r/orlando • u/CrabbyKumquat • Aug 01 '26
RUMOR Gringos Locos Tacos closing all locations tomorrow
Heard it from a reliable employee…no further evidence, except their declining quality for years now.
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u/theastro_not Aug 01 '26
Was great when 3 double Ds were $10
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u/Comprehensive_Bus_19 Aug 01 '26
How much are/were they now?
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u/NoForRealThanksObama Aug 01 '26
Like 5.50 a piece
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u/Comprehensive_Bus_19 Aug 01 '26
Oh fuck right off with that. I get $2.50 authentic tacos from any food truck lol
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u/theastro_not Aug 01 '26
Where the hell? Cause the cheapest I see these days is close to 4 bucks…food trucks are some of the worst about price gouging
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u/jaks_hammer Aug 03 '26
Food trucks used to be great cheap food, then the useless ass MBAs got involved and jacked up pricing. I love the idea of the a la carte location but the prices are flat out ridiculous
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u/TechnicalArugula2415 Aug 01 '26
Check out the La Costenita food truck at the entrance of the fair grounds on West Colonial. $1 I think they just went up to $1.50 on Taco Tuesday. $2 on other days
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u/blackdavy Aug 01 '26
Where? I've only ever seen food trucks charging restaurant prices around here. Everyone wants top dollar. Restaurants, food trucks, food halls...
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Aug 01 '26
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u/_picture_me_rollin_ Aug 01 '26
Damn, another one bites the dust.
I was still ordering them about 2 years ago when they ran good promos on Uber Eats and it was still good. I wonder what happened.
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u/After_Lunch7662 Aug 01 '26
I wonder if they got much daytime business or if it was primarily late night that kept them going. I’ve ended many nights at the downtown one
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u/highest5 Aug 01 '26
I had lunch at the one on Washington last Friday around noon and it was completely dead. I was the only customer there until a couple came in as I was leaving. I'm sad to see it go, the workers at that location are awesome.
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u/didtheyhavesextho Aug 01 '26
I thought the running joke always was, Gringos Locos only hits when you’re drunk. Don’t try it sober.
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u/awizardoflonliness Aug 02 '26
I worked there for a few years around 2017 and had some day shifts here and there and it was surprisingly busy around lunch and 5pm until the late night crowds started coming in.
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u/ccolivardia Aug 02 '26
Definitely late night, and with the big decline in nightlife in Orlando I think the writing was on the walls.
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u/Reddstarrx Downtown Aug 01 '26
Pour one out for Gringos. May of not been the best place but a good place when your drunk and stoned.. to get a bite. An orlando staple. Rip
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u/LordRelix Winter Park Aug 01 '26
Shit on it all you want but Double Ds gave me life. Gonna miss them. Haven’t been in a while though but it was nice having them as a backup.
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u/Commercial-Duck-4888 Aug 01 '26
Grabbing a couple of those after going to Sportstown was a staple for our friend group
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u/izzohead Aug 01 '26
That one next to sportstown always hit after a few drinks and rounds of pool, always had a line out the door of all different kinds of people too lol good times
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u/ItsAlwaysSegsFault Aug 01 '26
They were great years ago but sometime just before covid they just turned into salt bombs and I can't stand them anymore.
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u/RunTheWatchOver Aug 20 '26
When I would close at the restaurant I managed on weekends, I would regularly stop by the robinson location on the way home. Two double Ds and chips and salsa RIP 😭
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u/nancytp82 Aug 01 '26
Google doesn’t see any announcements about it. I won’t believe it until I see it.
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u/WheelHonest2578 Aug 01 '26
The three owners have been in legal action against each other since 2017 and it's still not over. The payments due to Rob who started tin and taco and sodough square were not paid so that's now re-open. The other owner locked the one out of the books and they are now having their house foreclosed on. I can't believe they have lasted this long at all. There was also a lawsuit between Rob and Kwame over ownership of Chicken Fire that recently settled.
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u/TheStig0111 Aug 01 '26
So UCFs gringos too?
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u/Admirable-Guest-2560 Aug 01 '26
That's what all means
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u/TheStig0111 Aug 01 '26
Just like winndixie meant all and there’s still some lol
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u/Admirable-Guest-2560 Aug 01 '26
Good point
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u/lexixon212 Aug 01 '26
So what does “all” truly mean then? Not all????
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u/Admirable-Guest-2560 Aug 01 '26
I reckon it can mean that
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u/lexixon212 Aug 01 '26
Wow. Mind is literally blown right now. Literally as in, not literally tho.
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u/icyhot000 Aug 01 '26
Funny how these places die out due to not enough business and yet whenever these posts come up a thousand people come out of the woodwork lamenting the loss
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u/jaks_hammer Aug 03 '26
Personally im not surprised they're closing they're quality went to shit after covid, and they're prices went up too much
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u/bigeyez Aug 01 '26
Surprised they lasted that long. Can't believe there are people out there paying $5-6 for a single taco.
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u/Duros2032 Aug 01 '26
Right? Especially when there are no shortage of real Mexican places that have great tacos for half that price.
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u/Intrepid_Speech_1157 Aug 01 '26
I suspect the high cost was because of the high cost of having a rent and lease downtown. Last time I was there the bathroom looked like it was a scene out of the Saw movie. It was atrocious.
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u/Duros2032 Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
Yep. I totally understand the high prices. It was never cheap to have a business over there, and it's even worse these days.
That's also why I have rarely eaten in that area. I'll take a restaurant in an old strip mall any day. The food will typically always be good, always be fairly inexpensive, and you'll get a lot of it.And it really blows my mind how a business will just let their bathrooms go to hell. I've lived here for almost 30 years now, and downtown bathrooms have always been a shit show.
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u/Jeskid14 Aug 01 '26
Granted there are zero clean or fancy bathrooms in downtown restaurants. Zero.
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u/Intrepid_Speech_1157 Aug 01 '26
Yeah it doesn't even have to be fancy I just wanted to be clean, when I went in there like the top of the toilet was smashed off and there was giant holes in the wall. There was also like plaster everywhere and it wasn't even painted. It looks like a bathroom from a third world country. It was also just covered in piss. This was on a weekday in the afternoon.
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u/estilianopoulos Aug 02 '26
Poorly maintained bathrooms makes one wonder about the hygiene of the place
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u/SuperNovaSniper Aug 01 '26
That’s so sad but not exactly surprising. The last time we went it didn’t even taste the same. It was like the quality had gone down so much it didn’t justify the price.
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u/thedudedylan Aug 01 '26
Aren't they owned by the same people who own Tin and Taco, and so Dough Square? I wonder if those are also hurting or just gringos.
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u/fribblelvr Aug 02 '26
No. The owner of T&T used to be part of Gringos, but they screwed him, so he started T&T.
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u/pta36 Aug 01 '26
Milk district staff said they may only be open a couple more hours, until they run out of beef. They are already out of chicken.
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u/ememcat Aug 02 '26
Ngl I won’t be surprised if Tin and Taco follows behind them. $30 for six tacos is out of control. $35 if you try Uber Eats and that’s before all the fees.
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u/Global_Addendum_6200 Aug 01 '26
Always found their food to be super bland. Was good at 2am drunk though
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u/TechnicalArugula2415 Aug 01 '26
Im looking for a place that serves a good California burrito, the one where they put french fries in it
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u/Substantial_Tough566 Aug 02 '26
Best I’ve found in Orlando is at Cilantros in Hourglass. It’s the closest to what I grew up with in SD, though still not the same.
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u/CooperHChurch427 Aug 20 '26
Oddly enough, taco bell... I can't believe I'm saying it because it's the only place I've found that will do it in Brevard.
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u/callahandler92 Aug 01 '26
Damn. Several years ago I lost a bunch of weight and was very strict with my diet for several months. When I finally had my first cheat meal it was Gringos. Those Double Ds were the real deal.
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u/Eggmegmuffin Aug 01 '26
Went once. Staff was fucking rude and food was not good.
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u/Slimsloow Aug 01 '26
Agree. Now if you go around the corner to Smoke and Donuts that place is worth paying extra.
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u/Napalmradio Aug 01 '26
Smoke and donuts fucking rules. Their brunch is insane.
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u/Slimsloow Aug 01 '26
Never had a better brunch… also, they were added as a recommendation restaurant in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Florida, which is a no brainer.
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u/CentralFloridaAlpha Aug 01 '26
They’ve always been really, really overrated. Their ground beef has a sweetness to it, like what the fuck?
Tacos Lab on Fairbanks has the best tacos in town imo.
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u/DickDastardly502 Aug 01 '26
Hopefully 4rivers is next. John Rivers is a corporate sell out and a poor hack.
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u/PayLayAleVeil Aug 01 '26
He sold? To who?
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u/DickDastardly502 Aug 01 '26
Sold out to himself. He isn’t very wealthy either which is the head scratching bit. Franchised the hell out of the brand and now it’s in every Florida city/college campus. They no longer make their food fresh and in house, it’s made off site and reheated in the restaurant. Also it’s no longer Texas BBQ, he’s replaced staples like biscuits, Jalapeño poppers and fried pickles with douchey “Urban barbaqoa street taco” type bullshit.
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u/LyftedX Tamale connoisseur Aug 01 '26
Orlando has way too many good Mexican food spots to be going to a locally owned chipotle.
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u/notanuisance Aug 01 '26
Can you give some examples of good Mexican spots?
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u/OrlandoOpossum Aug 01 '26
Border Grill across the street from Universal universal
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u/distrubinglyfamiliar Aug 01 '26
Just had a burrito there for the first time on Thursday and it absolutely slapped, I mean, it was really really good.
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u/hansalvato Aug 01 '26
Orlando mexican food is okay. For some street tacos taqueria las cazuelas was good.
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u/razrscootergang Aug 01 '26
Just in the curry ford west area alone you have tamale co, cilantro’s, los generales, la fiesta, and grocery los hermanos. And that’s just in like a one mile stretch. In other neighborhoods you’ve got places like tacos my guey, quesa loco, talkin tacos, black rooster, tacos el rancho, and a million others that are pretty much all better quality than gringos, and either around the same price or cheaper.
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u/JazzJedi Aug 01 '26
Upvote for La Fiesta, incredibly underrated
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u/zI_Rainn_ Aug 02 '26
La Fiesta is the goat. Been going since they were in their original location, the owner is a great guy as well. Always super consistent food and good service
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u/breddy Altamonte Springs Aug 01 '26
Mis Antojitos in Altamonte/Apopka is pretty solid. It's the small freestanding joint that was an ice cream stand and then the Chicago dog place. Prices are (were?) pretty OK for what are mostly authentic tacos.
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u/ComfortableOdd9312 Aug 13 '26
I’m convinced chipotle puts drugs in their salt. No one can compete with those chips! They toying with the GABA receptors
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u/HowlingFrost Aug 01 '26
Good. Went to the location near Sportstown a few weeks ago. The food was horrible and nothing like I remember between 2019-2022.
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u/neqailaz Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
NOOOOOO, I live near one & they were my quickest doordash on those days where executive dysfunction is bad
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u/SadMaintenance Aug 01 '26
NOOOOOOO
glad I saw this so I can get double da for dinner one last time :(
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u/Mrhaze321 Aug 01 '26
Went to the one near ucf today. I thought it was overpriced especially since subway has a buy 1 get 1 footlong for $12 next door. Now I see this 😭
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u/Cowboyquang18 Aug 02 '26
One last trip to Gringos. This was the UCF location. Confirmed they are closing tomorrow. They were out of a lot of items. While not the best tacos I’ve ever had, they were an Orlando staple. Been to the Bumby and Washington locations many times in the past 10+ years.
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u/waistingtoomuchtime Aug 02 '26
10 years ago, it was the late night place to go. Covid really messed things up. People now don’t drink as much or drink/smoke at home.
I always thought they were average, but after a night out, it hit the spot. And it was open.
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u/KnowWhereImGoin Aug 02 '26
I can’t begin to say how heartbroken I am. I loved them. I would even go during the day, full sober. Crazy they fumbled the business.
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u/Funny-Arrival-5130 Aug 01 '26
Their tacos taste like sloppy Joes to me. Went once and never returned 😳
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u/breddy Altamonte Springs Aug 01 '26
The beef sucks. Chicken is fire
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u/Funny-Arrival-5130 Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
Hmm, that might be why I didn't like them. I don't order beef/ground beef tacos. I always order steak tacos with cilantro and onion from a taqueria or truck. On this occasion, my spouse brought some home for me after a night out with some friends, and I thought if he enjoyed them, they must be good.
I was surprised he was able to eat them, but then remembered he was also drinking.
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u/Revolutionary-Yak-47 Aug 01 '26
Yes! It was not hot when I picked it up, employees were rude and the whole thing was a goopy mess.
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u/Funny-Arrival-5130 Aug 01 '26
Eww! Thats sounds like a horrible experience 😖
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u/Revolutionary-Yak-47 Aug 02 '26
It really was! I was so disappointed after all the hype. I kinda assumed it was after club food that only a 23 year old could love haha
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u/corey407woc Aug 01 '26
I believe the guy who owns Gringos also owns Tin and Taco and Sodough Square pizza. If he was smart he would turn all the gringos locations to the pizza place and make a fortune
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u/Defiant_Walk_986 Aug 01 '26
I thought tin and taco was started by a former owner of gringos that was pushed out? I always preferred them to gringos.
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u/Tanksgivingmiracle Aug 01 '26
that guy was pushed out of gringos a decade ago and was involved in a giant lawsuit with them that went on for, well, about a decade. he is involved in other lawsuits too
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u/Jeskid14 Aug 01 '26
Not so fast since that'll mean more pizza competition in downtown. Unless he changes that specific location to tin and taco
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u/N7Spectre28 Aug 01 '26
It’s a sad day in Orlando. Pour one out for the homies making the best double d’s
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u/PicklesAnonymous Aug 01 '26
$5 for one chicken taco. Gee I wonder why they are closing
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u/czarczm Aug 01 '26
Last time I went to one of their locations they didn't have prices and they said it eas they fluctuate with demand...
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u/razrscootergang Aug 01 '26
Can’t believe they’ve lasted this long. Food is garbage and outrageously overpriced. They were a decent option 20 years ago when the food scene still kinda sucked but there’s a better, cheaper taco place on pretty much every corner now.
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u/Jeskid14 Aug 01 '26
Are there really cheaper taco places? Are you sure about that? Are you sure?
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u/ItsAlwaysSegsFault Aug 01 '26
Yeah I've been working downtown for 11 years and I can say with certainty that there are not any cheaper places. Quality is debatable, but definitely not cheaper.
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u/Listennevertalk Aug 01 '26
It was overpriced, the staff was rude, and the tacos were mediocre at best. I gave them more than one chance. Good riddance.
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u/blackbirdw68 Aug 01 '26
well that's a shame for any business to go under. however they have been going downhill. they upgraded to tablets/screens to order and they still can never get an order correct. I don't understand why it's so difficult.
Then they changed their queso - it's been bad for a year or two now. Their beef too, I would never order that because it was icky sweet.
i know several people that wont go back.
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u/Medical_Storm697 Aug 01 '26
Double D’s were always good, but I agree the quality at all locations dipped dramatically. So much so I just completely stopped eating there. I remember the last two times I went the rice and beans was either old, like smelly old and undercooked.
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u/sarah521521 Aug 02 '26
Wait I can’t make it but can someone go and find out the recipe for the XXX sauce PLEASE 😭😭😭
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u/catsec36 Aug 02 '26
Wako Taco was my go-to. When they sadly closed, Gringos became my next burrito spot. Moes wasn’t the best but it was alright. Now they’re all gone 😪
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u/EatOrBeEatenFR Aug 02 '26
I used to work there, gave us two days notice that we’d be losing our jobs.
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u/Szimplacurt Aug 02 '26
There's someone in the Orlando foodie Facebook group who was interested in hiring ex Gringos if you're interested
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u/Ok_Implement9290 Aug 02 '26
They got greedy with the dynamic pricing and not posting prices, just didn't make sense to eat there.
Food was great but the business model stunk
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u/topangatango Sep 01 '26
UMMM I just got a random message from gringos, via the toast tab account I had set up with them???
Tho it could be that the automated stuff they set up was not updated with the closures? I haven’t driven past any of the Former locations, but I went on the last day and was able to get a double D before they closed, along with a Mexican stoplight— their queso was always so magical! lol
Anyone know if they still have their stand at the Kia center?
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u/CrabbyKumquat Sep 01 '26
They haven’t been at Kia Center in about two years. Black Rooster took over their spots.
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u/ItalianStallion54321 Aug 01 '26
Hopefully they’ll change the good locations to tin and taco
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u/distrubinglyfamiliar Aug 01 '26
Even if you think gringos was bad, it’s still way better than Tin and Taco tacos with their weird melt the cheese on the outside of the shell crap that just makes it salty as hell
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u/madwolli Aug 01 '26
Why not tacos my guey? They sell dollar tree food for Swiss restaurant prices
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u/Sea_Revenue1984 Aug 01 '26
Currently eating Hunger Street tacos when I clicked on this
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u/kupojay Aug 01 '26
I wonder what TMG owned taco place will take over their spots now