A Mexican Mother’s Day At Pancho’s Tacos In Danbury

Connecticut’s Mexican restaurant scene has evolved greatly over the past decade. There have always been plenty of what I call “Mexican restaurants for gringos,” but lately there has been a huge upswing in the small inexpensive authentic joints that I like to call “Mexican restaurants for Mexicans.”

Some of these “Mexican restaurants for Mexicans” have clienteles made up mostly of Mexicans and other Latin Americans, while others succeed in drawing patrons from a broader base. Regardless, I have checked many of these joints out and have never found myself anything but welcome. Just remember, though, that authenticity is no guarantee of quality. Some “Mexican restaurants for Mexicans” are quite pedestrian, while others offer food that is exhilarating.

One of the more pleasing “Mexican restaurants for Mexicans” is Pancho’s Tacos in Danbury, which is neither to be confused with the Panchos & Gringos family of restaurants nor the Señor Panchos family of restaurants. This stand-alone is definitely a “Mexican restaurant for Mexicans,” but plenty of people of all colors and stripes have found their way through its friendly doors.

We may have missed Cinco de Mayo, but Mother’s Day proved to be an interesting time to dine Mexican as well. Numerous families filled the restaurant, most of whom had dressed up for the occasion. The children were especially delightful.

I found myself alternately missing the company of my mother (who lives on the West Coast) and my wife (who manages our properties overseas), but I made do with the company of my trusty friend, Bob. We raised frosty mugs of Dos Equis amber in a Mother’s Day salute.

The fare at Pancho’s Tacos may be simple, but it’s very flavorful. The menu is quite extensive. On a past visit, I had enjoyed barbacoa, described as lamb simmered in a Mexican spiced barbecue sauce. Bob had tried Pancho’s nachos, and found them a great improvement over their pub-grub counterparts.
This time, we sampled a broader range of items. I tried a lengua (beef tongue) taco, while Bob had a barbacoa taco.

The fillings were delicious and the taco shells were soft, of course, as they should be. For extra measure, I tried a chorizo tostada, also quite tasty. The shell was hard, of course, as it also should be.

Our main dishes were just as successful. Bob had three enchiladas (beef, chicken and cheese) in a spicy ranchero sauce, and even if we could hardly see them beneath the toppings, the enchiladas might have been the best I’d tried since living on the West Coast.

I had wondrously flavorful charbroiled marinated pork served with lettuce, tomato and buttery slices of avocado. Warm tortillas and rice and beans accompanied our dinners.

For dessert, Bob requested flan. Despite a tendency of Mexican flans to be heavy and sweet, this one was exactly to our liking.

Perhaps my dessert was a Mother’s Day special, but I had a slice of white cake with a fruit filling, whipped cream topping and those hard sugary pink decorations on it that I enjoyed so much as a child.

I have extolled the warm welcome I have always received in so-called “Mexican restaurants for Mexicans,” so I’m going to close with a photo of the charming young ladies at Pancho’s Tacos who attended to everyone, Mexican or not, with a broad smile on their faces.

Pancho’s Tacos, 145 White Street, Danbury, 203-790-0900