El Vallarta — Restaurant in Newbern

This was my first time here. The waitress (whose name I unfortunately forgot to get) greeted us promptly. Her service throughout the meal was very prompt and helpful, giving great advice to my friend and me.

The chips were hot and thin and have a pleasant flavor. The salsa is served in a carafe with individual bowls for dipping. It was also thin with small chunks of onion and cilantro throughout. The flavor was slightly sweet and a little tart. Not much garlic flavor, but still good

We ordered the food and it came out very quickly. The food was super hot and fresh. My friend got the Tacos Vallarta, which were like street tacos with toppings on the side. The meats were quite tasty and tender with the pork really standing out as the best. If this had been a BBQ restaurant, they'd still get 5 stars on that front. I got the Chicken Fire Wrap, which was like a chimichanga. It was perfectly pillowy and crisp. The fillings inside worked really well together. I was worried about the spinach because sometimes that can take over the whole flavor of a dish, but the spinach really complemented the other flavors. It went so well with the guacamole, which seemed to be house made and the perfect mix of creamy and chunky. We got a flan to split at the end of the meal. It came with raisins, which had seemingly been soaking in the caramel sauce and had become plump and in turn also flavored the sauce. I was not a fan of that. But the flan itself has a very thick texture which is nice compared to some which feel more like jello, so while I didn't particularly like it, I think it was still well done for what it was. The portions were fantastic, especially for the price.

Perhaps useful info: •The women's restroom was very clean and well stocked. Also single occupancy.

•There's a 3% service charge for using a card.

Overall this is one of, if not the best Mexican restaurants I've been to in the area. I'll have to come back and make sure it still stands to the test, but I would highly recommend trying it if you're looking for a place that has a large variety of foods that could fit any palate. According to the menu, they have a lot of options for people who are picky, health conscious, children, or trying to be...

We were thrilled when this place first located in Newbern. Today, they could leave and not be missed! Dining in is not terrible but take out is NEVER right! They ALWAYS leave off any salad that "comes with" a meal. Many times they give a dressing packet but no salad. When I call about it, they act like I'm crazy, salad, what salad? Tonight we ordered three menu items totaling $32.69, tax and all. They charged us $47.??. If you question it, you're blamed! They do not give a check that shows price nor the total! They just charge whatever they choose. The steak and shrimp are always so tough they're hard to eat. We are so disappointed! Given MANY opportunities to get orders and prices set but they just "CAN'T GET RIGHT"! We will no longer order from there and we'll definitely warn others of the poor food...

OUTSTANDING I live on the southwest side of Chicago and I was in Newbern visiting a old friend when I went to El Vallarta. The service was great and the food was fantastic. Authentic Mexican food. I had the Cheese steak burrito. The meat was tender and flavorful and the entire burrito was meat,no lettuce or anything else to fill it.There is a dozen mexican restaurants almost in walking distance from my house and El Vallarta is as good as the best of them in my neighborhood.Maybe better. I know I will be back on my next trip...