Pacifico Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Viroqua

First time in Viroqua. It was a Sunday, and not many places were open. Pacifico was one of the few places where we could get a hot meal. We asked a few people for recommendations, and what we heard was that Pacifico has good food, but the service is not very “nice.” Nevertheless, we were hungry, and Mexican food was something we could all agree on.

It was mid-afternoon, and there were a few other customers there. We were greeted by the host/server and seated with waters. Chips and salsa came right away. We were hungry, and the warm chips with tasty salsa really hit the spot.

We started with a couple of regular margaritas. Our niece was carded, but her ID was in the car. She explained that she was 27, and we vouched for her. That settled the server’s mind, and we got the drinks, which were very good. We also ordered guacamole, which was chunky and tasted freshly made.

The entrées consisted of mixed tacos (beef and pork), a veggie chimichanga, and carnitas. The food came out quickly, with extremely hot plates (and we were warned). Portions were generous, and everything looked good. Everyone was very happy with their meals. My carnitas were excellent.

Now about the service. The basics were covered, but it did not feel like they valued our patronage. Some of this might be cultural or language-related. My sense was that English was not our server’s first language, and there was no small talk. I can partly understand that. Unfortunately, they did not even check back after the food was served to see if everything was okay (which it definitely was).

The food was excellent, the atmosphere was okay, and the service could...

Good food, big portions, staff who actually speaks Spanish! We are here with my parents while in town and we were pleasantly surprised. I’m always skeptical of places that call themselves “Authentic Mexican” seeing as I have a lot of Mexican friends and my son is half Mexican. But this place delivered. They do a good job of appealing to non-native Spanish speakers while keeping some good traditional food on their menus. I had the carnitas which where perfectly seasoned and not at all dry. My son had a quesadilla and a tamal. Both where good. He loved the rice. My only criticism is that the portions are too big. Sound crazy but it felt wasteful to have so much food leftover (we’re leaving town tomorrow and couldn’t take it with us). But overall it was a great experience with good food and a very...

The food here is great. Authentic and very well seasoned. Generous portion sizes and unique specials. I had the ChoriPollo, which was absolutely delicious. Unsure on their drinks; I'll have to try more. My Blue Hawaiian was green and had more pineapple juice than spirit. They also have a substantial vegetarian menu.

Service was also strange-- I think they expect you to "know the score" here since it's mostly a local joint. Walk in and head up to the podium towards the back to get seated. Bring your check and card up there to pay. Wait staff was kind and unobtrusive, but generally seems like they aren't paying much attention.

Overall, if you're looking for good food and don't care much about being waited on hand and foot, Pacifico is a good...