Guanatos City Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Oceanside

Went in for dinner and it was a huge disappointment. Waited over 30 minutes for only half of our food to come out and it was lukewarm at best. It was our first time here and I do not think I will be revisiting again.

This place has no AC, just a couple fans blowing in the dining room. The seating was not great. Only high top tables and with 3 young children it makes it difficult.

Update/Response:

Thank you for your prompt response. However, I would like to clarify a few points.

First, I mentioned that we came in for dinner, not during dinner time specifically. My family and I were celebrating our daughter’s birthday with an early dinner, as we planned to continue the celebration with dessert later that evening.

Regarding the food delay, it is true that I got up to inquire about our order after more than 20 minutes had passed. However, even after my inquiry, it took an additional 10 minutes for only half of our items to be brought out. One of these items was the nachos, which were disappointing as the cheese wasn’t melted, and the steak was barely warm.

As for the refund, I did request a full refund after noticing how unappetizing the nachos were. However, the staff offered only a partial refund, citing that the beverages we had received 30 minutes earlier were already partially consumed.

I also observed that we weren’t the only table experiencing long wait times. Other tables around us, including a large group of 10 adults, also had to wait for their food, with a noticeable delay (approx. 10 minutes) between when the first and last person in their group received their orders.

Update #2

I appreciate your continued communication, but need to address a few things.

Firstly, it's disheartening to hear that my concerns were dismissed as "complaining." As a paying customer, it is not unreasonable to expect timely service and properly prepared food, especially when dining out for a special occasion like a birthday celebration. My feedback was intended to provide you with insight into our experience.

Secondly, your assertion that no other tables had issues is not consistent with what I observed. The delays affected multiple tables, including a large group nearby, as I mentioned previously. Highlighting that my order was prioritized—yet still delivered poorly—only underscores the concerns I raised about the overall service.

Lastly, your comment about the partial refund and the sarcastic remark about losing a star are unprofessional and undermine the sincerity of your earlier apologies. I did not seek a refund lightly; it was requested after significant dissatisfaction with the food and service. The casual tone you used is not appropriate for addressing customer concerns and does not reflect the level of professionalism I would expect.

While my experience during my visit was disappointing, I understand that everyone can have an off day. Based on the google rating it appears more guest seem to have a good visit, which is why I chose to dine there, and I hope this was not a typical reflection of your...

Food: Was very tasty, correct temperature, well presented and plentiful in quantity.

Service: Friendly but extremely slow. See the reason in paragraph below for better understanding.

Served time: We waited 50mins for our food.

Ambience: Family orientated with latino/Mexican culture.

Parking: Plenty in parking lot

Cleanliness: Clean and presentable

My first time here, I saw it had a high rating and decided to take the whole family (4) to try it out on Sunday mid-day lunch.

There was a line and the place was quite full. The lady at the register I believe was the shift lead was very nice and explained to us we could leave an open account to order more if we wanted more. I thought that was cool, open check is not seen much in smaller restaurants. They serve alcohol so I think that would be good if I came back with friends.

We ordered plain quesabirrias for kids and a total of 5 tacos for the adults. To put it nicely the family was so upset to wait so long that I am sure they are going to roast me later. When paying I inquired as to if this is the normal wait times. I guess two people called out and when they do this happens. I suggest cutting your losses because the food was great but this experience will be hard for me to convince the family to come back. I saw others wrote reviews on the same issue, please fix that hate to see a bad reputation to a great place.

Suggestion: If you are behind let the customers know about the wait time at the register. This will make a big difference in angry reviews. Ensure chips are served immediately. I had to ask for some to hold us over at the 25 mins mark.

I do recommend this place and hope all who go have a great experience the food...

Maybe because I'm not Hispanic looking (I'm half Mexican but don't look it) I was ignored when I first walked in. When someone finally approached me, I explained to them it was my first time there. She was rude and unwelcoming. I wish I had gotten her name now. Then some people walked in AFTER me, and she started speaking Spanish and was acting overtly friendly to them. At this point, I walked out. I can spend my hard earned money someplace else where it's appreciated. I'll never go back and have told several friends/people of my experience there, and they have agreed with me. Now, there's a handful of us that boycott that place!

UPDATE: The fact that it took you ONE FULL YEAR to respond to my review speaks volumes! Now who is the ignorant one? Instead of insulting me and hailing insults in my direction, you should be apologizing for your unfriendly, staff and substandard service that was provided. You would have come off more classy and professional by.offering me a small discount ie: 10%, to come back and redeem yourself. This just proves to me, and others that read your post that I was correct with my first impression of your second rate place. I wouldn't even call it a restaurant. Lol, I've noticed you getting a lot more 1 and 2star ratings since last year, ha, I guess I'm not the only that has this opinion of your inferior joint! 😆 At this rate, I predict you'll be closed within the next couple of years. Enjoy while it last, because your joint won't be here much longer. And I agree with the person that said PHO HOUSE is 1,000 xs better with excellent tasting food and par excellence service. Thank you for allowing me to promote your competition!...