My family and I went to Los Panchos for dinner last night, at the recommendation of a friend. We love Mexican food and have tried most restaurants around the Capital Region, and I have to say, Los Panchos has become our new absolute favorite!
APPS:
We started with chips/salsa, and sides of queso dip and guacamole. The chips were served warm and crispy, and didn't hold any grease like other places. The salsa was light and fresh with great flavor. The kids LOVED the queso dip. The 2 bites of queso they let me have were very good - perfect classic queso dip, exactly what you'd want/expect, without being too thick/overly heavy.
MEALS:
I had the chicken Chimichangas... it's my usual thing that I order every time we go out for Mexican food. This was, BY FAR, the best Chimichanga I have ever had. It was stuffed with white meat chicken, lightly fried without being greasy, and topped with the most amazing cheesy sauce. I have no idea what they do differently with their sauce, but oh my god, it was excellent. It came with rice (very good) and refried beans (which I personally don't like, so I didn't get those).
My husband ordered the Molcajete dish... It came out in a sizzling tall bowl, which was very cool and had the "WOW factor". It had a mix of chicken, steak, shrimp and chorizo with tomatoes, onions and peppers. It smelled so good- I had to try a couple bites... it was absolutely DELICIOUS! Hands down, the best thing on the menu. The sauce was nothing short of magical.
My mother-in-law ordered the Pancho's Special steak, which she absolutely loved. It was cooked perfectly and came with the rice, beans, and guac salad.
My father-in-law ordered the steak tacos - it was 3 huge tacos stuffed with perfectly seasoned steak. I tried a piece of the steak from it, and it was EXCELLENT. Perfectly cooked, and the seasoning was delicious.
My older son ordered the California Burrito. This thing was insanely massive. Like, more food than any normal person should eat in one sitting. It was stuffed full of steak, and he did opt to get the beans in it, so I didn't try a bite, but he said it was the best burrito he has ever had.
The two younger kids ordered beef tacos (3 large tacos), a side of mac and cheese and rice, and carne asada and a quesadilla. They loved everything! I did try a bite of the beef taco... it was very, very good! The beef was flavorful, and the cheese on top was so good!
DESSERTS:
By this time, we were all so full, but we heard the desserts were amazing, so we got a mix of things to share. We got the Churros, Chocolate Cake, and the Chocoflan. Everything was SO GOOD. The Churros were my personal favorite - they were hot and crispy with the perfect cinnamon sugar coating on the outside, with a soft and chewy inside. The chocolate cake and chocoflan were huge hits across the group too.
DRINKS:
I personally don't drink a ton, but I had to try a sip of everything. My husband ordered a medium lime margarita on the rocks -- it was gigantic. It was fresh and refreshing, not overpowering at all, but there was definitely a good amount of tequila in there!
The real winner of the whole night though, was the Margarita Flight. We choose the 4 flavors (Lime, Raspberry, Strawberry and Mango), and they were all SO GOOD. I'm not a huge drinker, but even I could have drank the whole raspberry one myself. They were a huge hit with everyone. Highly recommend.
SERVICE:
The servers/staff were so nice and friendly, answering our questions about different dishes and drinks, and giving recommendations. The service was quick and attentive, without feeling rushed at all.
It was a great place.. seriously, not one negative thing to say, and I can be a little picky at times. I'm so glad we went, and we will DEFINITELY be back!
I did find out that they do catering orders too, so... we will definitely be looking into that for some upcoming family events! read more