T-Byrds Tacos & Tequila — Restaurant in Colorado Springs

(I left my previous review from August about my visit in July, and owner's response, since I'm unable to add a new review)

Swung by on 09/15 with the hopes that the assurances from the owner were in place, but sadly nothing has changed for the better.

I arrived around 8:00 pm. It was a little busy but was able to get seated immediately (was told to take a seat wherever I'd like). Sat down at a table near the center of the room and pulled up the menu on my phone. New look and design on the menu....but same taco offerings (looks like there have been some changes to the appetizers). This was a little disappointing since that was something I had mentioned in my previous review and the owner had replied saying they were addressing. No big deal -- there were still at least 1 or 2 tacos that I do enjoy and could order those. So I waited for someone to come by to bring some water and take my order...

...and waited...

...and waited as I saw waitresses stop by the tables/high tops right next to me to check on the people there or to clean the tables off. About 15 minutes passed and nobody had stopped by to offer me some water, check on me, or take my order. I ended up walking out and leaving (no acknowledgement even there) so that I could get some food somewhere else before they closed.

I said in my previous review that the Centennial location seems to be better managed, but unfortunately I'll be hard-pressed to visit this business again. Friends and family that have eaten here have mentioned the same problems, and there are similar "street taco" options that continue to provide top notch service.

Used to love going to T-Byrd's - staff was always friendly and engaging, food was delicious, and the atmosphere overall was great. Unfortunately, all three of those aspects have declined especially in the last year.

The food is still pretty good and some of their monthly tacos are real gems, but why on Earth was the Chipotle Chicken taco removed? I've been told it was their best selling taco, and that an egotistical chef came in and decided to remove it in favor of offerings they wanted (which in my opinion, none of the new tacos have been better than the Chipotle Chicken). Whatever the reason, I think it was a terrible decision.

As others have mentioned, the portion size vs. price is something to be desired sometimes. Some items you definitely get your money's worth, but others not so much. We all know inflation is real (and isn't "transitory" but we won't go there) and accept that, but getting less food than before is a double whammy. That might just be me, but as I said, others have mentioned that.

The staff and atmosphere...there's certainly been turnover for various reasons, and there are a few that are very friendly and helpful, but overall it seems like most of the staff don't want to be there, are miserable, and aren't very helpful. Just the other weekend myself and a friend showed up for brunch at 10 on the weekend. We were met by someone cleaning out front and was told that they weren't open until 11. I mentioned that both the website and Google showed their brunch hours showed opening at 10. The individual said the restaurant had made the change some time back due to not being busy. I politely suggested that the hours should probably be updated on their website and Google (especially with the location downtown and having to deal with the parking nonsense), to which the reply was the individual just shrugged and told us if we wanted breakfast we could go to another place down the street. As a side note, the hours are still listed incorrectly in the website and Google.

I do want to highlight that this is just for the downtown location; the Centennial location has provided a much better experience. I'm not sure if they're managed by different people, but the atmosphere, employees, and everything about that location has been a lot more pleasant. It's out of the way for me, but I've been going to the Centennial location more and more...

T-Byrds Tacos & Tequila in Downtown Colorado Springs has a great look: their branding and decor is on-point. The service, however, was severely lacking to the point it was non-existent.

LOCATION First, let me begin with their location: T-Byrds was easy to locate and they were across from the park. Find the first open parking spot and walk over to the restaurant.

ATMOSPHERE Upon entry, we were greeted by the gentleman behind the bar. The music was a little loud for conversing but it didn’t bother me much because I enjoyed the music - it was just hard to hear my coworkers during our table conversations.

FOOD I thought the food was okay. Here is a list of items I ate: CARNITAS TACO: The meat was tough and the pico de gallo was okay. I’m not sure why it was topped with green bell peppers. That wasn’t described on the menu. Plus, I thought it was weird. Why not just a simple cilantro to top? PINEAPPLE EXPRESS: This was the better taco of the two. The pulled pork was juicy in the sweet Thai chili sauce and bits of pineapple. The crunchy fried onions on top surprisingly complemented the entire taco. GRILLED ELOTE BOWL: I enjoyed this side dish over the two tacos. The corn bits were perfectly grilled. It had a nice bite to it and the flavors were great.

SERVICE The service was atrocious. Our server didn’t bother to check on us - we flagged her down once during the only time she passed our table. The bartender even passed us as well as another employee. Not one asking if we needed anything. Nothing. The funny thing is the restaurant wasn’t even full! I think our party would’ve enjoyed the food and atmosphere more had the service been better.

Overall, I think T-Byrds has potential for improvement. What they have going on perfectly IMO is the decor and branding. I liked their physical menu and the fonts (typography). Opportunities for the biggest improvement would be in customer service. As for the tacos, they are definitely different from the tacos I’ve had in SoCal. I prefer a simpler menu with simple ingredients as opposed to fusion/“trendy” tacos. The presentation was off - definitely wouldn’t use green bell peppers to top off tacos or “julienned” onions that appeared to have been cut by either a dull knife or...

Dan!!!! How dare I walk in to your restaurant and sit at a dirty table after YOU told me to sit anywhere? Yes, have the cripple girl move tables because you don’t have time to CLEAN tables!!! But!!!!!! But, you had time to play dice at the bar! $70 of grocery store queso and canned jalapeños. $70 of soggy chips and tasteless elote. $70 of eye rolls and YOU being inconvenienced. My physical therapist suggested I come have lunch here today. I now have a grievance with HER for thinking that T-Byrd’s is the place for me to feel better in my painful state. And, now I owe my boyfriend ‘favors’ because he suggested a different place and I wagered (stupidest wager ever) that it would be excellent. Bad bad bad!!! And don’t think I don’t know any better. I did this for almost 2 decades in this very town, DOWNTOWN! I’ve lived here since before you knew how to breathe or utter the words, ‘how can I help you?’ Obviously words you have no concept of. I could run circles around you with a new knee replacement, arthritis in the other knee, pregnant with quintuplets, one arm tied behind my back, and missing my good eye. Thank you Colorado Springs for setting the bar so low, yet again. I’m at least happy to see the lady and her daughter could supply your patio area, that is taking up at least 3 useful parking spaces, with a new umbrella and rugs. I’m sure that super cute, helpful and intelligent little girl could run all preschool shapes around you. Golly!!!!! I truly recommend to all…!!! Find a food truck or a Taco Bell if you want Mexican. Alcoholic drinks were good, yet over priced… T-Byrd’s did not distill those so how could they be critiqued? Not ONE negative review responded to by management- maybe years ago but I’m not scrolling down that far. I contacted T-Byrd’s to express my concerns and the call went straight to voicemail and surprise, surprise!!!… the mailbox is full! Why bother being in business??? Get out...