Backyard Taco - Queen Creek — Restaurant in Queen Creek

My apologies in advance for my lengthy post. Backyard Taco has been our go to for so many years, we started out with them at their original location in Mesa and when they opened this location in Queen Creek, I was so excited. However, as a manager of client service for the last 25 years, I am appalled by the service level at this location. Every time we place an order online and then pickup the order is missing items. During our visit today, my husband forgot to check the bag before pulling away. Although, we shouldn't have to triple check, we normally do. After getting home and realizing we had missing items we immediately contacting the restaurant directly. Upon conversation with the employee and repeatedly listing the items missing from the order, there was indication made that, they have been having issues with the system. Apparently, what the client sees on their order confirmation, is not included within the data transmittal that the location/staff receive. The "manager " who did not identify herself, abruptly took over the call and then proceeded to attempt to argue and accuse me of lying that the beans, sour cream, salsa were not missing out of the order..as she could see them going into the bag. This was an interesting response, especially since the first employee told me that order data for the same items paid for had not come over on the order. First, if a client voices a concern, address it. Second, do not attempt to argue or accuse a client of lying. Over sour cream, salsa and beans? Really? For us the point of the call was to point out what appeared to us as an ongoing issue with their online order platform. We felt others may have faced the same issue. Unfortunately, after this last visit..would I recommend this location, no i would not. Never again! BYT upper management, where did your service level go?...

A Mixed Plate of Pros and Cons

First Impressions We popped in for lunch and opted to dine inside, though the drive-thru was hopping. The restaurant was clean, the staff was warm and welcoming, and the vibe overall felt casual but efficient; exactly what you’d want from a fast-casual taco spot.

What We Tried I ordered the chicken quesadilla with double meat, and my friend had the steak quesadilla plate with rice and beans. Loved that you can customize with your own salsa and toppings. Points for the fresh bar setup.

The Good • Clean space + friendly team = solid environment. • Plenty of food and drink options, including some popsicles that were calling my name. • Taco Tuesday deals look worth circling back for.

The Meh Here’s where things got a little lukewarm… literally. • My chicken was dry and a bit on the bland side. • The guacamole salsa rescued it slightly, but flavor overall was lacking. • Red onions in my quesadilla? Bold choice. Most traditional Hispanic cuisine leans on white onions, and honestly, that red onion flavor took over the whole bite.

Latina Perspective As a Latina, I’ll admit, I walked in with higher expectations for flavor, and unfortunately, this didn’t quite hit the cultural comfort zone. It wasn’t bad, just… forgettable. And when it comes to Mexican food, that’s almost worse.

Would I Go Back? Maybe… on Taco Tuesday, when the price point makes up for the letdown. But for now, I’m filing this one under “fine, but not fierce.”

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#BackyardTaco...

Honestly I work retail so I completely understand how customer service works. So that’s why I’m leaving an absolute honest review. A manager at this establishment was completely out of line with the way they treated my father the other day. he went through the drive-through, got all the way home, then when he was unpacking everything he realize that they forgot two of the items that we paid for. which is not a big deal at all, so my dad went back with the receipt. There was an employee just standing off to the side, so my dad calmly and nicely walked up to him and explain what was going on. The employee was very respective and was like ‘oh my gosh I’m so sorry let’s get that done for you’ and a manager or someone from the back started immediately yelling saying that if my dad didn’t have the food, he had to leave. So my dad calmly tried to explain that the food was already at home, that’s why he brought the receipt, and the drive through employee also said she recognized my dad from a few minutes prior. But the manager again, yelled at my dad and told him to leave the store. My dad never raised his voice or got rude with them, him simply just tried to explain that he was missing 2 items. We never got the 2 items we paid for. This was on Tuesday the...