El Viejon Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Garland

We had been to this place a couple of times and we liked the food. I think a little bit expensive for the type of restaurant, but good. Maybe more expensive than going to Pappadeux. But we go here because it is a different type of food and it is good. So I would give them a 5 start.. The reason for 2 stars is because their tipping practices. A tip is optional or should be optional. It is supposed to be a token of gratitude for the good service, even though here in USA restaurants are now using it to not pay good to workers and hope the customers will pick the bill. Well, we just went and this time our bill was a little bit less than $200 just for food, beverages and taxes for 4 people. When I looked at the check, they already had added a tip of 18%. 18% is now becoming the "standard" even though some years back the standard was 10%... I keep hearing it is because now things are more expensive, but also workers get more in tip because the food is more expensive, so still charging the 10% as some years back they are still getting more. I asked why the tip was already included, because usually the restaurants that automatically add the gratuity is because the party was 6 or more people, or some number. I asked if in this place was 4 people. I was told that the tip is automatically added for bills of $120 or more! so it is not because of the number of people but for the amount spent!

So it could be that there would 10-15 people how just ordered few things and be less the 120 and not adding a tip. Or just one person buying the most expensive plate plus a bucket of beers. That could be already $120 or more. This person would be hit with the mandatory tip for just a couple of trips to the kitchen.

That is ridiculous. Again, a tip or gratuity to my understanding is optional and reflects a gratitude for a good service. Here you could have the worst service in the world and still hit you with 18%.

Ahh, and that is assuming that you pay attention to the bill, because when they take the terminal (assuming it is with a credit card) you are still presented with the 18, 25, 30% tip!!! so if you do not pay attention, could end up paying close to 50% in tip!

And I am reconsidering coming back to this restaurant just for...

The service was terrible. First when we came in the young lady sat us down and said we will be with you in a moment which turned into 30 min wait. Then I wanted to leave I had both my kids with me and they were hungry. We didnt even get asked for drinks yet. Then I asked a waiter that was walking by to bring me a receipt for just the tostadas and slaw they give you when they sit and he just went and got a another one instead and then my husband told him we haven't been waited on for 30 mins. Then 5 minutes later someone waited us.while I waited for my food to come out I seen people come in waited to be seated and the young lady just looking at them behind the bar just talking to the other waiters instead of sitting Then. They was just waiting there for a while. Finally when our food came out they brung me and my husbands first which I do understand our food may be faster to make then our kids food but they should of waited to serve ours until all the food was done. Because that just shows us eating while our kids watching hungry which I didnt eat cause I wasnt going to eat without my kids eating with us as a family. And also by the time there food came out we would have been done our food and we would of just been sitting there waiting on them. This isnt my first time eating here and I notice this isnt a once in a time thing. They are always taking forever to wait and to even come to your table to see if you want anything or need anything else such as more drinks. But this last time I went it was the worst then the other times. The only person I seen none stop working the whole time I was there was the young lady cleaning. She was cleaning sweaping cleaning tables getting dishes wiping down. She was a...

As someone else said on here, I do not know why this place has so many good reviews. If you get ceviche I would ask them when it was made. I ordered a tower of ceviche (I forgot the name) and honestly; I know it’s cooked in lime juice acidity but, the taste was overpowering. It was almost as if it had been sitting in lime juice for over a couple of days. There was absolutely no other taste but lime juice to everything. The prices are ok I guess, considering that seafood is generally expensive. But, it seems like here all you are paying for is “presentation” Service was awful. My wife and I were standing at the door for about 10 minutes before a woman that was standing at the hostess desk the whole time said we can sit wherever we want. Then, our waitress did not come by for another 15 minutes because, she was flirting with another table full of guys. When she finally attended to us it took another 25 minutes for my wife to get her food. I had to wait another 15 minutes for my food. Like I said, your only paying for the presentation of your food and most likely all the high reviews are of people that only go to take pictures of what they are about to eat cause that was what 90% of the people were doing. Do yourself a favor and go to an authentic Mexican...