Del Taco — Restaurant in Palm Desert

I regret coming here — and I don’t recommend it to anyone. I don’t even know where to begin, so let me just break down why this place dropped to 1 star in my book: Disgustingly dirty. Both the dining area and the restroom were in terrible condition, and the kitchen didn’t look any better. Open sauce bottles sitting on tables, potatoes scattered on the kitchen floor, the drink station completely sticky and messy, trash left everywhere. A place where people eat should never look like this. False advertising. The only reason we stopped in was the sign outside: “Thursday grilled chicken tacos just $4.99.” The deal started at 3:00 PM, and we walked in at 3:04. We ordered exactly those tacos, but they charged us full price, as if the promo didn’t exist. Sure, it’s just a $2 difference, but it’s not about the money — it’s about the dishonesty. You can’t lure customers in with a deal and then refuse to honor it. That destroys trust and ruins a restaurant’s reputation. Slow service. How does it take 20 minutes to make tacos in a place with barely any customers? Even busy cafés with full dining rooms manage to be faster. This is supposed to be fast food — the whole point is convenience and saving time. Here, it was the opposite. I can’t imagine what would happen if they actually had a crowd. Unsafe surroundings. The vibe outside was honestly sketchy. The type of people hanging around made us worried about leaving our car. Sure, the restaurant isn’t fully responsible for who walks by, but interestingly, the shops and cafés nearby didn’t give off the same unsafe feeling. The food itself was fine, but honestly, if they had managed to mess up the tacos too, my rating would have gone into the negatives. Recommendation:...

Where to begin. I usually hate complaining about food service workers because I know they have to deal with a lot but wow. My friends and I felt bad for the staff because they were short 2 workers so we knew it was going to take a bit longer than usual but as time passed it was getting more and more irrational, people coming after us got their food before us whether their order was big, small, to go, for here, it didn't matter. We talk amongst ourselves about it but didn't want to say anything because again we don't like complaining about it usually. Finally this nice couple asks us if we've been given our food yet, we tell them no as their getting their food (these people were well, well, after us, they weren't even in line when we got there). The couple then tells the manager we're still waiting (by now we've been waiting for 40 minutes, yes forty minutes. The manager then tells the couple and us that they already called our order, and that someone must've took it, which is a complete and utter lie because we were standing by the counter the whole time, patiently waiting. So then the manager finally starts making the meal and when it's ready, tells us again that someone must've taken our order. When our order arrived it looked like the most thrown together pile of solid ingredients that just happen to go together I've seen, luke warm, at the very best, slop really. Never eating there again, not even for a cookie or a small drink. You...

Thursday afternoons have turned into a bit of a ritual for me: hitting different Del Taco spots during their weekly special. From 3 PM to 11 PM, you’re supposed to score 3 chicken tacos for $4.99. I’ve done it plenty of times, and it usually works just fine.

Today, at 3:17 PM, I pulled up, ordered the exact deal that was printed right on the door, and expected to pay five bucks plus tax. Instead, my receipt came out to $7.

It’s not about the couple of dollars — it’s about the principle. If a promotion is advertised big and bold, the register should honor it. I shouldn’t have to chase down an employee or debate the pricing just to make it right.

The food was standard Del Taco: hot, quick, and exactly what you expect. The ambiance? Basic fast-food setup — bright lights, tile floors, plastic tables, and that slightly echo-y vibe when the place isn’t crowded. It was clean enough, with a steady flow of drive-thru traffic, but nothing that makes you want to hang out longer than finishing your meal.

💥 Final take: 1 star. Honesty and consistency matter more than cheap tacos. If the special says $4.99, it should ring up as $4.99 —...