Sooo, like other reviewers said, not the best, but definitely not the worst. I came in on a Sunday afternoon and placed an order for the Steak Jibarito and a steak burrito. The Jibarito was decent, plantains were garlicky, steak was not too dry or though, the arroz con gandules was a bit tasteless, but all in all it was a decent portion, decent flavor, and I would definitely return for a Jibarito fix. The ordering process was quick, however the meal prep and wait time was a bit slow. I waited a good 20-30 mins while they prepared the food. However, I understand that they have to actually cook the food and prepare after you order. So I had no problem with waiting. If you are in a rush and want a quick bite, I'd recommend calling the order in
(4)
Alison B.
So disappointed. I had such great food last time that I ordered again after a loooong international flight. 20min later they called to say they can't accomodate my 'no onion' request. (Allergy) I gave them the exact date and items I ordered last time (thanks grub hub!) and they kept saying "yeah, but I never heard of an onion allergy.' Ughhhhhh. Big boo. Biiiiig boo. It was so yummy. Anyway $20min and $5 delivery charge was a lot so I suppose I am saving myself $ in the long run.
(1)
mei s.
Pretty good place for a jibarito. I agree that there needs to be more garlic on the tostones and jibaritos. We also got the potato dumpling with ground beef and the empanada with beef. I liked the empanada better. The arroz con grandules was pretty tasty as well. They had a whole section of ice cream up front. Looked like it might be home made. I liked the fact that they had Mexican food too. We got some elotes. That was very good too. I will definitely come back for more.
(4)
Alberto P.
First of all $5 for delivery not good for Business I ordered a burrito I took 2 bites n all the meat was gone they loaded it up with lettuce barely no meat don't let the pictures on Yelp fool you this place sucks food no taste what's so ever.
(1)
Maria R.
I used to be a regular customer here and the food was good now its sub par at best... Now they have kids meals but I was not happy that I ordered kids meals that were about 7$ and it didn't come with drink so I had to spend 1.50 for a medium BC they also don't over kid sized drinks smh definitely will be thinking twice before ordering again.... Only good thing was the server was very nice
(2)
Donna M.
Gross. I ordered delivery off of GrubHub. We ordered tostones (pretty good), sweet plantains (pretty good), chicken burrito and a quesadilla. The burrito was filled with weird canned chicken and a couple of wilted pieces of lettuce. No beans, no cheese. It was just gross. The quesadilla had zero cheese. It was flat tortillas with meat. Never again.
(1)
Kim P.
Must Read! Where are the negative stars for this? My Family went in for dinner Friday night. The salsas tasted like fridge.. nasty! My two little ones had an order of beans and corn tortillas. My 4 year old son literally threw up on the plate after a taco. BTW he was not sick at all. My two older kids had Carne asada tacos, the meat tasted old. My husband had a jibarito with the same old meat taste. I had a shrimp cocktail that tasted like shrimp drenched in ketchup. Very disgusted by this place. I will never come back here.
(1)
Angie C.
Pretty good place to get PR food. The jibarito and the alcapuria are great! I went here for the first time today and i had great service. The waitress was very friendly. I will definitely come here again!
(5)
Omar A.
Food is decent, service is BAD. The waitress talks back to people, the cooks take their sweet time and sit there and chit chat. We ordered our food to go before two parties who were dining in and they got their food before us, I guess the owner saw the frustration in our faces and offered us and ice cream cone on the house. No thanks, I just want my food. This is the second time we get food from here and it will be the last.
(2)
Debbie B.
Who puts a processed cheese slice on a jibarito . The stuff doesn't melt. It just lays there in all its chemical goodness. The plantain was not fresh . Pretty dry and flavorless.
(2)
Caleb P.
Went here last Sunday with a small group and we all had a great time! Good Puerto Rican joints are hard to find sometimes- I had been craving the legendary jibarito for a while. I grew up eating my puerto rican friend's Mom's cooking, and she set the bar high. So with that being said I gave this place a shot. Our waitress was very nice, and genuinely wanted us to have a good time. I had a few questions about the menu for her and she gave me a passionate response ( I could tell she was passionate about the food- Love that!) So we decided to order- I started out with a glass of pecan/almond water (which was beyond words delicious), I also put in an order for Tostones as an appetizer (I was a little disappointed in these: over-cooked lacked flavor), and finally I ordered the jibarito dinner which came with puerto rican rice and fries. I also took advantage of the free taco of my choice offered to us for checking in on Yelp, which was very generous. I ordered a barbacoa taco- it came out first and it was tasty but a little dry, could been a bit more succulent. The jibarito sandwich was very good, almost as good as my friend's mom's cooking. I loved the garlic on top of the platano, the steak was very tender but slightly dry, the tomato, mayo, and lettuce helped. Overall this place is a solid joint to hit up for a hearty jibarito dinner. I will definitely be back... I will probably order ceviche as an appetizer next time instead of the tostones ;) Enjoy!
(4)
Eric O.
The PR food was good saves me a drive to the North side. A little heavy on the seasoning on my Patelillo.
(3)
Krista P.
Good food, even better service. Our waitress was so excited about the food and was very friendly with us! I had the tacos, the steak was okay, although I've had better. The people I ate with enjoyed the jibarito , so I'll have to try that next time! ps. make sure you check into this restaurant to receive a free taco!!
(4)
Blue V.
did they change owner? They use to set the table with many sauces. But somehow its different now? I dont come here as often anymore. The food is ok. Use to be GREAT.
(3)
Lauren Q.
Not the best jibaritos in Chicagoland, but I haven't found anyone else who sells them nearby. The steak in the jibarito could use some fresh garlic...I think that's what it was missing. The garlic bread is AMAZING. The tostonachos are INCREDIBLE! I also tried the mofongo and liked it. I liked the horchata - it's very rich. Some others said it's too sweet, but it's usually watered down at a lot of fast food Mexican places. We really went for the Puerto Rican food, which was enjoyable. We'll definitely be going back...Free wi-fi-, easy to find parking, good service, and family owned/run/operated. My type of place.
(4)
Solitaire H.
I found myself looking for a great PR place to eat without having to drive all the way into the city... So b/c my job ordered chicken fajitas and yellow rice from here before, I thought why not give it a try. Yeah, I will be driving into the city for my PR food for now on. I had the jibarito and the steak was way too thick and over seasoned. The rice came from a box and they weren't generous with the portion sizes considering the prices. So for a fusion place I think they should just stick to the Mexican portion of the menu. B/c that and the grilled chicken is what made me come here myself
(2)
Tina M.
Pancho's Tacos is a small little shop located next to Game Stop in North Riverside. Feeling a sudden hunger pain I popped in and dined. I was seated promptly and then had to wait several minutes before my order was taken. Other than that, awesome is the word to describe it. The upside is that it goes beyond your typical Mexican restant eatery- it has a large variety of seafood with a dash of Puerto Rican food. I ordered a taco dinner...pretty standard. It was off the chain! My husband got the Jibarito dinner and he was in heaven. I will definitely be back. Quick tip: if you plan to eat in have a coat because the place is not well insolated but then its not really the place to sit and eat given its tiny eat in quarters. Combo specials cost $2 more after 3:00pm.
(5)
Scott M.
Food is ok, but at least you are given some unique menu options. The atmosphere has a strong 'take out' vibe, does not warrant the prices of the menu.
(3)
John D.
Multiple times that I want a certain food that they carry but they say they don't have it. Waitress never offered me anything to drink. And one time one of their salsas was expired.
(1)
Joel G.
We ordered out from this place after passing by numerous times. We decided to give it a try and it didn't disappoint. Service was pretty quick. We were able to pick up our food pretty much right after ordering. We all had various versions of the enchilada meal from the huge menu they offered. The portions were pretty generous as well and the food was very flavorful. We'll definitely be going back.
(4)
Brittny G.
Stopped into Panchos for the second time this past weekend for a quick dinner. The service was friendly but a little disconnected. Most of the employees we encountered seemed a little lost and inefficient, but due to a good mood I found it slightly amusing (can't say that I can say the same for fiance though). Fiance and I ordered up drinks, a large horchata for him (we literally watched our server carry his straw from point A to point B about 2 or 3 times before it was delivered to the table), a water for me. The horchata was a bit sweet for my taste and my least favorite among the horchatas I have had in my time. It tasted nearly like egg nog. I really enjoy the chips and salsa. We had to wait for service to deliver that to our table which should have been delivered as soon as we were seated. (I conclude this based upon my first experience here). After perusal of the menus, we both ordered a quesadilla grande. His steak, mine chicken. I ordered chicken willingly after our server said she may have to "check on the mushrooms" (whatever that means), which I initially ordered. Not wasting any time, chicken it is! Our food arrived after about 10 minutes or so, hot, steaming and fragrant. The portion for a grande lives up to its title. Main dish comes with fresh salad that was crispy and vibrant in color and delicious gaucamole and pico de gallo along with a ramekin of sour cream. My quesadilla was tasty although I was a bit curious about their use of water and its source. I could taste the water in the juice of the chicken and it tasted a bit earthy. So it could be that their water source for cooking is not the freshest. Other than that, good food. If we ever need a quickie go to for mexican/puerto rican, panchos is likely a 2nd or 3rd choice.
(3)
Michelle S.
This place is pretty nice. I went there with my brother and dad. We got two aguas de pina a coke and an al pastor torta. It ended up being about $14. I thought it was a little steep. At least 25% too pricy. It's not enough to keep me away but I won't go too often.
(4)
John S.
Great, authentic little place! Best al pastor that I've ever had!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch, Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Yadi J.
Sooo, like other reviewers said, not the best, but definitely not the worst. I came in on a Sunday afternoon and placed an order for the Steak Jibarito and a steak burrito. The Jibarito was decent, plantains were garlicky, steak was not too dry or though, the arroz con gandules was a bit tasteless, but all in all it was a decent portion, decent flavor, and I would definitely return for a Jibarito fix. The ordering process was quick, however the meal prep and wait time was a bit slow. I waited a good 20-30 mins while they prepared the food. However, I understand that they have to actually cook the food and prepare after you order. So I had no problem with waiting. If you are in a rush and want a quick bite, I'd recommend calling the order in
(4)Alison B.
So disappointed. I had such great food last time that I ordered again after a loooong international flight. 20min later they called to say they can't accomodate my 'no onion' request. (Allergy) I gave them the exact date and items I ordered last time (thanks grub hub!) and they kept saying "yeah, but I never heard of an onion allergy.' Ughhhhhh. Big boo. Biiiiig boo. It was so yummy. Anyway $20min and $5 delivery charge was a lot so I suppose I am saving myself $ in the long run.
(1)mei s.
Pretty good place for a jibarito. I agree that there needs to be more garlic on the tostones and jibaritos. We also got the potato dumpling with ground beef and the empanada with beef. I liked the empanada better. The arroz con grandules was pretty tasty as well. They had a whole section of ice cream up front. Looked like it might be home made. I liked the fact that they had Mexican food too. We got some elotes. That was very good too. I will definitely come back for more.
(4)Alberto P.
First of all $5 for delivery not good for Business I ordered a burrito I took 2 bites n all the meat was gone they loaded it up with lettuce barely no meat don't let the pictures on Yelp fool you this place sucks food no taste what's so ever.
(1)Maria R.
I used to be a regular customer here and the food was good now its sub par at best... Now they have kids meals but I was not happy that I ordered kids meals that were about 7$ and it didn't come with drink so I had to spend 1.50 for a medium BC they also don't over kid sized drinks smh definitely will be thinking twice before ordering again.... Only good thing was the server was very nice
(2)Donna M.
Gross. I ordered delivery off of GrubHub. We ordered tostones (pretty good), sweet plantains (pretty good), chicken burrito and a quesadilla. The burrito was filled with weird canned chicken and a couple of wilted pieces of lettuce. No beans, no cheese. It was just gross. The quesadilla had zero cheese. It was flat tortillas with meat. Never again.
(1)Kim P.
Must Read! Where are the negative stars for this? My Family went in for dinner Friday night. The salsas tasted like fridge.. nasty! My two little ones had an order of beans and corn tortillas. My 4 year old son literally threw up on the plate after a taco. BTW he was not sick at all. My two older kids had Carne asada tacos, the meat tasted old. My husband had a jibarito with the same old meat taste. I had a shrimp cocktail that tasted like shrimp drenched in ketchup. Very disgusted by this place. I will never come back here.
(1)Angie C.
Pretty good place to get PR food. The jibarito and the alcapuria are great! I went here for the first time today and i had great service. The waitress was very friendly. I will definitely come here again!
(5)Omar A.
Food is decent, service is BAD. The waitress talks back to people, the cooks take their sweet time and sit there and chit chat. We ordered our food to go before two parties who were dining in and they got their food before us, I guess the owner saw the frustration in our faces and offered us and ice cream cone on the house. No thanks, I just want my food. This is the second time we get food from here and it will be the last.
(2)Debbie B.
Who puts a processed cheese slice on a jibarito . The stuff doesn't melt. It just lays there in all its chemical goodness. The plantain was not fresh . Pretty dry and flavorless.
(2)Caleb P.
Went here last Sunday with a small group and we all had a great time! Good Puerto Rican joints are hard to find sometimes- I had been craving the legendary jibarito for a while. I grew up eating my puerto rican friend's Mom's cooking, and she set the bar high. So with that being said I gave this place a shot. Our waitress was very nice, and genuinely wanted us to have a good time. I had a few questions about the menu for her and she gave me a passionate response ( I could tell she was passionate about the food- Love that!) So we decided to order- I started out with a glass of pecan/almond water (which was beyond words delicious), I also put in an order for Tostones as an appetizer (I was a little disappointed in these: over-cooked lacked flavor), and finally I ordered the jibarito dinner which came with puerto rican rice and fries. I also took advantage of the free taco of my choice offered to us for checking in on Yelp, which was very generous. I ordered a barbacoa taco- it came out first and it was tasty but a little dry, could been a bit more succulent. The jibarito sandwich was very good, almost as good as my friend's mom's cooking. I loved the garlic on top of the platano, the steak was very tender but slightly dry, the tomato, mayo, and lettuce helped. Overall this place is a solid joint to hit up for a hearty jibarito dinner. I will definitely be back... I will probably order ceviche as an appetizer next time instead of the tostones ;) Enjoy!
(4)Eric O.
The PR food was good saves me a drive to the North side. A little heavy on the seasoning on my Patelillo.
(3)Krista P.
Good food, even better service. Our waitress was so excited about the food and was very friendly with us! I had the tacos, the steak was okay, although I've had better. The people I ate with enjoyed the jibarito , so I'll have to try that next time! ps. make sure you check into this restaurant to receive a free taco!!
(4)Blue V.
did they change owner? They use to set the table with many sauces. But somehow its different now? I dont come here as often anymore. The food is ok. Use to be GREAT.
(3)Lauren Q.
Not the best jibaritos in Chicagoland, but I haven't found anyone else who sells them nearby. The steak in the jibarito could use some fresh garlic...I think that's what it was missing. The garlic bread is AMAZING. The tostonachos are INCREDIBLE! I also tried the mofongo and liked it. I liked the horchata - it's very rich. Some others said it's too sweet, but it's usually watered down at a lot of fast food Mexican places. We really went for the Puerto Rican food, which was enjoyable. We'll definitely be going back...Free wi-fi-, easy to find parking, good service, and family owned/run/operated. My type of place.
(4)Solitaire H.
I found myself looking for a great PR place to eat without having to drive all the way into the city... So b/c my job ordered chicken fajitas and yellow rice from here before, I thought why not give it a try. Yeah, I will be driving into the city for my PR food for now on. I had the jibarito and the steak was way too thick and over seasoned. The rice came from a box and they weren't generous with the portion sizes considering the prices. So for a fusion place I think they should just stick to the Mexican portion of the menu. B/c that and the grilled chicken is what made me come here myself
(2)Tina M.
Pancho's Tacos is a small little shop located next to Game Stop in North Riverside. Feeling a sudden hunger pain I popped in and dined. I was seated promptly and then had to wait several minutes before my order was taken. Other than that, awesome is the word to describe it. The upside is that it goes beyond your typical Mexican restant eatery- it has a large variety of seafood with a dash of Puerto Rican food. I ordered a taco dinner...pretty standard. It was off the chain! My husband got the Jibarito dinner and he was in heaven. I will definitely be back. Quick tip: if you plan to eat in have a coat because the place is not well insolated but then its not really the place to sit and eat given its tiny eat in quarters. Combo specials cost $2 more after 3:00pm.
(5)Scott M.
Food is ok, but at least you are given some unique menu options. The atmosphere has a strong 'take out' vibe, does not warrant the prices of the menu.
(3)John D.
Multiple times that I want a certain food that they carry but they say they don't have it. Waitress never offered me anything to drink. And one time one of their salsas was expired.
(1)Joel G.
We ordered out from this place after passing by numerous times. We decided to give it a try and it didn't disappoint. Service was pretty quick. We were able to pick up our food pretty much right after ordering. We all had various versions of the enchilada meal from the huge menu they offered. The portions were pretty generous as well and the food was very flavorful. We'll definitely be going back.
(4)Brittny G.
Stopped into Panchos for the second time this past weekend for a quick dinner. The service was friendly but a little disconnected. Most of the employees we encountered seemed a little lost and inefficient, but due to a good mood I found it slightly amusing (can't say that I can say the same for fiance though). Fiance and I ordered up drinks, a large horchata for him (we literally watched our server carry his straw from point A to point B about 2 or 3 times before it was delivered to the table), a water for me. The horchata was a bit sweet for my taste and my least favorite among the horchatas I have had in my time. It tasted nearly like egg nog. I really enjoy the chips and salsa. We had to wait for service to deliver that to our table which should have been delivered as soon as we were seated. (I conclude this based upon my first experience here). After perusal of the menus, we both ordered a quesadilla grande. His steak, mine chicken. I ordered chicken willingly after our server said she may have to "check on the mushrooms" (whatever that means), which I initially ordered. Not wasting any time, chicken it is! Our food arrived after about 10 minutes or so, hot, steaming and fragrant. The portion for a grande lives up to its title. Main dish comes with fresh salad that was crispy and vibrant in color and delicious gaucamole and pico de gallo along with a ramekin of sour cream. My quesadilla was tasty although I was a bit curious about their use of water and its source. I could taste the water in the juice of the chicken and it tasted a bit earthy. So it could be that their water source for cooking is not the freshest. Other than that, good food. If we ever need a quickie go to for mexican/puerto rican, panchos is likely a 2nd or 3rd choice.
(3)Michelle S.
This place is pretty nice. I went there with my brother and dad. We got two aguas de pina a coke and an al pastor torta. It ended up being about $14. I thought it was a little steep. At least 25% too pricy. It's not enough to keep me away but I won't go too often.
(4)John S.
Great, authentic little place! Best al pastor that I've ever had!
(5)