Los Panchos — Restaurant in Virginia

Where do I begin with how lousy restaurant is? Let me first say, I am not sure where the majority of people giving positive reviews to this restaurant ate, but it sure wasn't Los Panchos in Goochland. We walked in and did not even take our seat when the server asks, in a rather rude manner, what we wanted to drink. We literally had not even taken our seats and were not given the opportunity to look at a drink menu until I asked for it. There was apparently a shortage in drink menus because we were only given one to share among the four of us. Speaking of drinks, she was so interested in rushing us to order beverages that she did not pour customary water like any other normal restaurant would. In fact, not once were we offered water. We ordered appetizers (jalapeno poppers and mozzarella sticks). They clearly were not made from fresh jalapenos or mozzarella. Neither had any taste and tasted processed. The salsa was bland as was the so-called marinara. The menu is enormous. So big in fact that there is no way that even a seasoned chef would be able to cook any of these items from fresh. It became more apparent when my wife asked for for her fried chimichangas to be made spicy. She was informed that the chef couldn't do that and that she could use the hot sauce on the table. Really? Mexican made spicy with store bought hot sauce? My wife's fried chimichangas were soggy. Fried food should be crispy, which seems pretty basic to me. Plates were either damp or had debris on them. On a side note, there was evidently a paper napkin shortage because we were only given one and had to practically beg for additional napkins when we received our meals. The couple dining with us had their own issues. The server conveniently disappeared and our friend had to hunt her down just to get a Coke. To be clear, it wasn't like the the restaurant was crammed full of patrons. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The coup de grace was when I got up to use the rest room and nearly gagged when I walked in. First, there was a safety hazard with part of the floor going into the bathroom was missing. The deficit was covered with a carpet. If not careful, someone could misstep and seriously injure themselves. The bathroom itself was abhorrent. Absolutely filthy, garbage bins overflowing, the awful smell of sewage, and no paper towels. Los Panchos should be happy that I am not a professional food critic writing an actual, published critique of their establishment. In large part, the food tasted pre-prepared, previously frozen, and processed. It was no wonder you could not get anything made to order. People that reviewed this restaurant as having Mexican food that was "on the mark" have not eaten freshly made Mexican food. If I could give this restaurant a lower than one star rating, I would. Rude server, disgusting processed food, absolutely unsanitary restroom....

We had been here twice. First was just to try their chimichanga and second was because our first time was so good. Their chips were done just right, with a spicy dip as well as a baked bean cheesy dip. This was surprisingly good. My 10 yr old had the kids cheese quesadilla, and she ate all of it. It was an adult sized portion. My husband had the seafood chimichanga, and my son had the fried shrimp chimichanga. Fried is good fresh, rather than taking out. The edges are crisp and holds up well when being cut. My son is not a fan of lettuce, so when they served his chimichanga, he was happy to note the lettuce is to the side, and not inside his chimichanga. We paid $45 for a dinner for 4. Service is quick. We could tell they were short-staffed but they never complained and our drinks were...

I am not a huge lover of Mexican food, but this place was very good. The waitress brought over salsa, bean dip and chips almost as soon as we sat down. The salsa wasn't very spicy and my sister, who never eats it, was able to try it. She liked both the salsa and the Bean dip.

I ordered a chimichanga that was perfect and covered in cheese sauce, served with salad, refried beans and cheese, guacamole and sour cream. The chimichanga was filled with warm, moist chicken. For a fried chimichanga, it was pretty amazing not to be dried out at all and it wasn't greasy. My sister got a shrimp quesadilla and said it was really great. We both were very full and satisfied when we left.

Service was very prompt. Parking is available but spaces in the front...