Panchos Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Pittsfield

As I write this, I am eating warmed-up leftovers and they're as good as when I ate their food fresh from the oven. While visiting Texas and asking locals for the best Mexican food restaurant, I was given this advice; "If you see a 'hole-in-the-wall' looking place that's been in business for a long time, THAT is the place you want to eat at because the food is so good, people do not care what the place looks like."

Panchos is no hole-in-the-wall place, but one has to admit that it's not as slick and new as the other Mexican restaurant just a minute or two away. I'll be honest, I had forgotten the advice I'd been given. I tried the other restaurant several times since the pandemic began and each time I was given bland, spiceless food prepared with no passion or heritage. Then I drove past Panchos several times wanting Mexican food but just not sure if I wanted to take the chance of a "non-slick" Pittsfield North Street restaurant. I even poked my head in once and saw empty tables and walked back out.

I was so mistaken! And I apologize to Panchos for judging. I ordered Pescado a la Veracruzana (Fish fillet with sauteed vegetables) and a Chicken Chimichanga. I also requested a non-menu item - french fries but prepared like nachos; essentially nachos with fries instead of nacho chips.)

That special order was so good! The french fries are made of real potatoes and cooked with spices (unlike so many other places). Those, alone, would've been really good. Add all the toppings and I was loving life. The flavors blended perfectly.

My wife and stepson REALLY enjoyed the chicken chimichanga. They loved the spices and the little bit of zing that came along with every bite.

I think the fish fillet was tilapia, but it was a little thicker than most tilapia so I'm not 100% sure. Either way, the fish and vegetables were prepared with just enough seasoning to have a little bite, but more importantly for me, full of flavor that stayed with me while I chewed and long after I swallowed. I was able to take my time and really enjoy the spices and flavors.

The real test for me (I travel a lot and eat Mexican almost everywhere I visit) is the rice. Too many places (including that place nearby) have bland, almost tasteless rice as though they cooked whatever was in the box/bag and added no other spices. At Panchos, BOTH the rice and refried beans were prepared by a chef that seems to actually care to add a little heritage to their food. I usually end up having to mix the rice and beans with the other food to get the flavors I'm seeking, but not here. I enjoyed them on their own and for that alone, my highest compliments to the chef.

I am so happy I found a Mexican restaurant that actually cares about the food. Don't be like I was at first regarding its location and how many hipsters appear to not be dining (in comparison). Panchos is...

Had dinner on a Wednesday evening when it was snowing, place was dead (probably because of the cruddy weather). I had the Coconut Margherita (the best one I have ever had!), and Camerones Garlic with black beans & rice. The portions were good and shrimp were nice & big! The sautéed garlic sauce that came with shrimp was so delicious, I just kept mixing it with my rice until it was gone!

The only two items that were disappointing: Although the waitress was incredibly friendly, service was slow. We suspected that they were short-staffed in the kitchen (perhaps because of the bad weather or lack of customers), because she seemed to be preoccupied in the kitchen most of the time that we were there. The complimentary chips and salsa were very good, but we were surprised when one of our friends requested some spicier salsa, and instead of getting what we were anticipating to be a little dish of spicier fresh salsa, she brought what looked like a squeeze bottle fill of some type of semi-thin sauce (that looked more like BBQ sauce). Then he had to squirt it directly onto one chip at a time, in order to taste it, because we only had one regular salsa dish, and he didn't want to make it too spicy for the rest of us.

Other than that, the place was great, and we will...

Stopped by Panchos for lunch (12:15pm) because it’s close and walking distance from work. We were the only table in the restaurant. The inside hasn’t changed in several years. Our server was nice and attentive. We ordered Nachos with Chili, Steak Quesadillas and Pork Tamal.

While waiting for our order to come out from the kitchen, we heard the microwave running and beeping. Not a good sound when you’re ordering “fresh Mexican cuisine”!

Our 3 items arrived at different times. The nachos looked delicious, however one bite in, the ground beef in the chili tasted… off! The pork Tamal came out and looked okay. The pork was dry and was bone in. Found something that appeared to be hair inside the Tamal. The steak quesadilla was delivered. One bite and I knew that the steak was either microwaved or boiled… either way, not good!

I asked the server if we could speak with the owner/ cook. While speaking with the owner, he said “you don’t have to pay! It’s fine don’t pay”. I offered to pay for our food. As previously being a restaurant owner, I understand that “things” happen. However how you react is most important!

I asked to pay for our lemonade and Jarito so we could...