We kicked off our Buford Highway Food Expedition with Pancho’s Mexican Restaurante & Cantina, Home of the Monster Drink.

We elected not to go for the Monster drink, which turns out to be a giant margarita (about three-ish margaritas) for a price about three times that of one margarita. So we got a normal margarita and split it instead. We both liked it quite a lot – it didn’t taste too much like alcohol or like mix, but was nicely balanced and only $5.70. We were served chips and salsa, which were priced on the menu, but for which we were not charged. The salsa was average and the chips were the thin, non-gritty, greasy sort, and I liked them quite a bit.

Hand!

We ordered from the comination plate section, #7 and #9. They were $9.95 each. #7 was an enchilada, burrito and chile relleno, and #9 was a taco, burrito and chile relleno. I don’t know why I ordered the #9, because I know I don’t like hard-shell tacos (a consequence of growing up on Taco Bell). Whoops. Adam kindly split his enchilada with me. Both the taco and the enchilada were okay. The burritos were also okay, and the sauce was a nice surprise. We both enjoyed the chile rellenos very much, but it should be noted that they were green bell peppers, and not chiles at all.

Surprise! The soylent chile is green bell peppers.

Overall, Adam and I are in agreeance on the score – we give the place three stars (maybe I’ll work up a smachancy graphic for that in the coming weeks). Basically, we thought the food was fine, but the food awesomeness vs. the price point didn’t quite come out for us. We felt like we could get the same meal cheaper at El Amigo, though we did feel Pancho’s had greater value than, say, La Parilla. The atmosphere was interesting – Tex-Mex decor and lots of plants (both live and fake), TVs with sports on, and a full bar with bar seating. Oh, and spinning rhinestone-hooved horses.

In the end, we wouldn’t go running back for dinners, though the lunch specials did look promising. Also, Pancho’s does have a large outdoor patio with a big tree and seems like it could be a nice scene for trivia on Thursdays, so we’re contemplating giving that a try.

Photo from their website, where you can also see a menu.

PS: This may be TMI, but both Adam and I were both feeling slightly sick later on in the evening. Without visiting Pancho’s again, there’s no way to say if it was a coincidence or not.

Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant and Cantina
2641 Buford Highway