Nando’s Mexican Cafe — Restaurant in Queen Creek

Okay,where do I start? I guess at the beginning. This was our first time dining at Nandos. We almost left due to how long it was taking us to be seated. But,instead of just walking out,I thought I would ask how much longer. They had a table ready just that moment. The patio was nice. It is open to a kind of side street. So not too much traffic. Just really charming veiw of Queen Creek. We were greeted with a mountain of fresh chips and salsa. They gave us both mild and.....well slightly less mild that they call hot. We ordered drinks and quesadillas. My wife got a margarita while my son and I got unsweetened tea with lemon wedges. The margarita was STRONG! Which my wife was very happy and in a festive mood in no time flat! The tea was great for what it was. The kettle was clean. No "old tea taste." The quesadillas were quite good. Came with fresh guacamole,sour cream and peco. It was hot and fresh and was brought out lightening FAST! We put in our orders. Which was also presented to us so fast that I couldn't believe it! We don't eat out but just a few times a year because we don't usually enjoy the service(or lack thereof). Either we wait forever for drinks and food or we get asked how things are every few seconds. Which just REALLY annoys me to no end! They ask just as I am taking a big bite! And then the food is always wtong in some way. So we just don't eat out that often at all. Maybe 3-5 times a year. I am happy......delighted......joyous to report that this place played every single note to our favorite song! Not one sour note! In fact,it was so good that I gave a 20% tip! I have NEVER been moved to tip a waitress that much! We have lived in AZ for 7 years now. Where we are from we had a privately owned chain of mexican food restaurants that was our go to spots. Back then we ate out on a pretty regular basis. Because the food and service was just spot on. We have looked for that replacement place for the last seven years. The price,the quality food and the friendly and accurate service. We just found it tonight! Ty Nandos! The very best part about this lil jewel is that it is a 10minute drive from our home! You should do yourselves the favor and stop in to see why they keep opening...

•••THE EXPERIENCE: My dad passed away earlier this year and, as a frequent Nandos QC patron, we decided to celebrate his birthday there. It was bittersweet, of course, but everyone was so kind and caring. We sat outside and had the patio to ourselves for almost the whole time we were there; it was gorgeous!

Our server, Bri (short for Brianna, and my dad's name was Brian... totally meant to be!) was absolutely amazing! So sweet! We told her why we were there and she took such good care of us! She kept coming out to check on us and made sure we had what we needed. Super friendly and attentive! And on this difficult day for our family, she was a ray of sunshine!

Mark, our busser, worked so hard and had the sweetest smile!

The bartender, McKenzie, was so sweet and made amazing drinks! (My mom said it was the best margarita she's had in a while!)

Everyone was just so friendly!

HUGE shout-out to Bri, McKenzie, and Mark for taking such good care of us. We'll definitely be back to see you! 😊

Oh, and the inside was decorated so beautifully! Very festive!!! Great job, Nandos QC! 🎄⛄️🎅

•••THE FOOD: The chips and salsa were incredible, as always! (I could really JUST eat the chips and salsa... heck, even just the salsa. So good!) The chips were perfectly crispy, and not too salty.

My son and I split an enchilada combo plate. It came out so hot and cheesy! Between that, the diet cokes, and the chips and salsa, we were stuffed! (We got a cheese crisp, too, but ended up taking that home.)

For 4 adults, including a couple of margaritas, our bill was around $100. But we also had leftovers, enough for 2 meals. Might be a little pricey for every day, but a great occasional treat!

•••THE SEATING: If you're a larger/plus-sized person, the outside seating may not be the most comfortable for you. I'd recommend either bringing a camping chair or planning to sit inside. The inside seating includes high top and low top tables/chairs (pretty sturdy, but not overly comfortable for a long...

Checked in tonight a little after 5, leaving my name and phone number with the hostess and was told would be about a 25 minute wait. There were a lot of people waiting in the main lobby so we decided to wait outside. After losing track of time, because we were watching the guys out front roast chilies, I realized that people that had come after us were being seated already. It had been about 45 minutes since we arrived. My wife went to ask for an update and was told our name was not on the list... although I watched the hostess enter my phone number into their system. They seated us immediately at an outside table right under the misters. Everything was soaking wet but we were just happy to not be hot and to be eating soon... so we thought. Long story short, after about 40 minutes of waiting for our food for the 3 of us, we had a half eaten bowl of soggy chips and soaking wet backs (from the misters), our waitress came out and said she had just checked on our food and that the kitchen was running behind. Less than a minute later a different server came out with our tray of cold soggy food (tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, cheese crisp... all barely warm at best, and all soggy) I returned my plate immediately, but my wife and child were hungry enough to eat what we were served. I elected to just not eat there rather than wait even longer for a new plate, as I was already tired of sitting in the wetness I was in, so had my meal removed from the check. The waitress never came back to check on us until we had been sitting for a while waiting for our check. She could tell we were annoyed so it was a brief interaction, and we paid and left. It was just a bad experience overall. I did not request to speak to a manager, but would have been nice if she sent one over when I returned the food in the...