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I live in the burbs and when I want a great Mexican feast...I travel here.
Cute little place with lots of charm. The service is wonderful - even on their busiest days - if there is any sports game going on...be prepared to wait between 5-30 minutes.
But it is so worth any wait.
Best Steak dishes I've had at a Mexican Restaurant and all decently priced - between $8-10.00 depending. The portions are a great size and everything is always super fresh. Unlike other places out here in the burbs where you pay $12-15 for 2 tacos with slim pickings for meat and toppings.
Margarettas here are always good - but I recommend going top shelf if you order.
This place is always worth the trip - been going here for years and I highly recommend it!
This place have become one of those love/hate relationships. The one that you had in high school and felt like you could see the person everyday but after awhile you realize how different you two were and noticed all the minor flaws and it started to annoyed you?? That's what I feel like with this place.
The Environment: Not the most authentic Mexican restaurant, but it's no Taco Bell either. The first floor is quite small so it does get packed rather quite quickly, however the second floor seems to be much better spaced out and over a better view. It is stated on the front of the door that it is the "Home to White Sox Fans", but yet there were a few time I went over during the Summer months in the middle of a Sox game and there where no Sox games to be found on the two TVs at the restaurant. Even when the games are on, I usually find myself the only one paying attention to the score. That does not sound like the place a true White Sox fan would want to go to enjoy an important game.
When it does busy, it seems like the place is over packed and everyone is on top of one another. The spacing on the first level seems to be maxed out and don't ever sit anywhere near the door in the winter months, as people will open and close that door about 50 times during your meal and you feel like you are dinning outside.
The food: The complimentary chips are good but limited and they do not offer free refills on the chips. The salsa they offer is good and spicy. The chicken is usually pretty good but I have been striking out on the steak lately. Not sure if they switch to a cheaper meat or what, but it used to pretty good too. The sides are fairly plain, since its just beans and yellow rice. The horchatas are decent but not the best out there. The margaritas are usually nice and strong, although I'm not a fan of margaritas anyway. The beer selection seems limited to the usual commercial brands. The prices are pretty high for it be considered a mom and pop Mexican restaurant.
The service: The Assistant Wait Staff (Some call them bus-boys) are great here. They always give you chips and a jar of water within the first 5 seconds of seating down. However if this place is busy, you can forget about quick service from your waitress. Some of these waitress seems to fold under pressure as they take their time whenever this place is packed. There were a few times we had to walk out because it took so long for the food to come out. Not cool.
So why do I keep going back?? Well cause it is sooo freaking close to where I live. I came to the conclusion that the best way to enjoy this restaurant is to not eat there. I usually just place my order and pick it up and enjoy it at the comfort of my home (sometimes with my own unlimited chips and salsa). Food is usually good, but the service and atmosphere can be way better. As long as I live in the area, I'm sure to be going back there; but not too sure about eating there.
This place is really cute but I think it's overpriced.
We went for dinner last night, and I wasn't expecting it to be so crowded for a Sunday evening. We had to wait 5-10 minutes for a table, but it was a little less crowded about half an hour later.
We sat down and were immediately greeted with glasses of water, a carafe of water for the table, and chips with salsa. We quickly ordered chicken quesadillas as an appetizer. Everything was tasty.
As we were in the middle of our appetizer, the waitress asked us if we would mind switching tables since the big group next to us was kinda cramped. So we moved everything over to the next table. I thought this was a little odd, but didn't really mind. However I think it would have been nice of them to offer us something for the inconvenience.
One of the guys asked for another thing of salsa, and when the check came we were charged $2 for it. That seems like a lot for a little extra salsa.
When our food arrived, my fiance was given the wrong thing after he told the served that wasn't his dish (he had ordered the taco dinner and they tried to give him a chicken dish). The waitress took it away to get him tacos, but I found it odd that they set it in front of him after he said it wasn't his.
My burrito dinner was very tasty, and I like that there was guacamole on the side. But it was just a good burrito, with good rice and beans. Those are pretty standard Mexican items.
I ordered a frozen margarita. It was good, but I did see them pouring margarita mix straight from the bottle into the glasses, so you could definitely make these at home. The pitcher was around $16, and that seemed like a good deal, but I was the only one at the table having one, so I just ordered a large one. It was only $1 more than the regular, and definitely worth going up a size.
Overall, if our bill had been a bit less than it was, this would have been a great place with 4 or 5 stars. But it just wasn't quite good enough to have been almost $20 a person. (That was for 1 appetizer, 3 dinners, 1 coke, and 1 margarita).
great spot for mexican food. such a cute little place. service was great. food was good and came out really fast. prices were definitely affordable. the margaritas were really good too especially the peach. tons of street parking and there was no wait for a table when we got there for dinner. it did get busy pretty quickly though so i'm sure there is a bit of a wait during peak hours. i'll be back for sure!
Pancho's is a regular spot for me and my posse and never fails to impress. I've had just about everything on the menu at one time or another (which is all good) but nothing is on the level of the Carne Asada. The steak is perfectly marinated and always tender and juicy. You will not be disappointed. The rice and beans are the best I've had and I've tried most of them!
The margaritas (lime, on the rocks w/salt ... the only way to really drink margaritas if you ask me) are made from the mix but are not overly syrupy as some can be and have just the right combination of sweet and sour. They are also extremely potent which is exactly the way I like them! If you're with a few people and are planning on doing some drinking go with the pitchers as they are going to give you the most bang for your buck.
I tried the flan for the first time yesterday and it was great! I'm not that big on flan in general but this was homemade and prepared to perfection.
This restaurant is friendly and inviting. If you see that the street level dining room is full enter through the door just west of the main entrance to get to the upper level dining room which is generally more open feeling and can accommodate larger parties.
Pancho's is great for parties, families and dates. It's fun, lively, and my favorite place to enjoy a little carne and tequila! It also helps that it's right down the street from my house.
If I had a TV Show on the Food Network, there are a lot of names/programs I'd LIKE to pitch and record - but I know I'd wind up hosting the "Fat American Can't Figure Out Foreign Cuisines" show.
It was made pretty evident in my multiple attempts at "hot pot" and how to apparently abuse the few utensils we were given and ruin a lot of food in the process. It was only recently that I discovered the reason why Italian places give you a spoon in addition to your silverware when you order saucy pasta. And even though I've consumed a metric ton of sushi in my years, a Japanese chef would slap my hand for improper holding of chopsticks, as well as using the wrong end to grab from a communal plate and chastise my usage of soy sauce for dipping.
Which brings us to Mexican food at Pancho Pistolas. Now it's pretty clear at this point that I'm not "well-versed" in Mexican food. I know ENOUGH to know that Qboda is not Mexican food at all (my review states that several times), but when it comes to more-authentic-style Mexican cuisine, I'm stumped at random things.
I went with the Carna Asada A La Tampiqueña because it's a steak, an enchilada, and all the side-piles. I admit to looking confused when the waitress asked if I wanted flour or corn tortillas after I chose "medium-rare" for the carne, but I went with corn and thought nothing more of it.
Of course, first we were brought a lovely basket of chips and two salsas. I preferred the spicier one, but only because it wasn't a bowl of chunks like the milder one and the cilantro was less pronounced in flavor and chunkage. (Yea, I hate cilantro, but I won't let it affect my review. Unless the place sucks as much as cilantro does.)
When our meals came out, so did a lovely steamer basket with corn tortillas for me. And there I was, a stranger in a strange land of foods, it seemed. I enjoyed the flavor of the Carne Asada, although found the cut to be very stringy and full of sinew. It would have been easier to cut if I the place weren't so dark that I couldn't tell the grain direction of the meat, though. I know the flank steak is itself known for chewiness and stringiness, but a good chef would know how to work around that.
And it was sitting next to a pile of Spanish rice, nestled next to my enchilada (which was excellent), and then there was a pile of lettuce with guacamole on top and a big ol pile of refried beans with Chihuahua cheese melted on top and a large roasted Poblano pepper?
Forgive my American ignorance, but what am I supposed to do with this stuff? I tore up my tortillas and scooped some of the side dishes into it like a floppy nacho, but something didn't seem right. I could almost sense that somewhere hidden from sight were a bunch of waitstaff watching me on CCTV and laughing at me.
Of course, I wouldn't have been able to hear a second of it. The place is very loud, and you can barely hold a conversation with someone across the table, especially when the place is packed (which it usually is). This place also falls victim to the "random HDTV showing something you can't hear" and we spent a few minutes trying to figure out what the hell show was on before we gave up and it switched to Sportcenter or something.
Everyone talks about margaritas when it comes to Mexican restaurants. I think there are much better testaments to the quality of a Mexican establishment than tequila-based frozen drinks - but when you reconsider that their mascot is a stereotypical handlebar-mustachioed Mexican wildly firing pistols into the air, I guess a jumbo peach margarita served from an electric slushie machine in the bar area doesn't detract much from the Mexican authenticity.
As for me, the true testament is in the Flan. And while I've said before that it's very hard to ruin a flan, it takes a pretty good flan to stand out above the rest - and Pancho Pistolas served us a glorious custardy flan with luscious caramel sauce and a little maraschino cherry for garnish. It was a pleasant end to a large and satisfying meal.
So it's not the most authentic or fancy of all the Mexican restaurants in the area - but it does try to bring a little extra to the table. The tortilla chips are far better here than elsewhere in Bridgeport. The tortillas themselves seem to have a little more quality to them in general as well. I'm not saying I'm never going back to Taco Erendira or Tacqueria San Jose - I'm just saying that then you're looking for a place that's more date-friendly and a nicer sit-down joint (although a crowded one at that), then Pancho Pistolas is the place you're looking for.
If you can manage to figure out what to do with those extra items on your plate... Seriously, what do they want from me???
(Feel free to leave me a message if you do know - or you're a Food Network TV executive who wants me to film a pilot episode of that "Fat American Can't Figure Out Foreign Cuisines" show.)
Aaron S. took me out to dinner here tonight. I had mentioned to him that I wanted to try it one of these days because it just intrigued me when I would pass by it on my way to work or whatever.
Walking in I noticed how small it is, not in a bad way but for some reason from the outside it just looks bigger. Aaron mentioned that they have an upstairs which is kinda cool. They had a party up their tonight and on most nights I would guess they'd seat the bigger groups up there.
The room is also kind of noisy and I think Aaron had a hard time hearing me, but it wasn't that bad considering how crowed the place was ( I think all but three tables were filled up), I also think the table was a little cramped, not much room for the food and drinks, but it wasn't a huge issue.
We were given menus and water right away, and the waitress was nice enough to bring a small pitcher of water out for us seeing as it was our only drinks. Also some super crunchy slightly warm chips and two kinds of salsa. I liked the one with the chunks of tomato best but both were quite good. I even spooned some of the spicier one on my food.
We were having a hard time deciding what to get, it had been a while for me since having Mexican food out so everything sounded tasty.The waitress cane and asked what we were having we had to tell her we didn't know yet. We were given ample time after that to decide, nice that she did not hover. Though it did seem to take a while for her to come back, I think because they were really busy though, so it was understandable. It wasn't a super long wait or anything.
I went with the Chimichangas and Aaron got the dinner that had carne asada, and an enchalada (sp?).. I was pleased reading the menu that they don't stuff that yellow rice stuff in their burritos like a lot of other restaurants do. That makes me happy, not being a rice fan. The Chimichangers were dammed near perfect. They were fried to a nice golden color and the meat inside had an excellent flavor and juicy texture. I mentioned to Aaron "You know how at a lot of Mexican places the meat is almost crunchy? well this isn't" They came topped with a generous dollop of sour cream and gauc...the gauc was super fresh, yum! They beans they served on the side were tasty as well. Aaron said his steak had a great flavor but it was a lot of work to eat.
They have two TV's and tonight they had the game on. The whole room clapped and cheered when the cubs lost. Hooray for living in Sox territory. Also there was a group of cops at the table behind us, and apparently one of them was having a birthday. Aaron and I joined in the singing.
Aaron also ordered some flan which we split, the sauce on it was so good we nearly licked the plate, very good flan, and I am usually not a flan fan.
(Also just a note, they seemed a little pricey to me, but still in the fair range. I think the only reason it seemed high to me is I ate at more of the taco stand divey type Mexican joints, you know the type I'm talking about, where they don't even have a seating area and you have to take it to go...)
All in all enjoyable experience and would like to return.
Margaritas are from a nasty mix - beware.
Food was standard Tex-Mexican fare -- a bunch of variations on grilled chicken, steak or shrimp; rolled in a burrito, folded in a taco, sizzling on a hot plate. But its all essentially the same thing. Nothing stood out from my experience here.
Do you even have to hire a chef when you own one of the places? Really, anyone you pulled off the street can make a taco with an hour of training.
So to me, that means the drinks should balance out the standard grub to warrant a visit, and these were nothing you can't do with a bottle of mix at home.
A nice cheerful place for local gringos, but nothing worth travelling to Bridgeport for.
Oh I love this place! We take vistors there all the time, it's the one place everyone can agree to and we know we'll be well taken care of. The food is great too, I've never had anything bad and really enjoyed the pork tacos, they are like my mom makes them, high praise. It also helps that they have two big screen tv's, great for sports.
The last time I was in there was the night the Bulls went into three overtimes during the playoffs. I think we got there in the 3rd quarter and didn't leave until the game was over. Our waitress took excellent care of us up to the minute we left and there was never a rush to get us out of there. The usual melting pot of Bridgeport was there that night plus about 10 detectives from the local station and everyone had a great time watching and cheering on the Bulls.
A true gem on the south side.
So I teach in Bronzeville and teachers LOVE to eat and drink. Well, maybe just drink, but we do love to get out and enjoy ourselves! The teachers I teach with are regulars at Pancho Pistolas but whenever they decide to go I'm either teaching my side job or at a rehearsal! Not fair! So, Friday night I was tagging along with my friend that had some shopping to do on the south side and, of course, we got hungry seeing that's what happens when you go shopping! I wasn't in the mood for burgers, like he was, and we both wanted something cheap and good. AHA! The teachers go to Pancho Pistolas! Problem solved.
I loved everything about this place. Great ambiance, patio, and an upstairs. The margarita was perfect on the rocks.. and yes... with salt please! I ordered the chorizo taco plate and it was just what I needed. Corn tortillas, chorizo and lettuce. I don't know how, but something this simple is just so good. I can't wait to go back again and the next time the teachers say they're going to Pancho Pistolas I'm there!
If you are craving a Carne Asada..this is "THE " place to get it! They grill it to your tasting and never failed unlike some steakhouses do. What's so great about their steak is whatever they do to it (seasoning, tenderizer etc) it tastes even GREAT the next day. Some places their meat is hard and rubbery the day after. The Steak taco dinner is also a fav of mine.
Margarita's are the BOMB too!!!! I'm a peach frozen margarita but you can have it served on the rocks as well. They have a pretty good selection of poison at their bar..but the margarita's should not be passed up.
They tend to be busy anytime of the day well except for an hour before closing...Depending how busy it is, they sometimes open the upstairs as well & there is a outside seating area for warm weathered days.
An overall great place to visit...If you don't believe me, ask the 100+ Chicago Police or Sheriffs that visit this establishment on a daily basis. Just follow the Police cars ;)
the food is good, not the best but decent. the steak is delicious and so are the margaritas.
they charge extra if you want more chips and salsa which is a horrible horrible thing!! those should always be free.
it has a nice neighborhood feel and the wait staff is nice.
Pancho's is a great place for dressed up Mexican food (in comparison to the the Tamale Guy) that's close-ish to my place of work. I went there for the first time today and had a reasonably enjoyable time.
At first the Margarita's were too sweet, like they were made from a mix maybe? But after a few sips, who cares? And after a glass they're delicious. :)
We said we'd have 8 people to start... they gave us a table that comfortably sat 6 and crammed in 2 extra chairs. We then heard from another friend that a another person was joining us and tried to move an extra chair over... we were then sort of scolded and told that our table is for 8, if we have more, they can do something then. Okay, whatever... but it is awkward when the 9th person walks in and feels unwelcome because there's nowhere to sit. Let me also say that there was only 1 person at the "bar" and 1 other table of 2 in the entire place... plenty of room. When a 10th friend dropped in they eventually broke down and let us have an extra table... one of the 12 other tables that were open and available at the time.
The 2 types of salsa they give are delicious! A really great and not bland amount of spice but As far as the food goes, it was pretty basic and nothing I would ever crave. It was all pretty dry and not very flavorful. I got 2 vegetarian gorditas that I didn't think were that great but I also don't think it was their specialty. Actually, prior to eating here, I thought gordita's were something made up by the Taco Bell corp... and truthfully, I would have really preferred taco bell. Pancho's tacos looked really good though. I know I'll be back and when I go defo I'll give the taco's a try.
The food isn't expensive but it's not cheap either. I feel like I could have gotten tastier and cheaper food at a mom and pop Mexican food stand but I was out with coworkers/friends and for that, I was happy to be at Panchos for a clean Mexican meal... I don't mean as opposed to dirty, I mean as opposed to sloppy, greasy Mexican food... mmm.
It's good for the convenience and it's proximity to my work, but other than an after work outing, I wouldn't seek it out.
Often times, my barometer for whether a place has good food is how many people are in the joint. Well on this sunny, cold Sunday - Pancho Pistolas was packed- and it was 3:30 in the afternoon!
We grabbed the only open table and the server was quick to get our drink order and to hand out the menus. Warm chips and two kinds of salsa were put down before us (chunky and more of a puree) Both were hot and set my tastebuds up for what was to come. Note that they charge for refills on the chips and salsa which seemed odd to me given that is usually complimentary so know before you go!
We went with both of the server's recos- the steak burrito for my friend and the combo plate for me with steak and pork as my meats.
The food came up quickly. While the burrito was big and filled the plate- that was all there was- a burrito. I get that the rice and beans and "stuff" is on the inside- but the plate looked like it was missing something at least to my eyes that like a bounty of food on the plate.
My combo plate, on the other hand was beautiful in its visual appearance. A pork soft shelled taco with raw onions (hot and spicy) the tostada with steak topped with a dollop of sour cream, and the enchilada? Gone before the server came back to ask us if everything was OK.
As for drinks- they have a full bar- although beware of the margaritas. I don't know if it was just the one I had- but it was STRONG! So strong I switched it up to Mexican beer or I might have been spending the night in Bridgeport.
Service was attentive and friendly (even found out that Sox player Cesar Ramirez frequents the place) the interior warm and welcoming and I hear you can even sit outside in the warm weather.
Lots of Mexican places in the area. This one is an excellent choice if you are looking for slightly more "Americanized Mexican" as this is not a taqueria. But the food is good, the service spot on and the prices reasonable.
I've been to this place about a few times and I used to like it. The food was a bit over-priced for a Mexican restaurant (and no lunch menus) but they made up for it with outside seating and nice-decor. This used to be my go-to place for upscaled Mexican food.
UNTIL... one day we felt like splurging and ordered red-snapper, one of the most expensive items on the menu. Big mistake. It was THE WORST red snapper I've ever had. Period. It was tough and stale and tasted strange. This restaurant should be ashamed of serving this dish (and charging big money for it). I can't trust them anymore.
I'd rather go to Taqueria La Mexicana any day.
Great place for lunch. I work close and love to grab the taco plate usually with steak. Delicious. Just a nice, small place to get some good food.
Mexican Food..........what does that bring to mind? Bland beans and rice with some over cooked meet? Perhaps. Or does it make you think of fresh ingredients, favor ladden food that tastes as good as it looks? Well Pancho's does it all. This Bridgeport gem (YES! I'm still exploring the south side...and so should you), is a small, albeit quaint establishment, that does a good job in many areas. The decor is updated and nice. Servers are engaging and quick with a recommendation and the food was very good. I'm giving this 5 stars because as mexican places go in this city....it is the best I've seen to date that DOESN'T break your budget.
With a full drink menu, you can do both the dinner and brunch thing and this particular Sunday they had a bloody mary special, though I was only partaking of beer due to the amount of alcohol I had at the post party for the elite event at Noble Tree last night. *sheepish grin*
My friend and I had chips (along with discussing the issue of charging for more chips after the first basket....see....yelp really does give the 411 on places *wink*) and pepper poppers which were quite good. Next we went onto the entrees. My friend had a platter dinner and I had the steak burrito, which was recommended by the waiter. The meat was a skirt steak and just fantastic.
We were informed by our waiter that even a well known White Sox player publicly states this is one of his favor places. Hey...good enough for a million dollar arm, then sure as hell good enough for you........
So as I've been saying for the last several weeks.......if you aren't doing the Southside yet........get on it! And get down to Pancho's....you won't be disappointed.
If you are craving Mexican, go here.
I had the enchiladas - really good, sauce was pretty and flavorful.
Margaritas are amazing there, lots of salt on the rim and mixed just right.
In addition, the space is nice and bright, and the staff is very accommodating, at least for a group of motley 20-something fools that I was part of! An example, one guy in the group dared another to down a prairie wildfire shot, and when guy actually did it and was trying to recover, the bartender sent over a complimentary horchata to help out. (obviously while laughing at the stupid prank, but, whatevs). Score!
I had an awesome carne asada burrito from here. Everything about it was just oh so good. Love that they delivered to the bar we were at and delivery was quick! This is forever my go-to place for Mexican food when I'm on the South Side.
I'm a chimichanga gal. There's nothing like a fried burrito, right?! Anyway, Pancho Pistola's chimis are yummy. I've had chicken, veggie and steak. All good. Tasty beans and rice, too. The steak isn't fatty, the chicken is mostly white meat and the veggies are grilled. The chips are fresh and the salsa is spicy with a little kick to it! mmmmMMMMM!
The interior is cute, sort of a minimalist cantina with hardwood floors, clean tables and high ceilings. There are a couple of tvs for futbol games or the news. They used to have an outdoor seating area along Union, which is pretty quiet and quite lovely in the summer. I don't know if it's still available, but if you can sit outside, do it! Enjoy a margarita or a Tecate, munch on some chips and salsa and enjoy your dinner!
Ole!
Great spot in Bridgeport for tasty Mexican food.
It was nice to have an upscale Mexican joint within walking distance of my apartment in Bridgeport. The area is getting more restaurants at the moment, but for a long time it had really only had Mitchell's, the Bridgeport Restaurant, Stages and Pancho Pistolas. All of these places are great, but there wasn't much business in Bridgeport for a long time (especially since the only grocery store closed).
Pancho's has really good burritos and they're insanely humongous. I ordered the vegetarian burrito meal once and it was a mistake - there was so much burrito, rice and beans that I could hardly finish any of it. It was delicious, though!
My friends have all had mixed reviews about the food that they ordered and there's other Mexican restaurants I'd rather go to in the city. Pancho's is a bit on the expensive side for a Mexican joint, so I'd rather walk up to the burrito joint at 31st and Halsted for a great, cheap burrito or nachos. However, it's a great spot for those living nearby.
The decor is really nice, and the food is pretty good, and the prices aren't that bad . But what I come here for is the awesome Margarita's!!! I never walk out this place I'm usually stumbling and that's from drinking only 2 of those bad boys.
ok so i finally went to the restaurant itself instead of ordering it. Their margaritas were delicious... perfect combination of alcohol and flavor, but still felt it kicking in after a while.
The restaurant is cute inside. they have 2 floors and the decor is reminiscent of old style mexican without being too in-your-face about it. bumped up to 4 stars.
i looooove their milanesa(breaded steak) anything.... but my experience with carne asada was nothing… Read more »
Just went to a very loud Pancho Pistolas for a co-worker's birthday lunch. I couldn't really hear anyone at our table of 7 unless they talked really loudly which bums me out at a celebration. Overall, I enjoyed it. Was it the best Mexican food I have ever had? No, but I would go there again. Chips were good - they have a kickass green salsa with lots of onions that has a decent kick to it. Very tasty!
I had the chimichanga dinner - two 4-inch chimis w/beans and rice. The chimis were good - I ordered 1 ground beef, 1 steak, but they accidentally gave me a chicken one and the waitress was super nice and quick about getting me the correct chimi.
The margaritas were average - nothing to write home about. Not bad, not good - just okay. They seemed watered down to me and by that I mean the mix itself. I could taste the tequila but the mix itself did not have substance. Very reasonably priced. Good service.
This place is awesome. The portions are large, the meat is juicy and well-seasoned, and the prices are pretty good. Not much more you could ask for. Street parking is easy to find and you can grab some Italian ice after across the street at Freddie's... just make sure you put enough change in the parking meter. Even with the $50 parking ticket, it was worth it. Can't wait to try the 17" burrito next time I come.
We decided to go to Pancho's end of summer annual festival. Outside, the menu offered 16oz. beer, so we ordered two. I noticed the cups seemed small, so when we were done, I turned both over and saw that cups were 14 oz cups. I questioned the waitress but she just shrugged her shoulders and said they ran out of cups. I asked another waitress about it and got the same reaction - a shrug. Bottom line: Pancho's was charging its customers for 16 oz beers but only serving 14 oz., robbing the very people who made their business a success. As far as I am concerned I will not return solely because Pancho Pistolas lied to and deceived their customers.
Panchos!!! Definitely a highlight in Bridgeport and by far the best Mexican food in the area. Their margs are strong enough to knock you on your arse after a couple, and I'd like to think I'm not a lightweight, so that makes them a winner in my book.
I've been here countless times for lunch and dinner - I usually go with the enchiladas or taco salad - mmmm. The outside seating is a great option although limited in space, and the 2nd floor is ideal for large groups. While it's not the absolute best Mexican food I've ever had, it's not far behind. Street parking usually isn't too bad, and there are meters on 31st.
Everything is good here.
Drinks, chips, dinners and the 3 milks cake!!!
The service is good and very fast and there is room upstairs for bigger parties.
I get the enchiladas and they're yummy!!!
There is usually street parking available.
I came here for a large pick up order last night about 45 minutes before they closed. I ordered the steak taco dinner with cilantro and onion. The beans and rice were well uhhh... ummm... regular old beans and rice; nothing spectacular at all. I was disappointed that my steak was a bit on the dry side.I think that this may be partially due to me ordering so close to closing.
This is a very cozy place, a little on the dark side for some ambiance and the interior looks somewhat worn. Overall a very nice atmosphere. When I got there my order was not yet ready so I sat down to wait and one of the servers gave me some water and asked if I wanted some chips and salsa while I was waiting. She definitely went above and beyond what I expected.
I am going to be back to give the food another shot. I think the dry steak may have just been a fluke as they had the potential to be very delicious tacos. I will adjust my review when the time comes.
WOW... These 5 stars are for the good service, food, and drinks. The steak tacos are the best I've ever had! The steak is cooked to perfection... better than some steakhouses!
And the margaritas....delicious! I was feeling tipsy after half of ONE.. :-) That's AWESOME!
I love this place.
Due to the out pour of good reviews and my residential proximity to Pancho Pistolas, I decided to head down for lunch.
At first I really wanted to like this place. I never caught a good look at the interior until I entered, and the atmosphere was busy and quite beautiful. The entrees are a bit on the expensive side, and there aren't any drink refills, despite a soda costing $1.50. In a restaurant with spicy food.. Not cool.
As soon as the meal came out I was stoked.. the portions are fairly generous, but my Enchiladas tasted as if they'd been tossed together and nuked in a microwave for way too long. Too hot to eat and flavourless, not to mention mushy. My buddy's burrito was the same way.
I could be spoiled by some of the great spots in Pilsen, but those places have even better prices to boot, for the commute. Not recommended.
Came here one time with my brother because he raved about the food and the booze. We tried to get a seat outside so we could drink and sit in the sun, but lucky us, there was a 45 minute wait for a table to open. Ok, we will take a seat in the resturaunt.
The margaritas were not bad, but the food was typical Mexican flare. The fajitas were sizzlin, snapping little grease packets at your eyes and making the over-all temperature of the room just a bit hotter and more uncomfortable than it really was. The beans and rice....were beans and rice....wonderful. Chips? Yeah, thanks. Salsa...great. Nothing too exciting.
To top off our meal, my brother ordered a few shots of some "good" tequila and downed them both. Haha, yeah...that's my brother.
I just wasn't impressed with the whole experience.
I went there twice in a two day period it was that good! You get what you want, its got a great decor and an upstairs, the margaritas are perfect, the prices work, and its a really popular spot! The food is good too, and I'm not really a fan of mexican food. Ended up going back before the Yelp Elite Event, trying a different meal, and even then the waitress fit our meals and accomodated it so that we could split the bill between 3 credit cards, someone could have my extra rice, and my margarita was big and tasty enough to not want another. They should warn you about the warn salsa...its not mild, its burn the crap out of you hot.
I love the margaritas here! Enchiladas are awesome!
I think a certain decent Mexican restaurant is starting to believe its own hype like when a semi-decent looking person starts dressing all slutty because two really horny people told this person that he/she was hot...well that's what is happening here except the people were hungry not horny but could have been and that may or not have influenced their behavior.
Full disclosure, I am Mexican and tend to prefer this place over Carbon simply because it's closer to where I work. Let me begin...
Everything about this place is okay. They started out good enough with presentation. The food was warm and pretty okay, just missing the cut off for good. The big draw was the price so if you weighted the grades then it would be pretty good because it's so cheap. But gradually Pancho's quality has slid and their prices have gone up. Most notably in their rice which I distinctly remember never being frozen in an ice-cream scoop shape....seriously. If you're going to cut corners do it with the more expensive stuff not with the fucking rice or the beans. The beans have been the greatest disappointment. Refried beans are so easy to do and not hard to do well. Their bean quality has slipped significantly. So this cutting corners stuff is total bull especially when you up your prices and build out a ridiculous looking second floor lounge (WTF?!?) to try to class things up, oh so reminiscent of El Cid's tragic fall from grace when they built their second floor lounge. Sigh.
Focus on the basics and making things taste good.
P.S.
You are one more cold, leaky, sloppy torta away from one star.
Very flavorful. The al pastor is nice. I usually get carry-out.
I ate here once with my guy and the margarita was good. He asked if I wanted another, but I was like I better not. =) I ordered the steak burrito and it was HUGE. He ordered the steak and he just thought it was ok.
I usually get the burrito. Only thing is I think at the end of the burrito, there is too much wrap left. I mean they are big and all.
I need to thank the owners of Pancho Pistola's for being the only good Mexican restaurant near the Illinois Institute of Technology. When I went to school at IIT, I lived off of the grande burritos. Those things are like 3 feet long and only about 10 bucks.
I agree with Jennifer B that Pancho's steak is awesome. Pancho's is the type of place I would almost go to the south side for. Just writing this review makes me want to hop in the car. It's that good.
After beginning the quest to satisfy my cravings for something with gauc in it, my friend suggested Pancho Pistolas, which I wish he would have suggested before we drove to the northside, passed by several places we wanted to try that were closed, insanely crowded, or too hole-in-the-wall for my friend to try out (I would've been more than happy with them).
I had the Carna Asada a la Tampiquena, which came with the usual assortment of side toppings (beans, rice, cheese, veggies, tortillas, and a hot pepper). Although I've had cana asada that's been marinated with a better flavor, the meat itself was juicier and seemed to be of a better quality than other places I've tasted. My friend had the Fajita mix, which to me seemed too small to serve as an entree, but my friend said it was the right size, and it left him full.
The crowd was mixed, split between families grabbing late dinner and the twenty-something South Side party crews tanking up before their night out. The service was ok, the waitress forgot my tortillas (oh the humanity!!!), but they were brought over once I got her attention. Overall I got the impression that this Mexican restaurant is for people who want Mexican but don't feel like going the extra mile over to Pilsen or Little Village.
Overall, this placed seemed pretty good. I would go here again and maybe try something takeout to see how they rank on the quick and easy side. I heard they make good margaritas, but being the driver that night, I had to do without.
My portion of the bill for food, drink, tax, and tip was $19. Approaching pricey, but any good dinner that I get change for a $20 bill is a plus on my end.
Pros: Menu offers something for everyone, family friendly atmosphere, quick service.
Cons: Food prices escalate quickly, limited parking for both you and your car during White Sox games.
To sum it up: I've had better, but more than willing to go here again.
I am absolutely SICK of my review hiatus so away we go. . .
Pancho, Pancho, Pancho what's not to love? Pretty close to work and pretty tasty. I do not feel it is right to completely and thoroughly judge a Mexican joint without sampling the most important dish - the margarita. Since this was a working lunch for me, I will have to go on my fellow diner's opinion that the margarita was "strong." Works for me (well, not at work. You know what I mean. . .)
The salsa here is hot, hot HOT. Whew! For my entree I went with the steak tacos. The steak was excellent - very lean. For some reason, they did not include cheese on the tacos but I didn't miss it too much. The one thing I did not like was the double-wrapped soft taco shell. I ordered tacos not chalupas!
Pancho's gets my stamp of approval. It is cute, clean, friendly and the food checks out. I will be back for my 'rita test soon. . .
This is probably one of the few restaurants I will go out of my way to travel to. I love the atmosphere and the people watching, and the food is great! Go when the weather is nice so you can sit outside. Then you can get a great view of all the handsome cops & firemen that frequent this place. haha.
Love the tomatillo salsa and the chunky tomato/onion/jalepeno salsa that accompanies the complementary chips. I am pleased to see they also amped up the heat on that jalepeno salsa. When I first started going here it was a bit bland.
I am a big fan of the tacos, so i usually get that along with a horchata (rice drink), but every dinner I have seen come out of the kitchen is huge, fresh, and gorgeous. Anything chorizo here is a guaranteed hit.
My one gripe is while the service is wonderful all throughout the meal, the servers have a bad habit of disappearing when it comes time for the check. If they would fix that this place would be perfect to me!
Neighborhood: Bridgeport
Category: Steakhouses
Neighborhood: Bridgeport
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Bridgeport
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Bridgeport
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Bridgeport
Category: Pizza
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