Mi Pueblo

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lennonjon

Joined 6 years ago

Spent 10-years in Tucson. This is as good as it'll get here.. A little back story: I grew-up in Lakewood, where to me Mexican food was Chi-Chi's and Taco Bell.

Then I moved-out to Tucson for graduate school and spent 10-years there. I didn't want to leave. With all all the 24-hour taco shops where you could get a great chilie relleno @ 3am, and all the authentic Mexican Food, I was in heaven. Chi-Chi's be damned.

But there I am, back in NE oHIo, trying to find some decent Mexican Food...

Mi Pueblo's is damn close to authentic. It was recommended to my sister-in-law as the most authentic around, by the Mexican landscapers that work for her.

To me, a chilie relleno is the best gauge of the authenticity of a Mexican Restaurant. The chilie's have to be mild. The cheese has to be creamy and thick, and they have to be dipped in egg batter and golden fried, topped with a red chilie sauce. And for Pancho Villa's sake, there can't be meat in them! (Every Mexican place I have been to in OH and NY that has "chilie rellenos" put's beef in them...).

Contrary to what a reviewer below stated, my chilie relleno's were almost perfectly done.

Is it as good as what I could get in Tucson? Nope. But it's damn close, given our location, and what the palate of the average gringo likes (Taco Bell ::cough::). The biggest downfall was that it seemed over priced for the food. One should never have to pay $9 for a 2-chilie relleno dinner.

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Itellya

Joined 3 years ago

Still a believer. I am another reviewer that has to preface their review by saying: "I used to LOOOOVE Mi Pueblo". But.......

My wife and I used to dine weekly at Mi Pueblo. It was a popular place with great food and great atmosphere. The marinated spicy carrots alone are still on my top ten favorite foods list. The servers were cheerful and welcoming, the margaritas perfectly mixed and brimming with glistening sea salt.

6 years later..... We don't get over there as much, but last week we got inspired to meet after work on friday. All week, I was looking forward to friday,for an old favorite. When we walked in we saw maybe three tables seated, on a FRIDAY! This should have been a warning sign of their demise. We were greeted by the backs of two fat servers who made no effort to turn around even though one of them did glance up at us when we walked in. Finally someone in the back saw us and sat us.

Our server was nice enough, if not aloof, and she brought us our salsa with a pursed smile. The salsa was as good as ever, fresh ingredients, perfect recipe (I'd love to have it!)

But she didn't bring the carrots!!! The goddamn carrots are the reason we came here!!!! So we had to ask, and when they arrived, I popped one in my mouth and my face sank. They were under-marinated, not ready yet. As crisp as fresh carrots and barely any of the signature appeal of tangy and spicy. Just a bowl of slighty salty wet carrots. D-

But we said, like victims of abuse, that it was just an accident and it won't happen again.

Then our pitcher of Margaritas came (20$). It was a pale greenish color. We ordered salted rims and mine might have had 20 granules of TABLE salt clinging on to one half inch spot. It tasted like watered down lime Kool Aid with a watermelon Jolly Rancher in it. And not the slightest hint of Tequila. For a 20$ pitcher I had to say something. After politely asking to punch it up a bit, she obliged and returned with the pitcher. We were back on track.

While we waited, we were serenaded by a smiling Mariachi, to whom we tipped for his service. Unfortunately in the desolate dining room, he came across as more of a street musician begging for money than the jovial performers we remembered.

The food, I must say, was terrific. I had the Carne Asada ala Tempiquena (spelling?) and it was cooked to temp, and seasoned excellently. My wife said the tostadas she ordered were the best she ever had there.

So we were back in high spirits and able to salvage the night, our bellies full and a couple of Margaritas helping us along. And we were ready for the check. But our server had been missing for at least 10 minutes. Not a sign of her. American Spirit cigarettes don't even smoke for that long. We were ready to go for at least 15 minutes before another server finally noticed our demeanor and got the check for us. I asked "are you our server now?" and she replied "No, she's at the bar talking to the Mariachi." So we paid, and tipped her accordingly (I used to work in service, so it takes more than this for me to not tip someone at all).

Overall, I still have hope for Mi Pueblo. All of the right pieces are still there, they just have to pull them back into what it used to be. I really only wish the best for you Mi Pueblo. Good luck in the future. We will give you another chance, I don't know how many more, but at least one.

Doesn't Recommend

rebecca doman

Joined 4 years ago

disappointing. Let me preface, Mi Pueblo used to be the place to be 6 to 7 years ago, packed, waiting for a table, kinda like how Melt in Lakewood is now. The last few years my husband and I have gone sporatically and it has been hit or miss. After last nights experience, I will NEVER be going to one of my favorite places ever again. I ordered a Burrito, wanting to get bean, yet the wattress stressed a vegetable one or an avocado one would be better. So I got a vegetable one and what was inside was more than shocking. The ingredients contained the same carrots, celery, and potatos from the soup. It was the same texture and taste as the soup, which leads to believe they laddled it from the soup. How can you serve this? My husbands meal was cold and he asked for corn tortillas receiving flour. Food is way too overpriced and horribly a disgrace to what it used to be.

Doesn't Recommend

Dgrrrl81

Joined 4 years ago

Awful!. I love Mexican cuisine for the great flavors and the fabulous tequila and these were both seriously lacking at Mi Pueblo.

1. Frozen margarita tasted like strawberry syrup slush, couldn't even tell if there was tequila in it.

2. Tortilla soup smelled and had gross unappetizing pieces of chicken in it.

3. Chile Relleno was a big fat tasteless soggy mess.

4. Salsa was all heat, no actual flavor. It tasted like it came out of a can, not even a jar, but a can.

Overall, this was such a disappointment. I recommend the only Mexican place I actually like when I'm home in Cleveland- Luchitas. It is far better than anything I've had in the area.

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buzzydog

Joined 5 years ago

Love Those Hot Carrots. I felt as though I was back in Mexico. The place is nothing to look at, but a real Mexican experience. Food was authentic with a good variety of menu options. Salsa was fresh and hot, I loved the spicy carrots. Portions were large and food was flavorful. Food could have been hotter and served quicker. I found the price's reasonable. I will definitly make it a frequent stop.

Doesn't Recommend

chiliverde

Joined 6 years ago

Looking for tasty Mexican food in Ohio. I read comments from others and I was fairly excited to try this place since it seems hard to find good Mexican food in Ohio. I was born and raised 40 years in California near LA where there is an abundance of such -- I was disappointed first by the chips which are clearly not homemade but are store bought/from a bag. The salsa was the same and had the familiar quality of Herdez brand canned salsa. The refried beans had the distinct taste of canned pintos that have been smashed and served up. The mole verde was unflavorful and was notable only for its saltiness. I'll just have to keep looking because Mi Pueblo definitely does not fill the bill for my taste of authentic Mexican food.

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mojo01

Joined 6 years ago

The Only Authentic Mexican Food in Cleveland Area!!!!. I think I might possibly know every great, authentic restaurant in any state I have traveled to. Unfortunately, I have never found a great place in Cleveland that was truely good, authentic mexican! Today, I tried Mi Pueblo and I have FINALLY FOUND MY HOME FOR MEXICAN FOOD!!! I read a couple of comments that the place was "questionable".............I am a single female and was not scared of the location for a moment and never felt that Mi Pueblo was anything but very clean and welcoming. The servers and owner (and his brother that owns the eastside location) were very kind and welcoming-I didn't feel like the awkward gringo in this great place! If you really love authentic Mexican food (no taco seasoning here), you will love Mi Pueblo! If you're on a tight budget, splurge on the amazing margaritas and just enjoy the chips, salsa, spicy, pickled carrots and order the $1.65 tacos that are the best tacos you will ever have! (Carne Asada was my favorite) Thank You Mi Pueblo!! Love you, Love you and you will see lots of me!

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bdee1977

Joined 7 years ago

Authentic Mex. This is a great Mexican restaurant! Very authentic, interior is festive, service was fast. Parking isn't alway the best, but worth it to try. We had to wait a little bit for a seat, but the Margaritas were yummy & the food great.

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diva216

Joined 9 years ago

Margaritas are the best. We went late one Friday night. There was limited parking in the front, so we parked in the back. From the outside the place looks like a dive, but on the inside, it is clean and well lit.



The Margaritas were excellent. They are a little expensive, but worth every dime. The salsa is very good, and so are the spicy carrots that came out with it. This is an AUTHENTIC mexican restaurant. We ordered the quesadilla and taquitos and they were not what we expected. A little bland to say the least.

It took a while for our food to arrive. Our entrees were okay, but twice as good reheated in the microwave. The refried beans had a really good taste to them.

The check came and with 2 appetizers 2 Margaritas and our 4 entrees it was over $100 for 4 people. We were shocked!

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

This tiled and tomatillo-ed restaurant is one of the best-kept secrets in Kielbasa Land.. The Scene
A multi-ethnic, multi-generational crowd up from the University Circle dorms and down from the Heights gathers to scarf corn chips in the bar and claim their regular places at the carved wooden tables.

The Food
No border compromises here. At "My House," the Mex-without-the-Tex-influences food recreates the family recipe specialties of the Mexican state of Michoacan. A typical meal might open with caldo de pollo, the universal chicken and rice soup, kicked up a notch with cilantro seasoning and onions. Now cured of every ailment known to medical science, you can move through the cheese-stuffed pepper munchies, seafood entrees and plump fajitas filled with all manner of things that graze or grow. The 40-ounce margaritas should have their own fanclub. They're a big part of the backroom cantina, where a severe case of mariachi has been known to break out. Request straight tequila at your own risk.