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Print this page2-Minute Review: El Puente
Another day, another Mexican joint. Or so it seems in Springfield. I shy from many Mexican food reviews; they just all seem the same. I tried El Puente, though, because it’s in the same newish shopping center as Parlor 88. Surely such digs equal high-quality food, right?
The place: In spite of the yellow awnings, the exterior is attractive and the interior open and comfortable, if not terribly inventive. One design note: The tables are fantastic, with carvings and three-dimensional layers.
The service: Our waiter was friendly, but not swift. Our “we need one more minute” with our menus turned into 10. El Puente’s take-your-ticket-to-the-register set-up is an underused one.
The food: This is where things got disappointing. El Puente has the prices of more inventive local Mex joints (like Maria’s) but lacks the inventiveness. Still, we could have handled it if the food we did order had been stellar. Unfortunately, between myself and two dining companions, only the chicken burrito and my bottled cerveza earned a “yum.” The cheese dip was gloopy, the soft taco fell apart, and the enchilada sauce poured over everything tasted like the blandest Ragu you buy off the shelf at Wal-Mart. Thumbs up, though, to the chips and salsa.
Verdict: As much as I despise giving negative reviews, I have to point you away from El Puente. You’re not going to despise it, but you’re going to spend less for more flavor at Cielito Lindo.
Reader Comments:
I will have to respectfully disagree with this article. My husband and I have become Mexican food snobs after living in St. Louis for a few years, and everywhere we tried (before going to El Puente) came up VERY short. Even Cielito Lindo, which seems to do no wrong in the eyes of Springfieldians, we have dubbed "Lo Siento." I can look over a bad night when it comes to service, but there was absolutely nothing special about the food (we ordered fajitas).
We had just about stopped craving Mexican altogether when we decided to give El Puente a try. One taste of the chips and salsa...we were cautiously optimistic. The salsa tasted so fresh and had just the right amount of kick. Our service was swift. Kept our drinks full, made sure we were doing ok, but more or less left us to eat in peace. Our food (got a double order of the El Puente fajita...coincidence, we do eat things besides fajitas!) was very flavorful. Well-prepared with quality ingredients. We're definitely going to be repeat customers.
Thanks for your article! Just wanted to post a different opinion since we REALLY hope this place stays around for a long time!