TACOCAT AUGUSTA, GA — Restaurant in Augusta

My husband and I have been here twice, it's a fun trendy kind of restaurant. Our most recent trip was Feb 22. The staff are very kind and nice, they seem to be understaffed both times we've been but that hasn't affected our time. The food is good but not amazing, but the way they do their reservations is screwed up. You pretty much are making a reservation to be put in a waitlist because (and this was explained to us by the hostess) reservations are based on WHEN the reservation was made, NOT for the actual time of the reservation. We tried walking in at 6:15 and were asked if we had a reservation, we said no and they told us it would probably be until 7 that we could get a seat so we figured we'd go somewhere else for dinner, but we went on their reservation site to see if they had anything before that and they had a reservation for 6:30 so we booked it! We walked back in to let them know and that's when the hostess explained that hopefully they would have a table by then but it'll probably still be 7 that we would get seated, which is weird since we booked a reservation for 6:30. We went back at 6:30 (we went to Soul Bar around the corner for a drink while we waited). While we waited at tacocat starting at 6:30, 4 tables had left and were cleaned off. Someone walked in around 6:50/6:55 ish and were seated immediately at one of the tables that had been open for 15 minutes while we were waiting. I asked her out of curiosity if she had made a reservation and for what time and she said she made one originally for 6:30 but they were running behind so she called and asked if they could make it for 7. My husband went and asked the hostess about how we had the 6:30 reservation (I'm assuming was the woman's original reservation time and they changed it making it available to rebook) and we still waited and got sat after someone who technically had a reservation AFTER ours. So if you're going to make a reservation, doesn't matter what time it's for, it matters WHEN you make it which makes no sense. I'd recommend to management to change it to do either a reservation system or a waitlist system, don't make it a hybrid kind of concept.

ANYWAYS, once we got sat and they had $6 margs for national margarita day so we order two and my husband asked if he could make his spicy and they said no problem. My margarita was full but his looked like someone had literally drank half of it, he asked our waitress if it was supposed to be that low (because we hardly ever speak up about issues with dining out so we aren't the confrontational type) and she validated it was normal (picture I am attaching is his margarita as it arrived, not a single sip, smell, molecule was missing from his drink in the picture).

I hate to seem like I'm not picking, the staff we have interacted with really is kind, but their reservation system is so screwed up and spicy margs are apparently only half a drink. I know people are like "we werent rude about it" or "we weren't being Karen's" but I am trying to be as transparent as I can, give praise to where it's deserved but pointing out the issues. I believe we really weren't rude about anything, still tipped 20% because we know none of it was our waitress's fault...we hardly ever say anything about our food in general or complain about waiting...like it really does take quite a bit for us to speak up, but it was enough of a disappointment I'm not sure if we will go back if we're ever back in Augusta...and letting others know who are wanting to go to make your reservation as early as possible to be put on the waitlist for your...

I had the pleasure of dining at Tacocat in Augusta, Georgia, on June 1st for an afternoon lunch, and the experience was absolutely delightful. This restaurant stands out in the local food scene with its inviting atmosphere and exceptional service.

Right off the bat, our server made an incredible impression. She was attentive, friendly, and went above and beyond to ensure we had an amazing dining experience. Since it was our first time visiting the restaurant, she took the time to guide us through the menu and share her recommendations, which we greatly appreciated.

Now, onto the food — we ordered a spread of items, all of which were delicious. The Chorizo Dip was a hit at our table, offering a flavorful start to our meal. Next, we moved on to the Carne Asada Fries. These were not your average fries — they were topped with succulent carne asada, queso, guacamole, pico de gallo, black beans, lime crema, fresno chiles, and jalapeños​. The combination of flavors was simply out of this world, and the portion was generous enough to share with our group. A lot of places do not give you much guacamole, but they really slapped it on there for us.

My wife opted for the Tacocat Salad, which she thoroughly enjoyed. The portion was filling and satisfying, a refreshing option for those looking for something a bit lighter.

We also enjoyed a variety of tacos, including the Carne Asada Taco, which was packed with flavor. The quality of the ingredients shone through with each bite, and the presentation was picture-perfect.

And of course, no visit to a taco spot would be complete without trying their margaritas. The Tacocat Margarita was the perfect accompaniment to our meal — refreshing and well-balanced.

The ambiance of the restaurant deserves a special mention as well. We sat outside, right off Broad Street, which added to the lively and vibrant feel of the place. The restaurant has a welcoming, relaxed vibe that makes you want to linger for a while.

Our server's exceptional hospitality made a lasting impression on us, and we can't wait to return - next time for brunch, as recommended by her. If you find yourself in Augusta, don't miss out on this gem!

Edit: I brought a friend here for a return lunch visit, and we received excellent service from Emily!

Update 9/7/23: Revisited with my wife and received excellent service from Quan!

We decided to try all of their signature tacos, and the flavors were so spectacular — fresh as always! Our favorites were the Mahi-Mahi Taco, Pork Canitas Taco, and oddly enough the Cauliflower Taco!

None of them were bad, we thoroughly enjoyed each one and now we know what our favorite combinations are for our next visit.

We also found out that they serve frozen cocktails as well, which my wife also enjoyed.

Added...

The place looks cool, the food comes out cool as well. Our taco platter was completely cold, shrimp not crispy, tortillas falling apart.. we arrived around 1pm, were sat, did not see anyone until a woman brought us tap water in cups with no straws or ICE. She said the waitress would be with us soon. We ordered margaritas that came in a tiny glass with huge ice cubes, we are not drinkers and it took ONE swallow for the $12 margarita to go down. We ordered chips and queso to come out before the food, a taco platter and an order of wings. Around 1:30 we are sitting there wondering.. where is the chips and salsa/queso? Waitress says they are currently out buy making more. Ok.. it was an hour after opening and the place wasnt packed. We continued to see chips and salsa/queso walk by our table. Eventually waitress brought them out with the taco platter. No sign of the wings for our third person. I eat the sweet potato taco thinking it was cold, but maybe it was just the salsa on it or something. My husband says his taco was cold. I bite into the shrimp taco, which is not crispy at all and there is no sign of warmth. We felt the other tacos and all were cold. We decide to just count it as a loss, but where are the wings? We ask a random person walking by, he says he will get them, he disappears. We then see someone else and ask to speak with the manager. We continue to just sit there... the wings come out, in what I am thinking is a microwavable bag, we tell the person bringing them, WHERE IS THE MANAGER. We continue to sit there until we say we are just leaving, we dont have the ticket, where is our waitress, where is the manager? as we go to walk out the manager comes and says "uh oh someone looks grumpy". I explain that we would like to pay for the drinks and wings but the $35 taco platter was completely cold, we just want to leave its been over an hour and a half(yes the wings came out at least 30 mins after the taco platter). Her face went blank and she says "lunch is on us" and walks away. The decor was cool but the food was not, there werent many food options, the alcohol drinks are expensive. I would not recommend and will...