Pachanga Mexican Grill

This restaurant serves the most delicious grilled vegetable quesadillas and the best salsas I've ever tasted! Pair it with a side of black beans for the most flavorful vegetarian meal you can find. Every time I visit from Encinitas, I make sure to come here.

This review should be a big surprise to anyone who knows me: not because i went to this restaurant but because i went to this restaurant because it is in the South Bay....Manhattan Beach specifically. And this Dude rarely goes to the South Bay or the Westside for that matter. But be that as it may, i was visiting a long lost friend who lives in MB and being that Pachanga is one of his faves......we went with the smell of salt water in our noses. Pachanga has several meanings in spanish but the one i like is that it is a wild dance similar to both the cha-cha and the samba. Though there was no dancing going on here: there was some pretty good cooking. Since I will eat Nachos pretty much anywhere and in any form i ordered the Beefy Nachos and this dish was very well prepped and presented. The Guacamole was creamy, tasty and sparked with onions, seasonings and a bit of tomato. Chips were fresh and warm. Beef was beefy, savory and obviously freshly cooked. We also had a steak quesadilla which was less than a success. The steak was a bit chewy probably because the whole piece was cut with the grain rather than across it. This could have happened with the vendor or at the restaurant. In either event, it ruined the product. Also it should have been served with something other than just chips. The Burrito was jammed pack with good stuff: sauce, meat, greens,tomato all wrapped in a home made tasting flour tortilla. This is a well thought out, tasty product. The service was quick. The counter help was nice and willing to help and explain the menu. My MB friend of course was in heaven here and it was good to see him after several years. I will be back here to visit him as well as to dance the P-A-C-H-A-N-G-A !!!!

Man. What can I say? Been a regular here since the mid 90s when it first opened up. Quality food and value have kept me loyal.

I absolutely love this restaurant! My go-to order is usually the mini nachos with carne asada, which is big enough for two people. However, on my most recent visit, I decided to try their carne asada taco with cilantro (no onions) and carnitas taco with guacamole. The carne asada was tender and juicy, though I have had it be dry and tough in the past. The carnitas was also deliciously tender, with no complaints at all. Each order comes with a side of chips, except for the nachos. And if you're thinking of getting salsa and chips, there's a self-serve salsa bar with pico de gallo available in various levels of spiciness (hot, spicy, medium) as well as Tapatío packets on the top shelf. For drinks, they offer a selection of beers including Pacifico, Tecate, Modelo, and Corona, or self-serve Pepsi products from the soda machine. Overall, this is a fantastic spot to grab a quick bite if you're in the mood for some tasty Mexican food.

I ordered the grand nachos and found that some parts were too salty while others were bland. Overall, it was a mediocre experience.