Don Panchito Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Philadelphia

With the place being owned by new people, it was very easy to miss since you see so much of the old branding from the previous owners still gracing the front of the establishment as you’re trying to decide if you’re looking at the right place and miss the turn when you discover it is actually the right location.

When I first walked in I was wondering if I made a mistake coming here with the place looking underwhelming on the decoration side of things. My attention to that issue was quickly distracted by a very kind staff person who welcomed and seated us. He made mention that they just opened last week which makes sense to the lack luster decor of the place. (Hopefully they spruce it up). We started with chips and salsa which were pretty good even though I would chomp on a stale/soggy one every once in a while. The great salsa made up for that.

The Mexican loaded fries were our choice among the appetizers and to my surprise it tasted really good. From there I slowly started to forgive the aesthetics of the place. The wait staff were very friendly but lacked a bit on the restaurant etiquette. We had no napkins, small plates, or silverware for our appetizers until we mentioned something. No biggie since they were very nice but something to keep in mind.

I had the chicken burrito and that was also very good. The ingredients were well balanced and every bite was packed with flavor and chicken. The chicken tacos my lady ordered also looked very good and I assume they were since she pretty much cleaned the plate.

We grabbed dessert which was the Churros & Ice Cream and that was good. We were given a fork which I can’t recall a time a restaurant served Ice Cream with forks but again no biggie since the business is new and figuring out their flow.

The music was a bit on the loud side with an indecisive “DJ” at times as we listened to the person skip and rewind songs to find one for their liking. That was actually funny 😂.

The payment process can be tweaked a bit. We didn’t receive any receipt to see what the cost was behind hand at the table. We were told to just walk up and pay.

The friendly staff and good food are currently the glue to the business (kudos to the chef) and this place can definitely be a gem when the service and system is tweaked and the decor...

I was pleasantly surprised. Honestly this place is a 3.5 out of 5 but since I can't give that I'm rounding down. I also want people to dial down their expectations a bit.

I think their issue at the moment is finding their identity. The food isn't bad but also not perfect. I think they should focus less on being traditional Mexican/Tex Mex and do their own thing. Perhaps gravitate towards Latin street food, a personal favorite of mine as I see some elements of that on their menu. The positive is that the chicken from the fajitas was not dry. The barbacoa was flavorful and might be the best thing on their menu. The loaded fries were nice but some were bland, they needed to be tossed in seasoning better. I'd also personally prefer fresh jalapenos on top. My biggest disappointment was that the veggies on my fajitas didn't come out sizzling and IMO undercooked. My favorite fajitas have onions that get a bit of char and some are crispy or even sticking the the skillet. There is a difference between having a bit of char and something being burnt and I fear most can't tell the difference and assume it's burnt. The chicken may even come off as "burnt" but again it has char, the seasoning on top charred up but as long as the inside of the chicken is moist it's cooked perfectly, which it was when I was there.

I think another thing they need to work on is the ambience. It feels like a sit down restaurant clashed with a cafeteria and sports bar. The space itself is actually very nice and has potential, I like the fireplace. But the seating arrangement, tables, chairs, etc could all use adjustments. The lighting also needs some serious work as the lighting felt more like a retail space than a restaurant. Generally restaurants have warm, Amber/Candle lighting and this was definitely closer to white. These are all things that can be improved and the staff seems very focused on customer satisfaction, if they keep that up they have a chance to be successful.

Also note that as of 11/17/2019 if you use Google maps to get there it sends you into the Starbucks parking lot so don't listen to it once you get...

Newly established restaurant. The decor was nice, the place was very clean the wait staff was right on top of things.

He even heard a fork fall from our table, and before i could even stand up straight from piciking it up he was already at our table with a new fork. Even the Napkins were folded in a kitchy design.

the food was with out a doubt the best mexican food ive ever had. And i eat at a lot of mexican places, such as el azteca and el vez in center city!

All food is homemade even down to their chips and salsa which by the way was amazing.

I had the fajitas, while my counterpart had quesadillas and both of us could no t stop saying how incredible it was.

Two other things.....try the mexican corn while corn is in season, it will blownyou away, and dont forget the fried ice cream for dessert

The chef came out and introduced himself, the waiter took away what i was going to take home in a doggie bag, packaged it up and placed it in a brwon craft paper bag with a handle. Whens the last time a waiter did that for you.

We were treated like royalty there and the bill was incredibly low.

They take part in Uber eats and they do take out as well.

I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough you should really go and check it out. Plus the people that work there and own it are very nice and they are trying to get that new business off the ground so help them out you’ll be...