We received many comments on our review of the Park Ave Bar & Grill, and we invited Melissa, who had a particularly negative experience there, to write for GoOutJersey - because of her bold opinions and writing style. We know about her bad night at PABG, now here’s the rest of the story: where they ended up. -Ed.

Un Diamante En Bruto*

I must have passed the dingy yellow building with the red awning on the corner of Park Avenue and 36th Street a million times. It wasn’t until I had a group of 20 people out celebrating my birthday in Union City that, at the suggestion of my friends, Bill and Michelle, we ventured into Mexico Lindo one Friday evening in June around 8pm.

The dining area was free of customers and the wait staff graciously jumped to their feet as we entered and made us feel very welcome as they pushed tables together to accommodate us. The red, green, and white balloons on the walls (in honor of my birthday?) added to the festive atmosphere. Friends, Ed and Koryn, inserted $5 in the jukebox and selected 18 songs . All of the songs were in Spanish, and not being a Spanish speaker, all I recognized were the Ricky Martin tunes (which, I must admit, enhanced the celebration).

Our server was happy to split our tabs and I noticed that the first drink order of a margarita, gin & tonic, and Corona was only $11. This is my kind of place!

While the menu was thankfully bilingual, we still ran into some communication break downs with the staff. The black bean soup never made it to the table, and Koryn’s cheese quesadilla arrived with chicken in it (she’s a vegetarian and our server apologized and brought out a corrected order).

The basket of thick homemade tortilla chips and bowl of salsa (a little thin but had great flavor) were continuously refilled throughout the evening.

If you like cheese, you’ll love Mexico Lindo. My enchilada de frijoles (corn tortillas stuffed with refried beans) was covered in cheese as was the side of refried beans that came with it. My platter also came with yellow rice and iceberg lettuce, a slice of tomato, and a drizzle of bottled Italian dressing. Chris enjoyed his chicken chimichangas but he felt they would have been even better with a sauce.

There is a back room with a pool table and many of my friends were happy to spend the evening shooting pool and drinking Corona. Further back is another room with a bar in a club-setting featuring live music on Saturday nights. Koryn is dying to have girls’ night out dancing at Mexico Lindo sometime this summer.

Folks had to get back to babysitters and such, so we ended the festivities around midnight. It was great for me to just walk up the hill to my house. We had a really enjoyable time and while it’s not fine dining and it is important to be patient if you don’t know Spanish, the price is right, the food is decent, and the staff is extremely welcoming.

Most importantly, this is a restaurant that truly knows its neighborhood — you can come as you are with no need to worry about a pretentious dress code.

Mexico Lindo Restaurant and Bar
Authentic Mexican Cuisine
3603 Park Avenue
Union City
(201) 319-1990
Free Delivery
Open 7 Days 3pm – 2am

*A Diamond In The Rough!

— by Melissa H.
Melissa has lived in Hudson County for 16 years. She is passionate about issues of faith and social justice, politics, and creative wholesome vegetarian cooking.

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