Fast food restaurants have truly found home in Salem, Oregon. Has anyone seen the new Taco Bell on south Commercial? It looks like the Bell has a new corporate image for its' store fronts. I hope they didn't get rid of the Chalupa, that dog was really funny. As long as they continue to sell bean burritos and the Pizzaz Mexican Pizza that place will never go out of business. Hopefully this one will have better service than the TB up the street. If you ever watch the people working in the back making tacos, it's like watching paint dry. I hate to talk about a fast food chain on this blog but when I drove by this one today, it turned my head. There's a lot of new development happening at that end of town, let's hope a nice place to eat will open up over there.
If you want a nasty experience, go to the Taco Bell in West Salem. Most of the food is not served at the proper temperature, and they NEVER get your order correct.
ReplyDeleteWe had tried three or four times to give them a chance. On the last visit they left out two items. I was so mad, I called the 1 800 number on the bag, for Taco Bell. Talked to headquarters. They didn't really apologize for the bad service or cold food. They said they hire high school kids and that they are just learning, and that they make lots of mistakes...and sent me a ten dollar coupon to try them again.
If I had did that many mistakes in my high school job, I would have been out the door! By the way, it's not to clean in there either! It's all up to the manager and owner.
I agree with D..being a resident of west salem. Theres only 1 or two things I like at taco bell and they never seem to make it well. I like those steak quesadillas.. but they are gross when not completely cooked with the cheese melted.. and its fairly common to get them undercooked so I don't go there much..
ReplyDeleteI'd rather just go over to Robertos... they have a better menu... they are on par with Muchos gracias..
Ditto about the Taco Bell in West Salem. It takes forever to get your order and sometimes they even give us someone elses order. We stopped going there months ago.
ReplyDeleteThe Rigoberto's in West Salem is the same corporate chain as Muchas Gracias & Aibertos & Albertos, etc. They make them look like locally owned individual restaurants but they are franchised. & just a side note - a while back there was a sticker in the drive thru window @ W Salem Rigobertos informing customers that they had recently failed their inspection also.
ReplyDeleteThe Rigoberto's in West Salem is the same corporate chain as Muchas Gracias & Aibertos & Albertos, etc. They make them look like locally owned individual restaurants but they are franchised. & just a side note - a while back there was a sticker in the drive thru window @ W Salem Rigobertos informing customers that they had recently failed their inspection also.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you find out that these small Mexican places are all owned by the same company? That is an interesting thought.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I have tried the one in West Salem. It was dirty...and the food was not fantastic. I make better Mexican food, and I'm not Mexican.
Worked with their corporate office when they were opening new locations. Brilliant concept, since it fools consumers in to thinking they are just little mom & pop places... but next time you drive by 3 or 4 of them, check the menu boards - menus are almost identical - all the way down through California to San Diego where their HQ is. Travelling myself and just passed one in Costa Mesa CA that I used to dine at in my college days.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info...I think if you get a clean one, with good food, it is only do to the local manager.
ReplyDeleteI love Mexican food, and these little joints I have eaten in are below par most of the time. Too bad.
THrough the years my BF has eaten 3 times at a TacoSmell. Each time he got food posioning. (lots of bathroom visits, lots of puking)
ReplyDeleteEIther he has really bad luck, or Tacobell is really nasty.
I don't eat there. I'd rather not take the risk.
I've never gotten sick at TB and I've eaten there hundreds of times. I think if your friend got sick once, I wonder why he ever went back. Let's be fair, they have had problems in the past but for the most part the food is more unhealthy than anything.
ReplyDeleteI've eaten at all of the TBs in Salem. This is the only one that I ever went back to. The staff was more high school and college students and not the drop out career fast food joint staff at the other fast food places I've been. The food here always seemed fresher. Probably because the place is so busy. The only issue I've had is once when they were really busy they forgot part of my order.
ReplyDeleteNew menu items..............
ReplyDeleteadvertised on TV enticed me. I tried their Cantina Tacos. They're offered with dainty portions of beef, chicken or pork fillings with onions and cilantro each wrapped in a double soft corn tortilla. My first and persistent thought is that they are a feeble answer to Del Taco's Tacos Del Carbon.
I did notice the counter person (Jon) was a cut above most at FF places. He came to my table, seemed genuinely interested in what I thought and confessed he had not yet tried them himself.
Taco Bells ubiquity in this city, I'm sure, gives them a much greater market share than Del Taco enjoys (with only one location). The difference in food quality is considerable. If you have the machismo to brave Lancaster Drive, Del Taco is a better choice.