It’s no secret that Pasadena falls short when it comes to options for weekday dine-in lunch outings. Sure, we have a few fast food and quick-service eats, but last Thursday, my husband and I found ourselves faced with the rare opportunity to dine out locally for lunch, and we had to put our heads together to figure out what our options within Pasadena even were.
From our short list of Pasadena’s dine-in restaurants open for lunch, we decided on Don Pancho Mexican Grille.
Don Pancho officially opened its doors this past February at 2412 Mountain Road. Many locals know this site as the former Lista’s Grill – the family-run restaurant that served up American and Southwestern cuisine for 21 years. In my many years of living in Pasadena, I had been to Lista’s countless times. Thinking about my first visit to Lista’s replacement restaurant, I knew the menu would be quite different in some ways – but I was curious to discover what else had been changed.
Walking through the doors at Don Pancho, there were definitely feelings of familiarity. At first glance, the overall layout of the restaurant seemed to be the same. This is not a large venue by any means – guests enter through the main door and find themselves in the bar area, where there are a handful of high-top tables. Immediately to the right, there is a small dining room with booths and tables.
Like Lista’s, the decor was bright and colorful. There were, however, new decorative touches, such as a large Mexican mural that adorned the wall next to the dining room. I also noticed they had country music playing, which didn’t exactly fit the vibe of a Mexican/Latin restaurant.
We arrived around 12:30pm, and the restaurant was empty except for one couple that occupied a booth. We waited about a minute for a server to greet us, and then were led to the dining room where we had our choice of seating. We decided on a booth by a window, and then went to work looking over the lengthy menu. Before we could get very far into it, however, our server placed a basket of complimentary warm tortilla chips and fresh salsa in front of us. Salsa is one of those Mexican sides that everyone seems to feel differently about – some like it spicy, some like it chunky, some like it sweet. As a big fan of restaurant-style salsa (meaning salsa that has been pureed or blended), I have to say that this was above-average. All the key flavors are there – onion, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice and cilantro, and there was a satisfying balance of heat and sweetness.
While this was a mid-week lunch outing and alcoholic beverages were not quite on my mind, I couldn’t help but peruse the list of margaritas, which is so extensive it takes up an entire menu page. Options included everything from a House Margarita to a Exotic Margarita to a Cucumber Chile Margarita to a Skinny Margarita to a Corona Rita Margarita. Of course, margaritas at a Mexican restaurant are no surprise, but what I did not expect to find on Don Pancho’s beverage menu was a lengthy list of sangrias, martinis, crushes, specialty cocktails and draft beers. Bloody marys, lemon drop martinis, and old fashions are just some of the many cocktails available from the bar.
But let’s get back to the main menu. For an appetizer, we decided on fresh guacamole, and an order of pupusa salvadorenas, which is described as a thick corn-based cake that can be stuffed with various fillings – cheese, pork, beans. No more than 10 minutes after taking our order, the server came back with a large bowl of guacamole and our order of pupusa salvadorenas. From first glance, the guacamole radiated freshness – the avocados were chunky (which, in my opinion, is how you absolutely know they’re fresh), and tossed along with them were just the right amount of tomatoes, onions, fresh cilantro, and lime salt. It was harmonious, and eventually proved to be my favorite item we ordered that day. If you order just one menu item from Don Pancho, the guacamole needs to be it.
Now for the pupusa salvadorenas, which we ordered simply with cheese only. This was interesting because neither my husband nor I had ever had one. After a quick Google search on my phone, I discovered that pupusa salvadorenas is the national dish of El Salvador. It arrived on a large plate, piping hot, and with a side of curtido, which is a cabbage stew mixed with your traditional red salsa. At first bite, it reminded me of a grilled cheese sandwich, but with a taste of corn. My husband topped his with some of the curtido, which he said was very good. While this tasted fine, I think it needed a bit more flavor to make it more exciting. Next time I think we’ll order our pupusa salvadorenas with more filling than just the cheese.
Our server, who seemed to be the only one working at the time, was very attentive and never disappeared on us. She came back promptly to take our lunch order. My husband, who never turns down any kind of steak, decided on steak fajitas, while I went for two soft-shell tacos – the shrimp and the vegetarian. As with all of their tacos, the option for them to be made “American-style” (with lettuce, pico de gallo, cheese and salsa verde) or “Mexican-style” (fresh cilantro, onions and salsa verde) is given. I went with American-style for mine.
Knowing that our entrees would be out soon, we tried not to consume all of our appetizers, as the portions had been large. Sure enough, it wasn’t very long before our server came back with a sizzling pan of fajitas and a full plate of tacos.
Our first impression was that the presentation on both dishes was great. The steak strips were tossed with colorful, thick-cut peppers and had a zesty flavor and consistency. The serving size was fairly large, certainly enough for two. My husband commented that the steak was a little tough, slightly overcooked for his liking. Also worth nothing is how Don Pancho didn’t skimp with the toppings – black beans, rice, pico de gallo, lettuce, and salsa verde – or charge extra for guacamole and sour cream.
Presentation-wise, my tacos were quite pretty to look at – colorful, loaded with toppings, and plated with a side of salsa verde and a large, roasted jalapeno. My vegetarian taco was robust with toppings, some of which included roasted corn, peppers, onions and black beans. The shrimp taco did contain some flavorful smaller-size shrimp, but I was a little disappointed to find it filled over halfway with seasoned rice.
After finishing the tacos and most of the steak fajitas, we decided to end our meal on a sweet note with a typical Mexican dessert: the churro. Don Pancho did not disappoint us with their version of the warm and crispy, dusted with cinnamon and sugar treat. Four large churros arrived in a basket, drizzled with honey and syrup. I managed to find enough room in my stomach for one, and decided to take the rest home for our kids.
Ultimately, our midweek lunchtime dining experience at Don Pancho proved to be a success, thanks to their quick service, delicious food that exceeded our expectations, and convenient location. We will be back.
