When you walk into El Nuevo Vallarta, you’ll be enamored with the spicy aroma wafting from the kitchen. Amid colorful Mexican-themed art, you might even shimmy to the tunes playing throughout the dining room. It feels like a little cantina in Mexico where families gather when company comes to town.
If you visited El Nueva Vallarta at the previous Westgate location, the atmosphere will seem familiar. Owner Jose Meda, originally from Jalisco, Mexico, relocated when their Westgate location was acquired to make room for a planned development. The new space is smaller, but cozy, at the edge of a neighborhood on Douglas Rd. at Gracewood, formerly home to Carlita’s Mexican & Italian Café and most recently Bikini’s Bar & Grill.
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Your meal begins the way it does at every Mexican joint—with complimentary chips and salsa—but that’s where the similarities stop. These chips are thick and crisp, and the salsa is house made with tangy tomatoes and fresh cilantro. Spring for the queso dip; it’s smooth, creamy and exactly what you want it to be.
The extensive menu suggests dozens of options to choose from. My dining companion and I ordered the number six combo, a choice between chicken, beef, bean or cheese enchilada and a taco with Mexican rice and beans ($8.75), the Pollo ala Cucsur ($12.25), and the Quesadilla Lite ($11.25) with beef.
The enchilada is saucy and the taco is stuffed with seasoned beef, crisp lettuce and tomatoes. The rice and beans are a little on the bland side, but they pair well with the spicy entrees.
The Pollo ala Cucsur was an explosion of spicy flavor. The marinated chicken breast is served grilled, topped with a slaw of chopped cilantro, garlic and jalapenos. The Quesadilla Lite comes with your choice of chicken or beef, pico de gallo and cheese, with a side of fresh fruit. I chose the beef (chopped skirt steak), which was a tad overdone, but well-seasoned. It was equally tasty when I reheated the leftovers for lunch the next day.
For dessert, the menu includes the standards: sopapilla, fried ice cream and flan. There’s also a banana chimichanga ($3.50)—what could be better than a fresh banana wrapped in a flour tortilla, deep fried to a golden brown and smothered with cinnamon, honey, chocolate sauce and whipped cream? The answer: nothing. It tasted like a banana split, and made me long for a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Our service was friendly, but it’s a good idea to avoid the booth in the corner. There’s a speaker right overhead, and it’s a little loud. All in all, a trip to El Nuevo Vallarta is a great experience, with portions that will satisfy your next craving for a taste of Mexico.
Find El Nuevo Vallarta at
4709 Douglas Rd. 11am-9pm Sunday-Thursday, 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday. 419-474-5414, facebook.com/El-Nuevo-Vallarta.
