Puerto Nuevo Mexican & Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Banner Elk

My family of four stopped here during a weekend trip to Banner Elk after seeing the many high reviews. We asked to sit outside on a beautiful June day and were seated right away, even though the parking lot was packed. We all ordered from the Mexican menu (we didn’t try the seafood options this time), and everything we ate was really good.

One of the highlights was the salsa bar. We tried the regular salsa, guacamole salsa, mango salsa, and a black bean and corn salsa. All of them were fresh and flavorful, and the chips were delicious. It was a great start to the meal.

Unfortunately, the service left a lot to be desired. Many other reviews praise the service, so I believe we may have just had an off experience or a server who was struggling that day. He seemed overwhelmed and could only handle one request at a time. For example, we tried to order an appetizer when placing our drink order, but he rushed off before we could finish. When he returned with our drinks, we asked for a margarita, and again he ran off before we could request cheese dip. Half of our drink orders came out incorrect, and we had to repeat the request for cheese dip later. When it finally arrived, it was lukewarm and thick, but the kids didn’t mind.

The food itself took longer than we typically expect at a Mexican restaurant, but the place was busy and we weren’t in a rush. One of the entrees came out wrong—we ordered chicken fajita nachos but received chicken fajitas instead. Given how the service had gone, we just rolled with it and didn’t mention the mix-up. Refills were also something we had to ask for every time.

Both my husband and I have worked in restaurants, so we tend to be pretty understanding.

Despite the service issues, the food was genuinely good, and we’d be open to giving this place another try. I imagine with a different server or visit, the experience could be...

Woo hoo! This is a great Mexican food option when up in the Banner Elk/Sugar Mountain area. A few others have been hit and miss and this place just hit it out of the park. The finish area has space inside and out and it looks like it was freshly renovated. The service was very professional and attentive. To top it all off, the food was outstanding. I ordered the steak chimichangas, which tells a lot about the place. If they throw it all together, you can tell with this dish, and you get to sample the steak quality. Well, they hit the high notes on all account. The presentation was perfect on a HOT plate. The chimichangas were rolled and crispy, as they should be, and topped with cheese sauce. The side salad toppings with guacamole and sour cream were all fresh and crisp. The chips and salsa were great, and they had a salsa bar to make you own. The price was affordable, which just put the cherry on top. If anything, they might want to raise prices to make sure they stay profitable. The restaurant business is tough, yet they seem to be hitting the spot, as they are busy and delivering on all...

This place is for people that don't know what good food tastes like. Had 3 orders and we were disappointed with all 3. Fettuccini Alfredo lacked any garlic or pepper - like queso blanco on noodles. Nachos with ground beef - queso blanco was used instead of cheddar - this made the nachos soggy immediately. Ground beef wasn't drained, so left grease all over the food. Inedible - we gave it to the dog. Lasty the fajitas - the salad portion came out 15 mins before the hot plate portion. The refried beans were the consistency of thin watery applesauce - should be thicker. The hot plate portion was under seasoned, with no flavor in the chicken - it was obvious it was cooked in advance and just tossed on the plate at the end.

Only pros were it was cheap, and there was a salsa bar, and the servers worked hard, but the kitchen staff were overwhelmed and couldn't perform to delivery quality food. Will never return.

Those of you rating this 5 stars - please travel around and try good Mexican food (like, any Rick Bayless restaurant) - you owe it to yourselves to discover what 5-star Mexican...