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| - This review is for the bricks & mortar store at Bathurst & St. Clair. Also, we visited on what I believe was their 2nd night of being open.
I wanted to like this so badly, given that it is literally a 3 minute walk from my house. We had dreams of Tuesday Taco night from one of the best in the city.
Unfortunately those dreams were crushed in a 45min span.
First, the layout of the space is really quite terrible. They have the ordering area tucked into a small corner that is also used as the through-fare for food coming out of the kitchen. This means that the line-up of people waiting to order is directly in the way of staff running food.
The drinks are not listed on the menu, and the open fridge is not within eyesight of the ordering counter. This meant that the staff member had to duck in behind the guy making the tacos to see the fridge and yell over to us the selection on hand. Of course, I would have just peeked over myself but I couldn't even see where the drinks were...did they have drinks?
I witnessed several orders come out wrong, and then wrong again. To be fair, the staff was apologetic and always had a kind smile, and even offered a table a freebie for their delayed food. But it just all felt very chaotic, understaffed and unorganized.
Other items to mention that could be fixed for future:
Staff bring out your food to you, but they don't bring you any cutlery. This means that you then have to get up again after they drop it off, and head back into the tiny zone where the people are lined up, and the staff are running through and its just a crowded mess. Seems obvious, but if the staff aren't going to bring the cutlery with them, they should direct you to grab it after you order as you head to your table. I saw every table in the place experience this, so I know it wasn't just my oversight.
The sauces on the table are mild and hot salsas but are in ketchup and mustard bottles. Confusing as they are unmarked. Until I overheard a staff member tell another table differently, I thought it was actually ketchup and mustard.
The food is quite messy, and although there are napkins on the table they are those flimsy tissue paper jobbies. Okay...but best to offer wet naps too then, considering that this is pretty much all finger food (save for soups and salads).
The speaker system is only set up over the ordering counter, which is practically in the kitchen. So, the music is loud and festive when you are ordering your food, and then when you sit down in the eating area there is a quiet din that just doesn't feel right. They need to have at least one speaker in the front of house
There are no accessible garbage bins, so you are forced to leave your food baskets, soda cans, used napkins, etc on the table as you leave. I am happy to pick up after myself, and leave the table clean for the next person, but their system didn't allow for that. It meant that the one staffer who is taking orders and running food is also clearing tables. This is not a table service restaurant so it seems they are doing themselves a disservice.
Finally, the food. It was okay. Maybe it was just what we ordered, but I really didn't have a "well, that makes it all worth it" kind of experience. My fish taco was fairly boring, overdressed with coleslaw and thus fell apart into a sopping mess. The guacamole was flavourless, I don't think there was any seasoning whatsoever and the chips were also dry and boring (no salty goodness).
I wrote this review most specifically for the restaurant owners as they seem like good people and I really want to help them succeed however I can. I believe in the small business owner and want to support them whenever possible. At this point, I feel that my feedback is the most valuable thing I can provide.
Best of luck GG's!!!
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