Pancho's Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Brookings

After having read several reviews my wife and I ventured to experience Pancho's Mexican cuisine. The interior was well lit and, for the most part, pleasant. Upon seating, the hostess poured water and promptly left without taking a drink order. We thought little of it, initially. After more than a few minutes our server took our drink order of two lime margaritas. We were rather excited having just ridden a number of miles on our bikes. While we waited, we munched on the mediocre chips and tomato paste salsa, both of which were complimentary, and worth every penny. The margaritas we were served were saccharin sweet, clearly something from the land of Margaritaville, or worse, Mr. and Mrs. T's fine offerings; high fructose corn syrup was more than prevalent in these drinks. I left mine unfinished, stopping after the first sip.

My wife finally ordered the vegetarian fajitas while I optioned for the chicken fajitas, a choice I thought would be somewhat safe. After what wasn't a very long wait, the food arrived. My wife's fajitas, as she mentioned, were rather colorless, mine smelled of something odd, that I couldn't quite place, so far as fajitas go. She forked hers into her tortillas and commented that, besides the lack of color, they were good; the mushrooms were nicely done. After the first bite of my own dish, I still couldn't quite place the odd flavor, it certainly did not taste like any sort of fajitas that I've ever tasted. I asked my wife to taste, immediately she said, "It's liquid smoke." Then it hit me, yes, it was liquid smoke, a flavor I despise in food preparation. I decided to give it a try, and filled a tortilla with fajitas. Still, the flavor wasn't right, or even good. I filled the remaining fajitas with the provided beans, rice, sour cream and guacamole, which seamed a bit old based on the dull-grey/green sheen.

Throughout our half-hour meal neither the hostess nor the server offered to refill our glasses of water, at one point, I thought the server might, as she looked down at my empty glass and immediately headed to the server's area. She did not return.

There was one bright spot however. Midway through our meal the young hostess returned stating that the cooks had forgotten the bell peppers, she offered a very nice helping of freshly grilled green and red bell peppers, which really did help out my wife's vegetarian fajitas. She brought her leftovers back to our hotel, I left mine at the table.

Even if the food had been, as it was, with sub-par dishes, had the attentiveness of the staff been appropriate, I would have had no problem giving a 3 star rating. I always leave a tip, generally in the 25% range. For this meal, I left 15%, and did not feel one bit...

Looking for an authentic Mexican dining experience that tantalizes your taste buds and warms your soul? Look no further than Pancho's Restaurant and Bar!

From the moment you step inside, you're greeted with the inviting aroma of spices and the lively ambiance of a true fiesta. The staff here are not just servers; they're ambassadors of hospitality, ensuring every guest feels like family.

Now, let's talk about the star of the show – the food. I recently had the pleasure of indulging in their Chili Relleno and Enchilada combination plate, and let me tell you, it was a culinary journey I won't soon forget. The Chili Relleno was perfectly roasted, the cheese oozing out with each forkful, while the Enchilada was a symphony of flavors wrapped in a soft tortilla, topped with a mouthwatering sauce that left me craving more.

But what truly sets Pancho's apart is their commitment to quality ingredients and traditional recipes passed down through generations. Each bite is a testament to their dedication to preserving the essence of authentic Mexican cuisine.

And let's not forget about the drinks! Whether you're in the mood for a classic Margarita or feeling adventurous with their signature cocktails, Pancho's has something to quench every thirst and elevate your dining experience.

So, if you're searching for a culinary escape to Mexico without leaving town, do yourself a favor and pay a visit to Pancho's Restaurant and Bar. Your taste buds will thank you, and you'll leave with memories of a fiesta well-celebrated....

Chose to eat here while spending the night in Brookings. The staff was impatient and rude. 2 of the 4 plates we ordered were wrong. Our strawberry margaritas tasted like non alcoholic slushy's. ( barely any alcohol) The BLT that was ordered came as a grilled cheese. When it came back "fixed"...it was just the same grilled cheese (now cold) ripped open with cold bacon and lettuce shoved inbetween the cheese. BLT's don't come w/ cheese. By this time my 10 year old eas too hungry to wait for another "re-make". The shredded beef burrito we ordered came as a bean burrito. When it came back "fixed", it came with approx 4 huge fatty chunks of roast- not even close to broken up let alone shredded. 1 of our pepsi's was completely clear colored, no syrup ( how the waitress missed that? I have no clue). When we told someone about it, she did not even barely look at us, and absolutely did not even acknowledge us. We were finally about 10 minutes later brought a new soda. No explanation..no apology. We also saw a family.walk in at 8:15 wanting to eat and they were actually escorted back out because it was too close to closing tome. WHAT??? It wasn't closed. Do they want business during these hard...