I'm not a regular of Federico's, so I don't know if the one we visited is indicative of the others, but quick thoughts:
1. My wife nearly spat out the ice tea.
2. My daughter's drink was so disgusting I ran into the bathroom to spit it out after tasting. I made her dump it for another. The cashier mentioned they changed the type of soda in the machine, but any good restaurant would at least flush the system.
3. The steak in my dish, even though I had it chopped, was tough. Some of it was inedible.
4. The salsa, while spicy, completely lacked character. It was just soupy spiciness.
5. The rice and beans were half decent.
6. The atmosphere was dull, uninspired and completely empty on a Sunday evening.
7. It cost $30 to feed two adults and two kids, which is about the same price we would spend at Chipotle. Not a real bargain from my standpoint.
8. The only good thing: The food was not as much a salt-lick as other fast food restaurants.
Still, I don't see a reason to ever go there again.