Tio Chucho Dos — Restaurant in Texas

My husband and I went to this restaurant today around 3pm (our biggest mistake). We had previously dined here and the service and food was exceptional so we passed up 4 other Mexican restaurants just to go here. Our waitress was wonderful. She was very attentive and polite and we thought we would get the same experience as before. The problem came in when we ordered our food.

My husband ordered Milnesa Suiza and I ordered a burrito meal with fajita. Both of the plates came out within 5 minutes of us ordering so we knew that something was off. The plates themselves were so piping hot the waitresses couldn’t bare to hold them in her hand. I knew immediately after looking at the plates that they had been microwaved. The Milanesa perhaps had been freshly cooked but everything else on that plate had a film on it like it had been sitting. The rice was hard and dry, the beans were dried out, my fajita meat was super dried out, and the tortilla on the bottom was hardened and difficult to chew.

After a few bites we got the attention of another waitress and asked her if she could call her manager over. There was a gentleman sitting in the dining area eating and we watched her approach him and let him know we asked to speak with a manager. We over heard him ask her in a very rude and abrupt manner “What do they want?” She replied that we asked to speak with a manager and she was unsure. His response was “I don’t feel like talking to them but tell them I’ll come when I have time”. This gentleman sat and continued eating for another 4-5 minutes, and when he heard us gathering our things to leave he then walked over. There wasn’t a proper introduction he just asked “What’s the problem?”. We informed him that the food seemed microwaved and not freshly cooked. He became very argumentative and defensive telling us “ Your food was cooked fresh, but whatever!”.

After I informed him that I have previous managerial experience and am a cook myself he began to question me and became puzzled. I informed him there’s no way that food prepared hot and fresh would take 5 minutes to prepare. He still wanted to argue and we don’t find it necessary therefore we left the establishment. What used to be our favorite Mexican restaurant has now become a restaurant we will NEVER return to.

They should be ashamed of the lazy tactics of food preparation and lack of leadership skills of this poor manager. I felt bad for the staff working under him. No wonder the restaurant was empty...

I honestly used to love this place and the staff. We spent many a time here as it is kid friendly and has frogs all around the place. However, tonight changed everything for me. My family all visited this location earlier tonight. We were in a booth and my son was sitting next to me. All of a sudden my wife went ghost white on the opposite side of our booth. I asked what was wrong. My wife says, "There is literally a roach crawling on the wall right next to where my purse is!" I come over and kill it, completely stunned, and put it in the napkin I was using. I walk towards the outside and I'm almost positive one of the owners saw me going towards the door and I turned around and showed him and told him, "This was literally crawling on the wall next to my wife in our booth!". He says, "I'm so sorry about that sir" and take the napkin with the now dead cockroach in tow. I tried to hurry my wife up because I just wanted to get out of there. Let alone the fact that the waitress got both my wife and my orders wrong before I had her fix them. Also, my son wasn't done with his food so I agreed to stay and tough it out. It was pretty disgusting. We finally get to where we check out. The same guy who I showed the cockroach to was taking my money. The guy says, "Yeah I asked my associate about it and we had an exterminator last night in here so that's why that is going on." I didn't want to even go into the emphasis on the fact that this cockroach was ALIVE AND KICKING before I paid. There would be no point to that honestly. Then I'm getting the check and there is no deduction in cost on my check, let alone having it comped, and I pay it. The guy, being very nicely as they always are here, says, "Happy New Year" and I reply, "Same to you and yours sir". We love this place and the family friendly atmosphere. It is so nice to just relax and eat. I hate leaving a negative reviews but this one I had to put out there. I'm sorry Tio Chucho Dos family but we will not be eating at your establishment ever again. Even though my son loves going to eat at, as he calls it, "Froggy Place". We hate to leave. Your reaction and lack of response to the cockroach incident tonight...

My family and I have been to Tio Chuchos three times, and each time has been a pleasure. The decor has personality and is pleasant (¡muchas ranas!). Every bit of food I've had has been wonderful. Last night I ordered a stuffed, fried avocado — and it was excellent. My wife and sons loved theirs as well.

The chips are served warm and crispy, and they come with a variety of salsas.

As to service: the first two times, service was excellent: friendly, responsive, perfect.

Last night, however, the main server lacked. He wasn't in any way unfriendly or rude, but he also wasn't particularly friendly or patient. He ended up bringing my wife the wrong meal, did not apologize, and did not follow through on his promise to check to see if the price should be adjusted. (She just ate it... and she loved it!)

That said, we will surely be back for the food, for the fact that the other serving experiences were very positive, and on the charitable assumption that perhaps the gentleman was having a bad night. It happens.

Plus: the assistant server who brought drinks and chips and salsa and all was every bit as excellent as our previous experiences had been. He kept us in drinks and chips and everything else he could do, could not have been better. So that ameliorates the whole.

In sum: good prices, decent decor, EXCELLENT food, and 2/3 of the time superb service. I...