Yellow City Street Food - YCSF — Restaurant in Amarillo

Isn't what it aspires to be. The signage outside and inside makes a big deal about how it is a chef driven menu, and you should trust the chef. This gave me hope that each dish had already been carefully tweaked and refined until they figured out how to make each thing just right.

One of the things I ordered was the imposter taco. The people who brought me there raved about it, but it was not actually good. It tasted more like a vinegar taco, and left me with the impression I was mostly just tasting sauces and that the taco didn't have much substance to it. It seemed like it would have been better if they fried the mushrooms a little bit less, and stuffed way more of them in there. Then it may not have left me with the impression that I ordered a sauce taco. Here is the kicker though, and I only found this out after ordering it, but them making a big deal about having a chef driven menu and you should trust the chef, well it turns out that is all a lie. Apparently the chefs know the imposter taco is not that good because they tried to take it off the menu, but all the hipsters this place attracts kept complaining, so they put it back on menu. So it is not really a chef driven menu, it is a hipster customer driven menu. If they had just stuck to what they were trying to be, that would have been removed from the menu, and I would not have ordered it.

I also tried a half order of the animal fries upgraded with jalapeno. The fries themselves were too dark and dense, as if the greasy toppings somehow ruined the fries. The fries would have been better if they were either crispy or light. The jalapeno was grilled to the point of having no flavor. The bacon was good when I went out of my way to taste it on its own, but if you just eat it all together like a normal person, somehow the flavors cancelled each other out, making the bacon not taste like much. So instead of being a combination of things designed to go well together, it was a combination of things that, while individually are somewhat good, actually make each other worse together.

Response to response from owner: The fact that it really is chef owned and driven doesn't make things any better, it just makes it sadder. As far as what I said about hipsters, I guess the place just has a very hipster vibe to it, which is not on its' own a bad thing. But then when the food is not good and yet people seem to love it, I can only assume something about the atmosphere and presentation is tricking people into thinking they like the food, so therefore many of the people that like the food here are probably somewhat of a hipster at heart, and that is partially what tricks them into liking the food. All of this is normal and to be expected. The place really does help you to feel good about being yourself in a cool way. Nothing about the food was gross or unclassy. Most people can't help but to have their experience of consuming food by very colored by the atmosphere and presentation. If you come into a restaurant hungry, and it brags about being chef driven, and the food looks and smells good, and the combinations of food combined into the menu items you order seems good, and the food is not outright gross, then that is all it takes for most people to think the food tastes really good, even if it is not good. I don't know why, but for me the experience of actually tasting food is so untied to everything else that things like atmosphere and presentation seem to have the opposite effect on me. If the place feels good and the food looks good, then I do tend to be affected by that to anticipate the food to be even better than I would otherwise. But then when I actually taste it, there is often a jarring difference between how good I expected it to be, and how good it actually tastes, and this can turn me off even more than just the taste alone. Whereas if the atmosphere is nothing special, and the place does not get my hopes up, then when the food is not exactly good, there is no jarring difference between how good I expected it to be...

The pictures we saw online looked delicious. Large numbers of positive reviews also drew us in. Limited parking and inside was overcrowded as we waited almost 30min in line. The menu was not straight forward and not like the food pictured online that looked so enticing. Ended up with the only tofu free entree.. a burger and the fries with bacon , cooked onions, & cheese /NO REMOULADE SAUCE , the options were pricey!! 30 more minutes...... Waited with an organic soda that I only took a partial drink of due to the anise like taste. Finally asked for the order to go. More than an hour after arriving at this restaurant we received our food. Our fries were covered in Remoulade sauce with no cheese!!! Back to waiting in line only to be talked down to until he found our ticket, finally! Instead of a refund they remade the fries... this time no onions, no cheese, but he did at least put bacon on them.Its a shame the order was wrong again because out of everything the onions smelled delicious with whatever they were seasoned with. I’m sure someone would love to eat tofu, drink anise flavored beverages ,wait in long lines, pay high prices for limited choices but I was insulted with how we were treated when our order was messed up repeatedly. We had another problem with one one the burgers as we were in such a time crunch we did not even bother to bring it up. One hr plus before and after ordering, waiting, failing to correct mistakes on orders is not acceptable for first time customers. As we waited for our food we sat next to another couple waiting as well.(another set of first time customers) They were just as unhappy and disappointed with the food and service as us. After waiting through the small crowded building and long line we were hungry and on a time crunch to be somewhere else. Evidently the menu changes but who knows when or to what. Showing up on the weekend is probably better for the drinks than eats unless...

Not for me! My brother loves the food but the cheifs refuse any acomidations to any meals. Which is okay, it just makes it so I can’t eat here. If you find something there make sure you like everything on it! They won't even put it on the side.

Edit: I attempted to order the avocado toast, but because I was told there could be no changes I have very concerned about ordering it! I have a preference for no spice, it hurts, I don't find any meal enjoyable if it's causing me active pain. I ordered this months ago so my memory is hazzy, but I clearly rember there was a "tomato jam" which was just salsa on it. I was TOLD nothing on the menu can be changed, but an employee. So reluctantly, I ordered because I was younger and very hungry and had no where else to go. Plus there is a strict no outside food or drink making it so we couldn't grab something for me on the way and we all eat together. After affirming that the toast was not spicy, and orderer it with nothing else I could eat that was nutritious or filling if the toast was spicy. It was, even to my brother that enjoys spicy foods. I couldn't eat it, or return it. I have never felt so awful or had a worse experience at a restaurant. I did cry, and my brother had to eat my regret meal while I mourned what I believe was around $15.

Since my brother frequents this place, I was also informed that getting a basic burger then adding modifications is very expensive. He also confirmed that there are no accommodation, while I have only been twice (the second time I prepared and ate before hand) he has been many times so it isn't a slip up if it's common knowledge to a regular that there are no accommodation. I do not have an allergy, and I do not want to lie to see if they would accommodate me if I did. So I am unsure if they would, but I...