Taco Mama - Daphne — Restaurant in Daphne

I'm a frequent patron of Moe's Southwest Grill, and Taco Mama was recommended to me by a friend, so on my way home from work, I decided to try it out.

Unfortunately, considering the cost of the food, I was unimpressed.

To start off, the dining area is dimly lit, and the menu is written on chalkboards above you, and when combined with the bad handwriting on the chalkboards, means you should consider having the menu from their website already pulled up on your phone so that you can order quickly. Also, there is loud rock music playing in the dining area, which got on my nerves after a few minutes.

I ordered a Build Your Own steak burrito with a side of queso, and the size of the burrito was quite small compared to a Moe's burrito. It was lukewarm, which is not good, and the cheese was still cold, and having cold cheese in a lukewarm burrito is a no-no. The queso was rather bland and didn't have any distinguishing flavor to it; it tasted like the queso that you buy at the grocery store and put in your microwave. The salsa was watery and bland, and also tasted like something that came from the grocery store.

Some of these things can be forgiven if the meal was relatively inexpensive, say $7-$11, but my meal was over $15, and I didn't order a drink. That's about $6 more than an equivalent Moe's burrito, which is superior, and they give you almost twice the amount of food!

In the end, Taco Mama doesn't compare to Moe's Southwest Grill and other restaurants, such as Chipotle, Hot Head Burritos, Cactus Cantina, and Cafe Del Rio, all of which are cheaper, and give you more food that's better than Taco Mama. This restaurant is a fail, and I won't...

From Employees who drink in their vehicles on their breaks to the absolute blatant trash talking about customers, that you can clearly hear since the kitchen is right by the register.

Do they think we can't hear what they are saying about some of the customers? It might not have been directed towards me. But it was so direct towards another customer that I'm surprised they didn't say something for themselves. They let their employees talk however they want clearly, and I'm not sure if it was a manager or an expo person, but all they could do was laugh and contribute. Very unfortunate because our server was so sweet, if you can really even call them servers, lol. They kind of just check on you once or twice during your stay.

Now, to address the employee drinking in the parking lot. I couldn't find any parking in the front and had to park near the back, which is now obvious that I was by the employees back entrance. I will not give the specifics of the vehicle or description of the person , but it really is sad to see. I've had some good food by a chef at Waffle House who clearly got back from smoking. But this isn't a waffle house, and it is just sloppy. The service straight up left a bad taste in my mouth, so the food tasted like It's low-grade Chipotle or Moe's. The food was very fresh, but barely even seasoned to call it some sort of mexican food. I guess the margaritas are good enough to keep people quiet about the subpar service and food. Would love to communicate this further with anybody at the Taco Mama facility.

Quality service is expected from quality restaurants. I hope this was just a one-time thing. I love normal family...

Sunday evenings can be tough for finding a decent meal, because many cities become food deserts, especially if you’re looking for something less than a big chain experience. That was my sinking feeling one Sunday evening not long ago when I exited then 10 freeway just east of Mobile, and started searching for dinner. All I saw were the usual chain eateries. You know. The ones that have nailed it on consistency I suppose, but also become far too predictable.

And boring.

I was ready to nibble on snacks until I saw Taco Mama at the end of a small strip mall. They were open, there were plenty of cars, and I was going in.

To be fair, you could argue that Taco Mama is a chain, but it is Alabama-centric, and still few in number. Close enough for me. I know I can usually count on something interesting and unique, and Taco Mama did not disappoint. I ordered a build-your-own burrito, but could just as easily opted for similarly bespoke tacos, bowls, nachos, and quesadillas. I love it when everyone gets to get it their way. Special high praise for offering tofu alongside the beef, pork, shrimp, flounder, tuna, chicken, chorizo, barbacoa, and veggies. Love all, serve all.

While my food was being prepared I sipped a Good People IPA from Birmingham. It was so good I ordered an encore to go with my food, which with tofu, rice, tomatoes, and black beans was delicious. My only regret was that I still had about a hundred miles to drive to Hattiesburg, and I knew I cold easily slip into a food coma.

The atmosphere is perfect, festively lit and decorated. I could easily hang out here a lot if I lived nearby....