La Fiesta Horrible

[mac]

Do any of you guys eat at the La Fiesta on 49 very often? We used to go there quite frequently, and it was always good. The food was decent, the waiters were nice, and the service was fast. If you ran out of drink, it was refilled before you thought to ask. Your food came quickly, and you didn't have to ask for extra napkins or the check.

I ate there today with my sister, brother in law, and their two kids, who were passing through Hburg on their way back home to Southaven. The waiter was impossibly slow. We sat there for a solid fifteen minutes or more before he even took our drink orders and brought us menus. The food was fine, but it was just the fact that we had to wait SO long for everything. We ordered margaritas, and it took a good ten minutes for them to come out. When we wanted refills, that took another fifteen minutes. Getting the check, napkins, etc. Everything was incredibly slow. There was only ONE other table in the entire place, and there were waiters and other staff sitting around gabbing, so it wasn't a matter of him having too much going on at one time.

The worst part was that they overcharged us. There was a sign right next to our table that said 2x1 margaritas, but they charged us for every one. When we asked about it, the guy at the cash register became irate and started punching the cash register! After all that, he still didn't even charge us correctly! I was charged $16.01 for a lunch chimichanga ($5.00) and 1 margarita.

When I tried to ask him to explain the charges, he became so rude that I just threw him a twenty and asked to speak to the manager. I got so tired of waiting for the guy to come over that I just left, taking my tip back from the table on the way out, and called back later on the phone. Whoever claimed to be the manager on the phone pretended not to understand enough English to answer my questions. I ended up getting so mad that I just hung up.

This was the fourth time in a row that the service there has been sub-par, so I had already noticed that it was beginning to be bad consistently, but they really outdid themselves today. I will never go back there again. I was totally embarrassed by the situation, and by the fact that my family members got overcharged after being treated like crap for over an hour.

[Kitty]

You should have gone to the Mexican Kitchen. :smt023

Seriously, I haven't eaten at La Fiesta (either location) in a long time. One of their former employees told me they "recycle" the leftover chips. In other words, the chips you get there may have already been served to another table and left over.

That bothered me.

[noway]

You posted this question.. so Im going to respond... You have posted before about this location and I feel IMO you have some tiff with la fiesta brava.. Its okay if you do...

I have been to this location hundreds of times since they opened and I have never had one problem there. The service and food is always great. I have always said that I wish the american people in the resturant business could work as efficent as them..

They do an excellent job at la fiesta brava

[mac]

You posted this question.. so Im going to respond... You have posted before about this location and I feel IMO you have some tiff with la fiesta brava.. Its okay if you do...

I have been to this location hundreds of times since they opened and I have never had one problem there. The service and food is always great. I have always said that I wish the american people in the resturant business could work as efficent as them..

They do an excellent job at la fiesta brava

Yeah I posted about it last time my husband and I went, because it sucked then too. That was about the second time in a row that it was bad. The post I wrote can be found in the thread titled "new items on the menus." Since then I have been back a few times. I met a friend there for lunch a week or so ago, and it was a bad experience. Then today's experience was the worst yet.

I've had plenty of good experiences there. It's only recently that it started to be bad. Each time I have gone back because I know that anyone can have a bad day, but it has been four times in a row now, and I'm done giving second chances. I've been a regular customer there for about five years, but I won't go back.

I hope you continue to have good experiences there, but what they did to us today was wrong. Do you call waiting fifteen minutes for a drink and then being overcharged and having a guy start punching the cash register out of anger when you kindly asked about it doing a great job?? We weren't giving him a hard time or anything. We were even going to tip the guy even after the crappy service, but then the man lost his sh*t and started freaking out.

I was just wondering if they have new management or something, because something has definitely changed.

[Bee Line]

I wouldn't have gone back after the second bad service.

[58ford]

Mac,
You know i love you, but i've never had bad service at LFB & they are one of my top ten restaurants in th H'burg area. I'm sorry you had bad service.

[rooter]

I have been quit going to quit 98 one on account of the filthy bathrooms.
The one on 49 used to be really my favorite but they have really got bad lately so I don`t go there anymore.
The one in Sawmill Square mall in Laurel is the nastiest cafe I have ever been in.
I like the one in Petal, El Marachi.

[aaron]

I've been there a few times and never had any problems either. The one on 49 is a favorite among several friends.

[petalgirl00]

Ive noticed service at all area restaurants has gone. Or maybe its the haircut my husband has and the two kids. Military members do have a little bit of money to tip, wish they would realize that.

[Pirate_129]

I ate at the LFB out west last week for lunch and I have to agree, the service was poor and the food wasn't what I expected from them. The chips were extremely stale and we asked for more, they told us the machine was broken and that was all they had. Likewise, our food took forever to arrive and was decent at best.

Not to hop on the bandwagon, but I ate later that same week at Mexican kitchen and was impressed with the service and while the food wasn't as good as I remembered it, it was still very good.

[dollfus46]

I wouldn't have gone back after the second bad service.
I'm with you. Anybody can have a bad night, so I will always give 'um one more shot. Sort of like fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Fool me three times and I'm just dupid.

[kevin]

I'm not gonna take up for bad service but depending on the time of day seems to be key with La Fiesta.I don't get the service at 3pm I would at 1pm.I know that they will not always understand a grievance with the food or service unless I speak to them either in spanish or slowly find someone who can speak conversational english.I don't expect to see non-mexicans working as it would take away from the Atmosphere. I really love Mexican food and the Margarita's.I gotta try the new Mexican kitchen!!

[SouthChic]

Gonefishin and I stopped going there several years ago after noticing the change in service (being bad) and after our waiter -who was profusely sweating - stuck his finger in our cheese dip, that we had planned to take with us!

We have been going to El Rancho in Petal since it opened 2-3 years ago, and we love it.

[TheCapitalist]

I have been quit going to quit 98 one on account of the filthy bathrooms.
The one on 49 used to be really my favorite but they have really got bad lately so I don`t go there anymore.
The one in Sawmill Square mall in Laurel is the nastiest cafe I have ever been in.
I like the one in Petal, El Marachi.

Yep. El Mariachi rules! Food is fresh and the price can't be beat! Good salsa. The La Bistec a la Mexicana is on the lunch menu for lunch prices. At La Fiesta and El Rancho it is 8-9 Bucks! If you don't like the service at La Fiesta you have many other choices!

[TheKing]

ill never understand the fascination with la fiesta...

i can get the same exact food at sams and cook it at the house

all those damn mexican restaurants are the same...except the mexican kitchen

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

Never been a LFB fan, either. In a rush, El Rancho is good.

I mainly prefer Rio Grande at Turtle Creek and Mi Casita in Laurel. These two have the same menu and same owners, and the chicken fajita nachos are as good as any dish at any restaurant in town.

[mac]

Fernando's in Magee is really good. There's another location in Jackson. I have to agree with TheKing that they're all generally the same, but Fernando's has some different things on the menu, and it was especially tasty.

[SouthChic]

Never been a LFB fan, either. In a rush, El Rancho is good.

I mainly prefer Rio Grande at Turtle Creek and Mi Casita in Laurel. These two have the same menu and same owners, and the chicken fajita nachos are as good as any dish at any restaurant in town.

Now that you mention it, we do like Rio Grande. They have some awesome steak burritos that they top with that white cheese sauce. It's definitely worth the drive from Petal, but since there's an El Rancho in Petal, we usually just stay in here for Mexican.

[fuzzis]

Never been a LFB fan, either. In a rush, El Rancho is good.

I mainly prefer Rio Grande at Turtle Creek and Mi Casita in Laurel. These two have the same menu and same owners, and the chicken fajita nachos are as good as any dish at any restaurant in town.

We had a great time at Mi Casita last summer. There was a group of like 8 of us who were all supposed to be writing, but we decided that a few margaritas would help that out. :laugh: (A word of warning...the grande margarita is very, very grande. :smt118)

[big john]

I have never been to lfb,those tv ads freak me out.

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

We had a great time at Mi Casita last summer. There was a group of like 8 of us who were all supposed to be writing, but we decided that a few margaritas would help that out. :laugh: (A word of warning...the grande margarita is very, very grande. :smt118)

OK I REALLY didn't mean to groan you. I clicked quote twice and a groan showed up both times. I think I have it fixed now.

If you ate there, you were about 5 blocks from my house. That's a LONG way for you to drive for drinks and dinner... the "Shady Grove" area of North Laurel. But, yea, they are grande!!!!!! Very good.

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

Not saying this about lfb, but some ethnic food restaurants scare me 'cause dey can't stand to waste anything and hate throwing it out. Many keep figuring out new names to call stuff you can't pronounce anyway and it prolly means, "made from leftovers". :smt118

Like refried beans....you think they invented that on purpose?

Kinda like at Taco Bell. I love em in a pinch for something cheap and fast, but everything on the menu is made with the same stuff... just mixed different way.

Also, after working for Wendy's 4 weeks (2 weeks, then a 2 week notice) during my sophomore year of high school... that's how their chili is made. Burn a burger... throw it in the chili pot.

[big john]

Not saying this about lfb, but some ethnic food restaurants scare me 'cause dey can't stand to waste anything and hate throwing it out. Many keep figuring out new names to call stuff you can't pronounce anyway and it prolly means, "made from leftovers". :smt118

Like refried beans....you think they invented that on purpose?he he,they oughta throw all dem "leftovers" in a big bowl and sell it like KFC does,what are they called?garbage bowls,,,famous garbage bowls?
hey does anyone remember those ads with the demonic singing rats in em,I think it was queero's,eeeeeeewwwwwwwwww!

[fuzzis]

OK I REALLY didn't mean to groan you. I clicked quote twice and a groan showed up both times. I think I have it fixed now.

If you ate there, you were about 5 blocks from my house. That's a LONG way for you to drive for drinks and dinner... the "Shady Grove" area of North Laurel. But, yea, they are grande!!!!!! Very good.

We were actually in Laurel for a "field trip" for the SI. Spent the day wandering around to various places, stopping here and there to write. Mi Casita was a friend's recommendation for lunch and some how about half of our group of 15 wound up at the same place. Our waiter was entertaining, as well. :smt118

[firefly]

Whenever my husband & I want Mexican food, we go to Taco Bell. Several years ago our son got food poisoning at the 49 LFB & we will never go there because of that. Every time that wacky commercial for LFB comes on, we say "La Fiesta Food Poisoning!":smt118

[Pirate_129]

I would also suggest that if anyone wants a taste of "Mexican" food versus "Tex-Mex" try the lunches at the Hispanic convenience store just past the old Twin Hardy Street Cinema. I believe the name is La Veacruzana Dos. The offer several very good authentic Mexican sandwiches and some great tacos. It is also a chance to interact with some nice folks. Don't drink the water though. :smt118

[chaz]

15 minutes before even getting a drink order?! Why didn't you just leave then?

Quit going to El Rancho after standing at the hostess desk for ~5 mins w/o getting seated. Maybe I'm impatient?

[mac]

15 minutes before even getting a drink order?! Why didn't you just leave then?

Quit going to El Rancho after standing at the hostess desk for ~5 mins w/o getting seated. Maybe I'm impatient?

Because I was with my sister, her husband, an 8 year old, and a 4 year old. I had tried to talk them into going elsewhere, but they had been on the road for 4 hours, the kids were really hungry and tired and everyone needed a break, and I guess driving to Petal just didn't seem worth it to them when they were right there by LFB, which didn't require them to stray from 49, which is the road they were driving home on. When everything took so long, I would've left, but it wasn't up to just me. Besides, loading kids up is a pain.

I just won't go back.

I agree with you on El Rancho. I used to go there about once a week and I would usually just seat myself in the bar area. One day I was the only person sitting in their bar area, and the guy forgot about me. I finally had to go get him-- he was sitting up front gabbing. That was the second instance of them completely neglecting me, and I haven't been back there. I also got a margarita there once that had soap in it, and when I asked about it, the guy just poured it out and poured me another margarita from the same soapy batch. Genius.

I went to El Mariachi a month or so ago for the first time in a couple of years, and it was much, much better than I remember it being before. Maybe they'll be my new Mexican fix.

[No-Halo]

Mac I sent you a PM, check it out. :clap:

[MC69TA]

http://www.newsmaxstore.com/nmstore/images/promoprods/borderpatrol.jpg
Mac
Walk in with this on your head and a note pad then walk out.

ps
dont stand at the back door

[Kitty]

I have never been to lfb,those tv ads freak me out.

Don't be scared. They only wear the fake nose and glasses in the commercials. :-D

[CircusRide]

The last time I was in LFB, there was a turd creeping out the door of the men's room. The crapper was overflowing.
I left.

[politically incorrect]

El Mariachi in Petal. Good food, good service, good price. Plus, it is one of the few "sit down" restaurants in Petal. We eat there a lot.