Went to Balans for lunch and ordered the Reuben sandwich. Â Usually Reuben sandwiches are stacked so high they fall everywhere and when you bite into it the contents go everywhere. Â Not here, where they give you two thinner sandwiches. Â Great concept!
We had two servers that weren't intrusive so the experience was good. Â Great people watching here as well. Â Only reason they didn't get a 5-Star rating is because they add tip automatically. Â I understand that with the many different cultures in Miami that some don't tip, but for me as an American the server probably would've gotten a larger tip if it wasn't on there already.
I'll definitely be back again.
My boyfriend and i were looking for somewhere to eat in Brickell and this place was open after 11pm on a Sunday night. I had the herb chicken with herb red roasted potatoes and oh my it was delicious. Best chicken ive ever had hands down. I ate EVERYTHING on my plate. I also had a cocktail and it was quite delicious although i dont remember which. We ate inside cause outside was kinda packed. My boyfriend had a shrimp dish of some kind and was not a big portion for him so he ate some of my food too. Damn him! Lol. Its a must go and service was great!
Review Source:The only reason I am giving this place 2 stars is because the food was actually pretty good. However, the service SUCKS!
We got there at 12:35 on a Tuesday afternoon. Shouldn't be especially busy right? We had already looked at the menu previously to know what we would order so we could be out and back at work by 1:30. The place was empty, so I thought we would have our food quickly.
We waited nearly 40 minutes for our food! The waitress came by once and said the food was "almost out" which turns out means 15 more minutes. While we were still waiting, we called the waitress over and she explained that the reason our food was taking so was long that they burned my burger! I was like, "Don't you think you could have told us that instead of having us wait in the dark?!"
Anyway, we finally got our food at 1:10 and had to scarf it down in order to be out of there by 1:20. It was only at this point that about 4 managers or supervisors came by asking how the food was. Not one asked about the service. When the bill came, I understood why. The automatically added the 18% tip in the bill. It was only 3 of us, we were not a big party. I wanted to fight it, but my coworker just wanted to pay and get out of there.
DO NOT GO TO BALANS!! Bad service, and since they know they are getting 18% anyway, they treat you like crap. I was so dissapointed.
I know we are in the NBA finals as a city, but when I go out to dinner I expect good service no matter whats going on tv. the fact that my waiter would disappeared for quarters on end was not acceptable. Sitting outside is hot with the useless vents they have and the seats are really uncomfortable.
The food was mediocre at best, I had the thai noddles and would have been better off ordering from a take out place. My friend had the quesadilla and it was thin and burnt.
the prices are based on the location, but there are so many better places around that i wouldnt waste my money here again.
Delicious breakfast/brunch menu. I ordered the madame croquet, it was a great little sandwich meal which you end up eating with a knife and fork since there's a fried egg on top. Â The paired salad gives it a light, fresh taste. We sat outside on a Sunday morning and enjoyed the people watching. Â Cute place.
Review Source:I was very ill, but decided to brave the outdoors on my last night in Miami.
Food- alright. I was not impressed but it tasted good. I got the tortilla chicken soup, which probably would've been elevated to yummy! status if the shredded chicken wasn't so dry and over-cooked. Trying to chew it literally (not figuratively) made my teeth hurt. I took to just eating the broth with some jasmine rice, which was over $3 for an ice cream scoop-full.
Everything else, heard 'round the table was "ehm it's alright, I guess."
The staff was pretty friendly to us, which was unusual for Miami. The bathrooms can be weird for some: the doors are all transparent glass until you lock them, after which case they turn frosted. I thought it was pretty cool, but the bathrooms are also smelly and gross.
The vibe outside was very cool with the music and the warm air. But people are allowed to smoke in that area. I am not really used to that, but as a non-smoker, it is disconcerting to get that smoke headache while I'm trying to eat.
I liked the area; the vibe was cool but food was not impressive. Two-point-five stars.
This place hasn't changed in the past year since I have been here - which on one hand is good.  However, the service is still slower than I would expect or that I am used to.  The staff all are always very nice and accommodating but service is slow. We have eaten here a few times and  it doesn't matter if it the place is packed or if it's an in between time.
On our most  recent visit, once we were seated, it took about 20 minutes for the server to take our drink order.  We waited another 20 minutes for our drinks and to place  our order food. We then waited another 30 minutes for us to get our food once the order was placed. The food was cool when it was served.  We didn't say anything because we weren't sure how long we'd have to wait to warm it  since we'd been there almost an hour already. Â
It 's got a good breakfast menu. The food is alright, the drinks are good and there are one or two vegetarian options (hard to find at many Miami restaurants) which is a plus. Â It's great place to sit, hang out, people watch and enjoy a relaxing meal. Â So I recommend this place if you have the time to do just that.
The only reason I am giving Balans Brickell 3 stars is because of the slow service.
Took 5 minutes to get a seat but the wait staff didn't come over for at least 10 minutes. It took another 10 minutes to get coffee which came out cold. After ordering a simple breakfast we waited over an hour to get our food. After asking multiple times if they had our food I told our waitress we were leaving at which point she magically had our food ready. To top it off food was mediocre and chorizo was so dry i couldn't finish it. Not worth the hassel.
Review Source:The location is excellent, everything else is mediocre at best! The food was average, the service less than that...and don't order a frozen drink...I'm not sure they know what that means...Oh and be sure to try out the charming glass door unisex bathrooms that "fog" up when you lock the door but have a big gap in the door so people waiting can still see inside...awkward!
Review Source:This a good go to place for brunch and people watching on the weekends. If you go during prime brunch time expect to wait as people often leisurely enjoy cocktails and their food as they take in the sun and surroundings. Food isn't all that special but it's not bad either. Overall I would say its a good choice and worth checking out.
Review Source:Came here with a bunch of friends and sat at one of the tables outside. Â It's in a very cute area of Brickell with lots of locals and tourists alike. First of all our service was awesome - I think we lucked out in that department. Â But as far as food and drinks go- I wasn't too impressed for such an internationally well known chain. I had one of their signature cocktails "the pornstar" which was a mix of vanilla vodka and passionfruit puree topped with a champagne shot. It was interesting but definitely not worthy of being a signature drink. Â I enjoyed the "painkiller" more. Â
We ordered the grilled eggplant (blah), chicken saté (decent) and the fries (how could you go wrong?) for some light eating.
I think this place is great for people watching and a good option for happy hour. I heard their brunch is awesome so perhaps I'd return for that.
A few years ago I dined here and all I remembered about it...was basically nothing.
We were in Mary Brickell walking around and decided to grab dinner here because like usual it was the only place that was packed and hopping with a lot of energy. Â They offer a decent happy hour and our server told us we had about 30 minutes to order from the happy hour list.
I ordered a glass of sangria because the waiter told me it was dry not sweet. Â Our server was just OK, he came, he took our order and that is basically all, the guy really did not have much of a personality. My sangria was awful, it tasted like corked wine with sugar in it, blah! Â I then chose to make another mistake and ordered a glass of house Cabernet Sauvignon. Â Oh heck it was like drinking prune juice. Â Yeah I should have known better but most restaurants with their caliber usually has decent drinkable house wine.
So OK the menu, boring, small I was so not impressed. Â I chose a penne arribiatta figuring it would be safe, like how can you really screw up pasta that bad. Â Well five stars they screwed it up. Arribiata is suppose to be spicy marinara sauce. Â First the pasta was overcooked and the sauce had NO spice to it at all really did not taste like anything.
I could go on and on about my husband's pasta dish as well that he ordered but I think the food is not well executed with flavor or anything. Â The prices are high IMO for the type of food they offer, service is just OK.
Not my scene at all. Â Just another dive at the Village.
This is the go-to brunch place at Brickell, there is always a wait and all the tables are full. Even the outside ones. I actually thought the prices would be outrageous but they're really not. I ordered the eggs benedict and they were ok- they were overall kind of dry. My fiancé ordered an appetizer dish of eggplant, tomato sauce with red pepper and cheese and that was delicious! Honestly one of the best appetizers Ive tried.
Also, yes, the bathrooms are kind of weird. They are transparent but you have to lock the door so that the glass becomes more opaque. People can't see you, believe me, Im an architect! Just make sure you lock that door, I guess you'd have to skip the mimosas to make sure lol.
Friendly service, ok food. Sandwiches looked delicious!
Zero stars if possible. Â As we approached, the fire alarm went off and wouldn't shut off. Â It was pure torture. Â Sat down outside anyway hoping the alarm would shut off. Â It did go quiet and we ordered. Â We were given a filthy maple syrup bottle and unwashed coffee mugs. Â Once the alarm started up again we left and went to Deli Lane.
The outdoor seating was really handy for walking out. Â Never going back there...
Balans is like a vaguely abusive boyfriend--you know he's bad for you and the relationship is wrong, but you keep going back because it's easy and familiar. You also know you'll regret talking to him later but you just can't seem to help yourself.
The food ranges from edible to really, really bad. The bathrooms are atrociously dirty and the service is usually lackluster at best. But the happy hour is a good deal if you're looking to get sauced on the cheap--just be sure you know which cocktails are good and which ones taste like lighter fluid. Ask someone at a nearby table, because the servers rarely seem to know anything about the menu.
The outdoor seating is really the only reason to visit this place. From one of their patio tables you have a great view of Brickell Village and everyone passing through. And since I live within walking distance, I find myself here way more often than I'd like; that is to say, ever.
Oh, Balans...you're so wrong for me. Why can't I just be strong enough to quit you once and for all? If only another, better local restaurant and bar with ample outdoor seating would come along and sweep me off my feet...
Sigh.
Sat at the bar for brunch.. It's definitely not the cleanest bar.
The female bartender got us silverware that she wiped with a wet rag that was sitting on her cutting board. I asked her not to use that and just give me a napkin but she insisted the rag was clean. When she handed me my utensils the knife had something on it. She told me its just lime pulp. Seriously?! I had to remind her that I will be using the fork and knife to eat with. Finally a server overheard and told me that he'd get me fresh silverware.
The male bartender offered us ketchup with our potatoes.. Omg, their ketchup bottle was sealed with a layer of dry crusty ketchup. I don't understand why it's not cleaned every day and why would you present that during service??
I live in the neighborhood and cross Balans all the time on the way to publix. Â Ive been there three other times and never felt that I liked it. Â I understand this is a Mary Brickell restaurant and I should set the bar low... but this was just gross. Â Rest assured I will not be back... EVER.
I have very mixed feelings about this place. Here's why:
YAYS:
- Perfect area for people watching. Right in the heart of Mary Brickell Village you see all the trendies with their dogs, flashy cars and people overall you really don't care about.
- Granola Pancake. YUM! I'm going to learn how to make this at home. Huge pancake made with granola inside.
NAYS:
- Service could use some help. It's a busy place so it's not reallly their fault but the overall perception of the management / hostess staff has a chip on their soldier. Â Not really feeling the "welcome, glad you're here instead of the 20 other places around us".
MID
- Food prices overall are reasonable. Alcohol prices are a bit steep, especially if you're having to have more than 2.
So, it's a wash. Great place for Brunch if you're relaxing. If you're in a hurry, be careful about coming here on the weekends. But will visit again!!
HORRIBLE SERVICE and MEDIOCRE FOOD. I've been here several times in hopes of it getting better, but i am only kidding myself, because it is terrible every time. they run out of items, food is cold, pasta is undercooked, service takes forever.
one time, everyone at my table was served except for me. they all finished eating, and my plate still hadn't come out. i don't understand how this place is always busy, or how there could ever be an hour wait for this place.
I brought some out-of-towners in on a Thursday night so that they could experience something different and a little piece of Miami and I thought Brickell was just the right place. Â In looking at the different restaurants in the area they wanted something unique and tasty and Balans came to mind.
The vibe was great with live music outside while trendy Miamians sipped on their cocktails and listened on. Â We opted to sit inside for a more quiet evening and were seated right away.
For appetizers we shared the pot stickers, which were plenty, warm and tasty. We each picked something different to eat for dinner and I decided on the lobster spaghetti. The lobster spaghetti was delicious and made with a pink and creamy sauce mixed in with pieces of lobster chunks in almost every bite. Â The portions were more than enough and with the ability for left-over's if you wanted to. Â We each had a cocktail and I chose the lemon drop martini, which was sweet, strong and yummy.
For dessert we shared the banoffi sundae, which consisted of vanilla ice cream with chopped bananas covered in dulce de leche and nuts with a pirouline on the side - needless to say, it was the icing on the cake and very, very good.
I am taking off a star because it was very warm inside the restaurant and the restrooms were not the cleanest.
Overall, I enjoyed the food and ambience and would return.
Based only on 1 visit therefore if you love this place and been here many times, don't get insulted. Â Anyway, went there to meet a friend before heading to Blu Martini Brickell. Â The place is aesthetically appealing and the food alright, but the most annoying part was the DJ! Â Yes, they have a DJ in the restaurant, I don't know if to compete with the other clubs around but inside the restaurant and at the volume they had it, it was EXTREMELY annoying!!!
When my friend's friend asked the waiter to please turn it down a notch, he couldn't even here her and simply and arrogantly said no!
I'm like ah ah, this is not going down like that! Â I asked for the manager ( no i didn't pull out my Elite badge or anything), he came over and I told him that he really needed to turn the volume down because even our waiter couldn't hear us!
He did turn it down a bit, but after too much effort. Â I don't know if I have the energy to go back to this place and have to scream in people's ears...
Love coming here for Sunday brunch - the service is typical Balans (and we have gotten used to it) Slow but with big smiles!
We adore the food, and the waitstaff is always friendly and courteous - I am sure its just because they are always so busy.
They do need to get some better umbrellas (metal chairs and hot sun suck and the umbrellas do not provide ample shade)
I have never had a bad meal or a bad drink here - love it, love the people watching - if you are in MBV you MUST give Balans a try - you will NOT be disappointed!
I came to Balans during a Wednesday night 30-45 minutes from last call. Even then, service was VERY slow. There was nothing wrong with the service other than the speed, but it seemed somewhat distant. Now, that said, I haven't been in Balans in a VERY long time. I returned with hopes that the service speed issue was fixed. Clearly, not. I did try their fried calamari, which was good. A little tougher than desired, but edible.
Bottom Line: Meh.
I would never go here for food. Every time I order food here, I am disappointed. It's not good. I ordered a salad once and it was like someone didn't finish chopping and I had a pile of massive veggies on my plate.
This place is good for happy hour. it's centralized in Mary Brickell and the 2-4-1 is great. It's nice to sit outside and people watch too.
I've dined at Balans on several occasions as it is within walking distance/minutes of my condo. They have great outdoor seating right in Mary Brickell Village (in the heat of all the action). It's a more laid back restaurant in the area with a great happy hour that starts early.
The menu is extensive. They have something for everyone. From salads to pastas to meats and seafood, I mean Balans really has it all. The drinks are really good and moderately priced. The food is moderately priced as well. I've had their penne all'arrabiata, lobster spaghetti, crab linguine, and the herb grilled chicken (prior to me giving up chicken all together). My dinner company have had the gnocchi, seabass, & octopus salad. So let's say we've collectively tried about half of the menu. All of the dishes were pretty good for the price. They weren't AMAZING but not the worst either.
The service is horrible but every time that we go here there is a completely different wait staff so that's where I deduct one star. The staff is not good.
This restaurant is open like alllll day. It's super popular for lunch, dinner, brunch, late drinks, everything. The bathrooms also have that cool effect when you lock the door the glass fogs up. I've only seen this in one other city at Bar 89 in NYC. It almost doesn't fit with the theme as it's rather odd that the bathroom door is so nice and then the actual bathroom itself isn't?
If you are looking for a nice restaurant to go with maybe your parents or a first date, Balans isn't for you. It's not a restaurant that will really impress someone so to say but it is a great casual place to grab lunch or drinks or anything in between.
A great spot for locals and tourists.
Also for dessert a must is the flourless chocolate pecan brownie....MMMM.
Decided to grab a seat here while waiting for another friend to show up.
What I ordered: Chicken, spinach & ricotta cannelloni with tomato cream sauce. It was 3 hearty servings of cannelloni, but I pretty much pigged out and ate them all. Probably not the smartest thing to do at 2 in the morning. Was here more for the outdoor atmosphere and convenience.
Pretty busy little place. See a seat, grab it.
The food is ok at best but you go there more for the little scene and to grab a drink with friends. Â Always has a solid girl to guy ratio and good pick up spot at happy hour. Â Service is ok. Â All in all, everything about this place is ok...nothing awful yet nothing great. Â Ok at its best it is.
Oh, I forgot to mention....THEY HAVE THE WORST BATHROOMS IN MIAMI! Â Zero privacy.
The hubby and I decided to meet up for dinner after work on a Wednesday night. Â The hubby had about 2 hours in between clients. Â My trusty yelp app led me here. Â
1st of all. Â I know brickell is the "go to" place for business professionals. Â But this place was way to packed for a Wednesday night. Â It makes me wonder if people work and what I am doing wrong. Â Parking was absolutely horrible. Â After driving around for about 20 minutes I finally found a parking space. Â
ALL 3 stars go to service. Â When we arrived, we told the waiter we were in a hurry. Â He made sure to take our order quickly. Â Our food was out before we could even blink our eyes. Â Now that is service.
The food. Â I wanted to like it. Â I really did. Â Especially since our waiter was so great. Â But I just didn't. Â The chicken was mediocre at best. Â The veggies were already.
The bathroom is pretty cool also. Â The doors are see through and once you lock them they go opaque. Â However, the bathroom itself was filthy. Â It smelled like an outhouse. Â For such a fancy place and the prices they charge for food, the restrooms should be at least clean.
All in all, I didn't hate Balans but I also didn't love it.
Went here for brunch with the girlfriends and found it to be just ok. Â
I ordered the breakfast burrito which was mostly bland. Â Eggs and cheese in a flour tortilla with not much else going on in the way of flavor. Â Spice, please? Â Tried my friend's home fries and those were very good. Â
I also ordered the bellini to drink with my breakfast. Â (Sorry folks, no OJ here; I'm allergic (see my review of the sangria at Tapas and Tintos), so bellinis it is.) I could barely taste the peach! Â I understand using lousy champagne for mixed drinks, but then you have to put enough mixer in to even out the flavor. Â So, what I had was lousy champagne that was a weird color.
And the bathrooms are worth mentioning. Â Not in a good way. Â The are see-thru glass. Â Once you flip the lock switch on the door, the windows become opaque. Â Mostly. Â And I guess if you want a super-trendy thing, then I guess it's ok. Â Except that means you have LOOK AT TOILETS directly when you're heading to the lou. Â I really prefer the traditional door if you ask me. Â And more than that, if you're going to have cool bathrooms, then you need to have spotless bathrooms. Â These were less than ideal. Â much less than ideal.
Please notice that in this review, the shortest paragraph is about my only ok food. Â The middle length paragraph is about my not so great drink, and the longest paragraph is about the yucky bathrooms. Â Yeah, nuff said.
Not impressed.
Arrived around 10ish on a Monday for a brunch with girlfriends. The outside was already starting to get busy despite it being a Monday. Must have been the leftover Christmas crowd.
We chose to sit inside. We got the corner booth which was perfect for our party of 6. It's not that anything was terribly wrong. It's more that nothing was memorable or impressive. It was just...OK. I would only go back if in the area and there is absolutely nowhere else to go.
Service was OK. Not too friendly, just there.
Had mostly breakfast food. I had the croque madame which came with a side salad and the dressing on that salad was probably the best part of my meal. The pancakes were soft and served with a side of maple pecan butter. Â Eggs were eggs, bacon was bacon. Just OK.
The bathrooms were memorable though. Not in a good way. Went with my girlfriends and after several mimosas we made it fun but had I been alone, fun would not be a word I would be using now. The doors are see through. The catch is that when the light goes on, the glass frosts. Well, the thing is that although the glass frosts you can still see enough through the shadow to follow that person's every step inside the stall. Add to that the 1/4 " or so open seam in between glass panels and now you have a really uncomfortable situation should you be in the stall with a lot of people waiting outside. Not cool. I would like to use my bathroom privately please. Thanks! The floors were dirty and sink was messy. You also have to walk by the open kitchen to get to them.
We finished our breakfast/brunch and left to have our coffee at the Starbucks across the way. The surrounding area is great and  full of other restaurants and small cute shops. I would say, skip it!
Around 3pm on a Monday afternoon in Brickell, finding a spot for a business meeting (with cocktails and nice ambiance) is a little difficult. After a quick Yelp search, we settled upon Balans. Sitting outside in the open-air mini plaza, it's a bustling little spot with the right kind of Miami breeze.
While I can't comment on the food, the cocktails were pretty solid and the vast drinking menu means they cater to those who imbibe. Even better, happy hour starts at 3pm.
On the negative end, our server disappeared pretty quickly and finding someone to bring out our check was a bit of a chore. Nevertheless, I'll definitely return for a fresh mojito and a bite to eat.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
