Taco Bus - 301/MLK — Restaurant in Temple Terrace

I have been a fan of Taco Bus in general and this particular location for several years now, despite the feeling that it's been on the decline. Tonight though, I had such a bad experience that I needed to change my review.

I have been stopping by in the evening hours once or twice a month on a weekday to fill up my tank at the Shell station and grab some dinner to go while I was there. The past three times I've visited I've gotten home with my food only to realize that the steak (carne asada) that I had paid an upcharge on for both of the items was replaced with ground beef. Tonight though, I happen to remember this and noted that the clerk had began putting the two Burrito Prenado together with ground beef again instead of the steak. "Pardon me. I had actually wanted steak on those." I said, thinking that perhaps it was just a simple oversight and not recalling if the clerk that was preparing the food was the same one that had been there on my previous visits. He then tells me that what he put on the burritos was the steak. As the meat looked nothing like the steak I have been accustom to and everything like their ground beef, I reply that it looks like ground beef and inquire if they had changed their steak. He brings over a tub of the meat stating that I wanted steak, this is the steak, not really acknowledging my question, and at this point I knew that there wasn't any point in trying to pursue the matter further with him. Internally I gave up on the matter, ending the exchange with "Alright. I guess you guys changed the steak." He went back to putting the burritos together as I waited for him to finish, regretting having already placed two dollars in the tip jug. I he finished and handed me the food with neither of us speaking further until after I began to walk away when I hear him clearly say, "You can say, thank you." followed by several insults that he had intended to have been just loud enough to be only audible by me and not the handful of others around the store.

Taco Bus used to be a great spot where you knew that you could get a great meal, even at odd hours. My experience has been that over the years that's slowly become less and less the case as the quality of the food in general has been on a slow decline. Meat and veggies have increasingly been replaced by filler ingredients such as refried beans and (at least at this location) simple things such as the salsa dispensers are hardly ever kept clean, stocked, and supplied with plastic cups that haven't been half used and left there by someone. I've stuck with Taco Bus for years through these issues, not focusing on the steady downward trend that the restaurant has been on, but having had reason to take time to put my thoughts about it together tonight, I think that I'll find somewhere else for a quick and easy dinner...

I & my co works have been going to Taco Bus @ 301 & MLK for more than 10 years, we love the Taco Tuesday. However in the past I would call and would be ask to hold, of course no problem, BUT WHEN YOU GET LEFT ON HOLD.. not so much fun. This has happen loads of time. For the most part it is irritating. I all ways TIP very nicely. So yesterday I call and was ask to hold. WELL I HELD FOR 12 MINUTES, I just do paper work while waiting. Well no one would pick the phone up. In the past I just have never said anything to them. But yesterday not so much. So when I drove down, keep in mind it is a 15 minute drive to them, I go out of my way to them. I said something to the girl taking my order, Anita & I in no way was out of line, I was polite. I ask for the owner to call so I could get them help on call in orders. Well let me tell you what she said to me.....From her mount, I don't care about the call in orders, she stated who is in front of her are the one important. Call in can just wait until I get to them...which is never. I ask for the owners #, she said she didn't know it. Gezz what does she do when an emergency happens. So I left my # and ask if Omar would call me, which that was the name she gave me for the owner. I have not heard back. This is really too bad...Taco Bus lost a long time customer, just because of Anita...by the way she did get an attitude. Once again I was polite, made sure the other customers could not hear, kept a low voice. My name is Karen....However I'm not a mean Karen....And I feel bad to write such a bad review. Hopefully this will get the attention of the owner. I hope he doesn't feel...

I'm from Texas... Maybe my hospitality expectations are too high. It's possible... It is also possible this place [really this area] has no idea what hospitality is. The bus is inside a gas station. We entered and didn't see anyone at the bus counter. We asked the lady at the gas station counter if the bus was open. Instead of responding with a direct yes or no, she asked us, "Did you go over there?" I thought it was rude, but the wife overlooked the comment and went to the bus. Got to the counter and no human was visible. Apparently, we were to order from the tablet/kiosk on the counter. We had questions about the menu and options. I peeped around the corner and saw a woman. Asked her and she just bluntly and directly stated, "Order from the tablet" and walked away. I guess we were expected to navigate this software and menu options with no questions while there are 3 guys in line behind us. Mind you, this was at 7:30am and the lady was not cooking any orders. We called for her and asked again. She flipped the tablet over, answered our questions and placed the order. Literally took 30 seconds. She whipped up our order and it was great. I'm from Texas. I live off gas station tacos. It is impossible to mess up. However, hospitality and having a human to ask question.... Let's make...