I tried to get my fix today at my Taco Cabana. So help me, I love that barbacoa there. I know, it's probably like those "pupusas", and not terribly authentic, but ****, it's tasty, if awful for you.

However, me and my pusher, i.e. Taco Cabana, are out of sorts. The local one has one of the slowest, most inconsistent drive thrus ever. It's not that they get it wrong... it's that it takes 20 minutes or more to get DONE.

Today's adventure, the final straw, but pretty much sums up the issue, if at an x3 level (as in 3 minutes=1 minutes normally, which is still bad, but today was just worse in every way)

You drive up... you're third in line for the speaker... and you wait. And wait. Finally one car might go... but not today, that car never moved. And then another car showed up to the side of us all, a fourth.

Then the second in line decided they had enough, and decided to back out. Which is fine, when I saw two queued (but couldn't see around the store) I had an idea that might be happening. I'd parked a bit away, so it wasn't a big deal to let it out.

And then that red SUV parked at the main entrance (NOT in a space, mind) and the driver went in. Remember this one.

I waited a little while longer... must have been 10 minutes overall, but who really tracks time in this stuff... And finally figured out that dammit, nothing was happening. So I went around the parking lot to see the window... and there's one SUV there. Not that other one. Hm. No activity... I stared a little... then went to a very near by Jack In The Box.

There was a line... but no problems. Drove up... ordered... 4th in line... 3rd... second... at the window... paid, got my stuff, drivin' off... Hm. Maybe I'll go check on that Taco Cabana (all lots are connected)

Went back over there... and that same red SUV was still parked in front, there was nobody at the window, and two cars waiting... the first of which drove off as I was looking for a store number without getting out of the car (the "pink bunny slippers" syndrome comes to mind)

So, in the time it took me to go to Jack in the Box, order, get food, even with a line... they'd not done anything.

What's more interesting is that the amount of time it took me to get that from JITB was about the amount of time I was in line before the red SUV decided to move.

So... Taco Cabanas are off my list. I sent them a complain-o-gram. Watch them send me coupons, it'll be funny. They'll never get used, unless corporate shows up to shape that store up. Which is why I need an alternative barbacoa pusher... One with a drive thru would be awsome.

/not the only TC that's been bad.
//sad I didn't get my fix.
///Biscuits at JITB are good stuff tho.

 

man I hate when stuff like this happens. Just bad management.
http://www.eatbarbacoa.com/locations.html

 

I'm so thankful my local TC's don't suck. Its not rare to go order 6 flower tortillas for a midnight snack.

 

Man I miss eating barbacoa. I didnt know TC sold barbacoa

 

Only as a breakfast item. I so miss them already.

Got a couple of emails from their corporate... nice and friendly. Maybe they'll get it fixed.

 

TC's are really hit and miss I've found.

One opened up in my town here and I was so freakin' happy, but I'm guessing the management sucked and though it did great business they didn't make it.

i've found that the San Antonio locations are really good. I think that's TC's hometown though so that may be why. Corpus Christi's is always good too.

Anyway. That's a shame. I miss them greatly here. But my waist and colon are probably better off for it.

 

Come to a place called De Alba in San Benito, TX. Best barbacoa you'll ever have. and good prices, even on lengua! (spelling... <-- lol.)

 

Chain barbacoa? www.chipotle.com pretty darn good, IMHO. Not sure if they have Drive-Thru down there...

 

TC emailed and said they were gonna fix it, and wants me to report back to them either way.

I said (paraphrasing) "all fine and dandy, but I think I'll be waiting a while, to see if those 'changes' take hold, or if they're like the CARS program and are a flash in the pan bubble effect on things."

I do hope they get it done though. I'll try again in a couple of weeks. By then I'll be posting in the 'I'm craving..." thread.