I like to come here and sit at the bar and enjoy their 20 peso drinks and snacks. The mini torta pibil and panuchos are some of my favorites. I've never had a sit down meal here but the the main dining area is very nice and there is another section that is open to the sky. Customers are a combination of locals and visitors. Bathrooms are clean and service is good. read more

The secret upstairs bar under the open skies makes this restaurant extra special. Its a platform patio built into shade trees with a thatched roof. It's enchanting at night watching the lighted towers of the old cathedral standing watch over the Merida night sky...sitting at a candle lit table with cool Yucatan breezes blowing. It's a far remove from the hustle and bustle of the narrow, crowded downtown streets and the lively plaza. I ordered a pumpkin seed-based salsa which was prepared table side in a stone vessel. My friend ordered the grilled fish with rice, pickled carrots, onions and sauces. Both were delicious. We also had nice drinks, red wine sangria, and beer. What was perhaps the best feature of the place is the excellent waitstaff who are bilingual, who are helpful with making you feel comfortable, who provide charming conversation and tips, and who are generally well trained in hospitality. Such a far cry from the dour and arrogant wait staff typically found in Washington DC restaurants. This is a good place for a quiet escape from the plaza crowd. read more

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Pancho's is advertised all over Merida as the best restaurant in town and a local gem, but I beg to differ. Pancho's gave me food poisoning. I was sick in bed for 24 hours after eating dinner here. I did NOT drink the water. I just ate one single bite of the burger from the pre-fix menu. It's ironic that the nicest restaurant we ate at while in Mexico for 12 days got me sick. I will say that the patio setting is beautiful, the service was excellent and my husband's meal was delicious (mole, chicken, nopales, spinach), but there is absolutely nothing that can redeem Pancho's considering how sick I was. ____________ Pancho's se anuncia en todo Mérida como el mejor restaurante de la ciudad y una joya local, pero de acuerdo. Pancho's me dio una intoxicación alimentaria. Yo estaba enfermo en la cama por 24 horas después de comer la cena aquí. Yo no beber el agua. Acabo de comer un solo bocado de la hamburguesa en el menú pre-fix. Es irónico que el mejor restaurante que comimos en mientras que en México durante 12 días me tiene enfermo. Me gustaría decir que el patio entorno es bonito, el servicio fue excelente y la comida de mi esposo estaba delicioso (mole, pollo, nopales, espinacas), pero no hay absolutamente nada que pueda redimir a Pancho's considerando lo enferma que estaba. read more

Pancho's - Mexican Near Me - Mérida, YUC

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Great service, okay food. The waiters speak good English. Cocktails are yummy. Clearly tourist-friendly and prices reflect it. Very nice decor. read more

The location, service, decor, vibe and drinks are great! Sat at the bar and received good service. Place has a Great Wall decor for topics of conversation. Only ordered the chicken lime soup.... it was really salty though. They were nice though and offered to take it back to the kitchen. The prices are meant to be for tourist... read more

Great food. Excellent service. Delicious margaritas. Prime location next to shops and main square. Gluten free options: tacos read more

STUNNING!! I have never wanted to applaud after a meal until tonight. The patio atmosphere was beautiful, service was perfect, and the food and cocktails were out of this world. Highlights were the grilled shrimp tacos and the ceviche. I wish I could fly your chef to Australia! 11/10 read more

While in Merida, we've really enjoyed going to Pancho's because it's a really great atmosphere with good service. It's always fun to go with large groups, and great with kids. During our last visit Felix took fantastic care of us, and even helped our son obtain one of those awesome hats! read more

Pancho's - Mexican Near Me - Mérida, YUC

Great Guacamole and Happy Hour Margaritas. Service was adequate at the bar but could have been more friendly. Hardly a smile from the bar staff. Our favorite waiter Mario, seems to be long gone and there is a new group of employees along with a nice remodel and expansion of the bar area. We moved to the garden dining area for dinner where we enjoyed great live music from a trumpet/guitar duo. Not too loud but help create a charming atmosphere. Food: Arrived in a reasonable amount of time. My Mayan Octopus was delicious as well prepared. Two people ordered the chicken X'catik was an okay new version of a chicken dish formerly superior. It's new flattened slab of meat was in keeping with its somewhat flat creamy sauce. The tampiqueña arrachara beef was cooked to ordered temperature and well prepared. There was a strange occurrence when the bill was asked for. The waiter figured the costs on a slip of paper which I'm not used to. Was this a ploy to get money to pocket or pad the numbers? We asked for a proper bill and after some confusion a bill was produced and then paid for by credit card. Pancho's has changed but still offers a unique Centro dining experience. Any hiccups are hopefully growing pains. read more

My husband and I were disappointed with our meals at Pancho's. We had heard some expats in Merida talking about how great it was, so we decided to stop in for dinner on our last night in Mexico. The atmosphere was gorgeous- we loved sitting outside with all the nice lighting and Frida photos, our drinks were also delicious (I ordered the Frida, not just because I love her and I was in Mexico, but because it was a mezcal cocktail). For dinner I ordered the chicken dish (our waiter claimed several times that it was their best dish), and my husband ordered the huitlacoche tacos because he had never tried huitlacoche and I convinced him that it was good and he should try it. When I saw the chicken on the menu I imagined it would have a spicy, chile cream sauce nicely drizzled on top, but when my dish came out it was more like a bowl of cream sauce with a piece of chicken drowning in it. The chicken I received was extremely tough, all cartilage and gristle, and the fresh vegetables on the side (broccoli, carrots, some others) were all completely soggy, and the sauce was just bland. No heat, no seasoning. Our waiter didn't come back to check on us, and he was somewhere far out of sight, so I had to wait for him to come back into view (10 minutes or more?) and wave him over. I told him about the chicken, and he was apologetic and promised to make it right. In the meantime my husband was finishing his tacos and even though he didn't hate them, he felt they were lacking in a lot of ways. They were goat cheese, huitlacoche tacos and they were just too umami. There wasn't anything else so they weren't filling and there was no variety in flavor or anything special. By the time my chicken came back out (15 minutes later) I felt done being at the restaurant and frustrated with our experience. The chicken was corrected, it was a tender, juicy piece of chicken now, but the vegetables were still soggy and the sauce was still bland. I explained this to our server, and he was surprised I didn't love it like everyone else supposedly does. This was one of our priciest meals on our entire trip and it was a real let down. I would recommend coming here for cocktails and a giant bowl of guacamole, but I would not recommend sticking around for dinner. read more

Mixed review. Be aware that we went for drinks and apps, not a meal. Pluses: interesting decor, beautiful garden patio, attentive service in excellent English for those who needed it. Minuses: weak drinks, uneven quality in the dishes we ordered, mosquitoes. I'm sure there are better options in central Mérida. read more

We were recommended to Pancho's after checking into to our near by hotel. Although it doesn't look like any thing special from the outside, looks can be deceiving! The inside brings you on an adorable transformation to a Mexican colonial villa. We were seated outside, which, having been in the summer time, may have been a mistake as the heat of the night was truly the only bad thing about the experience, although the patio's ambiance was very romantic. We had a tortilla with avocado soup that was just so tasty and full of flavor, a burger which my partner said was perfect, moist and filling, and I had the chicken with mole, which was divine. The service was prompt and professional, everything was just perfect, a wonderful experience all around. read more

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Love their lime margaritas and my favorite fish is the soft shell crab with potatoes. Seriously tasty and a great bar/restaurant. Love the outdoor seating and the location can't be beat....walkable form the main square. Enjoyable whether you are looking for happy hour drinks or a full dining experience. Try the Mayan Coffee for dessert!!! read more

This place is great. Portraits, paintings, and photos every where of pancho villa and frida kahlo. Theres an awesome outside seating area that makes you feel like your eating outside in the jungle. They're open pretty late and the staff is extremely accommodating and caring. The food is delicious and the waiters are very helpful in recommending a dish. read more

This restaurant is exactly what it should be. Well trained staff, good food in a beautiful setting. Yeh, it's a little touristy, but I live here and go back a couple of times a month . Great guacamole made table side and reasonable prices. read more

This is a must-visit if you're in Merida. Excellent cocktails, tableside guacamole, fabulous service, and the decor is spectacular. Great for large groups. We had 7 adults and 7 children with us and the waitstaff was very tolerant of the kids (and adults!). The outside seating area is lovely. read more

Amazing and prompt service! There was always a waiter waiting to ask what we needed. Would definitely recommend!!!

Great food with a fantastic open inner garden bar.... You have to walk all the way back to get to the platform amongst the shade trees.