Pancheros makes its way to Sioux Falls
Tex-Mex chain offers cool vibe, subpar burritos
DAN KNUTSON
Walking into Pancheros, the restaurant has a fusion feel with modern designs and a minimalistic use of space. I liked the design, though it was reminiscent of similar restaurants in town like Moe’s and Qdoba.
The layout of the floor is done well with the line to order curving around the outside of the seating area. If the main idea of their floor plan was to have enough room for customers to enjoy their meals, the attempt was successful.
On one wall is a metal cutout of a lizard that adds to the Tex-Mex vibe. Pancheros is a clean take on fast-casual Mexican food and a good addition to the mix of restaurants in Sioux Falls.
Pancheros opened its doors in September, making it one of the newest restaurants in Sioux Falls. With that in mind, the restaurant was clean.
It’s easy to find something wrong when it comes to cleanliness, but even after looking for an area in the restaurant to critique, I couldn’t find anything. I thought for sure there would be something by the sauces or soda machine, but the counters were spotless. Good job, Pancheros.
As a “we build your food” style restaurant much like competitors Qdoba and Chipotle, Pancheros is difficult to judge based on the food preparation.
When I got to the front of the line, I asked the servers a few additional questions about their product. I was pleasantly surprised to hear their responses.
When I asked what about their “tofusada,” they told me how they prepare the tofu dish. I appreciated and respected the employees’ knowledge on the different menu items.
I ordered the naked burrito with steak for $9. I always order it when I go to Tex-Mex places, so I was confident in the order, but the meat was a gray color. I was assured it was steak, so I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Don’t judge a book by its cover, right?
Well, when I got to the table with my food, my first bite was cold.
Strike two for the food department. I was bummed with the product. The restaurant has a lot of good things going for it, however, my food was subpar. It was a let down from what the rest of my experience had led me to expect. I would say the food needs an overhaul on its quality.
Despite the food, Pancheros is off to a great start. It’s doing many things right. The food needs to be reviewed by the owner, but it’s easier to upgrade quality of food than quality of workers or cleanliness.
Based on my first experience with Pancheros, I’m willing to give it another shot—any business that puts that much effort into the dining room experience of it’s customers and the atmosphere of it’s restaurant deserves a second chance.
