Taco Beach Shack - Mexican Restaurant in Hollywood Beach — Restaurant in Hollywood

Our waiter took our food and drink order all at once because the "kitchen was about to close". It felt rushed but I appreciated that he let us know. We ordered nachos, margaritas and water.

Only when the waiter brought the nachos did he notice that we had not received our drinks, not even water. He had walked by our table multiple times in the meantime. He said he would check on the drinks, made a quick stop at the bar, and then went out the staff door. The restaurant was not busy - a couple of guests at the bar, one or two couples at tables other than ours. Plenty of staff. We started eating our nachos (still no water) and were more than half way through before he came back with our Italian Margarita and regular margarita. He gave a half apology by complaining about the bartender being slow tonight.

The Italian Margarita was delicious, sweet and coconut-y, exactly what I expected from the description. 5 stars for it. Nachos were a good size, enough to share. Good enough flavor but not something that would get me to come back, hence the lower stars for food.

The atmosphere was loud yet the low couches and table arrangements felt more intimate. The music was blasting, which would have been fine if it was a busier night, crowded bar, etc. But there were only a few guests that all seemed to be trying to have conversations. The loud music made us have to yell over it.

Back to service, I asked again for water; nachos were nearly gone by the time we got any. Then he brought the bill and 20% gratuity was already applied, which he certainly did not earn, plus he ASKED for additional tip, saying that the hotel takes 6% of that, so he really only gets 14%, which even if true, not sure he earned that either. It was truly some of the worst service we've experienced in a long time.

Hope they can do better with training their service staff. It could be a really fun place and that Italian Margarita...

I went in for lunch with my wife after seeing the great reviews online. The place has a fun vibe, decor and great music. The burritos we ordered were tasty and our server was also great. However the place has a few fairly evident issues.

-The tacos are definitely overpriced. $6-8 for a single taco, regardless of where you are or what you put in it, is expensive. You can get a 3 taco platter (includes a side of corn) to help make things cheaper, but this is only a single variety (i.e you can’t get 3 different tacos). If you want 3 different tacos of your choosing, you’ll be paying at least $18 without any sides. -Chips were somewhat stale and honestly tasted store bought. A little bit of chili powder does help mask this though. -Upon finishing the meal, our server offered us a dessert if we leave a good review. I was satisfied with the meal all things considered but suddenly it started making sense how this place has so many 5 star reviews. “A free dessert or shot in exchange for a review? Sure why not.” Not saying this is the case for all of them, people are entitled to their opinion, but it certainly does inflate the overall perception of the place. -What really irked me though was the automatic 20% gratuity charge. This is listed on the bill as an automatic 6% service charge and an additional 14% gratuity charge. As the server explained, the restaurant gets 6% and they get 14%, less than the standard 15% average tip. You also do not have the option to change this upon paying, since you ALSO get prompted to tip again against the TOTAL of your meal (which already includes the service charge + gratuity)

The place has potential and its in a fun location by the beach but with the expensive food options and shady tipping system, I can’t recommend this place to people nor would I...

This place after 2 years and new ownership continues to screw up a good thing… they just can’t seem to get it right. Focus on what’s important to the customers! So went in few days ago. Sat at the Bar… Bartender Henry was really nice! First issue was I asked for a Chardonnay… I was told that they actually had no white wine at all that day… what 😳… how do u run out of every white wine u carry… there’s a liquor store across the street!! So I was forced to order a hard liquor cocktail .. Tito and club with splash of cranberry …. Problem is I didn’t realize I was being charged $18 for the drink😳. White wine would have been $8… now I see y they ran out! So now I go on to order.. Taco Tuesday 2 for 1 taco’s… oh but I was told they must be the same kind of taco…both chix or both beef etc…seriously 😳. K….now I am ordering a to go dinner to take home for my boy friend….i ordered the platter which includes 3 taco’s… guess what… again they need to be the same! Ridiculous… add an upcharge if some cost more than others!! The next day It came to my attention that we were never told about happy hour… 2 for 1 drinks. So I paid $18 for a drink I really didn’t want to begin with and didn’t even get the benefit of getting one for free… would have been feeling a bit better about it if I had. I tried calling to discuss all this with a manager the next day but you can’t get into a line where someone actually answers… just recordings….this place needs management that knows what they r doing and actually cares… it’s a pity because the venue has a lot of potential to be great! By the way we are not tourists.. we live here and would be regulars…if only things...