Puerto Vallarta
| Address: | 100 Emswiler Way, Pataskala, OH 43062, USA |
| Phone: | +1 740-927-0143 |
| Site: | puertovallartaoh.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 12–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
BE
Benni Buxton
Totally amazed by the great reviews. Somethings really wrong here. As I read through the review below this, I was smiling. Not because Im amused by his experience; but because I was relating all too well. I too was unfortunate enough to wander through the parking lot maze and find myself at the door of this restaurant. The place was packed (why, I dont know), but nonetheless we were shown to a seat by a waiter/manager/whomever whose clipped Spanish told me right away our arrival was a pain. Playing it safe, I ordered a beef taco with a side of refried beans and cheese. When my food arrived, I was cringing inwardly as the plates were sat down. Oh, this was so not going to be pleasant. Seemingly aware of this, the waiter/manager took his place three feet from the end of the table, where he stood staring at us for the duration of the "meal". No kidding, this guy didnt blink, look away, or even pretend to do anything else. He stood shock still, rooted to the spot, open mouthed and staring at us like we were circus freaks or something (which made me highly paranoid, actually). Not a single other person, adult or child, noticed us at all. Ward and June Cleaver out to dinner. Refried beans there translate into, "Thin Semi-Chunky Bean Soup". My guess would be too much water added to get more mileage out of that can of Old El Paso in the back. No way was I touching that mess. I got it to dip the basket of chip pieces (bottom of the bag) into. This was too thin even for that. Didnt fare much better with the "safe bet" of a beef taco, either. Mounds of lettuce stuffed into a flour shell. Taking a bite of my taco, I noticed the meat was cold and something in there tasted way, waaay off. The weird taste in my mouth and the sight of red "juice" on my plate made contact with my brain. Under the waiter/managers unblinking stare, I opened the taco with my fork and immediately lost my appetite. Completely raw hamburger stuffed into a flour tortilla, then buried by lettuce. Not "rare", not "lightly browned"; stone cold and "straight out of the package" raw. If youve ever worked in a restaurant as I have, or know someone who does, ask them what sometimes can happen if a dish is sent back to the kitchen on a busy night. It isnt pretty. So without that option, I also passed on the beanwater soup and waited for my husband (whose dish was not good, but at least cooked) to finish - which he didnt. The waiter/manager guy took two steps forward to our table and mumbled something to me I didnt understand at all. I think he was asking if I wanted to take that slop home. Uh. No. Knowing it would be an exercise in futility to try and tell him that my supper was totally inedible, we just paid and left. Before I could say a single word, my husband said, "No way are we coming back here". Hes exactly right. Id love to see Gordon Ramsay go into that place!!
AN
Andrew McFerrin
Okay, so small town Ohio isnt the first place you think of when youre looking for Mexican food, "authentic" or otherwise. So I wasnt exactly expecting much. Somehow, Puerto Vallarta managed to fail to meet even my lowered expectations. First impressions: theres no signage and precious little frontage, no reasonable or even sane traffic flow onto the lot. In light of what awaits inside, I can only consider such barriers to entry to be a plus. Once you get in, it looks like every other Mexicano por los Gringos place in which youve ever set foot in your life. Unremarkable. The dining room was baseline clean; the staff baseline pleasant. The food: bland, and un- or underseasoned. No, really. Not the faintest hint of salt or pepper could be detected in any part of any item we tried. The basket of tortilla chips? Unsalted. Salsa that accompanied them? My best guess makes it out as canned tomato sauce, garlic powder, and dried cilantro. Might have been a speck of onion powder in there, weeping inconsolably for what might have been. Whatever its origin, it was almost completely smooth and about as fresh as Chuck Norris jokes. After a few minutes my tamales arrived, drowning in a lake of some reddish fluid that for the sake of argument Im willing to call a sauce. The sauce tasted unpleasantly of processed tomato puree, unseasoned except for trace amounts of some nebulous spices which combined with the sweetness of the sauce to taste oddly like cinnamon. Mmm, just like Abuelita used to open! As it turns out, the sauce was the best thing going. Each tamal was a semi-cooked blob of mushy white corn masa (unseasoned; flavorless) surrounding a bit of what looked like shredded pork but tasted of absolutely nothing, and topped with a small amount of some variety of unidentifiable cheese. I ordered sides of rice and beans; which tasted, respectively, of nothing and nothing. I could keep going, but its all a bit of a blur at this point so Ill get on with the summing up. None of the food actually tasted like food, or indeed much of anything at all. It wasnt inedible; but then, neither is copier paper. Doesnt mean Im going to pony up $10 a head plus drinks for the privilege of eating it. Seriously, folks. This is an embarrassment. Keep well away.
RI
Rick Curry
We love this place. When we moved here from North Texas, we figured that we would not find a Mexican restaurant that could compare to what we came to love there. Lol and behold, just down the road from where we bought our home we found Puerto Vallarta. It was as if Texas sent us a gift. The food is terrific. I have yet to find a meal I dont like. But the shrimp fajitas are our favorite. Beer selection is good; I prefer dark beer and rarely find a good one at most restaurants, but here I can get Modela Negra. The service here is good too. Friendly staff who take care of your every want. Fast service is what we got at nearly every vist, the only exception has been when we arrived at busy or special times and even then the service was great; just not quite as fast. Puerto Vallarta is our favorite Mexican restaurant, perhaps it can be yours too.
AM
Amanda Miller
I cannot understand for the life of me how this place has any good reviews. The food is bland and terrible, they are understaffed on waiters and dont even have a bar tender not to mention that the floor is dirty and the booths are ripped. Too bad its one of a very select number of restaurants in the actual city of Pataskala. I would much rather make the extra drive to Pickerington to go to La Fagota where the food has flavor and the wait staff is amazing!
CH
Chris Clonch
Not very good Mexican/Tex-Mex. Most food is pretty bland, lacking any sort of seasoning. Tamales are edible but taste like theyre from frozen. Chili Relleno is real bad; soagy and smushy. Taste like canned spinach. For me any reputable Mexican restaurant should be able to make these staple items. However, the service is outstanding. But as for the food, its only redeeming quality is it is a sit-down restaurant in Pataskala.
AS
Ashley Smith
I come in with my 1 year old son atleast 3 times a month. Its down the street from our house and service is always fast! The food is very delicious and the small margarita feels huge to me! Which is a good thing lol very nice staff as well always interact with my son and thats very appreciated
