Puente Hills Mexican Cafe

Adidos Mexican Café… I went for lunch today and the doors were closed.
I was nice to come here for a Sunday brunch or even a quick lunch.

A mexican oasis in a sea of Chinese food. I like the food here. It may not be authentic but it’s tasty as hell.
Recommend: tamales, enchilada, chicken and rice. I like that they have homemade daily soups. Will try that next time around.

NO BUENO SENORA
Just had lunch and was disappointed. I don’t know if the chef changed but the food doesn’t taste the same.
I had chicken flautas and the bf got the buffet. The buffet is actually pretty good for the price of 11.99. You get all the usual entrees plus pozole and omelette bar. Downside is the food isn’t fresh. The bacon was fatty and not crispy because it was soaking in grease.
My.favorite corn cake was greasy too. Too buttery or oily. Still good but not like before =(
The chips and salsa fell off too. The chips were stale and store bought and the once addicting salsa was so/​so.
My bf ate one round of buffet and I asked him to get me some more corn cake. I put it on my plate and left some to take home with my flautas. When I asked for a to-​go box the waitress lady boxed everything but left out the corncake! I was shocked at how CHEAP and SHEISTY she got. I know we not supposed to share but it’s only a spoonful of corn geez lady lol.
Seeing how empty the place was I realize it’s customer service like hers that makes the place lose business. I’m going to Taco Pub or Casa Alvarez from now on.

Pretty sure I saw fireworks while I took my first bite of the flan!
Sunday brunching with a party of 9 for $ 12.95 each person (champagne included, addtionaly charge for orange juice if you want to make mimosas). I didn’t really know what to expect as I’ve heard so many great things about this place. Service was definitely on par, i’ll give them that. Our waitress was attentive and someone was always coming around taking away plates that we already finished. A bowl of chips + salsa are given to each table when you first arrive — complimentary.
Why the 3 stars? I didn’t find much of the food available spectacular besides the flan, cornbread, chips with cheese, concha (nice and soft), and ceviche. The tamale lacked flavor, the enchiladas & omelette were overly cheesey, most of the meat dishes were just okay (i hardly touched it after my first bite). Our party paid $ 16.50 each person after tax and tip. A little too pricey for what it was, but I wouldn’t mind coming every couple months or so.
Parking lot is spacious and shared with other tenants. There are Mexican Café only parking spots right in front of the restaurant.

Lived in the vicinity for years and never stopped in before So while thumbing through Unilocal reviews this establishment caught my eye. We hit most Sunday brunch between here and San Diego and beyond We were the first in at 9am Everything looked appetizing Was greeted and I exclaimed «it’s our first time here» we were excited to find a place so close to home. Not a soul responded to our enthusiasm But parking was great… That was the best part of our visit…, sad to say…, I really wanted this place to be awesome But. The food albeit somewhat tasty was cold and getting our 3 glass max champagne was like pulling teeth I was offered an $ 11 bottle which is only worth $ 3… If I wanted to purchase this. Was the only interaction we received with the wait staff. Btw the sign said three glass max which was quickly swiped off the wall when I told the man serving In which he smiled and gleamed uhhh «no it’s two glass max» he’s truly in the wrong profession Possibly if we were attended to properly we would have stayed longer and ordered much more liquor My man and I believe in spending our hard earned cash with local restaurants and supporting our community this one probably won’t see our bucks in the future. Pass on this place if you’re looking for a wonderful brunch experience…, you’ll be happier at alcapulco/​el Torito

Came here with some friends for brunch on Sunday and we were pleasantly surprised.
Lived in Rowland Heights all of my 22 years and have never tried, let alone even noticed this place…
$ 13 for AYCE brunch. Good authentic mexican food. Pretty good selection. Omelette station, dessert, pancakes but we all came here for the mexican food!
Enchiladas, ceviche, burritos, tamales, etc. It was extremely satisfying and I had that I ate way too much I wanna throw up and go to sleep but it was so worth it feeling.
The brunch also comes with champagne but you do have to pay an extra $ 2.25 for two tins of OJ.
I’ll definitely be back for the brunch but I also heard that Monday Night Football days are a good day to come too!

I never noticed this place before when i came to this plaza but i’m glad we Unilocaled it! We almost didn’t eat here because it was so empty around 8pm and didn’t look that great but we decided to give it a chance. Shouldn’t judge a book by its cover!
You start off with some chips & salsa when you sit down. The salsa is pretty good but i wish they had fresh tortilla chips. Maybe it is fresh? I couldn’t really tell.
I got 2 carne asada tacos that come with rice, beans, guacamole, salsa, & mashed up cornbread. The tacos were so good with the salsa, guac, and some tapatio! The rice & beans were pretty good but nothing special. My boyfriend LOVED the mashed up cornbread but I thought it was alright.
Our waitress was so attentive but maybe it’s because there was only 1 other party besides us lol. Whatever, still a plus!
The water didn’t taste like it came right out of the sink and the rating here is an A! I will definitely be back.

Came here on a Friday night to have a karaōke girls night out. They have plenty Spanish and English songs selection. The place is not packed but its not a bad place to hang out with friends. Drinks were good. Overall we had a good time :)

Food: We ordered pocido (pork soup) soup, faitos (sorry, not sure what’s it called but it’s like taquitos), and I ordered the hurvos con chirozo (2 scramble eggs, mexican pork, rice and beans). The soup was good, the pork in the soup was nice and tender. The faitos and hurovs con chirozo was also good.
Service: We came in early in the morning. The waitress was very tentative and nice.
Ambiance/​Décor: Not much to really take notice, but it seems after 10PM, it becomes an 21 an over place.
Overall: At this time, probably the only good Mexican restaurant we discover/​tried in Rowland Heights area. I would come back.

Yes, I am updating once again… its mainly cause this meal was freaken amazing! I ordered the arroz con pollo (rice with chicken). It was delicious! This plate consist of Mexican rice, topped with grilled chicken breast, ranchera sauce (its sort of like enchilada sauce), cheese and pico de gallo. This place perfected this dish. The amount is more than enough to get me through lunch and even have some left overs for dinner but I must say, it was very very difficult to stop eating this dish. The chicken isn’t dry and the whole plate combined is just perfect! Highly recommend this dish to anyone. This entrée comes with tortillas (corn or flour) but I ate this with chips as well.

We ordered the shredded chicken quesadilla, carne asada burrito an a fish taco. The quesadilla was the highlight of the meal! The chicken was tender, not dry, and they were pretty generous with the filling! The fish taco was decent… But in my opinion it needed a little more sauce and a touch more flavor… The biggest disappointment here was the carne asada burrito. Although the portion is huge, the fact that it is served «wet» makes it all kind of mushy. The sauce and cheese they pour over it, makes it more tex-​mexish than it does authentic Mexican style. It also makes it more difficult to eat, because you have use a fork and knife…
They have a full bar, and play football here on Sundays… The margaritas were decent –we had 4 margaritas, a fish taco (a la cart), quesadilla and a carne asada burrito all for $ 48 bucks…

The congested lunchtime parking situation is frustrating. You aren’t greeted as you enter, leaving you standing around confused (do I wait to be seated or do I just take any of these pretty filthy tables?) You only get water refilled if you can flag down your non-​existent waitress. Ditto for the bill. Oh, and I think they’re trying to conserve energy at your expense – turn some lights on in here!
But (get ready for the big ol’ but!)…the food is cheap, plentiful, & delicious, so Puente Hills Mexican Café is forgiven all above-​mentioned offenses.
I loved their arroz con pollo… perfect ratio of arroz to all the other goodies (chicken, peppers, a tangy/​spicy tomatoey sauce.) Heavenly! Made me feel I was eating in someone’s Abuelita’s kitchen.
The combo, aptly named ‘El Jefe,’ includes a taco, chile relleno (nice light batter) & an enchilada.
So much food for $ 24 & the chips & salsa were great. Crispy, not too thin chips & chunky salsa (lots of onions)…only complaint about the food – salsa was a bit too mild. Everything else gets two thumbs up!
There is an outdoor patio – perfect for lunching semi al fresco in So Cal’s super warm weather.

What I need from you is understanding
I want to love you… help me stay
hear my lyrics… what I say
I don’t want to be low bred demanding
Just heed my lyrics as you read
Understanding is what I need
You don’t even know me
Though I’ve been to your café twice
First, you bring out chips and salsa
so fresh tasting and so nice (fresh tasting and nice)
Huevos a la mexicana
BEST MEXICAN BREAKFAST I’VE EVER HAD
But your carne asada burrito
I couldn’t believe it was so bad.
I try so very hard
to keep my love alive
but you don’t want to meet me half way
The understanding dies
The second time I had fajitas
Ate one flour tortilla, tasted mushy
I asked for corn replacements
You charged a $ 1 fee
Why can’t you give the new ones for free?
What I need from you is understanding
I want to love you… help me stay
hear my lyrics… what I say
I don’t want to be low bred demanding
Just heed my lyrics as you read
Understanding is what I need
I know you’re a mom-​and-​pop place
I know the things that you’re going through
I try to understand
That’s why I’m still with you (still with you)
Beef taquitos dinner
Was presented skillfully
Shredded beef filling, flaky shells
Filled wifey and me with glee
I try so very hard
to keep my love alive
but you don’t want to meet me half way
The understanding dies
Bathroom toilet didn’t flush
It was unclean, not sanitary
Please please fix all your issues
Your success I do want to see
What I need from you is understanding
I want to love you… help me stay
hear my lyrics… what I say
I don’t want to be low bred demanding
Just heed my lyrics as you read
Understanding is what I need

I came to Puente Hills Mexican Café to try their chicken flautas after a quick night hike in the nearby Puente Hills.
We almost didn’t get to though. I knew something was up when I saw bouncers and people collecting cover charge at the door. I told them I just wanted to have some dinner and they informed me they were having «night club» night. I insisted I must eat dinner here and they asked the restaurant people who were nice and allowed us to come in and have our dinner. We opted to sit outside at the patio away from everyone as it was obvious we were the only people there who didn’t come for the night club (not to mention the only non-​Mexicans there).
The chicken flautas plate came out instantly, and it was pretty damn good. Light and flaky, as if they were wrapped with egg roll papers. They give you 6 pieces and it’s a lot of food along with rice & beans and a small scoop of corn cake. It’s hard to finish especially if you were eating the free chips and salsa they start you off with. The flautas plate was $ 11, not cheap. However, between the yummy food and their excellent service, it was all worth it. This place has some of the best service I’ve experienced in this area. And we made the poor server lady walk back and forth all night and she was still super sweet to us; she came at least three times to take my «indecisive» friend’s order. I asked for some sliced radish and I was given a whole bowl of them. Nice!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!

THANK YOU, Unilocal!!!
After being sick and tired of not having a decent Mexican restaurant around the area – let’s face it, Chipotle and Rubio’s can only hold back the cravings for so long – I took to Unilocal to find somewhere close by to get my enchilada fix. TA-​DA! Mexican Café came swooping in to save me a trip to Ray’s Tepeyac in Azusa.
I went here for dinner last week with my family, and we definitely were satisfied. We ordered a half order of carnitas nachos, carnitas enchiladas, carnitas taquitos, and the chile relleno. As you can tell, this family loves their pork! Haha!
The staff was very friendly and quick to refill our drinks and chips. And although the waiter told me that the taquitos were already pre-​made (with beef and chicken only)… They were able to accommodate my request, and made me my carnitas taquitos. YUM! :)
The prices were decent. Around $ 10 for a plate of 2 carnitas enchiladas with rice and beans (and trust me – they give a generous amount of rice and beans!). I wasn’t able to see the final bill because… Well, I didn’t pay. Lol. However, I heard no complaints. So the bang must have been worth the buck, right?
Overall, I will definitely be going back to Mexican Café when I’m craving some authentic Mexican food. :)

best mexican place out of 5 places i’ve tried in the area. reviewers deliver in suggesting the flautas. had some from baja fresh and phmc’s version is so much better. i also tried the enchilada sauza, which was decent. i really like the rice here, which wasnt grainy yet had texture. my friend had the carne asada burrito. the meat wasnt tough but still had texture. though the meat didnt seem like it was seasoned very well, i did enjoy the fact that this burrito wasnt too salty, which is such a turnoff.
the servers were very nice, the ambience is a little dim but perhaps because of the time we went (2 pm). the other diners seemed to be white people. i guess that reflects the neighborhood demographic or perhaps they were just white mexican.

I’m not sure how I became the Duke of this place… anyhoo…
They have remodeled and redecorated the place. It still feels like a hole in the wall kinda place, just much bigger. A big hole in the wall? That’s besides the point…
The waitresses there are friendly. I usually go with my friend who frequents there. Some of them already know what I’d order. I order the same thing every time — carne asada plate, no beans, no tortilla. It’s a big plate of food with a pretty decent size of the grilled skirt steak, rice, pico de gallo, guac, rice and a cheese enchilada. The skirt steak is usually pretty juicy. Sometimes a little bit on the bland side though. The other thing I’ve had here is the posole soup… it’s yuuuum… I don’t know Mexican food enough to say if it’s authentic or not… but as far as I can tell, there’s pork and veggies and it’s goooood…
I almost forgot to mention about the salsa… it’s very good, it’s a little watery but very tasty.

The chips tasted very fresh with the right amount of crunch and not too salty. The Salsa tastes ok. Could have had more spice with riper tomatoes. My husband liked it because he said that the non-​spicy salsa made the chips and salsa appetizer more refreshing on a hot summer day.
The Chicken Flautas were AMAZING! This is the dish to get! Lightly crispy wrappers fried on the outside with delicious moist meat on the inside. Huge portions for the price.
The Carne Asada tacos were average. Not horrible but not memorable.
The beans were watery and on the bland side.
The rice was nice and moist. Sometimes, I find the Mexican rice to be too dry, but it was not the case this time.
Tiny scoop of yummy sweet corn meal to top off the dish.
Great Service.
Again, go for the CHICKEN FLAUTAS!!! (My husband says Zumaya’s in Whittier has better flautas, but I have yet to try it… so maybe he’s right. However, for now, Puente Hills Mexican Café has the best chicken flautas that I have ever had).

I had lunch here today and had the «El Jefe». It’s a choice of 3 items (Chile Relleno, crunchy taco, or enchilada served with rice and beans. Definitely good for a hungry eater like me. I’m reminded every time I’m there how awesome their homemade salsa.
The service today was really slow and they weren’t even backed up.
But I forgive you Mexican Café! Your food is worth the wait.

Welllllll… being a «Mexican» myself… does that mean Unilocal can yank my review based on personal interest? ha.
Anywho…I have frequented «the café» on and off for almost 2 years… the place has YET to disappoint! Ample parking, friendly, attentive wait staff, ambiance, consistently satisfying menu AND easy on the wallet!
«Americanized» mex food should not be construed as a bad thing if it delights the belly and leaves one «muy satisfecho» … VERY SATISFIED.
Wandered in last week after a long absence and the waitress greets me warmly and asks about the wife and baby! good memory! I’m a hapless loner on my lunch break so we chit chat about thisnthat and she mentions salsa lessons on wednesdays… the wife and i have «partook» in a bit o’ salsa and my interest is piqued! Five buckeroonies per person for the lesson (730−830pm) and dance till 10pm fo’ free…
So…the food! chips are standard but good. salsa is DAMN tasty… request extra spicy… and they’re happy to oblige… yum… Today I get the chile relleno, beans n rice… speedy gonzalez service… the chile is stuffed with cheesy goodness… not too spicy but just spicy enough… refried beans con queso are perfect for dunking your chips… and the rice is just right! I’ve also had carnitas (awesome), enchiladas (killer), ceviche (fishey n LIMEy… thats a good thing!) and the wife didn’t complain TOO much about the flautas =)
I leave completely stuffed and they don’t even mention that I have not reached the $ 8 limit for credit card orders and happily swipe my plastic! Grab my after lunch lollipop and happily, fattily, waddle back to the clinic. =) MUY RICO!