El Pato Mexican Food — Restaurant in McAllen

CONSIDER THIS A ZERO STAR RATING. (Keep reading to find out why.)

This is CONSISTENTLY the WORST El Pato location in the RGV. My orders have been wrong every single time I've been there over the last year. But my most recent visit was the absolute epitome of terrible customer service. I have been a customer of El Pato for over 35 years (I've literally spent thousands of dollars there over the years,) and I will never return. Here's what happened:

I walked in and there was only one dine-in customer and nobody in the drive through. I waited in line behind a lady who was returning an order that had been made wrong. I then proceeded to place my order (3-beef/potato/cheese, 2-chicken/rice/cheese, 1-beef/avocado, 1-bacon/egg on corn, 1-large coke.)

1.) I finished ordering by saying: "I need to add a large Coke." The lady behind the counter (the horizontally-challenged one with glasses and a scowl for miles) gave me my cup. There was no coke or sprite, so I asked her if they had a different machine in the back. Even though I specifically ordered a Coke, she waited until this moment to inform me that they didn't have coke. Or sprite. So I asked for a refund on the drink, and the attitude and glare that came from the cashier was incredibly unprofessional. So I said, never mind about the refund.

2.) The beef/potato/cheese had no cheese on them and were much, MUCH smaller than regular-size tacos from other locations.

3.) The chicken/rice/cheese also had no cheese on them and were incredibly small.

4.) The bacon/egg on corn was on flour.

5.) The beef/avacado was missing entirely.

6.) I informed the cashier of the butchered order (for which she offered absolutely no apologies,) and I asked her for the cheese separately. She brought out a very, very small amount of shredded cheese. I asked her if I could have the correct amount for all five tacos that were missing cheese (since I already paid for it,) and she very rudely stated: "That IS enough for 5 tacos!" It was barely enough for one.

7.) When I got home, I called and asked to speak with a manager. (His name was Adam.) He was friendly and apologized for the inconvenience. He also said, "If I was there, I would have taken care of you." But he wasn't there. He wasn't out front one time during the 30 minutes that I was in the restaurant. So all of these employees were working unsupervised. That explains a lot.

As I previously stated, I have been a customer of this chain for nearly four decades, and I have spent a tremendous amount of money there over the years. That will never happen again. The downward spiral of sh!tty customer service and lack of attention to detail will have me spending my money elsewhere in the future. Specifically the competition: MS. G's Tacos n More in McAllen.

BTW, HAVE YOU EVER TRIED MS. G'S IN MCALLEN??? I HIGHLY...

First and last time at this establishment. The cashier ARMANDO was rude and made it clear that he absolutely hated his life. He told my party and others that came in to dine to only sit in 4 booths because they were about to close. Mind you, it was 8:50pm and the door says they close at 10:00pm. When we brought this up he said they closed at 9:50pm. I guess they need to fix their sign because Armando decides when they close and not corporate. When I received my order they gave me beef and bean instead of rice and bean and they didn’t include the three extra tortillas I paid for. When I told him it was wrong he asked if I wanted a cup of rice and beans so I can make my tacos myself. I’m sorry, did I order a cup of rice and beans or did I order two tacos?? Yeah let me get the cup of rice and beans and clock in myself to make my tacos since it’s too much of a hassle to give me what I PAID for. I basically got dinner and a show because every time customers came in AN HOUR before closing he would slam the mop in the bucket so we can all know it’s our fault he’s forced to work here. After the whole dramatic mop scene he decided to show his true customer service skills and fight...

When we went in, we were the only customers in the restaurant...thought they were closing early and joked with cashier about it. She has a good sense of humor, was very helpful and friendly, even bringing the food to my table. The chicken flautas were delicious and huge. The guacamole that came with them was flavorful and perfect, not spicy. And the sour cream with it makes it a killer combination. The chalupa was also perfect with excellent frijoles, lettuce, and tomato...all fresh. The only thing that would make the chalupa better would be adding guacamole and sour cream, which Im sure they would do if asked for a small additional fee. The only two let downs were the pinto beans as they add bacon in it, so we were not able to eat it and they were out of desserts. No chocoflan, no tres leches, no flan and no strawberry cheesecake. The portions are plentiful and the prices are...