Tequila Reef, never again

[Chargersxt]

Just got home from patts a couple of days ago, and when I wasn't eating at Palmers, I was chowing at Tequila Reef. I really like it.

[Beerburgerbonk]

I ate there once in October or November last year, the staff were unfriendly and the food was overpriced and not that nice as I recall.

 

In January this year I was in AC and walked past TR a few times on my way to the excellant food at Swiss Chalet.

 

I decided to pop in one day as SC was packed and what a difference to the Pattaya one !

 

The staff were very friendly, warm welcome and attentive but not overly so and food was great.

 

Maybe it was, using cross conversion, around the same price as the Pattaya one but it seemed cheap but perhaps thats because I really liked the place.

 

Perhaps I caught the Pattaya one on an off day but on returning from AC I walked past it numerous times and it never seemed to be busy, unlike the AC one, so I never went in again as due to the lack of customers I assumed that others had caught an"off day" as well.

 

Next trip though I will give it one more try, from the other coments on here it will be a buffet night..

[cbmgolfer]

Learned a long time ago to not eat "Mexican" anywhere in SE Asia.

[nickatnight]

I love Mexican food and was very disappointed when I ate here. I tried the chicken fajitas and were cold and bland.

 

I also ordered a side of chips and salsa as an appetizer. I actually thought the waitress forgot, but brought it out AFTER my meal came and was half finished.

 

The staff seemed tired and could care less.

 

If you are ever in BKK, I can not recommend La Monita enough!! I have eaten there at least 20 times and never once disappointed.

[The Selfie Warrior]

I also ordered a side of chips and salsa as an appetizer. I actually thought the waitress forgot, but brought it out AFTER my meal came and was half finished.

 

thats actually very normal in thailand..... in several restaurants they seem to have no concept that an appetizer should come before the main course.... several restaurants, including some well liked pricier ones, have brought my appetizers at the same time or after my main dish.

 

of course, a farang manager should know well enough to train his staff not to do that....

 

 

The staff seemed tired and could care less.

 

granted i have only been to TR twice so far, but each time the staff was incredibly friendly and smiling.... when i asked for something i didnt see out in the buffet they brought it out promptly

[baise moi]

It was hard to notice without sentiments that the OP is from Belgium and his biggest issue is the spelling on the men's room door. 

We did go to the Anniversary Buffet with Misteregg, Boydeste and BruceK from the Secrets board and Soi7 from Babydolls. The food was absolutely awesome and a good value for the money. I also spoke to a couple of my Mexican friends who are regulars in Pattaya and highly recommend the place, therefore the opening of such a hate thread (see title) is quite uncalled for and damaging, not to mention borderline untrue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nickatnight]

I will give a try again. I did have the ribs on an earlier visit and they were good.

[Evil Penevil]

Whether it's luck or the hand of Buddha, I've only had good experiences at Tequila Reef.

 

It's important to keep in mind Tequila Reef is more than just a Tex Mex restaurant.  It has a number of dishes on the menu that reflect several different regional cuisines (Cajun, Creole, southern barbecue) as well as standard U.S. favorites like hamburgers, hot dogs and Philly cheese steaks, plus a fairly extensive Thai menu.

 

Your food is basic at best, nothing to brag about. People who don't know REAL Mexican food might think its ok but I know better.

 

REAL Mexican food is different from Tex Mex.  I doubt that any restaurant that served what's considered REAL food from central and southern Mexico would be popular in Pattaya.

 

Anyway, some recent meals at TR on Soi 7.  Last time out, I saw the biggest assemblage of non-Russian farang women in one place as I can ever remember seeing in Pattaya.

 

 

Evil

 

 

 

[33 Cannon]

These are very good pictures of the place.Again,I agree that it was unnecessary to start a thread with the title the OP chose.Let's hope

it backfires and the place gets more good publicity now than bad.

[Chubbychecker]

These are very good pictures of the place.Again,I agree that it was unnecessary to start a thread with the title the OP chose.Let's hope

it backfires and the place gets more good publicity now than bad.

Well Thx to the OP and Evil P great photos I will certainly be trying this great looking restaurant.

 

Had it of never been posted I probably would never of come across Tequila Reef.

[cytolliver]

Great bbq

 

Terrible Mexican food

 

Terrible value

[zenzen11]

The food is TERRIBLE.

[Evil Penevil]

The food is TERRIBLE.

 

That's certainly an exaggeration.  It is possible some customers have had bad meals at TR, but on the whole, the food is far from terrible.

 

 Consistency is a big problem for many restaurants in Pattaya.  A lot depends on who the cook or chef is that night and whether the owner is on site to make sure things go as they should .  

 

But there is also an inherent "Catch-22" moment in all restaurant reviews.  You can have bad luck on a given night at almost any restaurant in the world, but that isn't necessarily typical for that restaurant.  To know if a restaurant was good or bad on the whole you have to visit it several times and therein lies the catch:  I'm not inclined to go back for a second meal if the first one has been bad.

 

However, I wouldn't slam a restaurant on an Internet board after one visit unless  the food or service had been atrocious. There's only been one restaurant I've ever encountered in Pattaya that fell into that category.  I, like some other BMs, reacted because the OP's major complaint seemed to be that the prices on the restaurant's Web site didn't match the in-restaurant menu and some words were spelled incorrectly.

 

Evil

[baise moi]

That's certainly an exaggeration.  It is possible some customers have had bad meals at TR, but on the whole, the food is far from terrible.

 

 Consistency is a big problem for many restaurants in Pattaya.  A lot depends on who the cook or chef is that night and whether the owner is on site to make sure things go as they should .  

 

But there is also an inherent "Catch-22" moment in all restaurant reviews.  You can have bad luck on a given night at almost any restaurant in the world, but that isn't necessarily typical for that restaurant.  To know if a restaurant was good or bad on the whole you have to visit it several times and therein lies the catch:  I'm not inclined to go back for a second meal if the first one has been bad.

 

However, I wouldn't slam a restaurant on an Internet board after one visit unless  the food or service had been atrocious. There's only been one restaurant I've ever encountered in Pattaya that fell into that category.  I, like some other BMs, reacted because the OP's major complaint seemed to be that the prices on the restaurant's Web site didn't match the in-restaurant menu and some words were spelled incorrectly.

 

Evil

 

It's a waste of time, Evil. For some guys Taco Bell is the non plus ultra of Mexican food. 

[sinbad5]

History of posts on this and other forums (many detailed reviews, photos and so on) suggests to me that Mr Penevil's comments warrant credibility and are even handed.

[monkey01]

I think it's fair to say that that people either love or hate this restaraunt I know they have a lot of repeat custom including expats.

However they also have many people who vow never to go back.

[baise moi]

History of posts on this and other forums (many detailed reviews, photos and so on) suggests to me that Mr Penevil's comments warrant credibility and are even handed.

 

Evil is a gourmand and his restaurant reviews are 100% on the spot. I don't consider myself a Mexican food expert but started eating Mexican food some 30 years ago and my experience in TR is so good that I didn't find one dish from the ones sampled that I didn't enjoy to the fullest. What's more that I have a few friends who were BORN AND RAISED in Mexico, regulars to Pattaya and they highly recommend the place. I take their advice more seriously than some phlegmatic 'food is TERRIBLE' remark with no feedback.

[padfoot]

Last Sunday, out of curiosity, I tried the tex-mex restaurant Tequila Reef Cantina on Soi 7 off Beach Road and the food was even worse than I could ever have imagined.

For most of the time I was the only customer inside; a couple left not long after I arrived.

Moreover the prices were higher than mentioned on their website and on top of that 7 % VAT was charged.

I do not know if service was included.

I ordered:

Mexican Tortilla Soup (small): on the website 90 baht, in the restaurant 125 baht

http://www.tequilareefpattaya.com/pdf/page2.pdf

Blackened Duck Breast: on the website 335 baht, in the restaurant 395 baht

http://www.tequilareefpattaya.com/pdf/page3.pdf

I spent a total of 600 baht, a purified water, the 7 % VAT and some coins for the unfriendly waitress included.

On a side note, if the owner wants to use Spanish words, he should do so correctly.

On the gents room I saw “senors”; this should be “señores”, plural of “señor” (in Spain “caballeros” is used).

On the website I see “platos mexicano” and “platos mexicana”; this should be “platos mexicanos” (masculine plural).

 

 

Thank God, we have a member of the Spanish language police on the board. I could never be sure which restroom to choose.

[vimto66]

thats actually very normal in thailand..... in several restaurants they seem to have no concept that an appetizer should come before the main course.... several restaurants, including some well liked pricier ones, have brought my appetizers at the same time or after my main dish.

 

of course, a farang manager should know well enough to train his staff not to do that....

 

 

 

 

Its so bloody annoying,and you`re right managers (not just farang ones) should train their staff accordingly,chicken soup and fish and chips should not be served at the same time  ,although in all fairness the vast majority of restaurauts i`ve been to know what an appetizer is and what isnt,just that when it does happen its annoying.

[zenzen11]

That's certainly an exaggeration.  It is possible some customers have had bad meals at TR, but on the whole, the food is far from terrible.

 

 Consistency is a big problem for many restaurants in Pattaya.  A lot depends on who the cook or chef is that night and whether the owner is on site to make sure things go as they should .  

 

But there is also an inherent "Catch-22" moment in all restaurant reviews.  You can have bad luck on a given night at almost any restaurant in the world, but that isn't necessarily typical for that restaurant.  To know if a restaurant was good or bad on the whole you have to visit it several times and therein lies the catch:  I'm not inclined to go back for a second meal if the first one has been bad.

 

However, I wouldn't slam a restaurant on an Internet board after one visit unless  the food or service had been atrocious. There's only been one restaurant I've ever encountered in Pattaya that fell into that category.  I, like some other BMs, reacted because the OP's major complaint seemed to be that the prices on the restaurant's Web site didn't match the in-restaurant menu and some words were spelled incorrectly.

 

Evil

 

" I wouldn't slam a restaurant on an Internet board after one visit unless  the food or service had been atrocious." 

 

 .. THE FOOD WAS ATROCIOUS .. that is what I am saying :-) 

 

I too would not slam a restaurant after one bad experience.  I understand that some days are better than others.

 

I have eaten there 3x ... 

 

The first time I ate there was because I was missing food from home (California/Texas) .. 

The only reasons I went back to this restaurant were to give it a 2nd/3rd chance 

 

One time bad experience ... maybe I am having a bad day .. 

2x bad experience .. maybe I am having a bad day ... or the restaurant is having a bad day .. 

​3x bad experience .. this is not a coincidence .. I will not go back to the restaurant .. and I will tell others of my bad experience .. 

 

If you think this is even close to good food (whether you call it Mexican of Tex-Mex) I wonder if you can even taste at all?

Maybe all food tastes the same to you?

 

The place sucks. The food sucks..

Bland. Small portions. Boring food.

.. In defense of the restaurant though I will say that it is impossible to get good ingredients for Mexican food in Thailand.

 

I HIGHLY DOUBT the poster above that says he has friends from Mexico that says this is good food.

 

.. Go to this restaurant if you want .. 

but, if you have ever had Mexican?Tex-Mex in the USA or Mexico then you WILL be disappointed.

[zenzen11]

 

[Taa_Saparot]

I have never had a good experience at Tequila Reef.

 

The worst part being, the could not give a shit, attitude of the staff.

 

And its always been like that!

[iluvasians/latins]

Try the chicken wings. Any true drunk will slop them down. Good when sober too.

[simguy_jp]

There has probably been more debate about TR than any other restaurant in Pattaya. It does seem to be split down the middle as to everyone's OPINION.

I am on the favorable side of TR and love the frozen Margaritas. It may be because I go in with a more open mind than some customers. I have lived in Asia for over 20 years now and have never had any Mexican food anywhere that really compares to the Texmex offered in the USA.

TR in my opinion does a fair job, not great but fair and that is what I expect from Texmex place in Asia.

I am sure this debate will continue on as this type of thread pops up every few months. I will continue to patronize TR and enjoy the Mango Margaritas and the food..

[baise moi]

" I wouldn't slam a restaurant on an Internet board after one visit unless  the food or service had been atrocious." 

 

 .. THE FOOD WAS ATROCIOUS .. that is what I am saying :-) 

 

I too would not slam a restaurant after one bad experience.  I understand that some days are better than others.

 

I have eaten there 3x ... 

 

The first time I ate there was because I was missing food from home (California/Texas) .. 

The only reasons I went back to this restaurant were to give it a 2nd/3rd chance 

 

One time bad experience ... maybe I am having a bad day .. 

2x bad experience .. maybe I am having a bad day ... or the restaurant is having a bad day .. 

​3x bad experience .. this is not a coincidence .. I will not go back to the restaurant .. and I will tell others of my bad experience .. 

 

If you think this is even close to good food (whether you call it Mexican of Tex-Mex) I wonder if you can even taste at all?

Maybe all food tastes the same to you?

 

The place sucks. The food sucks..

Bland. Small portions. Boring food.

.. In defense of the restaurant though I will say that it is impossible to get good ingredients for Mexican food in Thailand.

 

I HIGHLY DOUBT the poster above that says he has friends from Mexico that says this is good food.

 

.. Go to this restaurant if you want .. 

but, if you have ever had Mexican?Tex-Mex in the USA or Mexico then you WILL be disappointed.

 

Are you calling me a liar?