CostaC is a tad brighter.
Nice one Greg. Hopefully Middletown and surrounding towns embrace this place and they stick around for the long haul. I wish them luck and will be trying it soon.
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My only concern is that the locals don’t go for the “authentic” aspects of the menu and there is not a large enough Mexican population to carry it. Keyport and Red Bank is a different story.
But hopefully they embrace it. The staff was so friendly and I really was impressed with the food. When you look at some of the places that opened up over here recently, I didn’t have much hope.
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Greg – beat me to the review… 
I went back on the 29th but it has taken me this long to figure out how to post pictures. So my review will be much shorter as you have a lot of the same thoughts I did.
And you are spot on – except i was there a few days earlier and they were still a bit frazzled. They tried so hard to get everything out fast (so much takeout was queued up - amazing) that the food came out a bit cold. Cheese was not quite melted – my Chile Relleno had cold cheese inside.
But first we started with the ChoriQueso. Perfectly prepared, some of the best chorizo I have had and just the right amount of cheese versus meet. Excellent
And as a main course, the wife had the enchiladas which were done impressively well. They had a simple home cooked flavor to them. Nothing fancy, not super over done like a Tex-Mex place, but wonderfully satisfying. And the radishes were an interesting and appreciated touch. Verdict 4 of 5 - if they had been toasty warm it would have been 5 of 5.
And we HAD to try one of the Taco’s with the fries. Amazing, quite unique but it worked and very well. This one had a nice poblano pepper inside stuffed with a corn masa similar to a Tamal and was very impressive.
I was impressed with the friendly service, the hospitality, and the down-home vibe of the place. It very much reminded me of the family run places in Salt Lake City where the food had that same homey flavors.
When they get going full steam, they will be a place to be reckoned with. And judging by the foot traffic the night we where there, the locals seemed to very much enjoy it. Several tables had repeat customers and, as I said, the takeout business kept the staff hopping.
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Great pics and review! I need that ChoriQueso!
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How long should one allow for dinner (mains only, no apps or dessert) during the week? We have a 5:30 meeting at the Middletown Library; would 4:15 be a reasonable time?
We went in an hour before closing and were out by closing… they are fast and efficient…
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We went Thursday about 4PM and were the only customers there. They don’t completely have their act together, and our server was on only her second day, which didn’t help. Their beverage selection was very limited, no diet sodas, no Jarritos or Senorial, only some odd off-brands. We had a bottle of Boing! mango drink (non-carbonated). We asked for two glasses of water, but the waitress said they had only bottled water. We said, “No, just tap water,” but she said they didn’t have any. (Didn’t have any tap water? How can you get a Certificate of Occupancy for a restaurant without tap water?)
We had the Chile Relleno, which was very good, and the Cecina Atlixco, which was better for its sides (guacamole and cactus salad, as well as a grilled jalapeno and the usual rice, black beans, and tortillas) and its quantity of meat than for the quality of the meat, which was somewhat gristly in parts.
With tax and tip this came to $30, which is probably in line with Los Corrales and other Mexican places around here. For people in the Belford area this is probably a good option closer to them, and I hope it succeeds, but for us it only makes sense if we are going to our monthly meeting at the Middletown Library (just down the street). (It’s 10 miles from us, while El Rinconcito is 2 and Los Corrales is 4.)
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How about this place in hazlet? Has anyone tried it?
Scroll down to see Mexican dishes on the menu.
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Was just on their website the other day. I’m 2 minutes away and didn’t know they existed until two weeks ago. Very low profile in a very unlikely area.
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Been back to Pueblo Magico 3 or 4 times now. Always simple, hearty food. Much hotter than the first time where everything was tepid. Wait staff seem to be consistent and not new. Specials are always varied. And their Aqua Fresca drinks quite good – the watermelon was out of this world but only had it twice. Still a good go-to place
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I am close with the owner and they gave me a meal on the house. Ask me anything and I’ll ask
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Went back again yesterday. Got the Steak/Chorizo Tacos and the Chicken Memelas. I got the green sauce on the latter, and it was seriously spicy. Their beverage selection is vastly improved, with all the standards as well as some unique offerings, and they have real menus. As noted, we don’t get here often, but I must remember to try the Chile Relleno next time.
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The Chile Rellenos where good, but unique as they use a cheese that does not melt so much so while tasty it is missing that ooeey gooey feel…
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Hit up Pueblo Magico again yesterday for an early Christmas Eve lunch. Only customers there, but given the day, I hope that is not startling.
We started out with the Choriqeso, which was not as gooey as I though and was predominantly chorizo as opposed to little bits of it floating in cheese (which I have had elsewhere and expected). I enjoyed it. The tortilla chips appeared to be homemade. I noticed they had tamales as a special, so I ordered one of each (verde, rojo, mole). Next time, two would certainly be enough-- they were gigantic, and only $2.50 a pop. I cannot really say which I liked most, probably a tie between the rojo and the mole which had a little heat to it. The verde was not particularly memorable. Justin’s dish was the winner, though: memelas. Tortillas stuffed with refried beans and topped with chicken, a spicy verde salsa, onion, cheese, and crema.
Also, as mentioned, the menu has been updated to an actual menu. The seating layout has changed-- where we sat last time is now an area for a soda fridge and another mini fridge for desserts. The decor remains extremely festive.
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Stopped in for lunch recently for Steak Quesadilla with queso fresco and Cheese Tostada. Fresh tortilla and tasty salsas.
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We’re trying to start eating out again, but cautiously. How crowded was Pueblo Magico, and was the staff wearing masks?
I went at 2 pm for takeout. One table occupied and staff were wearing masks.
We went yesterday around 4PM. Another family came in about 4:30PM and sat on the other side. The server was masked.
However, Mark felt the food did not arrive hot (as in “caliente”), and they have a 3.75% charge for using a credit or debit card which I do not think was mentioned on the menu, and not that I could find on the website. This is actually on the high side for a credit card surcharge.
