It was less than a week from my prior tasting adventure that I felt compelled to see what was going on at El Rayo Taqueria (Portland, Maine).  Primarily I wanted to see if their service was improving and quality remaining high.

I should have tried new things on the menu, but it was a last-minute decision and I had a burrito craving.   Although on the prior visit I opted for the pollo (chicken) burrito, this time I had a meat craving - so Bistec it was.    I also heard great things about the Smoky Potato Fritterrs, so those were to be the appetizer.

The fritters themselves -  I am not quite certain about.  They are basically sweet potato balls, battered in tortilla chips and deep fried.  The result is a flavorful ball with a crispy outside and a soft middle.  Texturally it is great, but I just don't have a need to eat fried foods, so I will refrain from any more comment.

The burrito was as good as the first time.  Even though I was not a big fan of the steak, I cannot say it tasted anything but great.  In Japanese the appropriate term is "ma-ma", whcih means "so-so" or more accurately "not for me".  The El Rayo Taqueria the steak and the smoky potato fritters were "ma-ma" for me.

However, the service took the third strike. Thus far I've been ignored while they counted money, served burritos on plates that were swapped for some unknown reason, and this visit nearly vomited on their tables as I watched a waitress stuff clean silverware into a drawer....  That act would have been fine had she not dropped one knife on the dirty floor, picked it up, and shoved it into the stack.  No longer are we talking about poor service, this time a health code violation.

In the first month of their business, El Rayo Taqueria seems to have gotten the food right, but their service is shady at best.  The staff are friendly, but that's not enough when I see them pulling stunts like swapping plates and shoving silverware that fell to the floor in with the clean stuff.

El Rayo Taqueria will certainly be a place for newcomers and regulars alike - but I am not sure how well they will do to keep them. If I - in my oblivious world - managed to catch these mistakes, it will only take time for everyone else to do the same.  I hope they change because their food is delicious.