A hole in the wall, any old Mexican restaurant, and an alright dinner choice all describe Puerto Vallarta; this could not be further from the truth, though Puerto Vallarta offers an expansive menu, quick service, and an all-around excellent dining experience.
The meal starts with complimentary salsa, chips, and a slight up-charge if people want queso or guacamole. I suggest the queso to begin the meal along with a Mexican Horchata. If going to Puerto Vallarta, a Horchata is necessary, the milk-based drink can only be described as the cinnamon toast crunch milk left after the bowl of cereal. The salsa is made fresh with real pieces of tomato and onions. Overall the beginning of the meal sets up the main course perfectly.
As my entree, I chose the arroz con pollo, or as it is called Puerto Vallarta the IS special. This dish consists of three ingredients: rice, chicken, and queso. This combination has been perfected by Puerto Vallarta and consists of the perfect amount of spices to complement the chicken and rice. The queso in this dish plays a key role as the binding agent of the other two ingredients, and when all combined with tortillas, I can make some quite delectable mini-tacos.
Although the food is delicious, that is not Puerto Vallarta’s main star. The true star is the service. My group of three were in and out within 45 minutes and received our food within 15 minutes of arriving at the restaurant. Refills ran abundant throughout the meal, and salsa when running low was filled back up along with fresh chips.
To top off the experience, we made it out of the restaurant all for under $45, a steal if anyone asks me. For three meals, three drinks, and a specialty drink making it out of any restaurant under $50 alone is a blessing, let alone for as much food as we got.
My family and I left Puerto Vallarta with our stomachs full, my dad’s wallet full, and a desire to return to Puerto Vallarta in the near future. A Mexican restaurant as clean, inexpensive, and hospitable as Puerto Vallarta should be on everyone’s top list of Mexican restaurants in Greenwood. Puerto Vallarta on the Kramer-Richter Scale (KRS) receives a 9.1/10.
