Fayetteville Taco & Tamale

Stopped here on our way homeFrom Branson. Service was great. Food was amazing. We had the dip trio as appetizers, the creamy jalapeño, the devil sauce and green salsa was great. The ribeye fajitas were amazing. The Cadillac margarita was very good. The liquor tax is extremely high. Over $5 for a $15 drink.

First off, the restaurant is stunning. Even the bathroom was on theme and absolutely beautiful. The snake wallpaper behind the mirror at the sinks was gorgeous. No detail was spared in the design of this restaurant. It's a large space but the warm wood beams overhead and lighting make for a very cozy feeling. The outside spaces are wonderful too. Our server was great and very attentive. I really wanted to love this restaurant but my meal was a let down. My husband and I both ordered pickled fried chicken salads. It was 95% lettuce and maybe a small scoop of beans, a sprinkle of corn, a maybe 4-5 tiny pieces of chicken. The dressing was good so that's something. Very disappointing. My kids ordered tacos and a cheese quesadilla. No complaints. Kid's meals included a side - my daughter appreciated the fruit option. We also got an order of guacamole, which was very good. Chips were great, lots of salt but no complaints on that. Salsa is extra. The texture and flavor was lacking. We expected a bit more body to a salsa that is extra.

Great spot with a relaxing inviting vibe. They have fantastic margaritas! We had large party and the service was fantastic.

Food was tasty. Tex-Mex flavors paired with Southern. Lunch time was not busy on a Monday, the sides were in warming bowls. The tamales dish, I ordered the 3, and had one sweet potato tamale and the other were pork and beef. Both were very a unique taste, but delicious. Also ordered the Po'Boy shrimp tacos, the cabbage and purple onion relish in the taco was a great pairing to the crunchy large shrimp. This place has a very nice ambiance and offers bar seating.

As much as I am harsh judging the "local Mexican cuisine", I really enjoyed this new or addition to Fayetteville.The place is brand new, cute and comfortable and includes a decent number of outside tables. They were pretty busy on a Saturday lunch and so we grabbed beers at the bar during our 15 or so minute wait. The check in was easy, and estimated wait time was accurate.The only disappointment in the day was service at the bar. Businesses more and more do not seem to make an effort to find a fast-moving, multitasking person to put behind the bar. Our bartender was friendly, but moved slowly and could do one thing at a time. She acknowledged us right away but then would get sidetracked, and not in a logical "checking in on each guest" sort of way. Let's put it this way - she got off task enough times that she told us three separate times "I'll get those for you right away", and managed to deliver the check to us before she had even poured the beer! Yes I am a grumpy old woman, but paying over $12 for two beers you would kind of expect to actually have received them before a check is presented. Unacceptable I really hope management works on training there. Our lunch waiter made up for the experience by being efficient, sharp, and friendly. Since it was our first time in we got the salsa trio with the hatch green chili, TNT, and devil. Each was very unique, and well-balanced. Even the devil sauce which had plenty of heat had really great flavor. We ordered three of the delta style tamales, and a shrimp taco and a pulled pork taco. Even though Mexican tamales are my go to, I had to admit these were really good, in terms of being super meaty and wonderfully seasoned. They were also moist enough that they did not need anything on top of them. (I feel the need to point out here my distain for Delta style tamales is rooted in a high priced steak restaurant on Dickson Street who makes a big deal about them and they are pretty terrible. Also the word "extruded" is very unappealing.)The tacos were both served on small fresh made flour tortillas and were all great combinations with toppings like pickled onions and fresh jalapeños. They call it a Poboy shrimp taco and the shrimp lived up to the name, perfectly fried. Here is where I was a terrible Yelper and forgot to get pictures of the food. Guess I will need to come back!

Some of the best tamales I have ever had. Hands down. I cannot tell you how fast I'll come back next time I'm in Fayetteville, just for the tamales (and the chips and three-dip combo also seems worth trying).The salad was also delicious--I loved the combo of sweet and tart grilled pineapple with the spice of jalapeño. I was a little disappointed that the staff upcharged me for chicken, which is less expensive than shrimp on every other dish on the menu. But the server was friendly and the service was fast.

Great atmosphere and their menu has a good variety. I am used to Tex-mex style food where the salsa is a lot more abundant and was a bit upset seeing how small the salsa dips were but after the first bite, I realized it was packed with a lot of flavor! Surprised at how refreshing their mocktails were as well. I couldn't decide on what to eat so I got the massive Plato 1947 which had a little bit of everything!

I grabbed take out on a Friday evening and that was a mistake. Our order wasn't ready and we were told they make it when you arrive. That isn't what was stated online. But it was worth it and I would make sure I could dine in next time. They were very busy and it is loud inside so be prepared if you go on a weekend. Again, worth it. We had the fried chicken tacos and the pulled pork tacos. Each comes with two sides, we had pintos and rice. Upon first opening the package I thought we were ripped off. That was quickly diffused. The tortilla is a flour tortilla but it is thicker and so delicious like naan and a tortilla together. The filling is ample and the toppings compliment each taco perfectly. Nothing is overpowering. The pintos are refried style with whole beans as well. The rice was fluffy and seasoned well. We were very happy with our choices and looking forward to dining in.

UPDATE: I was able to speak with Will, the manager about this situation on Monday morning. He was very apologetic and concerned about how we had been treated. He looked into it and called me back and said the host would be talked too about his poor customer service and offered my client and myself gift cards to the restaurant. Then Erica at the home office, contacted me thru YELP and was very sorry for the situation too.Overall I feel heard and vindicated about the poor customer service and will give their place another chance. It's been very good on my other visits and 1 bad employee can hurt their reputation. I just hope I don't have to see him there again....

The atmosphere was great lots of people So it was definitely worth the wait. Date night for the wife and I and We started off with 2 mich ultras And the guacamole - that was excellent Top notch chips and guac...... the wait staff Was on point - filling our waters and answering our questions since it was our first time which Was very helpful. We ended up ordering the Steak nacho skillet !! They set it on the table Within 5 minutes of ordering which is super fast but We knew when we looked at it that it was Definitely not made to order. The steak was room temp and the skillet was cool to the touch. Overall it tasted ok but not what you expect to get when you order steak nacho skillet. Not really sure how that happened if they premake them or is someone already had one made but we ate it and did not complain And tipped well afterwards. The service and atmosphere is great. And hot fresh food would not be beyond expectation. Sometimes you take what you get and review later. 3 out of 5 stars.