Provecho — Restaurant in Vancouver

We arrived at Provecho just a bit too early, and they were still closed. Since we had a bit of time to spare, we decided to pop into a cute little vintage shop directly next door to pass the time instead of just sitting in the car. Imagine our surprise when we returned to the car WITHIN 20 MINUTES to place our purchases in it & get ready to eat, and we discovered a $45 parking ticket from a privately hired company on behalf of the owners of Provecho (the space we parked in was designated for their customers with a little sign). So, because we parked in a "Provecho" spot, but could not immediately enter their establishment because THEY WERE CLOSED, we were gifted with a pre-meal parking ticket. Not exactly the appetizer I was looking forward to. The ticket language is hostile, threatens to increase the "fine" to $85 if it is paid more than 15 days from today, and further threatens collection agency action. They literally must have some person just sitting there WAITING to hop on cars that roll up even 5 minutes before they open at 3, and don't you even think about gazing at a neighboring business while waiting for the doors to unlock! Great welcome wagon, robbing people before they even step foot in the door, we won't EVER be giving you another try as a result of this outlandish strong-arming. And I'll be sure to let everyone else I know that you're operating some sort of shady & punitive racket in the lot. It looked as if we were set to be the ONLY customer looking for food from Provecho at that hour, as the rest of their precious spots were empty, too bad they're more interested in charging for pavement than impressing customers.

*I WILL be filing an official complaint with the State of Washington Office of the Attorney General against Provecho, and the privately contracted "parking authority" based out of Spokane. This surface lot is shared with no fewer than 5 other businesses, it is a no-pay lot, and neither company has the authority to operate in this manner, or assess arbitrary...

I had heard great things about Provecho from lots of friends, so I figured to try it out when I had a few minutes for lunch in between clients one day when in downtown Vancouver. Let me just say: This place makes very little sense. I had a strong feeling that it's a "locals only" spot, which is fine. I love those! And I'm from Camas, just one twon over, so I'm technically a "local." Even so- the seating is impossible. I had to wander around inside to find the hostess (a teen who would much rather be elsewhere, I gathered) to get a menu ("You can go ahead and grab one yourself.") and ask her several times for water. I ahd chosen to sit outside to take advantage of the gorgeous weather, and found that meant I had to go inside to order a drink. And bring the empty glass in for a refill. Twice.

I didn't see the waitress again for a long time. I had my knitting with me, so it was at least 4 rows of 39 stitches before I saw her again. Anyway- when she DID come back, I was nervous to place an order, because I hadn't seen her in so long. So I ordered the nachos. I wanted to make sure they were enough for an actual meal, so I asked her about them. The response: "Uh, I guess. It depends on how hungry you are. They're, like, regular nachos, I guess."

Okay.

At this point an hour has gone by and my "leisurely amount of time" for lunch is rapidly dwindling. I got my nachos with just 20 minutes to eat, pay, and leave to make it to my next client on time.

The nachos were really good. The horchata was, too. Homemade, and definitely yummy- but the service killed it for me. I didn't want to have to eat my lunch in a hurry, which is what I ended up having to do. Crappy.

I could never bring my kids here. It would be crazypants to expect them to wait an hour for food! I shouldn't have ignored the slew of other poor reviews...

I've been going to Provecho for many years and have NEVER had a bad meal there. If your idea of 'authenic' Mexican food means your plate is overrun with melted cheese and refried beans and grease, then find somewhere else. This place is all fresh food and all fantastic flavor. I dream of their nachos. Hands-down, best ever. No, they don't have nacho cheese sauce. These are the real deal, and they make their own chips, salsa and guacamole in-house (for all those complaining that they charge for their chips and salsa). My husband and I order the full-size and we can never finish it — and we aren't dainty eaters. My other favorite is their carne asada... I wish I could have the recipe for their marinade. I think it's best served in their giant burrito with black beans and added guacamole (which they grill a bit to get a nice crunch on the tortilla), but when I want a smaller serving, it's fantastic in the tacos. They have daily specials that are creative and tasty. Ask about their off-menu veggie tacos. I tried the one with grilled zucchini and it was delicious. Next time I go I'll try the mushroom. I've never tried their dessert because I'm always too full at the end of the meal.

Their customer service has never been all that great, but I have seen a huge improvement in the last year with new waitstaff. They are a small place, so they are very picky about where they will seat you, so don't expect to be seated at an open 4-top if you're a party of two. Don't even think about sliding their tables around. Their food really makes it all...