Habanero's Taqueria — Restaurant in Woodstock

I don't usually post reviews in someone else's behalf but this was my girlfriends latest experience:

" Mid afternoon on November 16 I stopped into Habeneros Taqueria, as I have multiple times, for a quick order of beans and rice. While I have been to Habeneros enough to know some of the workers and have developed a good rapport with some of the waitresses, this was the first I’d been when only the owner, Nester, was working. There were only a couple other guests dining in this day but service was usually slow. I chalked it up to only Nester manning the restaurant. Though, It started to strike me as odd when my simple order of beans and rice still hadn’t come out but Nester had finished serving and checking out the other guests. Before I knew it, I was alone with Nester in Habeneros. I inquired about my food; apologizing but explaining I was in a bit of a rush. I had been sipping on a glass of wine; Nester refilled my glass without asking and said sorry for the wait. To my comment about being in a rush, he asked if I couldn’t stay for another 30 minutes. Next thing I know, Nester has come around the other side of the bar, squeezed himself into a seat next to me, and poured himself a drink. The behavior seemed odd to me but not immediately alarming. However, the alarm bells quickly started sounding as Nester announced he loved my “sexy feet” and couldn’t stop staring when I had been in previously and wore flats. I didn’t know how to react, what to do, what to say. I nervously laughed and told him, “I’ll be sure to make sure MY BOYFRIEND compliments me more”. I turned to check my surroundings and my skin began to crawl as I felt him reach down and pull my shoe off my foot. I sat frozen. He held my shoe away and put his hand on my foot. He told me I’d be able to get free food anytime if I let him… I don’t even know, to my feet. My heart was racing. My mind and body were so panicked and confused, I didn’t know what to do. I told him “please give me my shoe back, my feet are cold”. He grabbed onto my ankle and said “wow you are cold”. I took my shoe back, put it on and left immediately.

I hope that I was the first and last person to deal with this. And yes, I called the police to report what happened and requested to formally press charges but was told there really wasn’t anything they could do as the case would eventually be...

ATMOSPHERE: "Poor" My first impression was not good. We drove by it and decided to park so we could find another place to eat. The atmosphere was not inviting. The white office lighting and bathroom tile floor was a bit tacky. Fortunately, my phone was not working and we could not find another place to eat.

We decided to give give it a shot. Second impression was when we entered the door. Both my date and I were confused. No one greeted us at the door. I was not sure if we just sat down and waited for menus or if we stood at the door for someone.

SERVICE: "Great" The server that greeted us at our table was very nice. The owner also greeted us and was also very awesome. The people were real sincere people.

CHIPS/SALSA: "Okay" The chips were very good. The salsa was overly sweet. It reminded me of marinara sauce. Luckily there was hot sauce at the table.

FOOD: "Great" We both got the nachos. I got the brisket nachos and my girlfriend got the super nachos. My brisket nachos were fantastic! My date said her nachos were awesome as well. It was very good food.

PROS: -Exceptional service -great staff -great nachos -price was ok ($8.99 super nachos, $10.50 brisket nachos) the price would be more acceptable if the atmosphere was better. Service made up for the price.

CONS: -bad atmosphere (bad lighting, tacky floor, tacky decorations) -we almost did not go inside when we saw what it looked like. -it looked like the owner decorated it himself

SUGGESTIONS: (Im not an interior designer. Hire one before considering any of this).

-have a host and podium at the door to greet customers and bring them to their table or have a sign that says "please seat yourself". -get rid of the white office lighting. Put in natural light colors. Install a dimmer. It's more relaxing than the white light. -put in carpet in the entire restaurant except behind the bar. -maybe get rid of the office tile ceiling. It would raise the ceiling and make it seem more spacious. Also, it would expose the wood beams which can look nice in a restaurant if stained/painted to match the theme -your name is Habaneros. Hang some Habaneros up (signs, paintings, pepper, etc.)

WILL WE...

Man what a bummer… we just really did not enjoy any aspect of our meal here the other day.

First thing that stuck out were the prices, everything is priced quite high for what you get, they are charging fancy/elevated Mexican food prices for mid to low quality food which is a shame.

The $7 guac came in three tiny scoops, enough for a handful of chips at best and it was BROWN and watery… very unappetizing. I can’t remember the last time I sent something back but I let the lady know it looked gross and it was eventually taken off the bill which was nice.

My steak burrito… I was pretty surprised at the portion size — the burrito was packed with meat, and the rice and beans were enough for two. Sadly I soon discovered why they are so generous, the steak was so chewy it was inedible. The rice was crunchy, and the beans were a thick pasty mess.

The service was great, our waitress was super kind and attentive, looked like she could tell we were bummed but she stayed bright and cheerful.

There’s a million Mexican places in the area serving better quality cheaper gringo Mex chow, I just can’t fathom a reason to return. Our bill was $50 for three entrees...