Poblano Grill No. 4
7011 W. Hefner Rd.Oklahoma City, OK
(405) 722-1493
With the increasingly sophisticated Mexican food being served in Oklahoma City, one might be justified in
the hope and expectation that a restaurant named for the Mexican state of Puebla might serve an
authentic representation of the cuisine from that area. But alas, Poblano Grill seems to offer the same
Tex-Mex and Americanized food served at countless other Oklahoma restaurants, although arguably of
higher than average quality.
The Chile Relleno offers an example both of what is right and what is wrong with the food at
Poblano Grill. A spicy chile was served that seemed to be more flavorful than the typical Anaheim chile,
although the chiles usually used in New Mexico that I would use for comparison would fall in a much
higher category of chiledom. A spicy ranchero sauce was used to top it off, and the cheese
was of the pretty standard Tex-Mex variety. It was somewhat surprising, though, that they left many
of the seeds inside the chile relleno, making it less palatable as I approached the stem. I would
classify the quality of the dish as good, since I liked the chile and the sauce. The price charged for it,
though, seemed extremely out of line for a single relleno of pretty average quality. This is probably
not something I would contemplate ordering again.
Flautas seemed to have a lot of potential, served with either chicken and sour cream sauce or
beef and ranchero sauce. I tried the Chicken Flautas that were made with chicken fajita meat.
The crispy tortilla shell was cooked a little too long for my taste, and the chicken was desicated
to the point that it was almost unrecognizable as fajita meat. The sour cream sauce gave it some flavor,
but no guacamole was served. This plate, like all dinners at the restaurant, came with two huge side
orders of the customer's choice, but I would have preferred that they put more attention into preparing an
appealing main dish than in trying to impress the patron with a huge plate full of starchy extras.
Spinach Enchiladas are an increasingly popular item in some of the better Tex-Mex restaurants.
The ones here were about average, with good quality spinach (South Texas is one of the largest spinach
growing areas in the country, probably contributing to its use in Tex-Mex food). The green chile topping
I tried was spicy, but the flavor was somewhat disappointing. It probably would have been better to stick
to the standard sour cream that is served by default. Since I like the trend of serving spinach enchiladas
that is just beginning to grow more popular in the OKC area, I would recommend giving these a try.
The Cheese Enchiladas were about average, but I thought they were improved quite a bit by
the spicy ranchero sauce I requested. I definitely liked this sauce better than the green chile
sauce I tried with the spinach enchilada.
The Chicken Chaupa seemed to be one of the better dishes served at Poblano Grill. This was
a crisp tortilla topped with seasoned shredded chicken that would probably satisfy even the more particular
patrons in the border areas where people are served quality Mexican food on a consistent basis. The
yellow cheese and lettuce were pretty standard for Tex-Mex restaurants, but the tomato seemed to be
of better quality than I typically find. In getting different orders of the chalupa I have had different
experiences with the chicken; at times it has been fresh and flavorful and at other times it has been
dry and somewhat flavorless. This follows the general trend of the restaurant--it is not consistent in
the way the food is cooked. For now I am leaving the chalupa on the list of the restaurant's "best
dishes," but I do want to give the warning that it is not always prepared in the manner that would
make it a recommended dish.
The Beef Chalupa, served with ground beef, was not quite as impressive as the chicken version.
The seasoning in the beef, however, did remind me of some good experiences at Tex-Mex restaurants in
Austin. Although called "chalupas" on the menu, these are known as tostadas in most
restaurants.
The Tortilla Soup was the surprise find for me at Poblano Grill, being about as good as I have
found in OKC. I was initially disappointed because the cheese was not as good as I find in the
Texas-Mexico border area (thus I am withholding a five-star rating for the soup). The broth, though, had
a good flavor at a medium spice level, and was very enjoyable. The tortillas were good, and I liked the
vegetables that were included. I did not think the soup was improved by the sour cream and pico de
gallo served on the side, but it is the patron's choice whether or not to put them into the soup. The
soup comes in two sizes, and the large bowl (which is about twice as big) only has a slightly higher
price than the small bowl. Since just about everything at Poblano Grill has been disappointing to me in
major ways, the fact that the tortilla soup only has minor things wrong with it (and overall is very enjoyable)
would make this the best dish at the restaurant in my opinion. I would say to order the large one if you
think you can eat it--it is worth the money.
Carne Asada Tacos were one item I found that might be similar to the food served in
Puebla (or any other region of Mexico). In fact, most Tex-Mex restaurants in Oklahoma have
authentic dishes if you look hard enough on the menu, and I believe Poblano Grill has several.
This has been one, though, that I have tried and have been happy with the results. I was aware of
problems I have had in the past in which the food was not cooked properly, but I thought the
carne asada was done well (it is quite possible Poblano Grill generally does a better job
with beef than chicken). It seems that most restaurants in Oklahoma serve soft tacos on flour
tortillas, and I usually prefer them with corn tortillas. Poblano Grill was one of the few places,
though, that served corn tortillas of good enough quality to make it worthwhile asking for the
substitution.
Carne asada is made with fajita meat, and this may negate everything
I have said about the tacos being "authentic." In my opinion, though, they are pretty close to
some of the better quality tacos served in Mexico, and even if they turn out not to be authentic,
the tacos at Poblano Grill were still good.
Papas Tejanos were one of the better side dishes. The potatoes served here are typical
Tex-Mex with lots of cheese and spices, although not many restaurants in Oklahoma have yet included
this dish that is popular in South Texas.
Corn mixed with peppers is another unusual side dish that might be a good choice with a meal.
The Salsa served on the table was insipid, although the Green Chile Salsa they offered in
addition to the regular one was quite flavorful and possibly the best thing served in the restaurant. A
warning, though, is that they do not usually tell you about the green salsa unless you ask for it, and even
when I have asked for it on take-out orders it has not been included.
The Queso dip was spicier than many served around the city. The quality of the queso goes up
quite a bit when it is served in a warmer, more melted state (something that has not been consistently done
at Poblano Grill).
I am probably being generous giving the Chips a four-star rating, but they were not bad.
Between the green salsa, the ranchero sauce, and the optional green sauce, the food
was quite spicy by Oklahoma standards. Even the flavors were better than is typically found in Tex-Mex
restaurants. It is just unevenness in the execution (overcooking the flautas, etc.), the lack of extras such as
guacamole on the flautas, and most of all the high prices that are a down side to the restaurant. I discovered
when I have gone on particularly cold days that the restaurant is not always heated to a comfortable level.
I would say that my initial experiences at Poblano Grill were quite disappointing, but it is getting better as
I am learning what I can order that is fairly enjoyable. The restaurant might be better if it offered more
choices for authentic food from the state of Puebla, but I am at least happy that it serves some pretty
good Tex-Mex.
From bottom of picture: wimpy salsa, papas tejanos, spinach enchilada with green sauce, cheese
enchilada with ranchero sauce, beans
Chicken chalupa at Poblano Grill served a la carte
Small order of Tortilla Soup at Poblano Grill
Carne asada tacos
Green Chile Salsa, Queso, Spicy Vegetables, and Chips
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RESTAURANT DETAILS
RATING: 17
Cuisine: Mexican Tex-Mex
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Additional Locations: 12252 N. May Ave., 3315 Northwest
Expressway, 1909 S. Douglas Blvd.
Smoking: No Smoking
Alcohol: Beer
| Chile Index: |
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Most Recent Visit
Sep. 5, 2008
Number of Visits: 5
Best Items
Carne Asada Tacos, Tortilla Soup, Green Salsa
Special Ratings
Carne Asada Tacos:
Flautas:
Chile Relleno:
Chicken Chalupa:
Spinach Enchilada:
Cheese Enchilada:
Rice:
Papas Tejanos:
Tortilla Soup:
Chips:
Salsa:
red
Salsa:
green
Queso:
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