Restaurant Review: Arturo’s Mexican Restaurant, New Bern, NC 2017-Nov-04

Restaurant Review Arturo’s

Arturo’s Mexican Restaurant
1900 South Glenburnie Road, Suite A
New Bern, NC 28562

(252) 634-1894
http://arturosdining.com
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Date of Visit: 2017 Nov 04
Time of Visit: 17:10
Server: Isabelle

Number in Party: 2
Total Bill w Tax excluding gratuity: $34.11

Restaurant review Arturo's Mexican Restaurant, New Bern NC
Arturos Mexican Restaurant, New Bern NC

Arturos Mexican Restaurant Entrance
Arturos Mexican Restaurant Entrance
Atmosphere:

We really enjoyed this restaurant review, especially after a day sailing out on the Neuse River!  We found a couple of interesting listings for Mexican Restaurants and decided to give Arturo’s a try and we were not disappointed.

One of the first things that was evident about Arturo’s Mexican Restaurant was that it was exceptionally clean. Although the dinner rush had not yet begun, there were already a few tables seated and there was a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. The bar area was very large and visually striking. The hostess was welcoming and seated us almost immediately. The layout afforded room between the tables for both staff and customers to walk freely and the dining room was large, well lit and comfortable. There was an enormous amount of color on the walls in the way of murals and paintings which gave the restaurant a very warm feeling.

Entrance to dining area
Entrance to dining area

Waiting area
Waiting area

Cashier station
Cashier station

Arturos Awards
Arturos Awards
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Dining Room
Dining room
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Dazzling bar
Dazzling bar
Menu:

Arturos Mexican Restaurant Menu
Arturos Mexican Restaurant Menu Cover

Arturos Mexican Restaurant Menu
Appetizers, Ala Carte & Salads

Arturos Mexican Restaurant Menu
Special House Meats & Special Dinners

Arturos Mexican Restaurant Menu
Fajitas, Enchiladas, Chicken

Arturos Mexican Restaurant Menu
Seafood & Sides

Arturos Mexican Restaurant Menu
Combinations

Arturos Mexican Restaurant Menu
Lunch Menu

Arturos Mexican Restaurant Menu
Kids, Desserts and Drinks
Items Tasted:
Starters

House Chips and Salsa: $0.00

The chips were light and fresh and the salsa was made with a generous amount of cilantro and was some of our favorite salsa ever.

Chips & Salsa
Chips & Salsa

Chunky Guacamole Fresco: $6.75

The presentation and flavor of this dish was excellent, however it did seem to be lacking salt and could have stood a little more lime.  We added the salt and a little extra lime provided by our server and this dish was outstanding.  Aside from the salt and lime, this dish was some of the best prepared guacamole we have had in a long time.  Loaded with onions, cilantro, and jalapenos with fresh avocado, this was an excellent starter and exactly what we were both craving.

Chunky Guacamole Fresco
Chunky Guacamole Fresco

Chunky Guacamole Fresco
Chunky Guacamole Fresco
Main Course

Combination #11: Beef Burrito, Chicken Enchilada, Beef Hard Taco: $7.00

The amount of food on this dish was amazing.  The beef and chicken were seasoned very well and was bursting with flavor.  We were pleasantly surprised at the level of preparation of the dish which seemed to have an excellent spice profile.  The spices were nicely balanced without presenting with too much “burn” for the palate.  Shannon prefers a little heat, whereas I prefer a little more heat.  Luckily, the tables were stocked with a few different types of salsa picante, and habenero sauces that could amp up the heat a couple notches for my preference.

Enchilada, burrito, & taco combination
Enchilada, burrito, & taco combination

Enchilada, burrito, & taco combination
Enchilada, burrito, & taco combination

 

Mole Negro Enchiladas: $9.75

This dish made Shannon swoon.  According to the server, Arturos makes their own mole sauce which radiated with chocolatey goodness and aroma.  So, the sauce tended towards the sweet side but balanced the savory aspects of the two chicken and two cheese enchiladas very well.  We have eaten at a bunch of Mexican food establishments, and have rarely seen the amount of detail given to their dishes as demonstrated by Arturos.  The mole sauce had a perfect consistency and all of the garnish was fresh lending to a beautiful plating.

Stars Of The Meal

One of the additional surprises we saw in both dishes was, believe it or not, the Spanish-style rice and re-fried beans, which came standard with each meal.  Hands down, the best rice and beans this reviewer has ever tasted outside of our own kitchen.  The addition of cilantro and other Mexican spices made it difficult to stop eating.  And we are both looking forward to some left-overs tomorrow.

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Delicious spanish rice and refried beans
Delicious spanish rice and refried beans

 

Order of 3 Beef Hard Tacos: $5.25

We have come to lower our expectations when ordering hard tacos from Mexican Restaurants,.  While the “usual” experience involves tacos that are dripping water and soggy by the time they reach the table, this obvious failure is noted when we write a restaurant review. In addition, tacos are considered by some to be a staple item in Mexican cuisine.  Although the “typical” tacos arrive pretty on the plate, they often fall apart and disintegrate when you try to eat them.  I must have a thing for tacos because I always seem to order them again and again.

Well, my patience and perseverance was amply rewarded tonight.  Although the taco shell itself was just barely on the good side of stale, the flavor it contained blew my mind.  The beef was perfectly seasoned with chilies, garlic and onion and was utterly delicious.  Arturos did not skimp on the meat, cheese or lettuce toppings and the tacos were loaded to the top.  For me, this was definitely one of the highlights of the meal.

Restaurant review Arturos Mexican Restaurant: Hard-shell beef tacos
Hard-shell beef tacos

Restaurant review Arturos Mexican Restaurant: Hard-shell beef tacos
Hard-shell beef tacos

 

2 sweet tea: $3.20

Perfectly brewed and not overly or under sweet.  Refreshing and went perfectly with our dinner

Final Thoughts:

In conclusion, we were pleasantly surprised by Arturos and, although there were a few minor hiccups with seasoning, the experience was outstanding and the quality and flavor of the food was off the charts.  Our server was very attentive and helpful and the overall experience was excellent.  Both Shannon and I felt the quantity and quality of the food made it well worth the money and we are looking forward to returning to try some other dishes.  As for us, we are eagerly awaiting tomorrow so we can finish off the left-overs.

Restaurant review Arturos Mexican Restaurant Shannon enjoying dinner
Restaurant review Arturo's Mexican Restaurant bill

Thanks for reading.

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