Federico's Mexican Food — Restaurant in Buckeye

First, I would like to start off by saying that we absolutely loved Federicos. I have had the privilege to meet the owner and son and they were both very pleasant. We frequently visit Federicos weekly two times a day whether it be in the restaurant or the drive thru. It serves as a great outing with my parents during lunch and allows my child to spend time with his friends during dinner.

Initially, upon arrival the cashier appeared to be brisk and curt. I attributed this to the possibility that she was experiencing a challenging day so I brushed it off. This has never happened here before. We got our drinks and sat down. Once I saw the food was ready I got up, picked it up, and returned to the seating area. It was then that we noticed the order was incorrect and not our fault at all. I brought it to the cashiers attention and she looked irritated with me. At this time, my father had taken a bite and spit his food out. My mother did the same thing. They had asked me to taste it because it smelled funny and tasted spoiled. I did and it was not ok. When I brought the food up to the cashier she just went to the back to talk to the cook. I requested that she try it herself, and while she agreed to replace my father's meal due to her error, she stated that she could not accommodate the rest of our orders. She stated it is because it would result in a financial loss for her, claiming that we always had problems whenever we visited the store.

We have been customers of this location for several years without any issues until approximately two weeks ago. On that occasion, I returned a taco (dined in) that contained a strand of hair, primarily for quality control purposes. I did not request a refund or a replacement; I approached the matter politely and refrained from causing a scene. However, yesterday, the cashier was excessively loud and appeared angry, drawing the attention of other customers. This was surprising to me, as I had always experienced positive interactions with the staff here; her conduct was unprofessional and quite embarrassing.

As I approached my father to inform him that we would not be dining here, she began to speak negatively about me to another patron. I subsequently requested a full refund, expressing my confusion regarding the source of her anger and hostility. It seemed as though she was anticipating an opportunity to engage in a confrontation. While processing our refund, she continued to belittle me, prompting me to repeatedly ask her to adjust her tone and calm down, as it was creating a scene. After refunding the amount to my card, she turned and walked away. I then inquired with another staff member about her name to avoid further interaction with her. At that moment, she returned to the register and, in her own words, stated, "You can call corporate, and you can tell them my name is Tina. My dad is the owner so it doesn't matter, nothing is going to happen to me. You can leave now".

As I exited, she persisted in verbally harassing me, even going so far as to label me a "freeloader." I genuinely cannot comprehend how the situation escalated so rapidly or how she believed her actions were justified. We are taught to treat others with respect and to adhere to the principle of treating others as we wish to be treated. Perhaps she did not acquire such manners.

I am aware that an alternative narrative may emerge, but that is the advantage of surveillance cameras. Review the footage. One thing is certain: if this is her habitual conduct towards customers, Federicos is on a rapid decline, which is regrettable. Please feel free to reach out if necessary. This happened yesterday and I am still bothered enough to write this . As of now, I will no longer be...

Taco Tuesdays are normally great here. I stop on my way home for my famy, usually at least 20 tacos to share with everyone. The last Tuesday through, I went through drive through, rather than walk in. Here is the exchange:

What do want? I'd like 20 chicken tacos How many? Twenty What do you want? Twenty chicken tacos One beef burrito? No. Twenty. Chicken. Tacos. How many? I want T W E N T Y chicken tacos.

The above is a shortened version. This felt like it went on for several minutes. Me trying to clearly and loudly order my chicken tacos, and the guy apathetically taking my order, clearly not listening. I got to the window, paid, and waited for them to assemble my order. I got it all home and they were 20 BEEF tacos. At least he got the quantity right. I usually go to the inside and don't have this problem. Every time I have been through their drive through, it feels like I'm bothering them, on top of them just not listening. Maybe I'm interrupting their all important task of horsing around, maybe they were super focused on their side work so they could go home on time. I absolutely despise going through drive through, just by the way I'm greeted and having an exchange like the above. There are so many places like this in Buckeye and around the valley that this should be a rare occurrence. Unfortunately, it's not. If, after you read this, you still want to visit this place, avoid the drive through, mask-up, and go inside. It will still take a minute, but at least you know it will be what you ordered and not what they felt...

We ordered a #19 and a grilled chicken fries. We live only 5 minutes away. At the start of eating, the rice had dry rice mixed into the rice. The beans were not fresh, nor were they hot or warm. I called the restaurant and TINA (claims she is the manager) informed me that they will replace the rice only. I told her that I did not eat the beans either, and she said that she will only replace the items that were not eaten. I told her that it was a combination plate and my meal time was wasted trying to call her and get a replacement, and on top of that I have to get into traffic and drive back to the restaurant, so I would like a refund for the combination plate when I return. Again, she stated that the refund policy is to refund items that were not eaten only, even if it is a combination plate. I told "Tina" that in any other restaurant they would refund the customer when the food is returned for their inconvenience. She said that's not their policy. As I began to respond Tina, she cut me off and began to talk over me and then hung up on me. Tina is rude, unprofessional, did not apologize, and needs to learn customer service. Tina treated me as if I am the problem - your cook didn't provide quality food, and management didn't have any quality control in place to catch this mess you call food - that is the real problem. I won't spend my money at this...