Taco & Salsa Gone?

[MonPengCarabao]

I was told the business has changed name and Jorge has left?

[bonobo]

I hope not!

[dantilley]

Sadly, Twitter seems to confirm that this news is indeed true.

[Jingthing]

!Ay Caramba! that news bites ...

[bkkjames]

Too bad, I enjoyed T and S.

[steelepulse]

That's too bad. I enjoyed the food there when visiting from Phuket.

[Jingthing]

I reckon the competition isn't too sad though. Wonder what happened. Was the expansion to a new location an overreach?

[BillR]

so what's in its place now? makes you wonder, Ive seen successful restaurants in Phuket (kata) get strong-armed out only to be replaced by a sub-par copy.

[angelickasw]

yes i can confirm, i went there, they kept the same place but the name changed and the owner is now a Thai middle aged lady. Food was quite different though, plain taste and small portions,, and service, well, hmmm....I really wonder what happened

[Jingthing]

We could always guess. Visa problems?

[JimSiam]

I saw Jorge post some stuff on facebook about Los Cabos, so maybe got a good offer after the change or before.

[powderpuff]

Even more reason to eat at La Monita (Except Sundays)

[NanaFoods]

This is indeed sad news.

I haven't been there, but read many TV posts praising it.

Seems they were doing good biz.

I guess it must have been other factors, as others have mentioned.

Perhaps visa issues... maybe even marital issues?

I know from experience, when starting a biz, it seems there are always things that come up that were not foreseen, and that suck money.

In Thailand, this can eat into your "visa bank fund" if your cutting things close.

As well... there have been times my wife has certainly made me ponder walking away

As sweet as she seems, there is still a dragon-lady inside...

[FarangKenStine]

RIP T+S

[angelickasw]

Just saw that on their twitter:

http://twitter.com/tacosandsalsa

[steelepulse]

So what's the story on this facebook posting by Jorge. I did one of thoses "like" deals so I guess I'm opn the like mailing list.

"Tacos & Salsa has been stolen by heartless, cheap and very bad people, the have been stealing the money from every day sales, so please do not go and waste your money with those thieves.

They don't deserve it, and they have even have change the name of the restaurant to Aztecas illegally and with out permission of the real owners. We are apologize for any inconvenience.

Jorge Bernal,

Tacos & Salsa founder and creator."

[Jingthing]

If he still has any money left, in Pattaya, we have been begging for decent Mexican restaurant for years now.

[BillR]

looks like I was right

[SpoliaOpima]

My sympathies to Jorge. I heard it was taken over by Jorge's Mexican partner, who also changed the name.

Los Cabos still my number one choice for Mexican when I want a real meal rather than just snacks. LC recently started a Monday night special, with a shorter menu for which each dish costs 99 baht, great deal. Also cocktails, tequila and beer are happy hour prices all night on Monday. Taco specials on Tuesday, six lobsters for 500 baht on Wed, and the free apertivos buffet on Friday during happy hour. Very relaxed place, fast and friendly service.

[kyb789]

Even more reason to eat at La Monita (Except Sundays)

Don't waste your money with anything else. This place has the best high end quality Mexican in Bangkok. ..and I was their worst critic until I tried it. The other places don't even come close.

[Jingthing]

Do you think the new Tacos and Salsa that is NOT Tacos and Salsa will make it?

[SpoliaOpima]

Even more reason to eat at La Monita (Except Sundays)

Don't waste your money with anything else. This place has the best high end quality Mexican in Bangkok. ..and I was their worst critic until I tried it. The other places don't even come close.

There's nothing 'high end' about La Monita. Nada. Salsas in squirt bottles? French fries smothered in over-sauced 'carne asada'? Cramped dining area, slow service if there are more than five customers.

I had higher expectations for Mexican food.

I haven't been back to Azteca (ex-Tacos & Salsa) since it changed. Still might be worth a try.

[Daren]

Even more reason to eat at La Monita (Except Sundays)

Don't waste your money with anything else. This place has the best high end quality Mexican in Bangkok. ..and I was their worst critic until I tried it. The other places don't even come close.

There's nothing 'high end' about La Monita. Nada. Salsas in squirt bottles? French fries smothered in over-sauced 'carne asada'? Cramped dining area, slow service if there are more than five customers.

I had higher expectations for Mexican food.

I haven't been back to Azteca (ex-Tacos & Salsa) since it changed. Still might be worth a try.

Didn't you see Jorge's request that people not give money to the new owners? Seems a bit heartless to support the people that screwed him.

[Jingthing]

I do think a number of people should try the new place and report back their findings. Especially those that knew the old place, so they can detail the before and after. This information along with the story of business sleaziness of the new owner are all good public information for people to decide whether to eat at the new business or not.

I realize this may offend some people, but I live in the real world. If the new owner is delivering fantastic Mexican food at a fair price he will likely find success, and it's in the greater public's good to know about that, if true, which I do doubt.

Also consider, the majority of street traffic that is going to consider going into the new place will not have any knowledge of the alleged business sleaziness (which I do tend to believe), it's just another restaurant to the vast majority of people.

[JorgeBernal]

Hi every one,

I am glad to see your interest and support on Tacos & Salsa.

For the moment I having a trouble with a bad Mexican lady partners and a Thai woman that was hire by me as an accounting company and now, after fake a series of documents , now claim to be the owner.

It is a shame that they did that, but many people know that I am the one that i started it and been working on it for more that 2 years, The also have change the name illegally with out asking to the other partners.

For the moment i am working at Conrad Hotel as DJ and they have provide work permit to me, so I am not worried about it, also i have so show as sound engineer.

Those two woman have left me with no money at all and they have been trying t put all debt to me personally, when they should be paid by the restaurant money, the also have been making money and they haven't report anything to the rest of the partners.

Anyway, the situation will go to a legal problem and for the moment we have to close until I sort this out.

I am apologize for any inconvenience that this situation may cause.

Best regards

Jorge Bernal

[KoraweeThunin]

thank you for detail about Tacos&Salsa.Hope everything will done soon.

[jfchandler]

How exactly does one become someplace's "worst critic" -- prior to have even tried it???

Gotta love those kinds of comments and reviews....

But, you're right about one thing... La Monita has the best Mexican food in Bangkok.... Los Cabos has a nice and pleasant setting for an evening out and drinks and snacks.... but La Monita's food is far better. I'm glad to have both, for different reasons....

Even more reason to eat at La Monita (Except Sundays)

Don't waste your money with anything else. This place has the best high end quality Mexican in Bangkok. ..and I was their worst critic until I tried it. The other places don't even come close.

[jfchandler]

My heartfelt condolences to Jorge... He ran a good restaurant and was a worthy competitor for the Mexican food market here in BKK... Unfortunately, his experience also highlights the serious risks and perils of being a farang trying to run your own business here (relying on Thai partners and/or service providers). I know I wouldn't have the stomach to take a leap off that high dive.....

As for Azteca, I happened to be walking along Suk Road last night (Friday about 8 pm) and Jorge's former place was closed and locked up tight... Metal grill door down pulled down... And nothing outside even indicating the presence of anything there, except for a single paper or wood sign on the wall saying "Azteca". The whole frontage had absolutely no indication that anything was afoot there...

For whatever it's worth for the future, I quite liked Jorge's original location and the food and service there.... But I never found the same fondness for the now closed location near the Emporium... At least for me, the small wood stool seating was uncomfortable, the place had a cramped and dark feeling, and perhaps by expanding to a regular building setting and hiring more staff, I thought the quality of the service staff in the newer place was generally poor, actually, really poor....

I think things ran much better in the original smaller setting when Jorge was a more regular hands-on presence and had his original and smaller staff....

[SpoliaOpima]

But, you're right about one thing... La Monita has the best Mexican food in Bangkok.... Los Cabos has a nice and pleasant setting for an evening out and drinks and snacks.... but La Monita's food is far better. I'm glad to have both, for different reasons....

I strongly disagree on that one, so to say someone is 'right' is a bit presumptuous, no? So you agree with your dining buddy, that's cool.

For my money, I find Los Cabos miles above La Monita in terms of food quality, beverage quality, menu variety and ambiance. So do my Mexican friends, none of who patronize La Monita. Which is not to say it isn't the 'right' place for you. To each his own

[jfchandler]

Spolia, if you actually read it, you'd see I was responding to the immediately prior comment TV member Kyb, who I don't know at all...

Don't know what kind of Mexican friends you have here, but the Mexican food at Los Cabos is basically on a par with Red Onion or El Torito chain restaurants in California... Nothing wrong with that. I've eaten at them many times. But nothing to get excited about....