Mi Pueblo

Mi Pueblo
5007 Black Road
(901) 244-7914

Mi Pueblo is right across the parking lot from Whole Foods. (If this were the Eat Local Memphis blog, I'd paste in the clip of the dude singing about getting real in the Whole Foods parking lot.)



As you can see from the awning, I think it used to be a restaurant called Margaritas. (Mi Pueblo sells margaritas, so I'm assuming they didn't bother removing that.) Anyways, I never gave this restaurant, in any form, much thought. Then I met Allsion at the Cochon 555 event last winter. She said she was a big fan of DWM despite not having kids and suggested I try Mi Pueblo. There may have been some discussion about how good the margaritas are.

I added Mi Pueblo to my list of places to try, and despite being a regular at the nearby Paradiso theater, it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I finally checked it out. My girlfriends and I went to see "Magic Mike" on a Sunday night and it seemed only natural that we get a drink first.

I had a very delicious watermelon margarita. And you can see Aimee's frozen strawberry one in the back.



We sat upstairs on the patio, which was...interesting. There were two young ladies next to us with drinks larger than their heads (more on that later) and a table full of frat guys, one of whom was French kissing a woman repeatedly with a lot of cheek licking and seemingly no awareness of his ten fraternity brothers at the table or the nearby old ladies waiting to see Magic Mike.

When my friend Launa arrived a bit late, she said they had been rude downstairs and we had trouble getting her a drink, so she shared with Aimee. When we got our tickets we were surprised to see that our drinks were more than we thought due to the addition of alcohol tax. Maybe this is standard because of us not ordering food?

Anyway, despite all of this, I liked the chips and dip, I had a good buzz, and I wanted to come back and have a giant Margarona like the young ladies next to me had.

That's sound logic, right?

A week or two later, I returned with Warren and the monkeys. It was a Sunday and super hot, so we sat inside. (Kids eat free from 11am-3pm, but we arrived around 6pm.) There were lots of other families and it seemed a little more wholesome than the patio scene. There was a crying baby, which I always chalk up to karma. I also enjoy saying (sarcastically), "Oh my god, who brought children here!?"

Our first order of business was the Margarona. (That's a margarita with a beer in it--a Corona, to be exact.) I'd had one at Los Compadres, but it paled in comparison to this beast. The waiter warned that the Margarona was really big, and seeing we couldn't be swayed, advised getting the frozen.



First, I thought it was hilarious that it came with four straws. We quickly disabused the monkeys of the idea that they'd be helping us drink it. Second, I disabused Warren of the idea that we had to finish it ourselves. "We are not on Man vs. Alcohol!" I lectured.

Jiro very astutely noted that we were probably going to become drunk. Under the frozen-ness it seemed to be all tequila. It was strong. I vowed to watch my intake and get us home safely.

Ok, let's talk about food. The kids menu was actually quite diverse and included nachos and taco salad, which I don't see too often, in addition to the standard tacos, burritos, chicken nuggets and pizza. I can't remember why, but I let Jiro get the chicken nuggets. Satchel asked for his standard taquitos. Warren went with his standard carnitas. I got a burrito. BORING.

Once the order was in, Jiro told me he was insulted that he was the only one who got a water in a styrofoam cup with a top on it. I thought it was a valid complaint, especially since Warren, who did not heed my warnings, was most likely to spill something at this point.



Meanwhile, my new friend, Allison, came in with a friend. "Look, I'm taking your advice," I said. We had a nice chat, I introduced her to the family, and they were seated behind us. (I think my favorite thing about Allison is that she said she really likes the way I "portray" Warren on this blog. "He seems so quirky," she said after first meeting me.)

Our food came out really quickly and was really good, but a little boring. (I take full responsibility for the boring-ness. I was totally focused on the beverage menu.)

Jiro did like his nuggets.



Satchel was sad that his taquitos did not come with rice and beans. He ate one before "getting tired of the taste." I told him from now on he will only be allowed to order rice and beans at Mexican restaurants.



Warren gave the carnitas a thumbs up.



My burrito was saucier than I imagined, but very tasty. I ended up giving Satchel my rice and beans.



As you can see, we never did finish the Margarona. You can also see Warren drunk texting in the background. Hilarious.



On our way out, we said goodbye to Allison, and got totally jealous of her dinner. She ordered the molcajete, which she described as fajitas in a bowl. I'm totally getting that next time.

I have also learned that when you order guacamole, they come and make it at the table. I love that.

Our bill came to $48.63, but please note that the Margarona was $14.50. So overall, pretty inexpensive.

Surprisingly we did not make it to the restrooms, so I cannot vouch for their kid-friendliness or cleanliness.

Warren really wanted to go drunk shopping at Whole Foods, but I made him get in the car and I drove us all home safely. Taking a designated driver to Mi Pueblo isn't a bad idea. Even better, go before a movie so you have time to sober up! Or, you know, don't drink.