El Granero

I decided to order from this place instead of my go to Mexican spot because the menu was more extensive. That was a HUGE mistake. I called in an order at 6:43pm. The employee told me that my order would be ready in 10 minutes/when I arrive. I arrived at the restaurant a few minutes after 7pm. When I went to the bar, I told the server that I was picking up an order. She asked for my name (which I had not provided because it wasn’t requested when I ordered) and started looking around and checking with another server. They looked confused and I could tell something was wrong. The server went into the kitchen and was gone for at least 10 minutes before she returned with an order ticket. I asked her if she had just put my order in. She assured me that the kitchen staff started preparing it a long time ago. I didn’t believe her, but I decided to go ahead and pay so I could get my food and leave. When she gave me my receipt, I noticed a $4.12 service charge. She had already left the bar area, so I had to wait to ask about it. She returned at 7:22pm with my food (about 40 minutes after I placed my order). When I asked to speak with a manager about my wait, the server said they don’t start preparing a customer’s order until they arrive. I’m not sure if this is true, but it definitely wasn’t communicated to me over the phone and what is the point of calling in an order if it won’t be ready when you arrive??? I also asked about the service charge and she said it is a “pickup” convenience fee, which makes absolutely no sense because I had to come in before the kitchen started making my order (if that is indeed true). There’s nothing convenient about that. I didn’t press the issue because I needed to get home after waiting so long for my food. To make matters worse, my tortilla chips were stale and my daughter’s nachos were drenched in queso and completely soggy (suggestion: pack the chips and queso separately for to-go orders). Needless to say, I will not be returning to El Granero in the future.