Pancheros lovers

houjix

Well-Known Member
Jul 21, 2021
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Still around but very spotty as far as service.
Not the original Ames location. Original Ames location (2nd or 3rd Panchero's ever I think) was in Campustown, where Mickey's is, before the expansion and design makeover. You wouldn't even recognize it as a Panchero's if it existed today.
 
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VeloClone

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Jan 19, 2010
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Brooklyn Park, MN
Mine was the ped mall in IC. Corner of Washington I think. Line out the door at 2 am.
Way back in the day when I would come over to IC for the CyHawk FB game the best part of the trip every year was Pancheros at closing time - regardless of the line. El Gordo for the win!
 

jcisuclones

Well-Known Member
Nov 23, 2011
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Ames, IA
How is the Ames one? Haven’t been there in a couple of years. Last time I was there I was in line and saw dirty the floor was behind the counter, employees were complaining to each other, and the food items looked sketchy. Hard pass and have not been back.
Quality wise, I think it's better than it was back when I was in college (15-18), but the service remains the same where the workers don't really care and the line takes 20 minutes to get through 10 people. Lately they've been struggling with sticky tortillas though, which usually results in a free double wrap.
 

Cyclone Pfan

Active Member
Dec 7, 2022
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My first visit to a Pancheros after the Welch Ave location closed did not go well. “What do you mean you don’t have the El Gordo? This is ********!”
I tell my kids about how great that original Welch Ave pancheros (mid 90's) was but they don't believe anything good comes from a pancheros.
 

baller21

Well-Known Member
Mar 15, 2009
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I tell my kids about how great that original Welch Ave pancheros (mid 90's) was but they don't believe anything good comes from a pancheros.
I don’t know if it’s true but some are saying that period was the golden age of burritos. In my opinion the El Gordo was a culinary masterpiece. Of course I was usually pretty well lit when I had them so that may have something to do with it.
 

houjix

Well-Known Member
Jul 21, 2021
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I don’t know if it’s true but some are saying that period was the golden age of burritos. In my opinion the El Gordo was a culinary masterpiece. Of course I was usually pretty well lit when I had them so that may have something to do with it.
That's the place I found out that corn quesadillas are much easier on my stomach than flour quesadillas as a post bender snack.