Horrible place. I ate there a few years ago with several Dominican friends. The staff was very rude and food was over priced. The Jags happened to be playing and I asked them to turn the tv on to watch the game. The waitress said no, then walked off. No explanation or anything. I ate there again on Sunday with the same friends because I was told the staff had changed. WRONG!!! Ordered the Arroz con Pollo for $9.25. Got about a pound of rice and about 7 half dollar size pieces of chicken in it. My friends had to ask several times for water and the waitress kept ignoring them till I got up and ask the staff in the back for some. Granted the food is pretty good, but with rude staff forget it. This place doesn't have refills either. If you order a soda for $1 you will get a glass of ice and a can of soda. I love my Spanish food but will NEVER go to this place again.
This place hasn't been there that long, and definitely wasn't there several years ago. I think you're thinking about the seedy Mex/Latin place that was there before Puerto Plata.
The location has always been a restaurant as long as I've been here. First it was some seedy Chinese place that closed down, then around 2001 it became a seedy Mex/Latin place, which closed down. Then it sat vacant for awhile, and maybe a year or so ago it became Puerto Plata.
But it has changed hands a bunch of times, and based on the timeframe you're referring to, it's not possible that the current restaurant is the one you went to. PP is maybe a year'ish old, or something like that. I remember watching the renovations take place when I'd drive by there.
I've never eaten there and don't know them, so I'm certainly not defending them with this post, but that was definitely a different restaurant when you went there.