Complaint Review: La Tapa Tapa Restaurant & Lounge

I am among many people who have quickly come and gone through the doors of La Tapa Tapa in League City. The original location was at Suite J, and the restaurant moved into the end cap once La Dolce Vino Wine Bar went out of business.

Upon moving, the old location became Buon Cibo, and La Tapa Tapa moved into the new location (both under the same owners). There are two owners of the business, one silent partner, and also "Chef" Fernando Gallegos. Fernando is a dropout of the Art Insitute of Houston, who spent some time in Florida as the Executive Chef of the now closed Warfields Steakhouse. Fernando also previously worked at a couple of the Perry's Steakhouse Restaurants in Houston.

Fernando has copied several of the ways that Perry's does their business. For example, a 4.5% tipout by servers. This may fly in a fine-dining resaturant chain that took 30 years to get to where they are, but not in a taqueria.

This owners biggest problem is paying his employees. I am of many people who have worked there, and had a payroll check bounce in my bank account. There were a total of 3 times in a 2 month span in which I had payroll checks bounce for insufficient funds.

There was one week I remember where Fernando owed me well over $1,000 in tips that were never even on a check. At the same time he owed other employees anywhere from $500-$1000 as well.

In addition to never paying on time, this guy is extremely offensive and unprofessional in the way he talks to employees. We would work anywhere from 9-16 hours with no break, no discount on employee food, etc. We were forced to clean constantly, and always scared of getting fired.

There were also many times where Fernando would speak about women in a sexual manner. I noticed Fernando sexually harrassing another female employee as well, but would never say anything because I didn't want to lose my job. At one point the sexual advances became welcomed, and it turned into a full blown affair.

Fernando lives with a girlfriend that he has a little baby with, but would give special treatment to his employee that he was cheating on her with. It eventually got into the open completely among the employees. On Halloween night 2009, Fernando was sitting at the bar at the restaurant making out with his new fling.

Bottom line is this place is just absurd. You will be overworked, underpaid, and probably never even get paid. I am still waiting on funds to clear with the bank, and Fernando never covered my overdraft fees. All of his ideas are a ripoff of Perry's, and if you are a good looking girl you stand a good chance of getting sexually harrassed there.

Fernando Gallegos is the most unprofessional person I have EVER worked for. I don't think his restaurant will last much longer.