Torchy's Tacos — Restaurant in Wake Forest

I absolutely will not come back to this location. As I walked in at approximately 8:45pm on the weekend, I was not greeted and was ABSOLUTELY CONFUSED about whether I needed to seat myself and family or if I would be directed to a table. It turned out neither option was correct. First let me say the restaurant was EMPTY. It had two individuals seated eating and staff were preparing for closing which was at 10. Chairs were being put on tables, very unwelcoming especially when you’re not greeted considering the atmosphere. The manager and two other associates were on the floor. After standing looking confused for minutes- as the girl at the counter WATCHES us in confusion- I decided to ask after not being directed. “Hi- do we seat ourselves or how does this work?” It’s sad because the young lady did not greet back she said “you have to order here.” OK we’re still confused but we walk to the front to place our order. This is our first time at this establishment! Then we opted to take our food outside to get away from noise of the staff closing the diner an HOUR EARLY before closing time. Mind you- I stated only two people were eating in the restaurant. Our food came out after 15-20 mins and when the waitress came out she walked to the table and said “whose is this?” I couldn’t believe my ears. What is “this”…she only had one plate and we were a family of four. She looked clueless and sat the food down and walked away! Then another person came with another plate, one by one they came out with 5 dishes ordered in total. Then they forgot the beverages, so we had to go inside to remind the manager. I can go on and on but to sum it up, the service was less than decent. Considering my finance is the PARTNER of a large chain restaurant and we came based on a recommendation; 45 mins away from Apex which we let the manager know and he didn’t even acknowledge or say “glad you considered us” NOTHING- it was unprofessional and lacked luster in the experience. I wanted to give potential future customers who wish to patronize this establishment context of the situation. Good service starts with good management, so I’m not surprised. The food was not warm AT ALL! I’m reluctant not patronize the...

We’ve been to this location about 30 times now so this is a thoughtful review not a one timer popping in to rant. Some of the negatives we initially wrote off as startup issues, but they seem to keep happening. First the good: if you’re lucky and hit things on a good day, the food is awesome. I suggest the fried avocado taco for something different, but the fajita chicken is a good starter. Hopefully you’ll order, get your food fairly timely, it’s a good portion and tastes good. But every few visits we have an issue. First issue I ever had was when I first placed a to go order. Instead of the huge tacos I was used to getting when I eat in where I usually have to eat half the fillers with a fork before rolling the taco up, it was a tiny Taco Bell sized thing. Second issue was the salsa - about every fifth visit the roja tastes like chemicals. We’ve actually stopped ordering chips and salsa because of this. No matter: the cheese dip is better anyway! Third issue we had was waiting an hour for our food. The restaurant was busy and it was a weekend so we just decided to avoid on weekends. Fourth issue was another to-go order. Staff seemed confused by my strange order of just sides (I was creating my own meal back at home). They brought out a bag and I left with it only to get home and it’s incomplete. Fifth issue was yet another hour wait for food (yes we went back on a weekend but we were prepared) - but this time they didn’t even have an order for us. They had an issue with the order system. I will say they refunded the meal price though so that was pretty decent. But at this stage they should not still be having these issues this often. I still like the food enough to keep trying - and to give four stars - and I think they reduced prices...

I want to preface this review by mentioning that I’ve worked in the restaurant and hospitality industry for over 16 years, so I have high expectations when dining out. That said, my experience at this Torchy’s Tacos location was a wonderful surprise, in the best way possible.

We visited for a Spirit Night associated with our children’s school, and it was my first time dining at Torchy’s. I would absolutely recommend this location to anyone. We started with the chips appetizer, which came with three choices: queso, guac, and salsa. Each one was absolutely delicious! For my main course, I had the Grande Burrito with added chicken. The flavors were fantastic, and the portion was so generous. I ended up eating the whole thing, despite intending to save some for later!

The service was exceptional, from the warm greeting at the door to the cashier, and especially the managers who roamed the dining area, ensuring drinks were filled and empty dishes were cleared promptly. Every staff member was friendly and welcoming, making the experience that much more enjoyable.

It was a much-needed break from the usual routine of cooking and cleaning at home, and we’re already looking forward to...