Georgina M.
Google
I finally tried La Elegante Taqueria after being recommended it years ago. I was in Fresno for a doctor’s appointment and was genuinely excited to see what the hype was about. Unfortunately, my experience ended up being really disappointing.
When we walked in, the restaurant was busy, but we were not greeted at all. No one was at the register, and eventually we were only acknowledged when the cashier asked if we were eating there or not. We were told to sit down and that was it.
I ordered a Squirt soda in a glass bottle. When it arrived, I immediately noticed large chunks floating in the soda. I drink Squirt often and I know what normal grapefruit residue looks like. this was not that. I politely pointed it out, and the cashier immediately dismissed it, saying all of them were like that without even bothering to look at my drink. Another employee was sent over to tell me the same thing.
The cashier then said she could replace it, but kept insisting it would “look the same.” At one point, she came back carrying another Squirt, stopped at our table, held it up to show me, and said “see?” . that one clearly did not have any chunks. When I reached out to take it, she pulled it away, turned around, and walked off, leaving my hand hanging in the air without saying a word. It was extremely rude and uncomfortable. If that soda wasn’t for us, that should have been communicated. The entire interaction felt dismissive and unnecessary.
Eventually, I did receive a replacement soda . and surprise, it had no chunks at all. Completely clear. So the issue was very real and not “normal.”
Shortly after, our food arrived. I ordered three tacos and after one or two bites (which were actually very good), I put my taco down and noticed a long black hair in it. I am very blonde, so it clearly was not mine. At this point, I was hesitant to even say anything because of how the soda situation had already been handled. I’ve worked in food service for years and I understand mistakes happen.
I let a different staff member know, and she apologized and brought the owner, who was incredibly kind and professional. She apologized sincerely and made things right. I truly want to acknowledge that the owner handled the situation with grace and care.
What made it worse was that during the hair situation, the cashier continued to look over at us and made comments like “I’ll be with you guys in a bit,” while the owner ultimately had to step in anyway.
On top of everything, we were seated next to a window where there was a homeless man right outside. I understand this isn’t fully within the restaurant’s control, but combined with everything else, it didn’t help the overall experience. I will be attaching a photo to this review.
It’s honestly unfortunate because the food itself was good. However, the cashier’s attitude, dismissal of a legitimate concern, and the disrespectful moment of snatching the soda away left a very bad impression. One employee can completely change the experience of a business, and that was the case here.
I feel bad for the owner, because she was wonderful. But based on this visit, I wouldn’t return.
