This restaurant needs to be shut down. Read the other recent reviews of this dumpster fire of an…read moreoperation they are running lately. At what point do law enforcement, the Fire Marshal, or another local authority need to step in and address what is happening at this Taco Bell? If there is an actual emergency at nearby businesses, police, fire or ambulance won't be able to respond because of this chaotic traffic jam their drive thru is causing. It's like a game to this staff, it's like they're trying to do this for fun. I'm sure they're not doing this on purpose but on the other side of the coin, read all of their recent reviews, it sure looks like a game to them.
On the evening of October 1, 2026, I spent approximately two hours trapped in the drive-thru at the Fernley Taco Bell. I understand that 8:00 p.m. is part of the dinner rush, so I expected some delay. What I did not expect was a situation that became so disorganized that, in my opinion, it created an actual public-safety hazard.
When I finally reached the speaker, I was told that the restaurant was not accepting cash or card payments and that customers could only order through the Taco Bell mobile app or DoorDash. There was no sign or warning before entering the drive-thru explaining this.
A simple sign stating, "Mobile and DoorDash orders only -- no cash or card payments currently accepted," could have prevented much of what happened.
Instead, customers continued entering a drive-thru they effectively could not use, and once inside, there was no practical way to leave. The backup became enormous. At one point, the line extended toward AutoZone, while a second line formed across the street into the Grocery Outlet parking lot. Cars were blocking the street completely. The two lines essentially formed a "Y," with drivers competing to merge into the same drive-thru. What a nightmare.
During the roughly two hours I was stuck there, I personally counted at least four near-collisions behind me, cars honking and witnessed one road-rage confrontation where the 2 lines merged into 1. Traffic flow was being blocked, people were trying to get out, but blocked by other impatient people protecting their spot, drivers were becoming increasingly frustrated, and customers who finally reached the speaker were furious when they learned that normal payment methods were not being accepted.
Several people were yelling profanities at the employees. I actually felt bad for the employees dealing with that situation. If employees truly are not permitted to put up a temporary sign warning customers, then management or corporate policy needs to change immediately. If they simply chose not to warn customers, that is even more concerning.
Either way, the result was the same: a restaurant's drive-thru problem spilled into surrounding traffic and created what appeared to me to be a legitimate safety issue.
I will also accept responsibility for staying in line after realizing something was obviously wrong. I had just finished a stressful day at work, really wanted a Mexican Pizza, and kept thinking the line would eventually start moving. That was my mistake.
Unfortunately, this was not my first strange experience at this location. A few months earlier, I went there for breakfast and the employee at the speaker politely told me, essentially, that she was not ready for a customer and suggested I go to Burger King instead. She was polite about it, but the situation was so unusual that I remembered it.
After what happened on October 1, however, this has gone beyond simply being poor customer service.
When a drive-thru backup is interfering with surrounding traffic, drivers are nearly colliding, road-rage incidents are occurring, and customers are effectively trapped for extremely long periods of time before learning they cannot even purchase food normally, someone needs to address the operation of this location.
Read the other reviews and decide for yourself. There appears to be a long-running customer-service problem at this location, and after what I witnessed on October 1, I believe it has reached the point where management, Taco Bell corporate, and potentially local authorities should determine whether changes are necessary to prevent another dangerous traffic situation.
Their customer service is so bad that at this point it is an ongoing public safety issue. Somebody is going to get hurt or killed from this one day if no changes are made. Pedestrians walking by have to zig-zag around a bunch of cars carefully trying not to get hit. Cars are playing chicken with each other. This mess was embarrassing.
After this experience, I will not be returning to any taco bell ever again in life over this level of carelessness and incompetence. Don't just take my word for it, Read the other reviews, they do not care. They want you all to go away.
