El Granero Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Stockbridge

I have been a loyal customer of this restaurant for over four years and have always valued the quality of service and food. However, I encountered some challenges during my most recent visit while placing a carryout lunch combination order online.

Upon my arrival, the male host requested the name associated with my order. After I provided my information, he returned after a few minutes to inform me that my order could not be found. Another gentleman suggested I might be at the wrong location, as he was unable to locate my order. I kindly showed him my receipt on my phone, and he then checked the address before heading back to the kitchen.

After some time, he returned to let me know that my order was still not available. When I inquired if he was the manager or owner, he clarified that he was not. I then asked if they were planning to prepare my order, and he requested to see my receipt again. When I asked about the estimated wait time, he mentioned it would take approximately five minutes. While I waited, I noticed several DoorDash drivers picking up orders that included chips and salsa.

About ten minutes later, the same gentleman brought my order. I was somewhat surprised that there was no apology for the mix-up. Upon checking the bag, I realized that the chips and salsa I had anticipated were missing. When I inquired about them, I learned they would cost $10, which was unexpected, as I had not previously been charged for them with my orders. The response I received felt rather abrupt, simply stating, "Well, it's $10."

I requested to speak with the manager to share my feedback. The host asked why I needed to see the manager and mentioned that he wasn’t on-site at the moment. After a brief pause, he provided the manager's name but seemed uncertain. He indicated that the manager would arrive in about 10 minutes.

When the manager was finally able to talk with me, I expressed my concerns regarding the delay and the lack of apologies for the mix-up. He was friendly and open to listening but mentioned there was little he could do. I appreciate his willingness to hear my feedback, but overall, my experience this time was unfortunately...

I decided to order from this place instead of my go to Mexican spot because the menu was more extensive. That was a HUGE mistake. I called in an order at 6:43pm. The employee told me that my order would be ready in 10 minutes/when I arrive. I arrived at the restaurant a few minutes after 7pm. When I went to the bar, I told the server that I was picking up an order. She asked for my name (which I had not provided because it wasn’t requested when I ordered) and started looking around and checking with another server. They looked confused and I could tell something was wrong. The server went into the kitchen and was gone for at least 10 minutes before she returned with an order ticket. I asked her if she had just put my order in. She assured me that the kitchen staff started preparing it a long time ago. I didn’t believe her, but I decided to go ahead and pay so I could get my food and leave. When she gave me my receipt, I noticed a $4.12 service charge. She had already left the bar area, so I had to wait to ask about it. She returned at 7:22pm with my food (about 40 minutes after I placed my order). When I asked to speak with a manager about my wait, the server said they don’t start preparing a customer’s order until they arrive. I’m not sure if this is true, but it definitely wasn’t communicated to me over the phone and what is the point of calling in an order if it won’t be ready when you arrive??? I also asked about the service charge and she said it is a “pickup” convenience fee, which makes absolutely no sense because I had to come in before the kitchen started making my order (if that is indeed true). There’s nothing convenient about that. I didn’t press the issue because I needed to get home after waiting so long for my food. To make matters worse, my tortilla chips were stale and my daughter’s nachos were drenched in queso and completely soggy (suggestion: pack the chips and queso separately for to-go orders). Needless to say, I will not be returning to El Granero...

I was really excited to try this restaurant since one of the dishes seemed delicious, and it’s conveniently close to my job. Unfortunately, my experience was far from welcoming.

When I walked in, I asked the hostess, Karen (so I was told), if there was a specific place to place a to-go order. Instead of providing guidance, she just handed me a menu and walked away. I sat down to decide what I wanted, and when she finally returned, she immediately started helping other guests who arrived after me, without acknowledging or reassuring me that she would be right with me.

After waiting, I asked her again where I should place my order, and she dismissively said, "Give me a second." When she finally took my order, I asked her to repeat it back to me for accuracy, and she yelled at me in a condescending tone. At that point, I asked to speak with a manager, and she scoffed at me, said “OK,” and walked off.

She then brought back a man who I was under the impression was the owner, even after I directly asked him. Since he didn’t speak English, I had to use Google Translate. He stated that he wanted to apologize on behalf of the owner, but at that point, I decided to leave without eating there because I had wasted 40 minutes talking to someone who wasn’t even the owner.

By then, I had spent so much time dealing with this situation that I had to rush to find another place for lunch, leaving me barely enough time to eat before returning to work.

As a business owner myself, I understand the importance of customer service, and unfortunately, this experience was unacceptable. I was really looking forward to trying the food, but after such a disappointing interaction, I won’t...