Taqueria el refugio — Restaurant in Fayetteville

Soldier on my lunch break. Restaurant is filled with other Soldiers. I ordered 3 tacos and a soda. Kid at the counter charged me more than double what my food and drink cost, I caught it and he just gave me some cash back. I tipped almost 50% of what my food should have been. I waited for over a half an hour and watched all the other Soldiers eat their food. I was running out of time for lunch and I went to the counter to ask where my food was after almost waiting 40 minutes... even though the guys in front of me were finishing eating, the restaurant had never even made my tacos... I told them that I had to go back to work. I was the only Soldier in a restaurant full of Soldiers that didn't get what he paid for and it is not only embarrassing, but it kind of breaks my heart. I'm also going to have to go through my day at my job hungry and after watching guys from my Unit get, enjoy and finish their food and tell me how good it was... After tipping well, being kind and patient and asking multiple times when the server came past my table if my food was coming and he said "yes"... I was charged $30 on my card for $13 worth of food and then wasted my whole lunch break on top of that to just go hungry. Not saying this experience has happened to everyone, but this is a warning to other Soldiers on their lunch break that are hungry and need that food to fuel them through their tough and stressful day at their job... think twice before going here. Unless you have extra money and time to waste on potentially not getting anything to eat at all and giving charity to a restaurant that is apparently doing so well that they can afford to treat paying customers the way they treated me (ripped me off, wasted my time and sent me away without feeding me) I will not go back there and I suggest you don't go there either. Which is a shame because the food looked good. Too bad they took my money, overcharged me, didn't feed me, told me over and over that they made my food and didn't and then watched me leave after I asked if they had my food and told them I had to go back to work... without even an apology or trying to refund me my money, etc. It's shameful to treat someone that serves this way. I worked a lot of food service jobs before joining the Army and I would never treat someone in uniform the way I was treated there. If you take my money and my time and my service, you can feed me like everybody else or at least give me my money back. I hope this review helps...

I’ve been a loyal customer of Taqueria El Refugio, ordering once or twice a week because the food is genuinely good. But lately, the service has made it hard to keep coming back. My recent order—birria tacos, extra tacos, a quesadilla, rice and beans—came with only three salsas and no consommé. That consommé is essential and shouldn’t be missing. Just a few days earlier, one of my tacos was left out entirely.

It’s disappointing to spend money and not get what you paid for. I really hope they take more care with their orders, because the food deserves better...

This used to be a good "authentic" Mexican spot. I don't know if suddenly ownership changed, but they Americanized the ingredients. They no longer use corn tortillas for their tacos; they use nasty flour tortillas. They also use flour tortillas for their burritos. It all tasted horrible. There are two shops, one on Yadkin and the other one on Bragg Blvd, plus a food truck, the expansion is making them cut corners on the ingredients. Not to mention they are skimping on the meat in the tacos and burritos. Another place in Fayetteville that went to hell in a...