El Jalisco McDonough Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Georgia

2/14/24 update: I made another trip to El Jalisco. The food was again delicious; Guacamole, Carnitas and Quesabirria. The Quesabirria was a new dish for me and was delicious. This time the service was poor... 30min wait after ordering, forgot to bring out the salsa for my chips and then brought out the wrong dauce AND charged me for it. I lowered the service score to 4 stars. The next trip will decide if the full rating needs to be lowered. The ratings will reflect my average experience over time. This was our first trip at El Jalisco and we were pleasantly surprised. The restaurant appears to be new and had a clean, modern atmosphere. Everything we had during our visit was high quality and mindfully prepared. I enjoy Mexican food but have found it difficult to find this level of ingredient quality south of Atlanta. There are a few things I look for specifically to test a Mexican restaurant. First, the quality of the chips and salsa. EJ passed no problem... the chips were crisp and warm with two salsas that seemed to be made fresh in house. Next I ordered a Cadillac Margarita (Patron Silver with Grand Marnier). This is where most restaurants start to fail... I was really happy with the quality of the margarita. It tasted like a fresh lime base, not a poor quality mix found in grocery stores. A fresh sprig of rosemary was used as garnish. For an appetizer, we went with table made guacamole. The guacamole was excellent! Freshly made guacamole is generally good anywhere, but this was perfect. Since everything was going so well, I decided to go with carnitas while my wife had Caldo de Res. The Carnitas were very good, a nice crisp on the outside while tender and moist inside. They reminded me of my all time favorite Carnitas in Salinas, CA. I used to drive over an hour one way just to buy them by the pound. The El Jalisco carnitas may not have stolen away that number one spot, but they are definitely in the top three. My wife doesn't usually go for Mexican, but this is the first place in GA that has gotten her approval. She enjoyed the Caldo de Res which is a beef shank stew that gets its depth of flavor from the bone marrow and vegetables. All of this for approx $60 (before tip) was...

Well today was my birthday and I LIKED ( past tense) this place but after today with how the server brought us everything in his hands not even on a tray like I understand we came late but that doesn't mean you just be kinda nonchalant in a "here, hurry up kinda manner"... The bartender Anna took it upon herself to approach our table about leaving in a "can you hurry up kinda manner with the hand motions and all attitude shitty too " when management haven't even said anything to us, just because you said something to the ppl at your bar doesn't give you the right time come up to our table and rush us even further, before she even came to our table we've already requested to go plates, we've already packed our items, We had already paid ! I wasn't leaving until I finished 19.03 SINGULAR MED margarita. Mind you that they don't have any alcoholic beverages with a price beside it, and all alcoholic beverages are final sale. So Anna shortly says after walking away that they'll just call the cops all because my response to her was I'll leave after I finish my 19.03 drink i have never paid for a med margarita that's damn near 20.00 for a 22oz and my cup was mostly full! I DIDN'T EVEN eat my tacos fr my food was literally packed to go and I'm fine with that aspect cuz I understood I came late to the restaurant. . It's the fact she (ANNA THE BARTENDER) came from behind the bar to our table to express her feelings about us finishing our meals and our own waiter haven't even said anything to us his self. Prior to today any other time we've come we've always enjoyed...

Dear El Jalisco Management,

I am writing to formally share my experience at your Jonesboro Rd location.

Before placing my order, I specifically asked my server whether the cheese dip was watery or thick. She assured me it was thick, but when it arrived, it was watery and not as described. I politely asked if I could exchange it for another dip and even offered to pay the difference. My server stated that the manager would not allow it.

When I requested to speak with the manager (I believe her name is Monica), she came to the table and reiterated that no exchange could be made, even with me offering to pay the price difference. At that point, I asked for my check so that my party and I could leave for another establishment.

Before leaving, I asked the manager for her card or contact information so I could follow up with upper management. She refused, asking why I would need her information, and declined to provide her name or contact details.

As a Customer Experience Manager myself, I understand that the customer is not always right, but I also know this situation could have been handled very differently. A simple willingness to listen and accommodate would have prevented a negative experience. The dismissive response and refusal to provide basic contact information reflect poorly on your brand.

I strongly suggest that this manager receive coaching on proper customer service etiquette. Based on this encounter, I will not be returning to this location, and I will be sharing this experience...