La Puente Mexican Restaurant

This place is pretty good. My kids love it and they have good prices for the amount of food.

This place has great potential. It’s up on the second floor, cute décor, nice staff. The things I wish were better:
–salsa for chips is served in a squeeze bottle. Super hot in spice and lacks chunky tomatoes onions, and all that is expected in authentic salsa
–chips come out cold
–the plates are $ 10-​$ 13 which is pricey for just beans, rice, and a meat filled tortilla of sorts, (also expensive for lunch. Usually I see prices at other Mexican restaurants range between $ 6-​$ 8 during lunch.
–taste is a little below average
Overall, overpriced for what you’re getting! There are much better options in the area.

Every time I come to Salt Lake, it’s a MUST that I visit La Puente. I crave their smothered burritos year-​round! Been coming here since I was a kid. Love it!

Love this place and the enchiladas. I usually get the chicken enchiladas smothered in chile verde. This is one of my sisters favorite as well.

I was surprisingly happy with this place. The Chile Verde was a lot better than La Frontera, La Fountain, etc. Service was a-​okay, my water glass was never empty :)

Affordable, fast, large size and decent food. We have tried this place several times. It is perhaps not the most fancy Mexican restaurants in town. But it fills up stomach fast.

You roll into the parking lot around noon & you struggle to find a parking space. There’s a little parking jam getting in & you bristle at an older gentleman in an SUV when it looks like he’s eyeballin’ the spot you were waiting for — full crowd scene at La Puente today — you know you’re in the right place when the parking lot is this busy.
I’ve been coming here for years & it’s time to write a proper review. I’ve had so many negative dining experiences lately I had to put something positive out into the universe today. We used to live in Sugarhouse & eat here 3−4x a month, now that we’ve moved I only get out here occasionally. Due to a bad burrito at the La Frontera by my house and an awesome lunch here yesterday, I think I need to make this my go-​to Mexican American place again. Plus they have a full-​bar. Beer with your meal is always good but a shot of tequila AND a beer is WAY better.
The food & the service here is fantastic. As other locations like this have let their standards fall, this place is consistently great & has stepped up their game. Anytime special for $ 4.99 is a smothered burrito — always a standard for many. My favorite is low carb fajitas, comes with a nice little avocado & black olive side salad — also makes you feel like it’s a healthy meal & gives you permission to order that second shot or beer. Tamales, burritos, tacos, chimichangas, chips & salsa — it’s all good. You know what you’re getting when you come to this place and it’s very comforting.
I feel like I’m wrapped in a warm tortilla security blanket, I am a burrito of happiness & contentment.

Absolutely worth customer service and food I’ve ever had. Smothered pork burrito had about five pieces of pork, the soft shell tacos were more like Greek style pita. I’ve never heard of a Mexican restaurant without carne asada! The margaritas tasted like sweet lemonade. And worst of all my bill was $ 20 over what it should have been and after going round and round with the rude girl up front she tells me that they added a 15% gratuity to our bill. We had a table of 12 people but everyone paid in small parties of three or four. For some strange reason my party of three was the only one that they added a 15% gratuity. So when I asked for my tip back that I added on to the bill she got pissy and through the money on the counter. The waiters tell you the price is one amount and the girl trying to figure out how to get the bill up makes everything another amount. Stay away!

All of the reviews that have negative things to say are outdated. My first time dining here was in 2013 and I was very pleased with my experience. Let me start out with the basics — There’s a decently-​sized parking lot that they share with Bad Ass, their dining area is very big, and their upholstery is very clean, although out-​of-​date.
We could tell our server was swamped. But her customer service was top-​notch as she still answered my numerous questions about the menu gracefully. Yes, sometimes they do set your plates down a little abruptly. But it’s a busy restaurant and those plates are very hot and heavy! Who cares if the servers are a little rough with the way they serve your food as long as the food gets to you in one piece without burning their arm?
And mind you negative reviewers that their portions are huge! We ordered their combos of 3 and got super full after only finishing ¹⁄₃ of it. My friend was very happy with his chicken enchilada and smothered burrito. The only complaint I have about mine is that the only options that come with the tacos are beef and chicken. Also, I thought that the soft taco shells would be small, but these ones were HUGE and thick. But that’s okay. I didn’t mind it but didn’t end up eating it since I’m a little picky about my cheese and there was more than I would’ve cared for.
Overall, La Puente is a place that’s definitely comparable to other Mexican establishments. Give a try! And if you’re one of the people that complained in 2010 and 2011, get with the times! It’s 2015 and they’re on their best game now!

Inexpensive and tasty New Mexican style food. You won’t be disappointed.

Absolutely delicious! Great value for high quality food. Our waiter was beyond nice and accommodating. Place was busy for obvious reasons. A must go!!!

My death row meal! I love a Puente smothered burrito more than any other food on the planet. They know how to get that chile verde sauce just right and I always add the cheese and onions with rice and beans. Combined with a Dr. Pepper I don’t know how heaven could be any sweeter. I’ve eaten hundreds of these and keep coming back for more. The photo of departed local giant, the great Pete Suazo hanging over the cash register just makes me all the more convinced I’m having dinner at the right place.

WOW! We ordered for 3 for take out, and ordered a few large combinations and some bean and cheese burritos. Everything was perfect, especially since one of the combos was a special order with the lettuce/​tomato on the side for everything. It was all perfect, nothing was missing, and the taste was bomb! I’ve never had this place before and it was DELICIOUS! I will definitely be back!

Not Mexican authentic at all. French fries with stake and beans is just ugly. The tortillas were not even hand made tortillas there were more like Greek pitas. Don’t recommend it.

This place is terrible. I hate the shitty customer service. We walked out once because the family who came after us got served before us. I hate the food. I have never once had something delicious here. The management sucks too. I’m hoping they go out of business but probably not because all the Mormons used to eating bland shit will keep it going.

I frequent La Puente and La Frontera A LOT. I’ve actually come to favor La Puente’s flavors over La Frontera’s. However, when faced with the decision of which one to hit up, I have to decide whether I want really amazing flavors, but TERRIBLE service. OR, good flavor w/​great attentive service.
La Puente has continued to disappoint me with their awful service for MONTHS! The servers act like they hate their jobs. The «hosts» at the front are far from friendly. And the restaurant itself is FILTHY! There’s so much dust caked around the lights, walls, décor, etc…
*There is, however, one server (glasses w/​hat and ponytail) that is always running her ass off! And, she even does it with a smile. I always hope I get her section when I decide to actually come here.
If it weren’t for the smothered burritos, I’d stay away from this place.

Good mexican food (i’m a critic, since ive had it in my brooklyn hood, texas, and california, too.) Generous portions. Gigantic venue. Fed four of us for $ 60 and that included some beer, soda, and margaritas. Not bad at all!

Was not impressed. Everything was mediocre at best. I wouldn’t come back.
Margarita was all syrup, chicken chimichanga had only chicken it it, hardly any cheese. Sour cream came in a little plastic packet.
Meh.

Oh, the things I would do for a smothered burrito at La Puente. By far the best «mexican» food in Salt Lake City.
People always ask me what they should get and I tell them that there might as well just be one item on the menu: get the smothered burrito. Just do it.
There are a few «tex mex» places of this type in the valley but this is by far the best one. And with the $ 5 smothered burrito special on the menu, it is great food at a great price.

Came here with my step-​dad and had a STELLAR lunch! I am so full of goodness and love!
Ok, so we came here with a coupon that we got for the paper so he could get the ribs. I got the smothered bean and cheese burrito with a side of the green chili for dipping chips and extra smother on the burrito. The chili came out very quickly so that we could enjoy the chips and chili before our main course arrived.
Our server came back and apologetically told us that there was no rib sauce and he asked to get the chili put on top instead. While this was in fact a devastating thing, they totally made up for it by COMPING his ribs! One of the managers, or a higher up, came by to ask us about the food and to apologize again for not having the rib sauce. She then proceeded to tell us that the ribs were going to be on the house for their mistake. Now THAT is what I call customer service.
Don’t get me wrong, this place is not fancy, but it is clean and seats 200 people. When we left at 1:30 there were still around 30 tables full of happy diners.
They have great food and drink and the price is right! Killer service as well… we will be back again!