Puesto Santa Clara — Restaurant in Santa Clara

After eating at restaurants almost daily, I know what to look out for and how to compare experiences. This place looked beautiful from the outside, though it’s in a major parking lot. Oddly, despite the restaurant not being full, we still had to park about half a mile away because the lot was completely packed.

I had called ahead to make a reservation, and the person on the phone was very sweet. We were seated right away upon arrival, and the inside was indeed beautiful and clean. They brought water to the table immediately—but unfortunately, that’s where the positives ended.

We sat for 20 minutes already knowing what we wanted before anyone came to take our order. When they finally did, we ordered everything at once—appetizers, drinks, and entrées—because we had been waiting so long. My horchata came out quickly, and while it tasted good, the glass was tiny. I finished it well before the food came, even though I was deliberately taking small sips, and no one ever offered a refill. Ten minutes later, the Michelada was brought to the table. We’ve had Micheladas at hundreds of restaurants, and this one didn’t compare—it was basically just beer, which was obvious from the light color.

From there, we waited 53 minutes without any food, not even appetizers, and still without a single drink refill. When food finally did arrive, my order was completely wrong, and over an hour into our visit, the kids still hadn’t received their drinks. When I eventually got the correct plate, I was stunned: two suiza enchiladas with no rice, beans, or sides—for $30. And they weren’t even true suizas. Suiza sauce should be light green because of the cream, but these were a dark green, just regular enchiladas verdes. They had absolutely no flavor. I asked twice for salt and pepper and never received any.

The chilaquiles were equally disappointing—completely dry chips with no sauce at all, as if scraps had been thrown together to fill out a tiny menu. The potato taquitos sounded elegant on paper, so I expected something artfully plated with chili oil. Instead, they brought plain, dry taquitos with a little dipping cup of oil. The guacamole flight was also a letdown—every guac tasted exactly the same, all bland and badly needing salt and pepper (which again, we never got). It was also supposed to come with salsa, which never appeared.

The kids’ meals weren’t any better. Their chicken tacos were terrible, and the black beans and rice were dry. Still no refills throughout the entire meal.

After finishing what little we could eat, we sat another 41 minutes waiting for a box, a check, or even a simple acknowledgement from staff. At the very end, they asked what we were celebrating, and we mentioned it was a birthday. They did give us a card for a free taco (a sweet gesture, but useless since we’re not local) and a small sample of tres leches cake (none of us liked it, though again the gesture was thoughtful). But there was no singing, no extra effort—just the cake quietly placed on the table.

All in all, I was beyond disappointed. We spent two and a half hours here on a night that wasn’t even busy, with most of that time spent just waiting. I already knew the prices were outrageous going in, but we wanted to treat ourselves. Instead, the food was so poor that I only ate half my plate, couldn’t stomach more than a bite or two of anything else, and left deeply dissatisfied. I honestly don’t understand how this place gets...

New update: I went with a friend that wanted to try the place. I said only if you pay, because twice for free was no bueno for me.

Would the 3rd time be a charm? That would be a hell to the no.

I think you have to be drunk to like the food at this place.

Each time I visit it gets worse ( the food). I shared with my friend some 16 oz steak plate to make self serve tacos, that was served tableside. It sounded wonderfully marinated but when it hit my mouth was bland as cardboard. Had to lather my steak with the verde salsa and avocado that came with it to make it edible.

No chips and salsa. That was a real downer.

Positive note: the chicharron app was awesome yet again.

The bar has to be the ship keeping this place afloat because the food is not tasty. I could name 5 places within 10 mins of this place that you could get a tastier, nevermind more affordable taco.

You have one job Puesto....make a tasty taco ( or at least learn how to execute your recipes...I am not really sure what the issue is).

Updated review: After I saw how they make their tacos, Puesto gets a lower rating. Most of the taco is carmelized cheese [the mystery cloak on your taco that hides the little amount of meat or veg (whatever you choose to order) they place on the tortilla]. That should be the star, not cheese.

Plus, I don't want that much cheese on my taco or I would eat quesadillas with meat ( quesadillas are delicious ) or have some nachos.

Former review: Food is good, service is great, but the taco portion size is small. 3 for $16 mix and match are street taco size. If you are cool with that, this place is for you. I dont really like paying 5.33 for a street taco portion. But they are gourmet tacos, but even at that it is pricey in the taco kingdom. I would definitely come back for their Happy Hour.

The Jamaica Agua Fresca is sweet and refreshing.

The chicharron is light, airy with a little spicy. Add a little snap, crackle,pop, but using the side of lime they provide. They tasted like they made them fresh in house.

The spicy carrots were a tad on the sweeter side. I like more acidity. But they were good.

The tacos I tried:

Chicken al pastor - Was too sweet and too salty for my palate. It was shredded chicken, so maybe it sopped up too much of the marinade.

Filet Mignion- It was tasty and was probably my favorite out of the bunch.

Tamarind marinated shrimp- At first bite, this taco was tart and a little sweet. When I finally got to the avocado it evened out the flavors. I didnt like it at first, but ended up liking it by my last bite.

Overall great atmosphere,great service and good tacos, but could be considered pricey. Definitely check them out for Happy Hour.

Note: I did try them for free during their soft opening, but my rating is based on if I would have paid....

Formal Complaint Regarding Unacceptable Dining Experience

Dear Puesto manager

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to formally express my deep disappointment and dissatisfaction with the recent dining experience I had at your establishment.

On 9/8, my party and I arrived at the restaurant with a confirmed reservation. However, upon our arrival, the host appeared to have difficulty locating our reservation. It was only after presenting our reservation confirmation that we were eventually seated. This initial inconvenience set the tone for a highly unpleasant evening.

The most distressing aspect of our visit was the service we received from our assigned server. Throughout the entirety of our meal, we felt as though we were being intentionally ignored and treated with disregard. The server failed to provide us with basic amenities such as water until we had placed our food order. Even after ordering water, it was never delivered to our table, forcing us to request assistance from another server to fulfill this basic request.

Furthermore, our cocktail order, placed at the beginning of our meal, was not fulfilled until we had nearly finished our food. This delay greatly diminished our overall dining experience and left us feeling frustrated and neglected.

The conduct of our server was not only unprofessional but also deeply unsettling. It raises concerns about whether such treatment was based on discriminatory factors, which is something I find deeply troubling. Regardless of the reason, no customer should ever be subjected to such a distressing dining experience.

I am writing to formally register this complaint and to request that a thorough investigation into this matter be conducted. I believe it is crucial to understand whether this incident was an isolated occurrence or indicative of broader issues within your establishment.

I sincerely hope that this complaint prompts an internal review of your service standards and staff training, as it is essential to ensure that no other patrons endure the distressing experience my party and I encountered during our recent visit.

I look forward to your prompt response to address these concerns and to hear about the steps your establishment intends to take to prevent such occurrences in the future. My intention is not to deter others from visiting your restaurant but to contribute to its improvement and uphold its reputation.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

: Thank you for your response. However, I have already reached out to you via email when I left reviews on Yelp and Google, but I have not received a...