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Mon-Tue. 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Wed-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 1:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Don't Just Wish Someone A Good Holiday, Give Them One With Chili's.
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I wasn't moved either way from PDG.
Here is some advice:
Stick with the bottled selection of beverages. The margarita and sangria drinks left something to be desired in my opinion. I wished I had ordered a beer.
The salsa verde is rather spicy. This comes on the traditional chicken enchiladas so beware. I used all the sour cream to neutralize the fire in my mouth.
Burritos are quite sizable! Probably get the most bang for your buck with these.
Grievances:
$11 for two Dos Equis
Boring tiny chicken fajitas
Ditto with the once amazing rattle snake tacos of the day
I am disappointed to see so many negative reviews. I live two blocks from here, and have probably gone 20 times over the past three years. I love the place for what it is, a small authentic Mexican restaurant. There is no fusion involved, the bathroom is back near the kitchen... you almost feel like you are in Mexico, and am not talking about Cancún.
First off, the chips and salsa are free and great. I suggest trying their sangria. My fiancée and I usually order a full pitcher and take our time drinking and chatting. The fish tacos, as others have mentioned, are terrific. I am usually all over the menu from visit to visit, and since Mexican can cause problems for some people, I would suggest just picking one of your favorites and going with that. Last time I was there, about a week ago, I had the chicken fajitas and they were awesome as always. Being a fan off the very hot, I always enjoy using the variety of Mexican hot sauces they have on the tables.
Pico is especially great in the warmer months when you can sit out on the sidewalk and sip your cool drinks.
Finally, the price is right. Even with the $25 we spend on a pitcher of sangria, we always end up leaving satisfied with the value of our meal, often with leftovers to stick in the fridge. The only thing that can be lacking is the service, but once that pitcher of sangria arrives, nothing else matters.
In my view, Pico is a true South Street gem.
Definitely not heading here again. I had gone about 1 yr ago, sat outside, and enjoyed my delicious cactus burrito. Not this time. Just went 2 weeks ago and it was horrible. The waiter inspired my boyfriend and I to get the beef tacos. I could have made them at home. And to think, he told us those would be better than the nachos. Maybe I should be thankful. The nachos were probably just chips w/ melted cheese.
Not going back there again...The beers were even expensive. Thumbs down to the wait staff and the food. Thumbs up, however, to the decor.
oh, pico de gallo....what happened to you?
you were once my hands-down favourite mexican spot in philly....i could get plantain + mushroom burritos the size of a puppy with guac and happyness, and bring my own beer! my friends + i would show up + happily wait 40 minutes to get seated in your tiny, colourful pinata of a restaurant, no complaints, eager with the promise of awesomeness to come.
then one day, something changed. maybe you switched owners, maybe y'all had a meeting to see where you could be less awesome, i have no idea.
it started when you began carrying your own beer -- i was a little bummed but still shelled out $4 for a negro modela because the food was still great. then slowly, things started to fall apart. on one visit our server didn't bring us chips + salsa without us asking 10 times. another, the rice was hard + crunchy and my burrito soggy + tasteless.
i hoped it was a fluke, but the trend continued.
the last time i went there it was like having lunch with your high school sweetheart to learn they gained 60 pounds, lost all their hair + developed a nervous tic and still lived at home.
how fast they fall....
I was so excited to discover this place a few days ago. I love the decorations, the service, and the food-- the decorations are esp. plentiful... I kid you not, when I sat down, I got poked in the back by a little donkey pinata. They're everywhere! I ordered the pork, beans, and plantains burrito, which was delicious & gigantic (I saved half for lunch the next day). I'd give it three and a half stars if I could for all those things-- it's just hard to compare Mexican food in Philadelphia to Mexican food in California, and at slightly higher prices. Otherwise awesome. And the Phillies won the night I was there, which totally made the experience that much better!
Oh hello awesome Mexican food! I actually really love it here. Its small BUT fun, awesome chips, salsa and guacamole. The servings are huge but I always enjoy leftovers. Once when we went there, the wait was about 40 minutes (crazy) and they gave us chips and salsa as we sat on the stoop next door. Anyway, great place.
I really want to like this place. It's in my neighborhood, they make homemade tortillas there, and the staff is always friendly. But it seems that the pros stop there.
I have eaten here a few times and most times my meals were pretty unexciting. The plaintain and pork burrito had pork that was so overcooked that it was dried out and flavorless, and the plaintains were mushy. To top it off, burritos are around $11, which is just way too much for mediocre Mexican food.
It is worth noting that Pico de Gallo is no longer BYOB.
As for the food, I was generally unimpressed. The fish tacos were good but much different than what I expected from my fish taco experiences out west. I also order the black bean, cactus, and portabello mushroom burrito. The cactus seemed undercooked and the burrito didn't have much flavor. I commend Pico de Gallo for making their tortillas but the one that wrapped my burrito wasn't great and feel apart easily.
Sitting outside along South Street, along with the laid back and friendly waitstaff, was definitely the highlight of the dining experience.
I'm new to Philly and haven't experienced great Mexican food in the city - yet. I know it is out there but unfortunately Pico de Gallo isn't it.
This food is disgusting. I am unsure what my margarita was made with but it tasted like it was Sunny D. I had a cheese quesadilla that tasted like a college microwave special.
The service was super nice but SUPER SLOW. I gave it an extra star for how nice my server was but I think he may have recognized me from the neighborhood.
I went to Pico De Gallo fairly frequently between 2006-2007. It was the best mexican food I've found in Philly- especially the red meat, which was unbelievably flavorful. The service has always been spotty, which is to say that it seems like the waiters are constantly hitting blunts in the back room. That's alright by me so long as they put margaritas in front of me pronto, you kind of take it in stride, especially if the food is good and you're chilling out on a Sunday.
However, I've read a lot of reviews that say it has come under new ownership and the food has gone downhill. If this is true, then I'm really sorry to hear that. I'm kind of afraid to go and find out.
First of all there wasn't Pico De Gallo in anything on the menu.
The waiter, i think he may have been the owner, was slightly rude when I asked for no meat, but an alternative instead. I ended up having a plaintain burrito with mushrooms and black beans. It was actually quite good but there was no rice on it! I don't think i'm wrong to expect rice in my burrito and i LOVE mexican rice. So i'm disappointed, although i didn't expect much, considering the piece of paper on the door, in scribbled sharpie saying "Watermelon Margaritas $7."
Dining at Pico used to be very hit-or-miss but recently it's been improving. I advise dining in because 1) you will not get chips OR pico de gallo with the takeout order unless you request and pay extra for them, and 2) there has always been something a little off about the takeout food. It just doesn't taste the same.
I recommend the #15 black bean / cheese / guacamole burrito and the #16 black bean / portabello / cactus / homemade cheese burrito (I usually substitute avocado for the portabello at no extra charge). Also the fish tacos (#5) are amazing but not big enough for a meal, and just about the same price as an entree.
The menu recently changed but all the favorites are still there and I think they serve alcohol now instead of just being a BYO. The service is very good, especially considering it's typically pretty busy for dinner and there are maybe 2 servers on at a time.
I keep coming back because I love Mexican and it's one block away from my home, but I would probably come here even if it wasn't so convenient. Lastly, I recommend snagging a sidewalk table because it's just too, too cramped inside. But the decor is cool.
Meh' Mexican food and bad service. Our friends took us here because they live right around the corner and eat here a lot. (The other place they took us was Jamaican Jerk Hut kitty corner to the SE.) Anyway, the pork and friend plaintain burrito was an intriguing combo, but underdelivered. Then the baja fish tacos with tilapia as the fish were kind of boring. Sadly, I couldn't drink my disappointment away either because the waiter barely came by and when he did, it was one request at a time brought back to the table one at time, like extra napkin...hot sauce...etc. So when I finally got my back up Pacifico it was time to go.
Good Things to Say: Nachos - wow! Each one was made by hand! Rather than the pile/smear technique most places use, so each one had cheese, sour cream and a big jalapeno on it - the full flavor experience captured in each nacho. Unusual, but it kind of worked.
Worst restaurant I've been to in recent memory. Went on a Friday night, scored an outdoor table, and then.. just.. waited. For a long time. Only to finally get accosted by a waiter who I think thought he was being cute when he told us that we couldn't have the shot-and-a-beer special listed on the menu because the Coors keg was being funny and pulling from it was "too much work for him" and he wouldn't sub out for a different beer. Also, only ever brought one basket of chips for our party of six for the two hours we were there. Worst server ever.
Then, the food. Borderline inedible. Chicken had literally no flavoring on it and was shoved inside strange hard tortillas. Nachos were meager and taco salad was actually 85% shredded lettuce. Overpriced, totally disappointing, and they didn't say anything about it being cash only until the very end of the meal (it's not anywhere on the menu either.)
Bottom line: Go anywhere else.
I had dueling experiences.
First time I went the food was bland, everything was just kind eh, the prices were reasonable. Was happy that they serve Mexican Coke.
Second time I went the food was much better AND I made the most brilliant decision of my life, I ordered an Arnold Palmer and it was served to me in a pitcher with a straw!!! Very cool!
If you can't figure out any other places to go go here, but even the cool Arnold Palmer isn't enough to make this a first choice for me ever.
Except for the fried plantains, I have yet to be really wow-ed with my experience at Pico de Gallo but everything at least meets some basic standard of a decent meal.
The first time I came here I had the huevos rancheros with a pork chop on the side. The eggs were good, not exceptional or anything, but the pork chop was basically a hunk of fat and bone. The second time, on Cinco de Mayo, I had the 'Mexican Dinner.' This is basically a sampler, but when I ordered it I joked to the girl that its kind of racist to imply that Mexicans sit around eating this for dinner every night. (In actuality, the only "Mexican" food I think is racist is the Choco Taco.) Anyway, it was okay, although the sauce for the enchiladas was far, far too smokey.
The margaritas are cheap and kind of strong. A half-pitcher at $13 produced four servings, and my share of that gave me a decent a buzz. I wouldn't say they're great-tasting, or even among the better margaritas you can find in Philly, but for the price, good.
Overall, not a bad option if you're in the mood for Mexican food. But definitely not the best option.
I hate to give any place 1 star, but if this food is bad and overpriced for what it is, what can you do?
I went with 3 other people, and between us we got 2 vegetarian burritos, a steak item, and a chicken quesadilla. I don't know if they forgot the salsa, but none of our items had a salsa or sauce. Otherwise, the food was very bland. For burritos, this is very over-priced, not to mention that you're getting table service which adds a tip. It seemed like this should be an order a the counter type of place.
The non-alcoholic drinks were upwards of $3. You get a lot, but it's more than one person would want to drink.
The service was nice but slow. The location is OK but it ends up being a very loud block. I would not recommend this place.
Pico has gotten worse in the two years I've lived in the area. The menu was considerably slashed and many options were cut. Because every now and then I crave a margarita with my lunch I'll go here. The fish tacos with mango salsa are good. I would like to find a better mexican option for lunch, but Pico is decent until I do.
This corner spot is now split between two places. During the summer, its a great spot to chill with your friends after class with a pitcher of Margaritas and burritos. When I first arrived to Philadelphia, this little spot was chock full of Day of the Dead Mexican knick knacks to the point every time you go you found a new goat mask or skeleton jeering you as you ate.
However, over time- management has changed hands and the fresh juice that was once bountiful is no more or spotty at best. The margaritas range from too much tequila to sweet lime juice and the service has been waning too.
I don't really like that their menu is generally a la carte but do LOVE and I mean LOVE the Black beans, plantains and pork burrito, IF substituted with guacamole. There is no charge for this awesome substitution, but this knowledge is only word of mouth.
If I had written this in 2007, I would have written 4 stars, but now... 2. I haven't given up hope, but now the $3 summer rolls at Vietnamese are more appealing....
The first time I went to Pico De Gallo, the food was delicious. After that I think they got a new owner & decluttered the tacky Mexican restaurant and that's when the food went south (or should I say north?) I've been here a total of 4 times. Each time getting progressively worse. The last time I went I got a chicken burrito & there were chicken bones still in it. Not only that but the food has become almost tasteless. I guess that what you get for the price you pay.
Some of the best fish tacos I've ever tasted!!!!
The place is getting worse and worse. My friends and I went on saturday night at 9pm...there were open tables, but the hostess said a 40 minute wait. What was everyone who was waiting over at Bob and barbara's?
It is also unclear as to whether they still have beer and tequila. So we lugged a bottle of tequila.
After the 40 minute wait speech we just went to Grace tavern up the street.
Sadly very few cheap mexican restaurants are left!
Ok go here for the ambience and the really good margaritas. DO NOT go here on a first date, with… Read more »
Got hit by a severe craving for Mexican food a few days ago so we got take-out. It sucked. A lot.
Nachos (#10). According to the menu it was supposed to be nachos with black beans, cheese and guacamole. It was $9. So imagine my surprise when I opened the container and saw two 6-inch corn tortillas topped with thin layers of black beans and cheese. That's it. No guacamole. I'm not exaggerating. AND IT COST $9. I walked back to the restaurant because I was sure that someone had just forgotten half the dish--but no, that's how it was supposed to be. The guy manning the counter tried to tell me there was guacamole on it, but after I gave him the stink-eye he was nice and added some chips and a container of guac. Still can't believe they have the gall to charge more than $4 for that one.
Cheese Quesedilla (#12) This one was about $7-$8. I'm used to quesedillas coming with some salsa or sour cream but this was literally just a flour tortilla with some cheese inside. It was crappy cheese and there wasn't enough of it. That said, the tortilla was great--just not by itself
Chicken Enchiladas (#26) Black beans were really tasty but everything else about this dish was just kind of blah.
If I'm gonna pay almost $30 for an app and 2 entrees they better be tastier than what I can get for under $10 at Taco Bell. Not so with Pico de Gallo.
Pork and plantain burrito (aka. #19). It's damned good. DAMNED GOOD!
The service is ok. The place is smaller than my bathroom (which is really small).
Oh, and the tamales are the biggest waste of money in the world. Honestly, do not stray...#19!!!
The boyfriend and I went to Pico for the first time a few nights ago and we were underwhelmed. The food wasn't bad, it was just generic and somewhat bland. We had chicken enchiladas verdes, and a black bean/portobello/cactus burrito. The enchiladas were decent, but again, nothing special. The burrito was a little iffy. Too much tortilla for the amount of filling, and (my bad for ordering it but) portobello is kind of a weird choice for a burrito. Chips and salsa came with the meal and were pretty good.
The pros? Our server was pleasant and laid back. Unlike some other reviewers, the service was prompt. The Arnold Palmer I had was large and delicious.
The cons? Just kind of... boring, and a little expensive for boring. (Two entrees and one non-alcoholic drink with tip put us back $30)
Awful, ignorant service.
Meat burritos served when a vegetarian one was ordered. (BAD FOR VEGETARIANS)
Overpriced for food that gets made wrong most of the time.
Used to love this place. Never going back again.
In the past 6 months I've had the two worst service experiences of my life, prompting me to actually walk out.
- Once was from a coked up looking boy with his shirt half open and a huge necklace that was touching his sweaty chest and then falling into food.
- The other was during the day when with 2 other customers in the place it took a server over 30 minutes to even hand us menus but had time to put chips on other table who walked in 20 minutes after us.
It's a shame because when the order is actually right (and the staff admits they were wrong instead of acting like they're too cool to understand) the food is alright. The burritos are satisfying.
Yum yum yum.
I can't make any claims for Pico's authenticity. I'm not Mexican and my only Hispanic friend is Puerto Rican. He has given me no insight on his people except "haha Hispanic guys loooooove big girls!" (Exact quote.)
Taking that into consideration, I love Pico. They were always been able to accommodate me when I was vegan, and I've always had really good experiences with the nice - but frazzled - waitstaff. (Seriously, they need to hire another server.) For their size, they've got a surprisingly extensive
menu. The chipotle shrimp quesadillas are awesome, as are their burritoes. My standard was the portabello, cactus & queso (?), minus the cheese. Best part about my substitutions is that they didn't skimp on the size of the burrito, they'd just add more rice or beans or what have you.
Their drinks are awesome and they have 24 ounce Coronas. Every time I've had margaritas there, they've been bangin...can't comment on any other booze. For something non-alcoholic, go with the Limeade or iced tea. They bring it out in a little mini pitcher! EEEEEEEE! That puts me in touch with my inner girly girl!
The only complaint about Pico is the tiny ass location. I feel cramped in there when I just need to run into the bathroom and rejoin my group outside. I've had late lunch/early dinner there one night inside, and it was a little stuffy. (I was part of a group of three and there were maybe four other people eating there.) But all in all, I'll keep going back to Pico, cause the food makes up for their flaws!
Overpriced, under portioned, and the food is lackluster (at best). When I think of Mexican food, I think of giant burritos, succulent greasy/ tender meat, and reasonable prices. The food here is small, with the chimichangas resembling store bought frozen mini pizza rolls, and about the same size. A sad bed of chopped iceberg is no serving vessel at the prices they charge. We got takeout for 4, and it was $75. Seriously? I have also eaten in a couple of times, and it is so borderline even being Mexican, I have sworn it off altogether. I would describe it as if you took Mexican food, made it vegan, converted whatever was on the menu back into regular "real people" food, and then jacked up the price. It is actually similar to "Hot Tamales" on 18th and JFK, except they are at least cheap.
Wonderful decor, uncomfortable seating, cramped as hell, but I would eat the steak and colby quesadilla with guacamole as my last meal. The chips are hit-or-miss, sometimes stale, sometimes still warm, sometimes salted and sometimes not, but holy cow that quesadilla! I would eat it if it came from a food truck and was served on a trash can lid. It's that good.
Homemade flour tortillas. Yesyes. Try the black beans, too, they're a revelation.
(P.S. No credit cards, cash only. FYI.)
I wanted Mexican food very badly and stumbled upon this place while searching. Very convenient location. The seating is cramped and there are very few tables, making it quite the hole in the wall. But the decorations everywhere are pretty entertaining to look at like Katrina said. The service is pretty good and friendly. You don't run out of water or food. Just remember that this place is cash only.
I got chicken quesadillas and my friend got chilaquiles. Holy crap that was a lot of food. I definitely recommend sharing the chilaquiles and getting a small side if you wish. You also get chips (totopos apparently as I found out) and salsa too while you're waiting on food so don't forget that :-P
Next time, I'm working up an appetite to go back.
The food here is quite good and reasonably priced. I'm pretty picky about Mexican food since I'm from Dallas. The service, however, has been touch and go. Sometimes, I've had great service. Sometimes, it has been substandard. One time, we weren't even brought our water until the food was almost out-let alone anything else to drink. Sure, the restaurant was busy, but no chips either. In Texas, a Mexican restaurant that doesn't bring chips right away is like a freak of nature. The waitress then proceeded to lie about the chips by saying that the cooks were just making them. Not true. When we (finally) got them, they were quite stale-nearly chipped a tooth.
So, besides the former server trauma...I still go to the restaurant. It's good-just don't always expect good service.
I've been twice and enjoyed myself on both occasions. The lunch visit was far more relaxed because it was just less crowded. For dinner the service was a little slow because they were hella busy. On to the food:
The first time I went I was starving and had the pork and plantain burrito on a recommendation from the very friendly and cute waitress (who ironically turned out to be a vegetarian) and a pitcher (you drink from a miniature pitcher) of their homemade iced tea. The burrito was fantastically large and tasty and the iced tea was very refreshing and not too sweet. All in all, this was a very good dining experience.
My second visit I was nowhere near as hungry, so I ordered the fish tacos from a waiter who was overworked and forgot about my friend and I twice. He was still very courteous and brought me my beloved pitcher of iced tea which I pulled down quickly after having walked 8 miles around the city on one of the first days of the heat wave this summer. The fish tacos were somewhat tasty, but the fish was a little overcooked which was a little disappointing. I haven't had a good fish taco outside of California anyway so I don't really have much to complain about on that point.
Anyway, Pico de Gallo is good and honest home cooked Mexican food. They are very vegetarian friendly and have great chips and salsa to start your meal. Go and definitely get yourself some iced tea! One warning: for some reason the desserts are like 6 bucks. Isn't there some rule about the percentage a dessert should cost compared to an entree?
PS: You can also see the kitchen through a window from outside which is pretty cool. The ambiance of the place is also creepy enough to satisfy my eclectic tastes with its numerous dia de los muertos skulls and whatnot.
I keep trying to go to Apamate (churros!), but they keep weird hours. So tonight we turned to Pico de Gallo for a quick, but tasty meal.
They serve chilaquiles, which was my favorite breakfast when I worked in Mexico. I've never seen chilaquiles on a menu in the States (being as they are a sort of humble, use-up-old-tortillas food), so I had to get them. As it happened, our waitress didn't even know what they were... which was a little weird. Unfortunately, they seem to be using up their old chips, not tortillas. And at $9ish, it was the most expensive plate of chilaquiles on either side of the border! (Gringos: this is like charging $9 for scrambled eggs.)
My boyfriend really liked his tamale and watermelon margarita. Veggies note: it does not explicitly say on the menu that the black bean and jalapeno tamale also has chicken in it. But it does. Okay.
On the plus side, their mole sauce is *really* good, the iced tea pitchers are epic, the decor is good-weird, our servers were friendly and efficient, and the outdoor seating was pleasant and perfect for people-watching.
So I'd go back, as long as Apamate keeps denying me churros.
I have been on a hunt for a decent burrito close to rittenhouse and I still am. I ordered the pork and plantain burrito, which could have been saved with some more sauce or guac or something, but it was sadly really dry and i was forced to order another margarita pitcher to help wash it down. The aforementioned marg pitcher is actually why this place got 3 stars, as they were pretty strong and did the trick. I liked the atmosphere of this small place complete with tissue paper cutouts hanging from the ceiling, but the service was kind of weird and not super attentive. all in all, i might go back for a marg if i'm in the neighborhood, but would probably pick up food beforehand.
Food is mediocre and service is equally unremarkable. Keep walking by this place.
I want to kidnap the cooks and have them be my personal cooks. I dont know what they do to make it so good - free range chicken? organic beef? but its awesome. Service is good too - what other place will drop off your take out to you as you wait at the bar next door? oh? lots of places do that? well, whatever... i love pico
I'd give this place one-star if I weren't so nice. Everything tastes like it's from Fridays/Chili's/(insert bad chain restaurant here). Straight up barfsville. When it comes to Mexican food, I'm a fan of spice and flavor and everything I had here was bland. It tasted like how my German born/bible belt raised mom would try to replicate Mexican food. She'd just throw some meat and veggies in a pan and throw it on a tortilla with some sour cream and other un-needed condiments...but where is the SPICE??!?! The flavor!?!?! I don't need my mouth to burn but I want to taste something.
While waiting for my meal, I ate the salsa which was a step down from the bottled stuff at Trader Joe's which is sad because Pico De Gallo's salsa is fresh(ish). I ordered fajitas. They were a 2/5. The meat wasn't rotten and it was hot...
Not exactly flavorful. Not exactly memorable.
The waitstaff overall was sort of 'meh' but our waitress was really apologetic because she was so busy and couldn't accommodate everyone with the best service.
If you like non-authentic Mexican food (which is sort of a guilty pleasure of mine in which i like to partake at least once a year), this isn't even up to par to those 'make your own taco kits' from the market. You know the ones that come with the beans, spice packets, and tortillas (hard or soft, you pick!)...yeah, get those instead and save your money and time.
I mainly used to go here because of the salsa they used, but they switched to a habanero type that I'm not a fan of. The enchiladas and chilaquiles are among my top choices. The ambience, outdoor seating and margaritas are pluses.
One point for service. But goddamn! Freaking awesome food! I recommend (if you're a meat-leaning kind of person) the pork and plantains burrito. If you're really willing to go big, you should add some avocado. It's some of the only mexican food i have ever had that i still crave from 3300 miles away in a land of authentic Mexican (at least for the U.S.). Hell, i even liked their tamale! Hooray for everything!
As for cash only....it's an inconvenience. It's true. But it's posted, and they serve cash-affordable food.
It's tiny, and quirky with its overwhelming Mexican kitsch decor (the bathroom filled with Frida). It's one of my favorite establishments in the Philadelphia area.
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Grocery
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Callowhill
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Pizza
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