Taza cafe — Restaurant in Fort Myers

This is the first time I’ve ever felt the need to leave a negative review. As someone who has worked in the food and beverage industry for over 8 years and has nearly 11 years of customer service experience, I’m genuinely shocked at how poorly the owner of Taza Café, Gabriella, handled our situation—and even more shocked at her unprofessional comments made on social media afterward.

My sisters and I were returning customers, and after a great first visit, we were excited to come back. When we arrived, the hostess told us there would be a 45-minute wait. We agreed and were told we were added to the waiting list. Since we were a group of five and the café is quite small, we chose to wait at one of the outdoor tables.

It was a very hot day with no fans or shade outside, but we assumed we’d be seated inside soon. As the 45 minutes passed, we noticed several groups arrive after us, walk in, and be seated right away. This raised concern, so we went to ask for an update.

The owner, Gabriella, informed us that the other customers had already been waiting in their cars and that we "chose" to sit outside. This explanation didn’t make sense to us—especially since we were explicitly told we were placed on the waitlist when we arrived. Either there was a serious miscommunication or we were simply overlooked, but instead of acknowledging that possibility, the owner was dismissive and defensive, offering no apology or accountability.

We ended up leaving—never receiving the drinks we had ordered while waiting. What followed was even more upsetting: after commenting about our experience on a TikTok video featuring the café, Gabriella publicly accused us of leaving without paying, despite the fact that we never received any of the items we ordered. When we responded to clarify this, our comments were deleted, while her false accusation was left up for others to see.

It’s deeply disappointing to see this kind of unprofessionalism—especially from a fellow Latina. I’m sharing this to warn other customers: the customer service here, especially from management, can be shockingly poor, and issues are not handled with care, honesty, or...

We went to TAZA when it was first opened, a few years back and we thought it was OK, but the Miga sandwiches did not convince me, also the empanadas were not as expected, but seeing some of the reviews and ads on social media, we decided to give it another try, so we did. Few things I would point out. The Menu is super small, in my opinion, which is OK, but very limited selection, also expensive in comparison to other places offering similar dishes, and not so much of a traditional Argentinean place, more of a fusion type of restaurant. We, my husband and I, actually went in for the Empanadas, but they were not on the menu, so we did not know if they had them or not, so when the waitress came to take our order, we asked and she told us the list of empanada flavors so we got four different ones: Cheese, Ham and Cheese, Spinach and Chicken. They were very good in flavor, but not too hot, so they probably were reheated before serving, which is OK. The Lucuma Shake was not as expected. It was more on the warmer side, so I asked for ice because it was too warm for my taste. It looks like it was blended without ice, and they added ice after, but it is not the same sensation for a shake. My husband got the Passion Fruit juice, again on the warmer side and very acidic, very little ice, not a fan of it. Lastly, we asked for a dessert, again, no dessert menu so we did not know what to ask for, but the waitress was very helpful and kind and named the different desserts, so we decided to get the Tres Leches with chocolate cake and flan all in one. I will recommend it. It was very good and not too sweet, we ended up sharing the dessert, the portion was very generous. Ambiance is nice, a little too dark for my preference, but very clean and although a small place, very spacious. Comfortable chairs and nice elevator music to be able to...

I wouldn’t recommend this café to anyone that cares about good service or even just basic hospitality service . We came after seeing them on social media. But, A lot of what you see on social media can be curated or paid promotion. This place felt like a prime example of that.

The service was extremely slow, we waited and waited without anyone approaching our table or offering drinks. We eventually had to ask the host who our server was, and even he was surprised, since she didn’t have other tables. It seemed like staff were more focused on creating content for TikTok than serving paying customers. After waiting an hour, with no food or drinks provided, we left.

UPDATE: After posting this review, the café publicly accused me of ‘dining and dashing’ under Florida Statute §509.151 and even referenced a police report number.

To clarify: NO food or drinks were ever delivered to or consumed at our table. Their own earlier private message to me described the issue as a “miscommunication,” not misconduct.

In their response, the café also claimed that I accused them of discrimination. That is completely inaccurate. I never made any such statement in my review or anywhere else. Readers can check my words and judge for themselves.

It is concerning for any business to retaliate against customer feedback with legal threats and unfounded claims. A café that prioritizes social media over service, and then turns around and threatens customers with criminal accusations, is not one I can recommend. Readers should think carefully...