Venalonzo's Tacos — Restaurant in Centennial

People are giving this place an extremely high rating, which I feel is a little more than this place deserves. I have been to a lot of Mexican restaurants around the state and even a few top ones in other states, so it is possible the people rating this haven't been exposed to much Mexican food.

With that being said, this place is not bad. In fact, for a casual Mexican restaurant (i.e. no waitstaff) it is one of the better ones I have been to. However, the food is pricey and for the quality you are getting I would not say it stands out enough to warrant a 5 star rating.

The salsa at the salsa stations was very mediocre. They give you two, a hot salsa and a guac-based one. The hot salsa was very smoky, which I thought was overkill. I enjoy a nice smoky flavor, but more as a background flavor (this is the main event). The guac-based one was very strong on the lime, which I didn't enjoy either because that's all I was tasting. The chips were decent (those are hard to mess up) but I have had much better complimentary chips and salsa from most sit-down restaurants (these I had to pay for). The pico de gallo was pretty good and had a very fresh taste, but didn't stand out as being one of the absolute best I have ever had.

The carnitas taco was pretty solid, but it was extremely small. I have never had a taco that small from a Mexican restaurant (the size was like one of the mini tacos you would get when they sell them in threes at American restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings). I finished it in 2 or 3 bites, and it was $4 or $5.

The quesabirria taco was bigger and was the best thing I had. The dip that comes with it was also really good, although is a little much just for one taco. I would get it again if I was in the area, although it's not something I would go far out of my way for.

The chicken wings were also decent. The wings came up a bit dry, but the mango habanero taste was sweet. However, the mango habanero base was not hot at all. The smoky salsa at the salsa station is much hotter than the wing sauce (the salsa had me blowing my nose quite a few times, whereas the wings weren't even hot enough to activate my sinuses). I wouldn't be surprised if they used a generic prepackaged mango habanero sauce because it tasted similar to other mango habanero sauces I have had before. The fries were ok; I liked the seasoning they used on them but they weren't cooked crispy the way I like and they are the larger cut ones (I prefer...

Legitimately abysmal customer service experience, but good food (of the food that I got that I ordered).

Went for first visit today for lunch. Restaurant overwhelmingly busy. Long line to order at register, but there was an option kiosk to order from.

Used the self-order kiosk and checking out it asks for name and phone number. Then provides option for receiving receipt. Given how busy it was, I elected to receive printed receipt. After selecting that option, there was no receipt printed at the kiosk. Now only had my order number to rely on to somehow hopefully hear and receive my order.

Restaurant was so busy and loud and crowded.

Waited around twenty minutes near the register for my name to be called with my order. Place is so crowded and jammed in there that nobody can move or hear what’s happening.

Finally I hear my name be shouted and I raise my hand and move through the crowd to approach register to get order. Order is missing multiple items and I’m trying to communicate that. Argument ensues from staff over what I ordered. Finally they agree to give me the drinks and chips I ordered, but still refused to give me the missing birria taco.

Eventually I give up trying to get this corrected as it was clear that it wasn’t going to be resolved.

Lessons: don’t order at the kiosk since it didn’t give me a receipt and then I had to wait in the long register order line anyways to try to get the front to get my order anyways get a receipt so you can physically prove what you ordered be prepared to be so jammed in this restaurant with way too many customers to be able hear/communicate

Such a huge...

Due to traveling/ airport circumstances. It was late and we just needed to get a quick dinner. Consider the location not too many options that aren't fast food. We were well aware of what time you closed. We thought we would have enough time. They did serve us and there were still customers there seated and picking up orders when we arrived. We did not plan to stay all night just enough time to finish our dinner. We sat down and the staff turned up the music so loud we had to yell to try to talk to each other. We also had a toddler with us and the load music was making her cranky. The staff proceeded to start to clean up and it was gross. Wiping tables down and then stacking chairs on top of tables, customers eat on these tables, and sweeping around us and it wasn't even closing time yet. Unfortunately had to use the restroom and it was gross. Very Very RUDE and passive aggressive. The staff knows exactly what they were doing by turning music up and cleaning around us like that. Spent way too much money on end of night poor quality food. Bread on torta was stale and fell apart. No onions or cilantro on tacos or salsa and dried out lime. The food is basic and bland actually the birria taste like a birria "bomb" seasoning. There really is nothing special here and there are much better places then this. The one thing that the cashier could have said to us when we came in is WE ARE GETTING READY TO CLOSE. Instead sell us terrible food and make the atmosphere while we were there so uncomfortable we couldn't even finish our dinner. Disgustingly overrated and way overpriced for the quality of food...