Puebla Modern Mexican

Great food but horrible service!!! Looks like someone else came here when I did… We went on Sunday night and it was mostly empty, 4 tables and there were at least 6 staff but my date and I, once sat, drank our full glasses of water and ate our whole bowl of chips before our waitress even made it to our table to introduce herself and ask for our drink order. We quickly ordered, not to lose her. We never saw her again until we got the check (everything else was done by the food runner… He delivered our food and also got us a drink refill… We both wanted to tip him!)
Our waitress stood at the bar chatting with the bartender helping her make drinks or something while all the tables sat waiting.
Food was great… But it was totally over shadowed by this shitty Sunday waitress.

Food and drinks were great! Our service was terrible! The waitress forgot things, one member of our party got her food about 10 minutes after everyone else, another person got her bill before her dessert came out and then her credit card was charged more than the bill was! And most of our bills were wrong. No manager came to apologize– nor did the waitress really– she just kept saying «My bad.» My bad is not the same as I’m sorry. It’s really a shame the service was so bad because the food was delicious, however I don’t think we will return due to the service.

Ordered takeout based on the online menu. When I picked up the order the prices were all higher than reflected online. I complained to the manager on duty and was simply told sorry that they were in the process of updating the online menu. They also mentioned they had several other complaints regarding this. Apparently updating the online prices is not a priority. For $ 34.56 I got an order of tacos, a side of their corn dish and the guacamole of the day. Ouch! The pomegranate guacamole was $ 13 for which I was told is priced at daily market prices. Who knew that guacamole can be so expensive and is priced like Maine Lobster!

I’m surprised this place isn’t rated higher. Been here several times and really pleased each time. Incredible margaritas (raspberry serrano is my favorite) and great slightly gourmet renditions of Mexican classics. I highly recommend it

Been to this joint once before right when they opened for a beer and it was dead on a Saturday Night? Not anymore. the word is definitely out and it was packed with an hour wait on a Saturday Night! We grabbed some spots at the bar; next to «Ramblin’ Ray». and started with some margaritas. These are definitely some of the best, fresh tasting margs that I’ve come across! A healthy hit of salt smears one side of the glass with a fresh lime wedge. My associate tried this Jalapeño Honey Marg and it was amazing as well! Started with some of the homemade salsas & guacamole and some Queso Fundido with Chorizo/​all were great; very fresh. For mains we had the Carne Asada & Carnitas Tacos. The Carne Asada was amazing! Great flavor & cooked to a perfect medium rare with wicked grill marks! The Carnitas were great as well. you get 4 tacos to an order. Service was good but a tad on the slow side because they are so busy; that’s a good thing. The interior is pretty cool as well; prob best described as «Modern Industrial». lots of exposed brick, glass & steel! Highly recommend this joint/​gdd

Great drinks. Love the atmosphere. Tacos were great. Will definitely be back. Located in downtown St Charles.

Don’t waste your time with Zaa Zaa next door, rude and over priced. We walked into Puebla and were greeted with smiles. The food was fantastic! Fresh, new Mexican fare with a great twist. Try the beer flight!
The only thing that is preventing me from giving this place a perfect score is the mistakes that our server made. First, she brought out the wrong dish for our youngest daughter, then she charged for the incorrect, and the correct dish. She had a great attitude about it, thought. I would go back here in a heartbeat.

I had fish tacos. they lacked taste. Great service and nice atmosphere. I will say it again nothing we tasted had any flavor. Sad but true

This place is a three-​and-​a-​halfer. It was okay, yummy, but not out of this world. I would live the rest of my life fine not eating there again, but then I’d also eat there again. SO I guess it’s okay?
Had the kids with and it was busy, but not anything abnormal for a fair weekend on Saturday night. So be prepared, right? Received salsa before chips. Never given a kid’s drink that was included in the food price. Kid’s plain quesadilla with fries took longer than our dinners (which wasn’t helpful when the server specifically asked if we wanted it first. YES. yes we do). Fajitas weren’t served with the corn tortillas… just had to stare at the for awhile until they arrived.
All that to say, the food was solid good. Not amazing. It would taste similar if I made it at home, but it was tasty. Forty bucks later and we were all fed and happy, so it was a-​ok.

My husband and I stopped by on a whim about a while back. It’s beautiful! It’s very tastefully decorated and has a nice and wide open feel. The food is a little pricey for what you get, but it was still good.
What I did not like was our view of the kitchen. The cooks aren’t wearing any sort of uniform and they aren’t wearing hair nets or gloves.

The décor has an openness and the feel of being trendy.
The drink menu with tequila varieties lends to the trendiness.
The food is bland. (The chili relleno was large and looked appetizing – bland!) This was also true of the appetizer of guacamole (no spice) and the flan (undistinguished).
The waitress was attentive, assuring us our meal’s delay was the languid kitchen.
Come here again? No thanks!

The hubby and I went to Puebla last Saturday afternoon. We arrived at 3:30 and had the run of the place. It was awesome, the opposite of the Bien Trucha chaos that can sometimes affect my time there. Unlike BT, Puebla stays open all day. By the time we left, the patio tables were full… we were alone inside the whole time.
We opted for the Piña Guacamole. It was good. BT wins the guac race, but the bean dip and chips go to Puebla. We loved both.
We didn’t have a cocktail, but I do want to go back and try their creative margaritas for sure. We had water, and let me tell you, it was awesome water. Super cold, no ice needed… a very nice perk. So yes, we were sort of boring on this trip, our son was at a birthday party and we wanted to get in and get out, so it was water, guac and tacos. So let’s get to the best part, the tacos! We ordered the carne and pescado. The carne are steak, and super tasty steak at that. They are topped with delicious caramelized onions, an avocado sauce and cheese. The pescado tacos were grilled Mahi Mahi, we were so impressed with them. They has a pico de gallo type topping and avocado. They were the best tacos I’ve ever had.
We can’t wait to go back and really enjoy Puebla… getting some sides and margaritas.

Wonderful vibe, delicious tacos (Al Pastor, Carne, and Estilo Baja), went at lunch so there were only two other groups eating (one being a couple) and I will definitely be coming back to eat again. Oh! And the chips were so perfectly cooked served with a yummy bean dip! Their service was a little slow for the amount of tables filled (3 out of at least 30) and we had to ask for more water and other drinks, plus chips without the server asking if we needed anything. Try it out!

This is my favorite restaurant in the St. Charles area! I have been here multiple times and have never had anything less than a fantastic time. The restaurant is beautiful inside and out, and the service is always excellent. Great for a formal or casual occasion.
Puebla stands out because of their guac and margs. With guac flavors like pumpkin seed and marg flavors like strawberry basil and cucumber jalepeno, you will never get bored. Their tacos are also delicious, but here’s your warning — you will always leave in a food coma!

The food and atmosphere are amazing! So much great guacamole — and delicious salsa. Staff was attentive.

This place is so good! I wish they would put one in downtown Naperville. The chips are delicious. The queso fundido was great (we added chorizo) Service was fantastic and the modern atmosphere is so inviting.

I enjoyed a late weekday lunch at Puebla. It’s an attractive, modern room with high ceilings and hard surfaces, so noise may be an issue for those seeking a conversation-​friendly venue. The décor is sort of nueva Mexicana, and the lightness of the room shows it off to good effect. Since the place was nearly empty, service was quite attentive.
The menu consists of upscale takes on traditional Mexican-​style favorites. We enjoyed pineapple guacamole and deliciously fresh, crispy chips. Then we sampled tacos. Unfortunately, diners cannot mix tacos within an order of four — they all have to be the same. The three of us solved that by ordering different tacos, then trading among ourselves. All were delicious: my favorite were the al pastor (a bit more picante than others I’ve had), followed by a shrimp special (tender, juicy camerones), with steak coming in third (good, but not very exciting). A side of elote Mexicano was sweet, though a bit bland. All the taco plates and the side were very nicely presented. For dessert, a chocolate brownie was tasty & indulgent.
Because of the noise factor, I’m not sure I’d care for the ambiance if the place was busy. For an off-​hours lunch, though, it was very nice, indeed. For quality of cooking, I’d compare Puebla favorably with Geneva’s Bien Trucha; for ambiance, BT has more of a hipster vibe, while Puebla is a bit tonier. How nice that there are such good upscale Mexican places in the Fox Valley!

My friend and I had a lovely weekend lunch at Puebla last weekend. We went around 1 pm on a Saturday and it was fairly quiet. We were greeted immediately and seated in a booth (we were offered either booth or table). I had a delicious margarita to start– pineapple and had a nice peppery kick– loved it. I enjoyed the fish tacos which were perfectly cooked and seasoned and also had a lovely dessert in the warm brown sugar cake (which really looked more like a muffin– but still delicious). I thought the prices were comparable to other restaurants of the same caliber and I would definitely come back to try some of their other food in the future. Good food and good service with a nice ambiance– what more can you ask?

It’s a shame that the food at this restaurant is so awful, as interior is nicely done (except for the fact that the floor was buckling and being held in place with some kind of tape… that was bizarre). Unfortunately, good looks can only take you so far, and that is certainly the case with Puebla.
My girlfriend and I met here for dinner last week, and were surprised to see how uncrowded the restaurant was, even for a weeknight, though in hindsight, that probably should have been a sign. We ordered two cocktails, and I must say they were very nice, so if you’re just coming for drinks, you might enjoy the place.
We, however, were also ordering food, especially since chips and salsa did not come complimentary (really? A Mexican restaurant that doesn’t give you free chips and salsa?). We ordered one of the rather expensive salsas, as well as the house guacamole. It was crystal clear that the guacamole was previously frozen — in fact, parts of it were still frozen when it hit the table! We left most of it untouched, something I do not think I have ever done at a Mexican restaurant.
At the waiter’s suggestion, I ordered the fish tacos, expecting crispy tilapia with fresh cilantro and avocado. What arrived instead were four slabs of fish (literally, the fish was cubed) without the slightest crispiness whatsoever. If there was fresh cilantro on those tacos it must have been invisible to the naked eye, as I certainly couldn’t spot any. I left two of the tacos untouched as well.
For a meal that cost each of us $ 46, my friend and I left very hungry and unhappy. I don’t expect Puebla to last long.

Definitely a spot to visit in Saint Charles! Worth the drive and totally worth the value.
Some friends suggested this place for dinner this weekend and not knowing much about it, I went with the crowd and made out way to this perfect dinner spot. First impression: spacious, clean, excellent lighting, great location, and the employees seemed to be on top of their game.
When we arrived, we were a few minutes late so we found some margaritas already on our table our friends had ordered. Unfortunately, when I drink tequila, bad things seem to happen so after briefly browsing the menu, I went with a ginger ale and the hubby ordered a Mexican Sprite in the glass bottle. If you have had an America Sprite, you will know the difference!
Their house made chips were served with beans instead of salsa which I thought was a nice touch. I ordered a few salsas off the menu to try. 3 types for $ 5. I ordered the Salsa Verde, Habanero and Chile de Arbol. Not gonna lie, one was better than the next. I could have eaten all 3 and made a meal out of them! some of the best salsas are the ones you would never try. Take it from the Mexican that doesn’t like spicy food all that much!
Their orders of tacos are about $ 10-​$ 12 for four tacos. At first, I wanted to order the Al Pastor because this is the true test for a Mexican place as far as I’m concerned but after hearing about their specials, I changed my order to their taco of the day: barbacoa. They do not allow you to mix up your taco orders so you must get all 4 the same. You are best to find someone to order something else and trade some tacos to get a variety! Hubbs ordered the steak tacos with melted cheese and I chose the special Barbacoa taco dinner. Rice is not included but it did not interest me all that much. The 4 tacos are more than enough for one person.
Service is where they lose a star. Our server was very nice and knew the menu items, FOR SURE! However, we found ourselves quite often with empty drinks or water and even after finding our server and asking for this drink or that drink, he still took a while to produce a beverage. This seemed to be just how the night went for beginning to end. Otherwise, everything went well. The empty glasses issue needs to addressed but we will be back.
The food and pricing was very appealing and I can’t wait to go back to try the guacamole!