good.I also like the restaurant at the Pacifico Royale Hotel in Ciudad Jardine near Unuicentral.My second date with my wife was there and thats when I fell for her.I keep going back and getting the same table.Great shrimp.Last time the service was slow.We were like the only ones there and the waiters sort of disapeared.
After my honeymoon in Colombia I had to come back alone because my wife didn't have her visa yet.Service on the honeymoon was slow,even at 5 star hotels.I was lucky to get one cup of coffee with breakfast.And for all their famed coffee what they serve you seems like Folgiers to me.
I came back through Orlando.I stopped on the turnpike and hit a Starbucks.That was the best cup of coffee I ever remember after Colombia.Then I went to a Chilis restaurant I think it was.Young college kid servers.They knew where the $$$ were  at.They had my beer to the table in about 2 miniutes while I was looking at the menu.Great service.I gave him a big tip.These guys probably make more money on tips in one night than a Colombian would in a year.
And Colombian food I am not too fond of.Nothing very special,pretty ordinary and tough usually with meat.Cubans know how to stew their Carne Ripada or Carne Asada untill its falling apart tender.Colombians give you a tough chewy steak.
My favorite Colombian restaurant is Crepes and Waffles.Like $3 for chicken Curry crepes.About as good as anything I have eaten.

Pete

[zack]

... in response to Colombians don't tip, waiters unmotivate..., posted by Pete E on Aug 20, 2003

Thanks for the info. I agree that the waiters are unmotivated because Colombians don't tip well. But you would think that when they see a gringo walk in, they would become motivated because we are better tippers. But that obviously isn't the case. I laughed when you said that your novia and you were the only ones left in that high class restaurant and the waiters just disappeared. That has happened to me numerous times.

I have never been to the restaurant at the Pacifico Royal Hotel nor have I been to "the greenhouse", but I have been to Cali Viejo and thus far, it gets my vote as a "good food, good service" restaurant.

Zack

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: Colombians don't tip, waiters unmoti..., posted by zack on Aug 20, 2003

Zack,
Yeah you would think sometimes they would pick up this is a gringo,I might get a tip.Sometimes they do,particularly in the better restaurants.But I think to a large extent they have just fallen in to their lazy routine I think.Its like they have a mental idea of what the job is and that is it.
Sometimes Colombians can seem real resourcefull.Other times they don't seem to see  the opportunity right under their nose.I think it comes from not expecting to have much opportunity to change things.And here is a gringo willing to give them a 10-20% tip if they just hustle a little.If his lady will let him that is.My wife would want to pick the tip back up if I left a big one.Like this is not how we do it.Yeah,and you get lousy service too.You trained these guys to ignore you.
Habits are hard to change I think.The difference between that College kid in Orlando,probably making $100 a night tips and the average Colombian waiter was night and day.They both had the same physical energy available to them.One was motivated to use it,the is on slow motion,thinks he has little control over his life.
These attitudes on a national scale might be a one reason their economy is in the toilet.Everything gets done half
as--d or not at all.Seems every Monday is a holiday.Its like they decided we can't change things anyway,so when is the next holiday,party,celebration.I guess its instant gratification because they have no faith in the delayed type.

Pete

[cancunhound]

... in response to Re: Re: Colombians don't tip, waiters un..., posted by Pete E on Aug 20, 2003

My wife always puts me in check on tipping while in Cali - apparently it's some sort of "given" that overtipping is not appropriate.  Colombians also seem to have no reservation about being "rude" or "sharp" with a waiter to get expedient service, that's the norm - and probably why I've never had "poor" service when accompanied by Colombians.  Now that tactic won't fly as well for a solo gringo (as long as my beer is cold and on the table I could care a less anyway).  I've also noticed that most everywhere Colombians get preferencial treatment - after all tourists aren't exactly storming the country.  At the A/I resorts that we've been to in Colombia I have to tip and tip generously to get that same kind of service.

[CaliAdvisor]

... in response to Re: Gringo Tipping, posted by cancunhound on Aug 21, 2003

Exactly. I guess I dont notice the bad service because I am usually accompanied by Colombians who keep the waiters in check at at their beckoned call. I guess Gringos alone just aren't taken as seriously.

[zack]

... in response to Re: Re: Colombians don't tip, waiters un..., posted by Pete E on Aug 20, 2003

Agreed. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

Zack