My first experience with The Taco Maker was a mixed one. My girlfriend and I ordered the Fiesta Feast, and an order of flan, to go. On the way home, my girlfriend happened to look at the flan, and noticed it was moldy. This did not make for a good first impression. I turned around, and went to exchange it/get a refund. Initially, the staff was very apologetic (as they should be when serving moldy food), and glad to give me a new one. I inspected the new one instantly, and found what I thought was another very tiny spec of mold. The staff argued with me about this one, but I was not about to take the chance. They brought me another new one, this time from the cooler in the back, instead of the mini fridge up front. This one looked fine, I took it, and left. Not once was I offered a refund, or a gift card/certificate as compensation for being served moldy food though. To be fair, the flan is not made in house, but it does not speak well for the quality of their food storage.
My girlfriend and I went home, uneasy about the meals we were about to eat due to the moldy flan, but we also did not want to just throw away almost $20 worth of food. The Fiesta Feast, which comes with a burrito, taco, tortilla chips, and re-fried beans, was surprisingly good. We were full for hours afterward, much longer than expected considering the amount of food in the meal. It has been a couple days since we’ve eaten the meals, and we have not fallen ill because of it.
The food at The Taco Maker is good. It is a little expensive for the type of restaurant (giving a fast food feel). Expect to spend close to $10 for a meal and a drink, but it should fill you up for quite a while. Unfortunately, the moldy flan completely ruined my experience. The rest of the food was fine, but I cannot get the flan out of my head. It put a premature end to what could have been a beautiful relationship.
Update: I was contacted by the owners of The Taco Maker, and given a tour of their facilities. Please read the follow up.
That’s awful. I ate at Taco Maker for the first time about a month ago and enjoyed it, but now the mental image of moldy food is making me concerned.
Yeah, I can only speak for my experience for the location I visited. Maybe I should just recommend avoiding this location, but The Taco Maker as a whole is good.
Seth, being the Development Agent of The Taco Maker in Florida, I apologize. We have had some problems with our flans but in no way that’s an excuse for what happened to you. At The Taco Maker we have strict guidelines that must be followed to avoid this kind of situation. I assure you that this will not happen again.
Please accept my invitation for a free meal for you and your girlfriend. I would also like to show you our kitchen and our procedures that will assure you (and all of our clients) that what happened to you is an isolated case.
You can reply to [email address removed] so we can coordinate. Thank you for your interest in The Taco Maker.
Hello…
I just wanted to drop a note and say how much we enjoy your site. My family and I will be in Orlando soon, and as odd as it sounds, we always enjoy trying local fast food.
Thanks again!