Puerto Nuevo - BANNER ELK

This restaurant is the sister location of the one with the same name in Newland and Roan Mountain, both of which I have visited in the past. However, the experience here is truly distinct.

Today, Puerto Nuevo was engulfed in flames. Over a dozen fire departments tirelessly worked to save the establishment. Fortunately, we heard that no one was injured.

I've visited this restaurant a few times, and I would consider going back again, but with a warning and some insights that I'd like to share. I wouldn’t describe this place as...

Absolutely fantastic! This is definitely a restaurant worth trying in Banner Elk. The service was excellent, and the food was quite tasty. There are plenty of parking spaces and ample seating, so finding a place to sit on a Saturday night is no problem. The #18 dish received rave reviews from three members of our group, and the favorita was also a hit. Additionally, there's a salsa bar with great selections. The margaritas were enjoyable too; the medium size was quite large, so I can't even imagine how big the larger size would be!

The service here is impressively quick. We were seated, and a server attended to us within minutes. Our food arrived in under ten minutes. Everyone enjoyed their meals, and they served my favorite type of chips—thin and crispy. We were never left without water. The reason for the four-star rating, however, is that my meal was not prepared as stated on the menu. When I asked for a correction, I was confronted by the staff who brought the food. They even went to get a menu to show me that I was wrong, which backfired on them since the menu confirmed that I was right. Despite this frustration, it didn't overshadow the delicious food and the exemplary service we received from our server.