AC
Andrew Chavez
Oct 3, 2025
A Frustrating Experience Over a Simple Drink
I came into this Taco Bell just to grab a drink. No food, no combo—just a quick Dr. Pepper. I figured walking in would be faster than waiting in the drive-thru. Turns out, that was a mistake.
As I walked in, I could tell I was being ignored. A short, chubby lady with glasses stood about 15 feet away in the back, watching me but not approaching. Eventually, she called out—not nicely—“Are you here to order or pick up?” I said I needed to order. Her response: “Then you can turn around and order on the kiosk.” I asked, “Even for just a drink?” She replied bluntly, “Yes.” I followed up, “But are you just going to give me an empty cup?” She ignored that and repeated, “You can order on the kiosk right behind you. If you need help, he can come help you.”
I turned around, clearly frustrated, and she loudly said, “I hate how people think they have to get an attitude when I tell them to use the kiosk. Just do it.” Okay… maybe it was your attitude that triggered mine.
So I used the kiosk. Scrolled to drinks, selected a large Dr. Pepper. Easy, right? Nope. Had to skip through prompts asking if I wanted a side, a snack, to sign up with my email. Finally paid. Took about a minute and a half, which isn’t terrible—but again, I was the only customer and just wanted a drink.
While I was at the kiosk, the young guy she mentioned came over and asked if I needed help. I said, “With what? Using the kiosk? I needed help with someone taking my order.”
After waiting a few minutes, they called my name—because yes, I had to type in my first and last name just to get a drink. The young guy handed me an empty cup. I said, “What’s this?” He said, “Your drink.” I replied, “No, I ordered a Dr. Pepper. She insisted I use the kiosk, and I selected Dr. Pepper. So go ahead and fill it the way I ordered it.” He did, and I told him I wasn’t mad at him—just frustrated with her and the whole kiosk situation.
Whoever thought forcing every customer to use one kiosk—even for something as simple as a drink—needs to rethink that. It’s inefficient, impersonal, and clearly not customer-friendly. Even if you had five kiosks, it’s still a bad system. You’re pushing people toward the drive-thru by making the inside experience so unpleasant.
The food at this location isn’t great, which is why I usually just stop for drinks. But after this, I’d rather drive six minutes to the Taco Bell in Brazos Town Center. They treat people better and don’t make a simple drink order feel like a chore.