El Maguey — Restaurant in North Carolina

SCAM/FRAUD ALERT If you dine here and pay with a debit or credit card PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION. My total was $37.6? (if I paid with cash) and $38.91 (card). I opted to pay with a card and left a CASH tip, signed, threw my ticket away and walked out. Shortly after leaving the restaurant, I checked my transactions and discovered my card was charged $47.7?. I immediately called the restaurant back, spoke with the manager Rafael. I explained the situation and told him I was on my way back to the restaurant. When I walked in and asked for the manager, the young lady at the front said, "oh yeah, wait here". I thought it was odd the way she said it and grabbed her cell phone and keys and walked away. The manager came out from the back and I explained the situation again...he couldn't find my signed ticket. While speaking with the manager, the waitress that rung me up came around the corner, so I instantly pulled her into the conversation. She wouldn't talk directly to me, instead she went and got the other waitress that was helping her run the register. Again they tried to act like they couldn't find my ticket in the stack of tickets that was sitting there. I told them what I ordered at least 4 different times and also told them what time she rung me up (literally about an hour ago). Again both waitresses tried to act like they couldn't find my ticket. Instead she printed off a new ticket from my order in the computer. I say all that to say, "I'm not stupid, the waitresses (at least those 2) added a $9 tip ( although I put zero on the tip line and left a CASH TIP ! (that's why my signed ticket mysteriously disappeared) The manager was no help at all ! After going back and forth with the waitresses and telling them I know what they did (to which they stood there looking dumbfounded!) I didn't get my money refunded...I will never eat...

God I hate to dump on this place but, I ordered a michelada, and they put a cucumber slice instead of a pickle, big mistake, seemed like there was no chamoy just an insane amount of tajin and some tomatoe juice. There were shrimp along the edge covered in some red sauce that had absolutely no flavor or heat. A stick of celery? That's what I would expect from a bloody Mary which I do enjoy. And it did have a tamarind and chili and tajin candy straw which I did actually like (I love those things) but for $16 it wasn't worth it in any way. I make my own at home and don't measure anything and they are wayyy better. The salsa was bland and uninteresting. Didn't taste fresh at all. I was still having a good experience at this point until my entree arrived. I ordered the tacos al pastor. Something I get on a fairly regular basis at other establishments. Well, the first bite had my stomach rolling,I had to chase it with my drink. The second bite was so full of gristle I immediately started gagging. I had to spit it into my napkin. It was that bad. They did comp my meal which I appreciate but wow, that was bad. I won't be back. Half mile down the road is Mont De Rey. Way cheaper, way better. Big red flag I noticed was only white folk like myself coming in. At Mont De Rey most the customers seem to be Latino. Treat yourselves and go down the road to the real Mexican restaurant instead of eating this subpar...

The good: Standard issue mexican fare The less good: Our table atmosphere

The food was good. Tasty, fresh and served quickly. We split a regular size (not double) shrimp and chicken fajitas (that night's special). The shrimp were large and tasty and the chicken was the typically over done fajita variety - dry and chewy but certainly flavorful. There was plenty of food for the two of us. We even had left overs. The draft beer was good as were the complimentary chips and salsa. Maybe fajita meat is supposed to be chewy. It seems to be that way at every Mexican place which is why I rarely order it. I'd greatly prefer them served with the same flavor but tender and juicy.

Our table was sort of "in the back". We were back near the kitchen, sitting at a table and chairs (think diner) in a room that seemed like a departure from the wooded warmth of rest of the place. It was a somewhat stark atmosphere (hard surfaces, not much ambiance) but there was nobody else back there so we had privacy. One of the kitchen staff sat nearby eating his dinner. I think it was the overflow covid seating area but the place was far from crowded... Go figure.

Overall a so-so experience that was reasonably priced. Maybe another table would have gotten...