Cerro Grande — Restaurant in New Bern

This was the WORST service and the WORST Mexican food I have ever had!!! Bar none, hands down, this place is horrible!!! Chili's makes better Mexican food than this place.

I have been a cook before, I have friends and family that have worked in the restaurant business for many years. I understand that a place and it's wait staff can get slammed. I've been in the weeds, I know how hard these jobs can be. The staff here weren't even breaking a sweat, they just didn't care.

Waiter took drink order, brought them back pretty quick (salt on wrong glasses). Asked for another minute to order. NO ONE came to the table for the next 20 minutes! Finally we ordered and asked for waters. 1 big water with 1 straw brought to table, waiter ran away before anyone could say anything. Chips and salsa empty, not cleared, not refilled. First 1/2 of the order came pretty quick. Second 1/2 took 10 more minutes!!! Dropped off by different waitress who at least apologized for the wait. Mentioned that our waiter was M.I.A. said she would get the manager. Explained all of our grievances to the manager. She didn't really care, looked just like a waitress, said we would get another round of margaritas on the house. Those never showed up, wasn't surprised. Waiter finally shows back up, asks if we want more chips. Chips!?! I said, "No. But you could check in on us more often." He never stopped by again.

I will admit that I was not the nicest customer at this point. Saying that Chili's makes better Mexican food while in the restaurant, and telling the waiter he was the worst I've ever had (although true), not something that should have been said.

The food was at least edible, but that doesn't say much. Dried out burritos, fajitas were hot, but tortillas and everything else came 10 minutes too late. Spicy chorizo burrito had some spice to it. But you could make this at home for less $$$. The refried beans came from a can, very little seasoning on everything. It's really not hard to put shredded lettuce, sour cream, a tad bit of guac on a plate. Seemed more like you went to a friend's house for Mexican food, and they had no idea how to make Mexican food.

Hostess quickly dropped off bill. Ran as if we were alligators. Again, I hadn't been too nice, but waiter should have at least come back. Go up to pay, and this seems like a huge problem they have. It looked like your waiter was the only person who could ring you up. If you wanted to split the bill, you had to tell them what you ordered. Couldn't pay from the table at all. BTW, Chili's has the option of reordering drinks, and paying the bill at the table, just fyi. Mentioned that the drinks should be compt. Only 1 drink could be, manager unavailable at the time. Still took them (5 employees) about 5 minutes to run the card. No tip given, because no tip deserved, 20% at least is my norm. First time I really wanted to just walk out. Could have worked when no employees were at the register or front door for 5 minutes!

If you have read this far, you know I will never be back. This place does not make Mexican food that you couldn't make at home, for far less money. Please tell your friends, your family, even strangers on the street to avoid this restaurant at all costs! It's so bad, you couldn't even pay...

My husband and I here in NC to work. We have been traveling for 2 days and have pretty much shared everything to eat and drink. We walked from the hotel over to Cerro Grande Mexican Restaurant to dine for the evening. Restaurant was nice, music was nice, service was good and for the most part, the food was good, we are bias I guess, because we are Mexican, so we hold restaurants to a higher standard than what we can prepare our- selves at home. My husband and I always order to share, so we can taste everything we ordered; chips & salsa, shrimp cocktail, choriso, queso & beans dip. Both our main dishes included rice and beans. He's (watching is RED meat intake) and ordered chicken and cheese with corn tortillas and I ordered marinated beef tips and flour tortillas. He tried mine, but I did not try his. On the walk back to the hotel, he started feeling very ill. He went straight to the bathroom to throw-up repeatedly! My husband was food poisonend!!! In review of all we ate and shared during the day, we concluded that I did not have the chicken, so clearly there was something wrong with the chicken!! Warning be careful when ordering the CHICKEN!!! We will never go...

Only reason I'm giving them a 4 star is because we've been 3 times and have gotten the same waiter. I'm not sure of his name but he takes forever to come over and take your drink order once he has a drink order it may take him another 10 or 15 minutes to bring it to you and then he will finally get your food order and once he gets the food to you you will never see him again every time that we have been and he has waited on us this is the way it goes we never see him again he doesn't come by to make sure everything's okay doesn't come by to see if my husband would like another beer or if I would like more sweet tea never we eat here numerous times and normally we do not have a problem but the three times lately that we have then this guy is the one that has waited on us sorry I don't know his name but anyway he wears glasses is all I can tell you and has a really short haircut do all you can to avoid when we go in there again I will try to get his name an update this post. If you want me to wait or who will wait on you from the moment you walk in until the moment you walk out as for Jose otherwise I...