Let's deal with the elephant in the room first...this place is totally in an old Fazoli's. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's the same weirdness as the generic Mexican joint housed in what was clearly a Pizza Hut once upon a time.
Onto the food. I had heard all sorts of amazing things about the other Carolina's, so maybe I was setting the bar too high, but I wasn't super impressed. To me it's just average Mexican food, nothing spectacular and maybe even a bit too greasy. Also, I know this is more of a fast food location and less of a restaurant, but it just seems odd to go to a Mexican food eatery that does not give you chips and salsa at the table. Like an Italian place with no bread. (Did Fazoli's serve bread?)
My biggest beef with this place is the food containers. Styrofoam city! It's like McDonald's in the '80s over there. We've always eaten there yet they always box the food up like it's to-go. Piles and piles of cups and containers fill the garbage cans, which are probably emptied a staggering amount of times per day. Yuck.
Overall, I'm giving this place an "eh" three stars. Not really worth it for me to drive through the goofy, wiggly part of downtown Peoria to get to.