Taco Del Mar

Dreary atmosphere, Indifferent service, skimpy potions of cool watered down beans and meats.

This is the worst excuse for Mexican food I have ever had. These franchise owners are doing everything wrong. The food is bland, taste like it came out of a can and is honestly not worth eating. You pay extra for everything, guacamole and sour cream add about $ 1.50 to the price of your burrito and the stingy Indian owners reward you with a teaspoon of each.
You’d be better off getting something from a taco truck or out of the freezer at a gas station. At least you won’t feel like you got totally ripped off. What a bummer.

Meh! Ordered a mondo burrito. Got runny slop in a doughy wrapper. This is not a good representation of previous taco del mar experiences at other locations. Meat, beans and other ingredients are not meant to be so runny that they make a burrito shell doughy and chewy. I would drive across town for something better for this price…

Ok I have to admit it, I like the strangeness of this taco del mar. Do they give he smallest portions of any restaurant in the chain? Probably.
My son and I call the owner Mr Crabs in reference to SpongeBob square pants penny pinching boss.
The food is like any taco del mar but with a calorie counting flair built in.
I do like the owners though. They are American small business entrepreneurs to the hilt.

Decent taco bell/​chipotle alternative. Cheaper than Chipotle, and slightly more expensive than Taco Bell, this is the Gap of Americanized Mexican food.
I usually get the Mondo burrito which is a medium sized burrito (taco trucks have larger burritos, but this is about the size you get at a Mexican restaurant) for $ 5.49.
I like that they offer refried and black beans as options, and there are 4 different kinds of tortillas to choose from.

We just stopped for lunch on our way to Seattle and choose Taco del Mar because we have enjoyed the food at other locations. We were very disappointed! The service was unfriendly, the beans were watered down and the server skimped on all ingredients. I thought franchises had standards. This location was horrible!

I’ve been to this taco del mar a handful of times. I usually like it, have never had a problem with the staff, but a few weeks ago I decided to go there and eat inside during the lunch hour. During my lunch I was promptly scared out of my wits by the fire alarm blaring for a straight ten minutes. To which the staff replied, «They are testing it.»
I know that you need to test fire alarms, and I know they are a tool for safety and they probably don’t have control over when they service the alarm. But it would be courteous next time to warn customers of the possibility of an ear splitting screeching noise when they walk into your restaurant. I was not the only customer in there and the other customers looked equally annoyed. I will never eat inside that place again. My ears still hurt.

These people are doing real damage to an otherwise great franchise. I have been in 3 or 4 times and each time I question why I have returned. The food is not in any way up to the standards of Taco Del Mar.
The most recent visit I was with my son. He had an adult quesadilla: One tortilla folded in half and grilled. No chips, that’s all.
I had the fish, mondito burrito. The fish was actually chewy; odd and obviously microwaves. There was lots of beans and rice but a miniscule amount of cabbage and white sauce, no salsa, no lime. Very odd things to be stingy with.
Service is indifferent. The number of customers seems to be dwindling to a trickle. One hopes the franchise holder gives it up and it is taken over by someone else SOON! It could be a real money-​maker for someone who runs it properly.

HORRIBLE. Walked in and was not even greeted by the only person working, it was an Indian lady and she was very rude and rushed us. Food was luke warm, the portions were outrageously small, and they were out of steak. The burrito mainly consisted of rice and beans, tables were not clean and the lobby floors looked like they haven’t been swept in a week. Stay away!!!

Had lunch today :) Very helpful staff, quick and food was just what I expected! Nice people– clean and friendly.

This location is up to par of what one would expect of a quality Taco Del Mar restaurant. It does lack the fun baja personality behind the counter, but this doesn’t imply the staff is rude or unfriendly.

Walked in & walked right back out after the nauseating smell & the food that seemed to look old on the warming trays. Yuk.

We got to WA on last Friday, and I was starving, waiting on in-​laws to get home, watching TV and saw 10 commercials for Taco Del Mar. It looked delicious !! particularly the taco salad so I conned my husband into having lunch at Taco Del Mar…
I had misgivings from the time we walked in but I wanted that delicious salad I saw on TV. I still want the salad I saw on TV!!!
taco shell– cold and super stale.
fillings– mostly iceburg lettuce eew, refriend beans canned
meat– tasted boiled in plain water — this is no Chipotle, Qdoba for sure!!!
I don’t understand why so many people were comin in. they were ordering burritos but same ingredients so eeew
sorry no photos I was not impressed at all

The staff was kind. The restaurant needs a deep clean. When I ordered my food they squeezed lime with no gloves.

Ok, First off I love Taco Del Mar but I will never set foot in this location again. I’ve been to this particular restaurant 4 times in the last year only because of its location. Everytime I went in the staff were rude and unfriendly. They barely speak to you and act as if they hate every minute they are there. On my 4^th visit I presented the young man (owners son?) my completed punch card for $ 5 off my meal. He promptly informed me that they don’t accept that punchcard. I informed him that it indicates on the punchcard that its accepted at all Taco Del Mar locations. He again refused to accept it. I then pointed out that punches 7 and 10 were from his location and matched the punch that he had on the counter. A woman stepped up and told him to take it, but only this one time. I ordered the mondito burrito with sour cream ($ 5.99 plus .50), he took my punchcard for $ 5 and charged me $ 2.18. I requested a receipt. Turns out he charged me $ 2 plus .18 tax and only deducted $ 4.41 for the punchcard, none of this made sense.
As for portions the place has always been skimpy. For this reason I kept my coupon in my pocket until I got to the register. I was afraid they would see the coupon and give me even less. The Taco Del Mar in Chehalis easily gives you twice the portion size. I love that restaurant.
Additionally this restaurant is filthy. The tables are never clean and the floor is a mess. In four visits over a years period there have never been any towels in the bathroom. Even the door handle for the bathroom is literally falling out of the door. You would think this place was in downtown Detroit, not Tumwater.
I will let you know that its obvious that corporate Taco Del Mar doesn’t care. I wrote them a complaint via their website over 2 weeks ago and heard nothing. They obviously don’t check or review their restaurants performance and standards or else this place would be shut down, My next step is too complain to the Health Department.
Save your money for local business owners that care, spend your money wisely and support only those that appreciate you as a customers. There are lots of mexican restaurants in the area that would at least say thank you as your handed your hard earned cash over the counter.

First off, I LOVE TACO DEL MAR. It is one of my favorite fast food restaurants. MY review is for the Tumwater Taco Del Mar. This one, quite simply, sucks.
Every time I go in there I feel like I am completely ruining the staffs day by walking through the door. I always feel like a burden. The staff barely smiles or talks to you. I wonder that the hell is going on in back that makes them so cranky? There is such a bad vibe in this store.
AND HOW can this Taco Del Mar’s portions be so ridiculously small? Are there not set standards for the franchises? Whenever I order my tacos from this store I get what looks like a skimpy kids meal. I have been to numerous Taco Del Mars throughout the state and this one constantly serves subpar portions. Unfortunately this is the one close to my house. I have constant hankerings for their food but am always pissed when I leave this particular store.
I wish that this store would close and someone would open one nearby that actually wants to have happy and satisfied customers.
If you are headed south on i-​5 skip this store and take exit 77 in Chehalis and go to the one across from Walmart. They do it right. They smile, are friendly, and serve up big ol taco’s the way it is supposed to be done!

We drop in about once a month and I can understand the other reviews, the staff /​owners? seem a bit off-​put by customers or they don’t like to work there. Not sure.

As a native Southern Californian, I consider myself an expert on Mexican food. That being said, I happened along this place around lunchtime in the mood for some carne asada or adobada.
However, when I walked in, I realized this place was more along the lines of a Chipotle or a Quidoba. Unfortunately, unlike those other two, it seriously lacked in taste and portion size. The rice and pinto beans had NO flavor! And I’m pretty sure they get all their beans from a can. The chicken was alright, but I think I got maybe five little pieces?! The salsa, if you can call it that, was very bland. In fact, I really couldn’t taste it. To top it off, the portion was so small for the price! I not only left unsatisfied but hungry as well. What really got me is they add a ton of rice and beans to every dish and yet are REALLY stingy with every other ingredient!
All in all, the food was edible but not memorable. If you’re someone who has never had authentic Mexican food, maybe this place will suffice. But if you have had any type of experience with true Mexican food flavors, skip this place and try another!

Staff:
This branch of Taco Del Mar has all the same food your used to but with a twist. The staff here want to hurt you. That’s a hyperbole, but in our three or four times there we were not treated politely. It’s kind of like the soup nazi on Seinfield, but with less personality.
Ambience:
General Taco Del Mar feel, but they’ve added a TV. Probably due to Unilocal reviews ;) If you’ve never been to Taco Del Mar it’s made for a quick working lunch. It features cafeteria style buffet line ordering and food service, small tables, soda fountain you get your self, no wait staff. Similar to a Subway.
Food: The mondo burritos are huge. The quesadilla’s are inexpensive and tasty. If you are watching your calories or trying to eat healthy the Baja bowls are nice.
Bottom Line: This particular location only has one unisex bathroom and in every visit I’ve made it has been dirty. Maybe due to the limited staff. Next time I will probably go up the road about 4 miles to chipotle instead.

This is one of those locations that you just happen to travel to for convenience and the fact that the chain was voted for somewhat healthy fast food options. I believe if I had to eat here once a week I would probably hate it.
This particular location is operated by probably the most unmemorable group of people in the food industry. I don’t think I’ve seen either of them smile even once! Which makes for a restaurant that is attempting to be upbeat and peppy into a total buzz kill. I want to whip the duo into shape! For the love of baby jesus! SMILE and act as if you actually WANT my continued business!