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| - This was my third or fourth visit to tako, but the only time I've ever been there during prime weekend hours. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Not because of the food or drink, but because of the way I was treated by the staff, and the poor management of indoor bar seats. I walked in by myself at about 8 PM on a Friday night, hoping to get a drink and a taco before meeting up with some others. I knew I had a small chance of getting a table, so I went in with the mindset of being happy to sit at the bar. When I tried to walk in, the hostess stopped me at the door and asked what I was in need of. When I told her, she sharply told me that there was a waitlist to sit at the outdoor bar and that if I wanted to sit at the indoor bar I would "just have to wait and see." They have tables out on the street too but those were not being used. I went to stand and wait at the bar for a seat, and it was clear that MANY people were using the indoor bar as a place to wait for either an outdoor bar seat or an indoor table. This is totally fine if you are ordering drinks, food, etc., but there were several people just sitting there. I ordered a margarita (very good as always) and informed the bartender that I was waiting on a seat just for me should one become available. As I stood and sipped my margarita for over 30 minutes, hordes of people came into the restaurant, and getting a bar seat became a bit like the hunger games. Still, there were people sitting at the bar seemingly not drinking or eating anything. Another bartender noticed my empty glass and asked if I wanted another. I asked for the check and politely told her that I would have to leave because I hadn't been able to get a seat. She said, "are you sure? one might open up." I am not blaming the bartenders, because I know they were overwhelmed and it can't be easy to kick someone out of the bar if they aren't ordering anything.
Moral of the story? Don't expect to sit anywhere on a Friday night, even if you come alone. Perhaps one solution to this issue would be to employ a waiting list for the indoor bar, too. It's just a small restaurant and the traffic is difficult to control.
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