Guzman y Gomez - Crystal Lake — Restaurant in Crystal Lake

4-5 months ago Guzman y Gomez was a go to for quick relatively healthy food. Ordering and pickup would be as close to instantaneous as possible, making it a no brainer pick over competitor Chipotle across the street. Quality was consistent and portions fair, additional side menu options phenomenal. Fast forward, I am questioning writing Guzman y Gomez off and going to Chipotle now. What’s changed? I can’t be sure but it appears kitchen staff has, and orders now take longer to the point where you can be possibly sitting at the window with no line for 10 minutes for an online order made 20 minutes prior. It also needs to be brought to attention, as of the last month, that everytime I have ordered sautéed vegetables with guacamole even as the main ingredient and not as an addition. Guacamole has been consistently missing, NONE included. This is a compete error because why would anyone want to pay extra for simple sautéed vegetables without guacamole as an addition or want only those vegetables as the main ingredient of the bowl itself, WITHOUT the guacamole (as this could very well be a topping then). As well, portions even when paying for extra meat appear as if one serving was given and the additional meat charged was forgotten, just like the guacamole with the sautéed vegetables. Next there is a common tendency to drench everything with spicy sauce when selecting their ‘spicy’ option, spice is not a bad thing but when done like this it is cheap and borderline inedible. Lastly possible downsizing of dessert quantity, specifically the ice cream. One star until changes are made, hopefully issues can be addressed because when it’s good it’s great..and when it’s not then I don’t see a reason not to go to the ever popular Chipotle instead. Not looking for free handouts or coupons, I only would like to see this local location reading and addressing these concerns: -No guacamole served with sautéed vegetables as advertised (previously not an issue) -Too frequent wait issues when there is no line in drive through for online orders (previously not an issue, in fact surprisingly quick) -Missing additional charge items or extra toppings (not an issue previously) -Overly sauced when selecting ‘spicy’, manage sauce portions better (typically not an issue previously)

Please no need for compensating. Only...

I went on opening day. However, my experience took a turn for the worse when I realized that one of the bowls I ordered was missing from my order. I paid for five items and got only four items in the bag, As a result, I feel compelled to share my disappointment and frustration.

First and foremost, accuracy and attention to detail are essential in the fast food industry. Unfortunately, in this instance, the restaurant failed to meet even the most basic expectations. It's disheartening to receive an incomplete order, especially when you're hungry and looking forward to enjoying the dinner.

The absence of the missing bowl affected my dinner. I did email to them to make sure that they are aware about the issue. (did not call them, since I did find the phone number on their web site), till now I did not get any reply. Things happened but communication is very important.

On a positive note, I must mention that the staff was friendly.

In conclusion, my experience with this fast food chain was marred by the missing bowl in my order. The lack of attention to detail and failure to provide a complete meal left me disappointed and inconvenienced. I hope that the restaurant takes this feedback seriously and improves their quality control processes to ensure that future customers don't have to face...

May 18th, 2023 - Guzman Y Gomez - GRAND OPENING!!! $5.00 Bowl or Burrito, or for a couple more buck get a French fry and drink combo.

Great Grand Opening. I had a beef brisket bowl with sour cream and guacamole, fry and a drink. The other bowl was firey grilled chicken. Both of those were dynamite. Good portions, very filling. Great taste. I'm definitely coming back to try the rest of the bowls, burritos, breakfast burritos, ect... And a great reason to come back again. I got to try a $3 margarita next time. Another great restaurant in Crystal Lake. Welcome to the Neighborhood. Fair warning... If you plan to try it out today, your gonna have to come from west route 14 going eastbound towards Rt. 31 and stay in the right side lane. The line is quite long, but well worth it. You will not be able to turn in from the east to west side of Rt. 14 crossing the center median. Police will tell you, to go down and turn around and go west to east Rt. 14 to gain entry. There is indoor seating and/or drive-thru. A bit of history... They are 2 - (I'm calling them identical twin brothers) from Australia that have set out to bring you a refreshing twist to Mexican food. Great pleasure to meet them both, and THE CREW! AAA+ I'll see ya again soon. Take care guys....