'Three hours and not one taco': Bay Area Taco Festival sounds like it was a total mess

An image from the Bay Area Taco & Beer Festival's website. An image from the Bay Area Taco & Beer Festival's website. Photo: Screenshot / Bay Area Taco And Beer Festival Photo: Screenshot / Bay Area Taco And Beer Festival Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close 'Three hours and not one taco': Bay Area Taco Festival sounds like it was a total mess 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

A festival in San Jose over the weekend was supposed to celebrate two of the best things in the world: tacos and beer. Instead, it featured angry crowds and disappointment.

The Bay Area Taco & Beer Festival promised "unlimited pours of 60+ selection of craft beers" and "unlimited taco tastings from dozens of the top restaurants & food trucks in California." Tickets ranged from $39 to $79 online.

But a KGO investigation and a host of angry Yelp reviews reveal many, if not most, of the paying customers didn't get what they were promised. Joanne Kindel told the news station the wait for a single free taco was 90 minutes. By the time she got to the front of the line, vendors started charging for food.

Another attendee said by the time she got there, vendors were completely sold out and closing up shop.

"I never got a single free taco. I think that says it all," said Brianna J. on Yelp.

ALSO: Weirdest things from the San Francisco charcoal festival

Another Yelp reviewer complained her fiancé paid $70 for both of them to have VIP access to the event. They were promised unlimited beer and tacos in return. Instead, they had to fork over cash for tacos ($12 for a plate of four) and "unlimited beer" really meant unlimited taster samples.

"The website said unlimited taco and beer and I literally did not have any taco the entire time. Do not spend your money on this at all!!! Three hours and not one taco," said Channel W.

Food festivals and events like this don't have a perfect track record. A similar situation unfolded last year when tickets were sold (between $30 and $300) to an event titled Sushi Fest in Sacramento, but an actual festival never materialized. The same thing happened with a series of crab-themed festivals planned for 20 cities nationwide.

And let's not forget the would-have-been-amazing XO Music Festival that was planned for Antioch last summer — except for the fact that much like Fyre Festival, it was too good to be true.

Eventbrite, which sold tickets to the Bay Area Taco & Beer Festival on its platform, told KGO it is issuing refunds to guests who request them.

Alix Martichoux is an SFGate digital editor. Read her latest stories and send her story ideas at alix.martichoux@sfgate.com.