Cheap Eats: Panchero's Mexican Grill

(Credit: Nathalie Voirin)

Photos:

Panchero's, Moe's, Chipotle, Tijuana Flats. Are they interchangeable? Sure, why not. They all make ginormous burritos, heap anything onto custom orders with a limited amount of Tex-Mex toppings and serve it to you lightning quick. They all make the health conscious feel somewhat better about gorging, and they make the non-health conscious full.

The scene: You'll typically find a lunch or casual dinner crowd. After all, this is quite chain-y. But if you happen to be near one, and one of the above mentioned regulars aren't on your particular route, this is not a bad choice. The one we stopped into is in northeast St. Pete and had been open for just over a month. Panchero's is decorated in an upgraded fancy McD's style with curvy light fixtures, durable, multi-patterned, even if you spill you can't tell on this stuff furniture tied together in a ochre and burgundy color scheme.

The cuisine: The main stand out here isn't actually the food, it's the tortilla maker. I'm not just talking about the man behind the counter. It's the giant, round, don't get your hand caught between these two hot plates press. Each burrito, taco, or quesadilla starts off with a ball of dough that pressed and stretched. It's then transferred onto the griddle where it reaches the state of crisp perfection.

I had what I always get at similar establishments, a chicken salad ($5.50). The bowls here are deep and generous. That's a good start. The toppings are typical (various meats, salsas, guac, etc. Then I got really excited about the grilled pepper and onions. (Yeah, It doesn't take much for me.) In all I was pretty happy with it. Nothing extraordinary. There are a couple of other places where one ingredient in particular is a stand out, but nothing really caught my attention here. It was a solid salad. If there would be such a thing, this is it. By the end of it, I was full and happy.

My friend had the burrito ($5.95). Tightly wapped and sitting on a silver plate, it looked cute and delcious. Cut in half, with trails of it running down her chin and fingers, it lost its luster. She did manage to finish all of it. So despite what she may have said afterwards about it being "eh, ok." I let the lack of evidence speak for itself.

I also brought back a chicken quesadillla ($4.95) for a friend. He reported back to me and said it was, "out of this world."

Dish: The fresh mex of it all. I'm not a huge chain fan, but it works. They've got decent food and they're quick about it.

Pan: Bland city. The hot sauce did not cause any alarms. I like it hot, my friend likes it even spicier and we were looking for more of a kick. Also, like I said, they don't have the one AWESOME element in the mix.

The numbers: Lunch for 2 ran us about $17 with drinks. My friend had the cream soda.... yeuchk!

Bottom line: I'd go back. But I might try some other places first. Call me a creature of habit, but unless it's worth really worth switching, I'm staying loyal to the others who paved the Fresh-Mex superhighway. 

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