Taco Bell — Restaurant in Gardendale

I was at this Taco Bell at around 5:15PM on 10/9/24. A black male working the line (first position down the right side as you're looking from the counter) was in a mood. He was talking extremely loud, continually complaining about this job, how he wasn't getting a bonus, etc... cursing with GD this and GD that. A family with a young son came in and he never let up. I don't like the "kiosk" and prefer face to face ordering, hence I came inside, not the drive-thru, but after 5 minutes of standing there, I didn't even get acknowledged, even though 2 or 3 looked at me. I used the kiosk, ordered and clicked NO sour cream. I can't stand the stuff. Guess what I got on it? Yep, sour cream. The same complainer put my food on the counter, called my name and walked away. No drink cup. I get someone else's attention, a young blonde kid at the drive-thru window, he just looked irritated and sat a cup on the counter, no, "sorry about that". Nothing. I get my drink, it's totally flat, tastes like there isn't or too much soda water mix, IDK, but I get the same kid and ask him to get it from his side, saying something is wrong with the drink out front. Again, totally irritated look on his face (probably tired of hearing the other guy complaining all shift) gets the drink, sets it down, again, no apologies for the bad drink, nothing. I've never seen such a bad atmosphere or bad service in a TB before, but rest assured, I won't be back to...

Well I guess my order was to confusing for the order taker at the drive through. I ordered a #1 combo, a #3 combo with hard shell and a # 3 combo with soft shell. He asked me what I wanted to drink and I informed him I did not want a drink with the # 1 combo, a Pepsi/coke with one of the number 3 combos and a Mountain Dew with the second number 3 combo. Got up to the window, ask the girl to repeat my order and she had to go get someone to repeat my order. It sounded correct when told back to me , except when I got my order, my number 1 combo was short the taco, and I was missing the one of the drinks for the other combo. I was told, that because I did not want the drink he changed the order, because it wasn't a combo, never mind the fact that I wanted the taco with the burrito. Tried explaining to the person he was wrong and I just could not get it to sink in. The food was cold. This poor person, does not deserve to be making anything but minimum wage. If these people want 15.00 an hour to do a job that a novice 10 year old can do. Then they need to hang up the cell phones, quit bull sh*ting with their friends while they are working and pay attention to the job they are...

The last few times we’ve gone they screwed everything up. Figured we’d give them another try. Not only did they leave MORE THAN HALF of the items out of the bag, the food was LITERALLY fridge cold. We ordered a box, you know, the ones that come STANDARD, and it felt Like they put it in a freezer for 20 minutes before we picked it up. Also, what’s the point of having an online order available if you don’t cook it until they are there? Look, I’d you’re realllyyy craving Taco Bell, go for it. But for the love of god check your bags before you leave.

Edit: Came again cuz it had been almost 2 months since the last time. Anndddd still s* service/food.

Management for this place has to be hot garbage. Can’t keep emps, can’t make food, and can’t do it in a timely manner. Franchise owners should be ashamed of...