Avoid this place like the plague

The usual rounds of Saturday errands found yours truly in Winter Park this afternoon, doing more than our fair share of dodging thunderstorms.

Unfortunately, shelter from the storm and mid-day nourishment was sought at the El Potro in Winter Park.

What a disappointment!

Other locations from Apopka to St. Augustine have never failed to satisfy cravings for Mexican comfort foods. But, this franchise was the most poorly-run dining establishment I have had the displeasure of visiting in a very, very long time.

The laundry list of offenses:

1. None of the staff acknowledged our arrival, and even after we seated ourselves in a booth we weren't spoken to for 10 minutes.

2. Drinks listed on the menu were "unavailable at this location."

3. Second choice drink selections weren't delivered without reminder, and then without straws or napkins.

4. The napkins were practically thrown at us.

5. The "manager" carried our hot plates from the kitchen to our table with the nastiest looking oven mits I had ever seen.

6. My order of enchiladas verdes never arrived. Instead, I got the enchiladas supremas. But, at this point, I just wanted to eat and get out of there so I just ate what they gave me.

7. Our drinks were never refilled.

8. In fact, no member of the staff ever came back to our table after the food arrived, not even to drop off our check.

9. Finally, we went to the counter to pay without a check and the "manager" tried to ring us up by memory . . . faulty memory, as it turned out.

Next time I find myself starving in this neck of the woods, I'm going to take my business to one of the several other dining establishments in the area. El Potro in Winter Park is a complete disaster . . . at least is was this afternoon.