Thomas H.
Yelp
I went for an empanada, but all I got was an argument.
The caramel apple empanada at Taco Bell is probably my favorite fast-food dessert. It is hot, sweet, delicious, and cheap. I had a hankering for one, so I stopped at my local Taco Bell. It was a few minutes before midnight.
There was a line, and it wasn't really moving. The car in front of me waited at least four minutes before anyone came to the intercom, and the drive-through server gave her a bit of an attitude, but that's not my problem.
When it came time to order, it was short and sweet, he was relatively friendly, and I was headed to get my pie.
The woman in front of me had driven off, and I assured him that I was only there for my empanada. He tells me it will be a six-minute wait. I had time. I said that was no problem, and he cheerfully offered to give me a second one on the house for my trouble.
The manager of the restaurant was now in the drive-through window, yelling at the kid who had taken my order, like the drive-off was his fault.
Then he starts in on my order. He asked the kid, "Why didn't you tell him we were out of these? It will take 10 minutes!" Like I can't hear him there with the window open. When the kid said he thought it was only six minutes, the manager says, "We can't serve them when they're freshly cooked, they are too hot, it's a huge liability. He could burn his mouth, have to go to the hospital, we get sued."
Mind you, I only came in looking for a fried pie, not a courtroom drama. So I spoke up to that effect.
I then get some kind of circuitous story about changing the grease, normally they don't take orders for fried food so late (despite the fact that they were going to be open another hour and there are several fried items on the menu). He asked me if I wouldn't rather have something else.
I assured him that I was set on an empanada and that I really didn't mind waiting.
He made a face. Like, an actual "you've got to be kidding me" face, and at that moment, I challenged him.
"You really don't want me to have this pie, do you?"
Then, the manager effusively starts pouring it on: "Oh no, sir, not at all sir, if this is all you want sir, I will get it for you. Sir, I have worked all over the world. I have waited on kings, princesses. If this is what you want sir, I absolutely want you to have it, by all means, yes sir, my entire life has led up to this moment, sir." The snark was unbelievable. "Please, sir, just pull forward, sir, I'll get it right away for you sir."
Mind you, he still hasn't put in the order. He still hasn't dropped the pie. If he had just started cooking it when I ordered it, I'd have it by now.
When I called him on his attitude, I knew it was never going to happen. I told him I was going.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, sir," the manager shouted as I pulled away.
Thanks for nothing. I don't even have a receipt that I can leave a comment with on the Taco Bell website. So I'm going to fry them here in this Yelp review. I don't know if it will change anything, but I feel better.