Los Panchos Short Pump — Restaurant in Virginia

Disappointing Experience at Los Poncho

My wife and I have been coming to Los Poncho for a few years now, and it has always been our favorite weekend spot. We've never had any issues—until tonight.

From the start, things felt off. We didn’t see our regular server, so we were assigned someone new, Griss. My wife wanted to try something different, so she asked about one of the dishes. Instead of offering an explanation or checking with the kitchen, the server simply pointed at the menu and said, "It’s right there." That was unexpected since most servers we’ve encountered are usually happy to explain dishes or get clarification if needed.

When our food arrived, my wife’s dish came with just one small piece of lime. Since the dish needed more lime juice to bring out the flavor, she politely asked for extra. She even joked that we might get charged for it, but we never expected that to actually happen.

When the check arrived, we noticed a $1.99 charge for the extra lime. The server dropped the check so quickly that we didn’t even get a chance to ask about it. Luckily, a manager happened to walk by, so we brought it to his attention. He confirmed that they don’t charge for extra lime and promptly corrected our bill.

However, what made the situation worse was what happened next. As our server passed by, she made a comment insisting that they do charge for extra lime—even after the manager had already confirmed otherwise and corrected the mistake. This was completely unprofessional and unnecessary.

On our way out, we informed the same manager about what happened, but by then, my wife had already made up her mind—we won’t be coming back. It’s not about the $1.99—it’s about the poor attitude and lack of customer service. If a restaurant does have an extra charge for something not listed on the menu, customers should be informed upfront, not surprised on the bill.

It’s really disappointing that our go-to spot has let us down like this. Unfortunately, after years of being loyal customers, we won’t...

Came here for a late lunch. We were seated promptly. There were only a few other tables dining at the time. Chips, salsa and cheese dip were good. Everything was fast. Food was edible but not great or even very warm. I got the queza birria. I'm no stranger to birria and this really lacked flavor and the tortillas were soggy, falling apart messes prior contact with the broth. It was warm but should have been on the grill longer. Adding the side onions and cilantro was essential, I'm not really sure why they wouldn't just serve it with those already inside. All in all, still okay and I finished it, except for the rice which was kind of bland. My mom got the casa especial (one enchilada, rice and beans). Her food was not warm. The enchilada was just barely passable. Same story with the rice: bland. The beans, however, were "the worst thing ever" to quote my mom. They did not look good and I refused to try them. Pretty disappointing experience given all glowing reviews I read prior to...

This used to be our favorite spot when we lived in the area, so we were excited to visit again while in town from Florida. Unfortunately, things have changed. We were surprised to find the restaurant nearly empty on a Friday night at 8 PM, which in hindsight should have been a red flag. Despite the lack of crowds, our food took an unreasonably long time to arrive, and when it finally did, the chicken tacos were disappointing—cold, dry, lacking in flavor, and the tortillas were stale. The menu seemed slightly different from our last visit about six months ago, and the welcoming atmosphere we previously enjoyed was missing. I’m not sure if there’s been a change in ownership, but the overall quality has noticeably declined. For nearly $100, this was a disappointing experience, and unfortunately, we don’t plan on returning. I’m not the type to leave a negative review, but I’m hoping this reaches the right people to help get the standards back to where...