Buena Ventura
International, mexican · Poughkeepsie
About Buena Ventura
At Buena Ventura, we're passionate about serving authentic Mexican cuisine in a vibrant atmosphere that's as warm as our welcome. Our outdoor seating area is the perfect spot to enjoy the beautiful surroundings while savoring our signature dishes, including homemade guacamole and mouthwatering birri...
At Buena Ventura, we're passionate about serving authentic Mexican cuisine in a vibrant atmosphere that's as warm as our welcome. Our outdoor seating area is the perfect spot to enjoy the beautiful surroundings while savoring our signature dishes, including homemade guacamole and mouthwatering birria bowls. Ruby's expert guidance on drinks pairs perfectly with our freshly made cocktails and great beer selection. With fast service and a cozy vibe that makes you feel at home, Buena Ventura is your go-to destination for delicious meals and unforgettable experiences in Poughkeepsie.
What Customers Say About Buena Ventura
Buena Ventura is a highly-rated Mexican restaurant known for its delicious, homemade food and friendly service, especially from Ruby. Customers rave about the atmosphere, particularly the charming patio. Some find the prices a bit high, and one reviewer had an issue with a burrito.
Popular Dishes
Best For
Tip: Food is made to order, so call ahead if you're in a rush. Also, try whatever drink Ruby recommends!
Features
What to see nearby
Data from Wikidata
Explore the area around Buena Ventura
Buena Ventura is located in Poughkeepsie, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.
Historical Heritage
- Vassar Institute (A 64m) — historic building in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- Church Building (A 201m) — church building in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- Poughkeepsie Journal Building (A 235m) — building in New York, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- Old Poughkeepsie YMCA (A 280m) Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- Pelton Mill (A 603m) — historic carpet mill in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- First Presbyterian Church Rectory (A 621m) — church building in New York, United States of America Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- First Presbyterian Church (A 658m) — Poughkeepsie, New York, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
Religious Buildings
- Old Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church (A 642m) — church building in Poughkeepsie, United States of America
Parks & Gardens
- Dongan Place (A 478m) — park in Dutchess County, New York, United States of America
- Wheaton Park (A 490m) — park in the United States of America
Data from Wikidata
Frequently asked questions about Buena Ventura
Buena Ventura Poughkeepsie Reviews
Absolutely loved our visit to this Mexican restaurant! The tacos were bursting with flavor—fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented. Our server was incredibly attentive and made us feel right at home. And the decor? So unique and full of charm…it really added to the experience. Can’t wait to come back!
All good! Very rare you go to a restaurant and the food is as good as advertised. The server/bartender was very good. My wife got the Ramen Birria bowl, I got the Birria tacos, (definitely get the 4 instead of the 3) and my son got the steak torta.. All of it was excellent!
Best Mexican restaurant in Poughkeepsie hands down! Food was delicious, atmosphere was inviting. Owners were attentive and servers were friendly. Definitely going back!
Absolutely loved our visit to this Mexican restaurant! The tacos were bursting with flavor—fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented. Our server was incredibly attentive and made us feel right at home. And the decor? So unique and full of charm…it really added to the experience. Can’t wait to come back!
All good! Very rare you go to a restaurant and the food is as good as advertised. The server/bartender was very good. My wife got the Ramen Birria bowl, I got the Birria tacos, (definitely get the 4 instead of the 3) and my son got the steak torta.. All of it was excellent!
Best Mexican restaurant in Poughkeepsie hands down! Food was delicious, atmosphere was inviting. Owners were attentive and servers were friendly. Definitely going back!
The food is always good, fresh flavors, tasty drinks. Ruby provides the best service. Love this spot!
As a Mexican woman this is the best Mexican food I have had in all of NY state and I live in NYC. If you are craving real Mexican this is the place to go (writing on my husband’s account lol)
Excellent food and great service. Head and shoulders above other Dutchess Mexican restaurants.
Amazing home-cooked, fresh food! Great service. Definitely recommend this authentic spot. It’s a hidden gem.
Very good food. To start off server took a little while to get to us so he kindly gave us some of their very good homemade guacamole, our entrees were great and very large amount of food, the server also kindly gave us his apple tea to try free of charge. Great restaurant and we walked out spending under $50 for the both of us after tip.
I’ll start by saying this spot is straight-up dope! The food is amazing, and Ruby always hooks me up with the best drinks. Half the time I walk in not even knowing what I want, and I just tell him to make me something sweet, spicy, or whatever I’m in the mood for and he delivers every single time!! If you’re looking for good vibes, laughs, excellent food, and top of the line drinks, this is the place to be.🫶
Very good food. Prices a little steep but comparable with other places in the area. Food is made to order so I would call ahead if you're in a rush. Staff is very friendly.
Best tacos in Poughkeepsie! The owners are the sweetest most welcoming people. It feels like we were eating at someone’s home.
The best food option around and it ain't even close; came with the family after we needed to stop in our way out of NYC - our server was so sweet and the food options were fantastic (I'm vegetarian and even I had a roledex of choices).
The food was fantastic and our server Ruby was so much fun. He gave us some tip on great things to see and do in the surrounding areas. The inside was so colorful but the outside patio stole the show. If you’re looking for for a place with chill vibes, delicious home made food and great service, come here.
Food was delicious. Service was fantastic. The margaritas were delicious. We sat outside in their beck patio and it was very charming. All home made food. Great vibes.
Best tacos in Poughkeepsie! The owners are the sweetest most welcoming people. It feels like we were eating at someone’s home.
Very good food. To start off server took a little while to get to us so he kindly gave us some of their very good homemade guacamole, our entrees were great and very large amount of food, the server also kindly gave us his apple tea to try free of charge. Great restaurant and we walked out spending under $50 for the both of us after tip.
The best food option around and it ain't even close; came with the family after we needed to stop in our way out of NYC - our server was so sweet and the food options were fantastic (I'm vegetarian and even I had a roledex of choices).
Very good food. Prices a little steep but comparable with other places in the area. Food is made to order so I would call ahead if you're in a rush. Staff is very friendly.
I’ll start by saying this spot is straight-up dope! The food is amazing, and Ruby always hooks me up with the best drinks. Half the time I walk in not even knowing what I want, and I just tell him to make me something sweet, spicy, or whatever I’m in the mood for and he delivers every single time!! If you’re looking for good vibes, laughs, excellent food, and top of the line drinks, this is the place to be.🫶
Rubi mas such a great host! Food was delicious 😋. My martini was on point! Will deff be back here once around back in Pougkeepsie.
Food was delicious. Service was fantastic. The margaritas were delicious. We sat outside in their beck patio and it was very charming. All home made food. Great vibes.
You will not be disappointed if you choose to come here. Food is delicious and abundant, drinks are perfect and service is great, Ruby the owner is so friendly. You can tell and taste love in their dishes, drinks and attention. Highly recommended!
My husband and I are Texas natives. We have high expectations of Mexican food. We have tried a dozen places in the county and gave up because it just didn’t come close. Finally we found it! Salsa, drinks, meals… it was all amazing and we felt like we were home. Amazing place!
The food was fantastic and our server Ruby was so much fun. He gave us some tip on great things to see and do in the surrounding areas. The inside was so colorful but the outside patio stole the show. If you’re looking for for a place with chill vibes, delicious home made food and great service, come here.
Looking for a New Mexican favorite place in the area since we moved from NC and yessss we found it. Amazing home made guacamole, grilled fish tacos and enchiladas, closing eyes to let the flavors come forward crescendo. Love the homely colorful deco atmosphere indoor thanks to Ruby, our attentive, kind and proud waiter. Next time we’ll be on the terrace. Looking forward!
Good food, large portions, good service. One of the best Mexican restaurants in Poughkeepsie area.
Good food, large portions, good service. One of the best Mexican restaurants in Poughkeepsie area.
We ordered the wet burrito, sides of rice and beans, guacamole, camarones al mojo de ajo, frozen aguas, and churros. The mango aqua was delicious and very refreshing. Everything else was good overall, with large portions and well-cooked food. The camarones were flavorful and satisfying. The only downside was the churros, which were a bit overdone. Aside from that, the food quality and portion sizes made it a great experience.
We ordered the wet burrito, sides of rice and beans, guacamole, camarones al mojo de ajo, frozen aguas, and churros. The mango aqua was delicious and very refreshing. Everything else was good overall, with large portions and well-cooked food. The camarones were flavorful and satisfying. The only downside was the churros, which were a bit overdone. Aside from that, the food quality and portion sizes made it a great experience.
Ordered the chorizo enchiladas. Took one bite and realized it was definitely Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage. It genuinely made me laugh. That said, the service was great. The bartender was super friendly, great energy, and you can tell the locals love the place. The whole spot has a nice, welcoming vibe. Would I come back? Not for the food but for a drink since good vibes go a long way.
I Raye good. I tried thier smothered burrito 🌯 I like extremely saucey drenched with sauce burrito if I ordered a smothered burrito as word says it's supposed to be smothered and asked multiple times for sauce because I loved the green tangy sauce on chips they brought but I certainly wouldn't have needed it if they had "smothered " my burrito lol. Meat well a tad dissatisfied it was stuffed with ton of rice it felt more like a rice burrito and I asked for chorizo and carnitas. The carnitas tad dry I wish they'd be juicier and chorizo I couldn't find it honestly I feel possibly got lost in the rice . I enjoyed it I like rice, I also got the 3 🌽 corn cobs appetizer I got thin corns crunchy and nicely cooked. Simple mayo grated cheese and tajin and on another the Chipotle cream sauce and other regular. This they did just exactly as I expected but it be terrible to ruin this lol this was delicious 😋 and we had the sopes chicken. Pretty normal size small sopes your traditional small size. Toped nicely 👌 my friends are American and they loved it. I overall coming back price for all with tip was $92 bucks. Yes price is high here but it is expensive in New York, it us what it is. Overall I would return the customer service by our waiter Phenomenal we tiped him nicely becuase he deserved this!thank you
Ordered the chorizo enchiladas. Took one bite and realized it was definitely Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage. It genuinely made me laugh. That said, the service was great. The bartender was super friendly, great energy, and you can tell the locals love the place. The whole spot has a nice, welcoming vibe. Would I come back? Not for the food but for a drink since good vibes go a long way.
I Raye good. I tried thier smothered burrito 🌯 I like extremely saucey drenched with sauce burrito if I ordered a smothered burrito as word says it's supposed to be smothered and asked multiple times for sauce because I loved the green tangy sauce on chips they brought but I certainly wouldn't have needed it if they had "smothered " my burrito lol. Meat well a tad dissatisfied it was stuffed with ton of rice it felt more like a rice burrito and I asked for chorizo and carnitas. The carnitas tad dry I wish they'd be juicier and chorizo I couldn't find it honestly I feel possibly got lost in the rice . I enjoyed it I like rice, I also got the 3 🌽 corn cobs appetizer I got thin corns crunchy and nicely cooked. Simple mayo grated cheese and tajin and on another the Chipotle cream sauce and other regular. This they did just exactly as I expected but it be terrible to ruin this lol this was delicious 😋 and we had the sopes chicken. Pretty normal size small sopes your traditional small size. Toped nicely 👌 my friends are American and they loved it. I overall coming back price for all with tip was $92 bucks. Yes price is high here but it is expensive in New York, it us what it is. Overall I would return the customer service by our waiter Phenomenal we tiped him nicely becuase he deserved this!thank you
This place replaced El guacamole. This was the first time even been back since this new place has taken over. We were semi regular at el guacamole though. First thing we noticed was our server visibly disappointed that we weren’t drinking which kind of set a bad tone…and they don’t have ANY non alcoholic beer options which is wild nowadays. I ALWAYS get fajitas at Mexican restaurants. And this is the first time I’ve ever seen a “market price” on a fajita. I ordered it. $42 HAHAHAHAHAHA. Portions are half the size they used to be from chips to our queso, to entrees. Ordered queso with chorizo, queso didn’t come with chorizo, since we were never checked on I had to flag him down to tell him. My queso was brought back to their window after becoming cold at the table, then brought back with chorizo dumped on top. Lol. No comps or really any apologies. The fajita was legit nothing special. Everything was overcooked and it was very chicken heavy(chicken beef and shrimp) maybe 4 pieces of rubbery shrimp). My server didn’t bring my tortillas for the first like 6,7 minutes I had my fajitas. They had stopped sizzling by the time they got to the table. Server never checked on us after entrees either. And then we legit finished all our food, mostly because we just kept snacking while we waited to be checked in to ask for our check. After sitting for like 15,20 minutes with totally empty dishes, I got up and asked to pay at the bar, guy had trouble finding my table I guess so I asked for him to just have the server come bring us our check. Soon after he rushes over to clear our plates…? Not bring us a check. Kind of ended in a awkward grabbing my card and our plates situation but nevertheless. $74 for me and my wife to have queso, 3 al pastor tacos, 1 fajita and a mango juice. Plus tip. Unreal for quality of food and service. I’m a professional chef and I sent the market price fajitas to a coworker and we had a good laugh. 😂 who do these guys think are?
This place replaced El guacamole. This was the first time even been back since this new place has taken over. We were semi regular at el guacamole though. First thing we noticed was our server visibly disappointed that we weren’t drinking which kind of set a bad tone…and they don’t have ANY non alcoholic beer options which is wild nowadays. I ALWAYS get fajitas at Mexican restaurants. And this is the first time I’ve ever seen a “market price” on a fajita. I ordered it. $42 HAHAHAHAHAHA. Portions are half the size they used to be from chips to our queso, to entrees. Ordered queso with chorizo, queso didn’t come with chorizo, since we were never checked on I had to flag him down to tell him. My queso was brought back to their window after becoming cold at the table, then brought back with chorizo dumped on top. Lol. No comps or really any apologies. The fajita was legit nothing special. Everything was overcooked and it was very chicken heavy(chicken beef and shrimp) maybe 4 pieces of rubbery shrimp). My server didn’t bring my tortillas for the first like 6,7 minutes I had my fajitas. They had stopped sizzling by the time they got to the table. Server never checked on us after entrees either. And then we legit finished all our food, mostly because we just kept snacking while we waited to be checked in to ask for our check. After sitting for like 15,20 minutes with totally empty dishes, I got up and asked to pay at the bar, guy had trouble finding my table I guess so I asked for him to just have the server come bring us our check. Soon after he rushes over to clear our plates…? Not bring us a check. Kind of ended in a awkward grabbing my card and our plates situation but nevertheless. $74 for me and my wife to have queso, 3 al pastor tacos, 1 fajita and a mango juice. Plus tip. Unreal for quality of food and service. I’m a professional chef and I sent the market price fajitas to a coworker and we had a good laugh. 😂 who do these guys think are?
This place seems to boast a lot of pride and tradition, so I was excited to try it. I ordered a burrito to go, and once I was on the train and opened it up, I realized there was nothing but rice in there, with like a tablespoon of beans and cheese—no pico de gallo, no guacamole, no nothing to make it an actual burrito. It was basically a tortilla filled with rice. :S
Horrible place! Don’t go!!!! First visit: I came with a group of eight, and we all received our food at completely different times — no coordination, no apologies, nothing. Second visit: Several items on the menu were unavailable, and the Torta I ordered had barely a single piece of chicken in it. Third visit: I decided to keep it simple with just an appetizer and a drink — both were awful. The service is consistently poor, the food quality is hit-or-miss at best, and the overall experience just isn’t worth it. There are so many better options out there. I won’t be returning.
Sign in to leave a review
Sign inRemove ads and manage your menu
Explore Your Area
Hudson Valley Falafel
Zeus Brewing Company
Thai Spice
Applebee's
Emiliano's Pizza
Gateway Diner
Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory
Pizzeria Bacio
Main Moon
Fresco Tortillas
Gallery
No photos available
Photos will appear here when synced from Google Places
About Buena Ventura
How to get there
206 Main St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Highlights
Services
Dining Options
Restaurant Info
Amenities
The Neighborhood
Location
206 Main St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
📍 Explore the Neighborhood
Upcoming Events
Be Like Blippi Tour - Photo Experience
29 May 2026, 18:00
MJ Nesheiwat Convention Center
Be Like Blippi Tour!
29 May 2026, 18:00
MJ Nesheiwat Convention Center
Zen and Friends
29 May 2026, 19:00
LAUGH IT UP COMEDY CLUB
Elements in Motion
30 May 2026, 14:00
Bardavon 1869 Opera House
historic building in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States
church building in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States
building in New York, United States
park in Dutchess County, New York, United States of America
park in the United States of America
historic carpet mill in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States
church building in New York, United States of America
Gaming
🎮 Earn Points While You Explore!
Play Find Me and redeem points for discounts at Buena Ventura and other restaurants
Earn Points at Buena Ventura!
Play Find Me and redeem rewards here
Earn extra points and redeem them for rewards at Buena Ventura
🏆 Rewards at Buena Ventura
10% Discount
At Buena Ventura
Free Appetizer
On your next visit
VIP Table
Premium experience
to redeem rewards and earn points
📋 How Do Rewards Work?
Play Find Me
Every 100 score points = 1 reward point
Collect Points
Workers earn 2x points per game
Redeem Rewards
Discounts, free food and VIP experiences
Is it yours? Claim it FREE!
Remove ads and manage your menu