Puerto Vallarta Mexican Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Islamorada

On Sunday my Family and I decided we wanted to change scenery as we live in Hollywood and go to Homestead on several occasions and so we researched several restaurants. After having visited the website for each restaurant and read reviews we decided to visit Puerto Vallarta Restaurant in Islamorada. Now having read the website it spoke of Oracio Ramirez, chef and owner, and spoke of his memories of his grandmothers cooking in Mexico. Having lived in Mexico myself for 5 years I have a true appreciation for the cuisine and always seek an authentic experience instead of a TexMex restaurant. At the restaurant my wife and father in law decided to order the Red Snapper and I ordered for my children off the normal menu the Cheese Quesadillas and myself I ordered the Tamales and Enchiladas Rojas. However, once the food arrived the food was not to expectation. The quesadillas had raw cheese (mozzarella cold shredded within the tortillas), the tamales were miniature in size being the width and length of 2 fingers, the Red Snapper served last had a faint foul smell and did not smell or appear to be fresh as stated in their menu. Additionally, the taste did not seem right either. As My wife and father in law had waited a long time for their meal and had been served last they did not want to have to reselect and wait additional time so as a result they proceed to take a few bites of it leaving the remainder. I proceeded with requesting our check and placed $70 cash and my debit card so the waiter, Naila, could tender our meal. Naila a few minutes later reappears and advices me that she had charged my entire meal onto the credit card and then voided the transaction and charged the correct amount. I was advised that the voided transaction would not appear on my debit card. However that has not been the case. It is now Wednesday and I still see the transaction pending on my account. According to my bank I have to wait 5 days to be able to dispute the transaction. I called Puerto Vallarta and asked to speak with the manager. After being transferred I explained my situation to a female voice who I thought to be the manager seeing that is who I requested to speak with. She advised she would call the merchant and call me back. Later she calls me back and tells me their merchant says they processed the refund and that I can call my bank to have them rush process it so I can have my funds available again. I advise her I had already spoken with my bank and they advised not seeing anything other than the original transaction being authorized on my account. I also proceed to tell her about our poor experience regarding the food and that our visit to their dining establishment has not been a pleasant experience. She proceeds to tell me that I do not need to be rude with her as she is trying to help. I ask her how am I being rude by providing feedback of the poor quality food served. Immediately she changes the subject saying she can provide me with the authorization number of the refund. Again I ask if she is the manager and now she advises she only does paperwork and that the manager will be in later. I ask that she have the manager contact me as I wish to have a resolution. I now wait for my phone call from the manager. All I can say is their staff needs to be retrained on how to provide customer service and their chefs properly prepare an authentic Mexican meal. Oracio Ramirez I hope you read my review and are able to bring back the Mexican flavor into this restaurants ambience and...

Review update 9/7/19: This used to be one of my favorite local spots that I would frequent for years. Sadly, I have noticed a decline in the restaurants atmosphere, broken booths that were removed and not replaced, specials that were offered several times a year and no new specials were offered in years, a sewage smell that is overpowering while I’m the bathroom that enters the dining area at times, and that the avocados have been getting thinner and thinner each time I come.

I have also noticed charges on my bill for things as simple as asking for limes but I have looked past all this because I still enjoyed coming here with my family weekly.

Today the dish I have ordered for years the same way every time (without meat) and only with cheese, beans, cilantro, onion and avocado (instead of chicken or meat) would have an extra charge for the avocado (which I already have been paying extra for a while now, understand and was fine with the charge) but also now for the cheese, cilantro and chopped onion?!?

Chopped cilantro and onion are considered a garnish at almost any Mexican restaurant across the country and in Mexico itself. I also ask to have no lettuce, tomato, or sour cream which comes standard on all taco and chalupa dishes. Basically for the $11.99 price, I would be getting three flat, crispy tortillas with cheese only and beans/rice that come with every meal and everything else on the tortilla, I would have to pay extra. I’m not one to pay for more and get less both in both the food and atmosphere.

There is an awesome, more authentic Mexican place up the road called Tacos Jalisco at 100470 Overseas Highway in Key Largo that is always busy and has a lot of local support.

This place used to take care of the local crowd but I’m afraid they are slowly trading their local business for price gouging their loyal customers. Former review:

My go to spot for dinner, several times a month. Affordable, great service, good food. One of the only Mexican places in town that has many veggie friend options and will work with special...

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MEXICAN FOOD!! When we entered the restaurant, the person who greeted us asked for us to follow her, so we did. She dropped something off at a table and went behind the bar. We were a little confused as we didn’t know where to sit. She didn’t guide us to a specific table, she just walked away.

We ordered an appetizer and asked for a 2nd pico de gallo. She informed us it will be an additional $2.50, we were okay with that. NEVER GOT IT. They only give you this absolutely tiny bowl of chips and a salsa that is not salsa but purely just tomato chunks. If you want any more chips it is $5. Prices do not match food quality.

I ordered a carne asada chimichanga and my fiancé ordered snapper tacos. Once we received our food, my side of “refried beans” were pinto beans. My chimichanga had cold shredded cheese on top, not warm, COLD. I took a bite of my chimichanga and almost puked 🤮. It was full of the runny pinto beans. Literally the worst chimichanga I have ever eaten in my life.

Our server passed our table multiple times and even looked straight at my plate that was at the end of the table. She never once asked if everything was okay. So my fiancé spoke with a different server to help us.

Then…..we receive the bill with the chimichanga STILL on the tab. I ask to speak with the manager and guess who came to our table? The manager, our “server.” My fiancé brought to her attention about the pico she didn’t bring to the table, my chimichanga and for the corrected tab.

The queso is amazing so the 1 ⭐️ goes to that, otherwise, SAVE YOUR TIME & MONEY!

I wish I would have taken photos but I usually don’t write reviews unless it is...