La Taquiza Winnetka — Restaurant in New Trier Township

Disappointing Dining Experience: An Educator's Honest Review As an educator, I value honesty and integrity in all aspects of life, including dining experiences. Unfortunately, my recent visit to La Taquiza left much to be desired in hospitality and transparency.

A group of 6 educators met at La Taquiza over our lunch period to support local business and enjoy each other's company. Four of the six people ordered ahead as this is a small business and we didn’t want to overwhelm them with orders during a busy time of day. We thought we were doing them a favor by ordering head of time. Wednesday’s special at La Taquiza is “Winnetka Wednesday Fillings,” where a list of tacos are $1.75 instead of $3.75. The people who ordered ahead online were told they did not get this discount because they had to come in to order or you had to call them directly to get the special. Although this was disappointing they paid and sat down. When it was my turn to pick up my tacos that I had called in I was also charged the full price. I shared that my total was wrong as I called and ordered 4 of the tacos from the special menu. The cashier replied with, “Well did you say you wanted the tacos from the special?” I said, “Well yes, I ordered 2 tinga tacos and 2 chorizo papa tacos.” Her response was, “Well did you specifically say that word ‘special’?” My response was, “I am sorry I am confused. I called in like you said you had to do in order to get the special. I ordered the tacos on the special menu so why would I not be honored with that price? The whole reason we came was for the Wednesday special.” She said, “Well then I will have to remake your tacos because the specials have less meat in them.” This was very disheartening and misleading for 2 reasons… the first being that the item should not change because it is special and the second being that she should have honored the price. Due to time constraints I said I’d pay the full price but that their specials were very misleading to all of us.

The disappointment continued as I sat down to eat my tacos only to realize that my full price tacos actually had LESS meat in them compared to my coworker’s tacos that she ordered in person and got the special. So this doesn’t align with what the cashier stated. I actually paid more and got less. To add insult to injury, another coworker had ordered chips and salsa for the table. When her number was called it was the wrong order (chips and guac). She politely inquired about a discrepancy in which she was overcharged for chips and guac when she asked for chips and salsa. The cashier’’s response was dismissive and rude. The cashier said, “I don’t want to deal with you. I am pregnant and you all came in with attitude.” I want to be very clear that asking a question about the cost of the order is not using attitude. We are all educators in the community who deal with conflict everyday. This type of behavior towards students and parents would never be acceptable. The way in which we were treated was incredibly disappointing. It seemed as though our concerns were unwelcome, and any attempt to seek clarification was met with defensiveness rather than accountability.

As an educator, I believe in constructive feedback, so I did express my disappointment to the cashier. However, her response demonstrated a lack of commitment to customer satisfaction. While I understand that every establishment may have its off days, the combination of rude staff and misleading specials was a letdown. As an educator, I encourage learning from mistakes and striving for improvement, but in this case, it appears that genuine hospitality and transparency are...

La Taquiza is my favorite place in Winnetka; the Baja shrimp burrito is special, but the customer service is not. I usually do not dine in, but today we were on a walk and decided to give it a shot. I showed up today with my wife and 3-month-old daughter at 1:09- we ordered two burritos, one with chicken and one with shrimp. This always takes about 10 mins; even during busy lunch periods, it's 20 mins max. At 1:25, one of the employees approached us with a paper pad and stated that the printer was down, so to ensure everyone got the correct order, he wanted to write it all down. At this point, 18 people have walked in and ordered after us. I asked him if our food order was in, and he said, "Yes, it'll be out shortly." At 1:33, we realized that everyone who came in after us was starting to get their food before us. We asked the employee again if our food was coming he answered, "Yes, the shrimp takes a little longer." What really happened is he entered the orders backward. So the first was last, and the last was first (No, I am not quoting the bible). Look, I get it; we all make mistakes, but do not lie. Do your best to sympathize, then try your best to rectify. Throw in a chip, a drink, a hug or something. At 1:49, I spoke to a young woman and asked if we could get our money back and go home. They then told me the order was ready. 2 minutes later, we received our food, and that was it. To pay $30 for two burritos and get that kind of service is unbelievable. You can't make this stuff up. I'm a simple who loved a burrito, but now I am just...

I think food wise everything tastes great, but the proportions are quite small. The side of rice and beans can be finished with 3 spoonfuls, lol. There is no taco dinner, so rice and beans have to be purchased separately. Horchata is put into a cup and into a fridge so they don't have the machine that keeps it circulating fresh. The menu is confusing. No drinks are listed on the menu, and certain items on the menu aren't listed either. This is a sit down resturant yet nobody comes to your table to order. You must order up front. No chips and salsa served either. Kinda disappointing, as in most Mexican restaurants, it's a standard. Overall, this place is alright. Kinda pricey, but then again, it's in an...