Poblano’s Mexican Bar & Grill

Used to come here all the time. For the most part the food used to be fresh and the service friendly, over the last year this place has gone way downhill. The waitstaff has become rude the manager is never there and the food has become slop. Ordered the fish tacos and i could smell them before i saw this. This was the rankest, year old previously frozen fish ive ever smelt. Totally inedible. The manager came out and said «whats the problem? I took it off your check» walked off and told us to leave. Wouldnt return ever again

MEXICAN SPORTS BAR?
Was my experience typical? Last Saturday was PACKED (like sardines) with patrons using the dozen TV’s to watch the game. Servers everywhere. Plenty of domestic Beer and zany alcoholic creations with a Mexican twist and non-​Latin patrons enjoying. Very sports-​bar like except with Nachos instead of Fries. How is this place on non-​game days since (personally) I’d ONLY enjoy this ‘Sports bar version of Mexican food’ under those circumstances. And its location and appearance gave the impression of it being dead in between those party moments.
MORE FUN FOOD THAN TASTY
Despite all the Spanish-​talk between the employees, I didn’t expect (and didn’t get) an authentic feel. No probs – the fun atmosphere saved it. The Nacho Chips and Salsa were very filling (didn’t taste like any store-​bought version) The three-​meat Amigos Bowl was way-​too seasoned but gave a «WOW» factor for presentation (Grilled Shrimp, Pork, Beef and Peppers over flowing from a bowl-​shaped Taco.) Their Cilantro-​based Soup was decent – watery, slightly salty with no Cilantro hints– but refreshing in its Lemon/​Llime sourness. Even their Guac was very creamy too and lightly seasoned. Great with the chips.
GREAT SERVICE FOR THE GROUP
I waltzed in with a huge sports group. Yet the two servers who helped were relatively quick in helping everyone and were fun with conversation. Orders came out correct.

I don’t know why this only got 3 star average rating because I thought it was really good! Baja chicken salad was excellent and so flavorful. My mom loved the fajitas!

Food is pretty good, but the service is horrible! Our waitress was brand new. Not just to the restaurant, but to the industry. It was her second day serving and although we felt bad for her, it was a huge problem. All the drinks came out wrong, had to ask for water three times. I started to feel like I was bothering her and didn’t even want to ask for a drink anymore. Bad experience. Won’t be back.

First time here and we waited 20 minutes for a server to take our order. The chips were cold and the salsa is clearly out of a bottle (not home made)

Best Mexican restaurant! Must try to queso dip!!! Burritos are awesome, fast service.

went here for the first time– as my husband said they had a great burrito to try. Service– horrible, food– even worse. Hubby can come back on his own lol this place sucks

Best Mexican food in town. Ask for Andres. Best server in the place. Must visit. My son had the Pollo Loco and that was awesome also.

Food was good. Service was not desirable. Server was way too busy and lacked attentiveness. They needed a few more staff members.

One of our favorite restaurants that we visit weekly. The food is incredible and everyone from the first person you meet to the manager Jorge makes you feel like family. Vikki behind the bar always makes our stay enjoyable with great service and conversation. We highly recommend.
Mark Danko

I always drive by this place so I decided to give it a shot. Every single time I would drive by its packed. I’m talking people parking on the grass because there aren’t any more spots packed. So it must be great right? I order the pick two special that comes with two sides. I ordered the tostada and a enchilada. My mother had the fajitas. I tried her fajita and it was absolutely tasteless, and the steak was so rubbery and dry you could barely chew it. The fajita didn’t even come out hot!!! Which fajitas are supposed TO BE!!! My enchilada was greasy as all heck and came out luke warm. But to top it all off the chips and salsa were terrible too. The only thing that’s ok about this place is the drinks. If you don’t care about good food and want to drink then this is the place for you. As for me I want a good meal, so I won’t be coming back.

Great Family atmosphere and fun with a magician to boot!
I had the steak tacos (2) American style with beans and rice which are a solid staple of the place. Next time I think il try the shrimp and bacon :)
Portions were large and homemade salsa was great.
We spent $ 50 bucks for a family of 5. No alcohol.

Don’t waste your time or money! The salsa was so watery that it looked like tomato soup. My daughter ordered the nachos supreme, the bottom of the plate had so much liquid on it that her chips were soggy. Our family will not go back again.

We moved here from the Buffalo area, left behind two personal friends both owning their own Mexican restaurants, Don Tequilas and ElCanello. We tried numerous places in the area and finally stopped into Poblanos Mexican Bar & Grill. With high expectations and no luck finding a good place we walked in. We were meet by a pleasant staff, found the atmosphere comfortable and the menu every much like what we were used to. The Margaritas were excellent, chips and salsa were fresh and we didn’t have to wait long for anything. Here is the part that would determine their worth! The Fajitas came, would they be crunchy unseasoned vegetables and tough steak. Or, Yes they were perfect! Everything sizzled, the vegetables were caramelized but not burnt, the steak was not tough at all and the portions were very good. Since then we have become regulars, their unbeatable Taco Tuesday is the best, they have great draft beer prices and their tall is 32 ounces ! We base our opinions on our expectations and quality as it compares to price. I believe you get your money’s worth 100%. Do you ever drive around looking for the place you can just walk in on a Friday or Saturday and sit right down, we avoid them, there’s a reason for that and one I don’t want to find out. Poblanos is consistently busy but you won’t wait long at all. Ok when the snowbirds are here you might wait a little while because they just don’t leave but that’s not Poblanos fault! They will get you in soon enough.
Poblanos Mexican Bar & Grill also sponsors the Braden River High School Marching Band and Color Guard. Hats off to them for giving back to their community.

I wish I could give this place 3 ½ stars, which is the same grade my friend suggested. The service was outstanding and the staff is very nice. The food was between average and good. The chips were a little thin and the salsa was a little bland, my tamal was excellent. The taco was good, as was the tostada. My friend’s burrito, although enormous, was pretty bland. Overall, a decent but not great choice for Mexican food.

I love this place! Taco tues had a live musician and we drank margaritas while we waited for our table. It was a 40 min wait for the food but it was worth it. I love chips and salsa!!! The guac looks pretty good I think I will order some right now.

First time here. We waited awhile for a service.
Then she arrived.
Took our drink order and food order.
I went to the bathroom and was waiting for a stall. I waited for 7
lie.
I noticed someone in the stall texting. I waited 3 min. More not knowing who was in thwre.
My waitress came out ever so casually.
Then the food. The red sauce was bad. I asked for green sauce she brought it, but didn’t tell me there was a extra charge.
My advice to you is Want great Mexican food… with friendly and timely service… and want to feel like you are. Welcome and valued as a customer… go someplace… ANYPLACE ELSE!!!

I could go for some Mexican, I said to a Bradenton local, a businessman.
He looked at me if I meant weed or, perhaps a señorita, but what I wanted was lunch.
«Poblano’s» he said. «It’s good and, take it from me who’s got three kids, easy on the wallet.» So, off we went to Poblano’s.
On the fifteen-​minute ride over, I looked over the Unilocal reviews. Uh ho! Although, it got three of five stars, the word wasn’t good. Don’t trust a restaurant with an empty parking lot, said one. Two different reviewers claimed the salsa had the qualities of ketchup or tomato paste. We’re driving past ninety, maybe a hundred restaurants to get to a south-​of-​the –border joint that can’t get salsa right?
Bring it on. The parking lot was full, and the salsa was fine, even good. The taco/​burrito combination (build your own) was perfect (and hot) and the house Poblano salad was fresh with greens, tender chicken, and cheeses.
Service was perfect. Lunch was great.
Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.

Before stopping, I wish we had read the Unilocal reviews or heeded the warning offered by the Universe in seeing so few cars in the parking lot in the middle of a Saturday afternoon while S.R. 70 was crowded with traffic. But we needed a ‘Mexican fix’, were hungry, and the building looks nice from the outside, so we stopped at Poblanos for the first time.
Inside was a clean but poorly maintained collection of booths and old free-​standing tables surrouded by wooden chairs which had been in use so long that the paint/​stain had been rubbed off by years of ‘bottoms’. The floor is wood plank with intermittent shine that begs to be refinished.
Only one person manned the front of the house, serving as hostess, waitress, busboy, and floor mopper. She was pleasant, but obviously stretched too thin as checks/​tips from previous customers had not yet been collected and chairs around several tables pushed together were in disarray.
The food & drink dissapointment began with a house Margherita which seemed to have only a tenuous association with any alcohol and tasted of a really cheap Margherita mix. Of the complimentary chips and salsa, the chips were okay — fresh, but very thin — and the salsa was in actuality a very thin picante sauce which had no bite, very little flavor I would associate with Mexican food, and tasted as if it had a base of ketchup rather than fresh tomatoes.
One of us had the tortilla soup (which we’ve had elsewhere) described as «cilantro based soup consisting of shredded chicken, mexican rice, and corn tortilla chips». It contained a decent amount of chicken, but the soup stock was very thin, like a broth, and tasted not so much of cilantro as it did of some sharp citrus flavor. I’ve never before used this term in reference to soup, but it tasted ‘old’.
My dining partner (DP) ordered a combination plate composed of chile relleno and a beef enchilada.
The poblano pepper had been overcooked — not scorched, but as if boiled — to a limp mush and was stuffed with what the menu identifies as «melted shredded cheese and ground beef», but in real life is runny and brownish. Not at all appetizing in appearance or taste. The enchilada was a bit better but the ground beef seemed actually to have been pureed and the promised shredded cheese topping was of the invisible variety.
I ordered the Burrito Deluxe, which is two burritos, one of shredded chicken and the other of ground beef. The chicken was plentiful and juicy, but for the most part not shredded, containing very large chunks. The mixing of the ground beef and refried beans as a stuffing, resulted in a formless, but decent tasting mush. The menu describes the burritos as «topped with lettuce, tomato, supreme sauce and sour cream.» There was lettuce, a small amount of diced tomato, and very, very little sour cream — a thin drizzle rather than tablespoon fulls I had expected. As to the «supreme sauce», served as a side in a small bowl, oh my. Well, it’s not the supreme sauce of French cuisine and to label it sauce of any kind is misleading, since it is a very thin liquid tasting only of tomatoes, no other spices. Did not use it.
When we asked for the check, the hostess/​waitress/​busboy/​floor-​mopper, asked if we enjoyed the meal. My DP, who is usually quiet on this issue, spoke up and stated that he did not like his entrée. The response was, «Oh»; that’s it.
We both enjoy Mexican food; wish we had had Mexican food at Poblanos. Never again. Beware the empty parking lot at restaurants.

I feel like it’s a dishonor to the star system to even give this place 1 star. They deserve 0 stars. Terrible service, Noooo meat in the fajitas, half a spoon of sour cream and guacamole, noooo cheese. I have to wait 15 minutes to ask my waiter for hot sauce. I asked for extra sour cream, cheese and hot sauce. When I received my bill I noticed a $ 1.50 charge for cheese and a $ 1 charge for extra sour cream. The fajitas were $ 15. Absolutely terrible place and I will never be back.