‘Saying Good-Bye to Hugo’s Cocina’

By Judi Curry

Since I lost my eyesight in one eye, I have not been able to drive or go to the places I have always frequented before.  It goes without saying that I feel like I am missing a lot, and every now and then I venture to the telephone and call a restaurant (or delivery service) to have a meal delivered.

That was the case the other day, when I was craving Mexican food and decided to order from one of my favorite restaurants, HUGO’S COCINA.  It’s been months since I have had anything from there, but I did enjoy the new owners’ menu and food after Hugo left.

I have ordered from other restaurants over the period of blindness, and have not had any trouble doing so.  When I went to the HUGO’S internet page, it gave me the opportunity to order from their menu and have delivery made.  It turned out that it was “Door Dash” that would be making the delivery, but the order was made directly with the restaurant.  (Perhaps that is why there was a delivery charge!)

The price of the meal was amazing – over $30 for a tamale, tortilla soup and a side order of Spanish Rice.  If I were to have gone into the restaurant to order it would not have been anywhere near that price, but I had no choice, if I really wanted good Mexican food.  The order was delivered in less than 30 minutes and when I opened the two bags I found that the Spanish rice was not there.  (Just for information it was $4.44!)  I sent a note to the delivery man and he told me to contact Door Dash, which I did.  They told me that since the order was made directly with the restaurant I would need to contact them re: the missing rice.  So…I did!

I spoke to a nice woman who told me that she was sorry for the mix up, and “Yes, the rice is still here.”  I told her I no longer wanted it and could they please issue me a credit for the missing order.  At that point she asked me to hold a minute and a man came on line, asked me what the problem was, and told me I could come in tomorrow and pick up the rice!  I told him I would rather that a credit for me money be sent to my credit card company, because I wanted it with my meal. He said I should order something else, and he would put the rice in would that order.  I explained that I could not eat spicy food two days in a row, and I really wanted the credit sent to the card.  We discussed this for awhile, and the upshot was that I should come in, place an order, and I will get the rice.  In frustration, I finally agreed to this, and asked if I could do this in a few weeks and he said “yes”.

Fortunately $4.44 is not a lot of money to lose. (I will not be going back to Hugo’s for other reasons) but what if the item I didn’t receive was a $20 item?  Would I have not been given a credit on my card and told to come back the next day?  That is not how the procedure is supposed to work.  And….I have been going to Hugo’s for years – even before it was named Hugo’s – have had them cater parties for me, etc., and have never had this experience with them before.  If an  item is not delivered, a credit should be issued.  I have the opportunity to question the bill when I receive it from my credit card company but that should not be necessary.  I ordered something; it was not delivered; I should receive a credit for it.  Simple.

It grieves me to say “good bye” to Hugo’s.  I have had some great experiences there with Hugo, and even with the new owners.  But in this instance the “customer” was right and taken advantage of. It never should have happened the way it did, and since the missing item was even seen by the staff, it should have been taken care of before I had to make my call.

Post script: In all fairness to Hugo’s, the owner of the restaurant called me after one of my tenants went in to talk to them about my missing food item.

She was very nice and told me to call the delivery company for a refund.  I told her that I had already called them (Door Dash) and was told by them that the original order was placed by the restaurant and Hugo’s was the one that needed to give me a credit.  I have the feeling that she did not know how to do that, and the end of the conversation, again, was that if I were to come in to the restaurant I could get me rice and another tamale.

I told her that I did not want either and wanted a refund.  She said she would have to call me back.  Forty-eight hours have now passed and I have not heard from her, nor is there a credit on my card.  I’m truly sorry, because I have always liked the restaurant, the food, and, for the most part, the employees. $4.44 is not going to break me, nor the restaurant.  It is, at this point, what is the right thing to do.