Ponchos Tacos & Mexican Ice Cream | Daytona Beach — Restaurant in Daytona Beach

This review is painful. My daughter introduced me to this restaurant in 2019 or 2020 (they were possibly open during the earlier phases of COVID). I was visiting from out of state and thoroughly enjoyed the food. The prices were very reasonable. I later moved to the area for two years and this restaurant was my comfort food. I recommended this restaurant to locals and folks that I met who were visiting from out of town. After relocating to Orlando, I often reflect that there were only a few things that I liked about Daytona and Ponchos Tacos was one. Whenever my daughter and I drive to Daytona, it’s a known fact that we’re eating at Ponchos. I ate there for my birthday last year. This is why my recent visit was painful. The prices have gone up. I think the chips and salsa used to be complementary, they’re not now. The steak in the tacos was excessively red from dye in the seasoning. My rice and beans were cool rather than hot. The rice was red. The waiter never asked if everything was okay. We had to ask for straws and salsa. The seats were worn and ripped. The cushion was poking out. I kept feeling something crunching under my shoes, but didn’t want to look down. We arrived after 1:00, so there was only one couple there. After they left, two more couples came in. I have been there when the place was crowded and the food and service were better. I only go back to Daytona about twice a year, so my patronage or lack thereof, might not matter much. I will miss ordering my tacos to-go and driving over to Fortunato Park to watch the Halifax River this birthday. I don’t know if Ponchos is under new management or it they’ve lost good staff. I hope things get better. My recent experience was not muy bien and I spent about $53 with the...

Off the beaten path in Daytona Beach. Nestled between the beach and the intracoastal on Seabreeze Ave.

We arrived just slightly after 5pm this past Saturday. We were seated immediately as we practically had the entire place to ourselves. But don't let the lack of a crowd fool you.

Our waitress brought out chips and salsa and took our drink order immediately. We then ordered their house made guacamole which was wonderful. Not over seasoned or heavy on salt. Just right.

I ordered a Birria burrito which was quite a large burrito. Perfectly prepared and seasoned as you would expect Birria to be. My wife ordered a burrito bowl which she was quite pleased with as well.

What really knocked our socks off was the in house hand made ice cream. Our waitress brought us two large heaping scoops of their Key Lime and Pistachio. They were AMAZING and didn't skimp on flavor or ingredients. The perfect amount of milk fat gives their ice cream a buttery smooth decadence that will leave you wanting more.

Our meal was reasonably priced. With a generous tip the two of us had a wonderful authentic Mexican food with tip for unser fifty dollars. I will definitely visit again as their menu had many traditional Mexican dishes to...

Anyone who gives this place less than 5 stars, doesn’t know what good food is, everything was delicious!

Stopped by for lunch with my sister, and we had a great time. From the second we walked in the door, I was blown away by the beautiful decor. The owner greeted us, and took our orders. He checked in multiple times, he was very hospitable. The food, omg the food! The food here is so incredibly fresh. I have never had such fresh food from any restaurant, ever in my life. You can literally taste the difference. I had a carne asada burrito, absolutely delicious. My sister had a quesadilla, that was also great. We enjoyed chips, fresh salsa and the freshest, most unprocessed queso. I swear they must have a little farm and a cow out back, it was that fresh. For desserts, I had a strawberry popsicle, my sister had a mango and tajin popsicle, they were so so good and refreshing. I could talk all day about how good this place is, because this is how you should prepare and serve food, if you’re going to run a restaurant. This place has set a new standard for me.

I can’t want to visit again, and try something else from...