Food is decent. Â I got a steak taco and a tamale. Â The steak taco was pretty good, but I've had better (although, I've also had worse!). Â I would rate it better than average. The tamal was the right flavor, but a little off on the texture.
The atmosphere was okay. Â It was very clean, dim... Â There wasn't much decor. Â The Beatles were playing the entire time we were there. Â Not really Mexican, but what the heck.
Price-wise, definitely affordable. Â
Overall, I really have no complaints. I also wasn't wow-ed.
However, I'd go back if I were in the area.
I have been eating here since the 90's (I was a kid) when it was an old house with a Mexican restaurant inside. Â I loved the enchiladas and the tacos, etc. Â I went back for the first time since 2007 this past Monday and I forgot how AWESOME the food is. Â Glad to be back and I suggest you give them a try especially with all the terrific weekday specials they offer.
Review Source:While I haven't tried a lot of different menu items, the tacos are great. Â It's my go to spot for late night food and they always seem to have a good beer special going on. Â I've never seen the dinning area crowded though. Â Usually the crowd, if there is one, is at the bar. Â If you eat-in, you get chips and salsas with are above average. Â The staff isn't too talkative in my experience, but they have always been friendly and attentive.
Highly recommend the fish tacos. Â They're about $2.50 and a couple of them will fill you up.
The 5 stars are for the takeout service since I've never sat down and had dinner here. The a la carte menu is phenomenal and the prices are spot on. I absolutely love the ground beef sopes. This is my go to for a quick carry out on a lazy night.
I've never had to wait very long for my order, but that could be because everyone that works there is really friendly and willing to talk. The beers are cheap and the margaritas are strong.
The menu selections are filled with classics and a few surprises. It always feels like they do the simple items well with fresh ingredients and cooked to order meals.
Didn't know Mexican food could be so awful! My boyfriend eats anything and he couldn't even finish his meal. The steak taco is just ground beef in a shell..no seasoning or flavor. AWFUL. Maybe the people visiting el pacifico are going there drunk...I can't think of any other reason for more than one star.
Review Source:This place was unbelievably terrible. We went there on a random weeknight and the place only had 3 tables taken yet we waited over an hour and a half for our food, the staff never came around to ask us if we wanted more to drink or a refill, we had to wave the server down in order to get more chips and salsa or margaritas. Then after asking 3x when our food would be ready and watching people who came in after us get their food before us it finally came and it was cold. The service was horrendous, the food made both my friend and I not feel well. I've had bad service at other places in my life but this one takes the cake. I would absolutely never go back especially since there are many other Mexican Restaurants not even 2 blocks away.
Review Source:This place has horrendous service. Don't come here. We waited over an hour to get a simple take out order. When I asked how much longer before we would get our food, I was told that we were next and that they were "really busy". There were probably 20 people in the place at the time. Plenty of other options in the area.
Review Source:I have no comment on the food at this place because I never got any food. Â I think that makes relatively clear what I thought of the service, but let me elaborate. Â We walked in. Â Nobody acknowledged us coming in so we assumed we should seat ourselves. Â We did. Â We sat. Â Maybe about 10 minutes later someone brought us menus. Â Then eventually someone took our order and brought chips and some drinks. Â Not our drinks. Â At least as to my husband and I, we got 2 beers different from those we ordered, and one guy did not get his beer at all until we asked for it. Â Then we waited. Â The chips and drinks ran out. Â We waited. Â We noted that other tables that were already sitting when we got there had no food yet. Â We waited. Â We noticed that there were 4 people behind the bar and none of them seemed to be doing much of anything. Â We waited. Â Nobody refilled our water or chips or asked if we wanted more drinks. Â A table next to us which was dirty when we got there, specifically covered in ground beef, was not cleaned up. Â Another table was not cleaned up while a group of people waited around it for it to be cleared. Â Finally one of our group went up to the four people at the bar (it may have been 3, but you get the picture) to ask when our food would come. Â 5 minutes they said. Â Still no drink refills, still no chip refills, still no food for tables ahead of us, still dirty tables around us. Â Maybe about 10 minutes later the food for one of the tables ahead of us came out. Â We waited for maybe another 10 minutes after that (probably a totaly of 45 mins to an hour for a burrito), and finally just gave up, left money for our drinks, and left. Â I truly hate to leave a restaurant (even after paying for everything I actually consumed), but enough already.
Review Source:It kind of stinks that El Pacifico still kind of has a bad rap from its former self. Â Their re-opening with extensive renovations are pretty impressive and I think this is a great addition to the neighborhood! Â Love their chips & salsa-they have 3 different salsas they serve and they definitely have a good kick to them! Â The guacamole is also very good as well. Â I'm a big fan of their tacos-the steak, al pastor, and fish are all delicious. Â One of my friends has proclaimed that their scrambled eggs and chorizo are "the best in the city-and I've had a lot!" Â They are also open late which is very helpful after one of those extended nights out at the bars! Â El Pacifico is a great addition to the 'hood and I really hope their business starts picking up so we can keep them here!
Review Source:Two stars for a sober experience but four after a few drinks.
I love that El Pacifico is open late. Southport Corridor doesn't have many late night food options, so it's just what we needed.
The food is decent - not bad but not outstanding. The salsa is top notch but my steak tacos have been a bit dry. However at 2 or 3am I'm the least discerning fan of Mexican food. It's all good with me!
My major frustration with El Pacifico is that they don't always stick to their posted hours. I've shown up here late night only to find the the lights off and doors locked. :(
It's not as delicious as Tony's Burrito Mex, but the ambiance is definitely better. Get in there folks so we don't lose it!
Out of the ashes of long dead El Pacifico rises...El Pacifico. Â The prodigal son has returned. Â
Extensive renovations have given EP a much needed facelift after what was at least a 3-year hiatus. Â The old EP was pretty spartan all around, but it's cleaned up nicely. Â
Our joke with the old incarnation of EP was that it only materialized out of the foggiest of late night drunks, but a recent visit before the wee hours confirmed otherwise. Â And the fare? Â A good step up from your average 3 a.m. burrito joint. Â Go with the chimichanga. Â If the half you couldn't finish doesn't taste just as good the next morning, I'll eat my own hat.* Â
If you need a drink with your late meal, and I often do, go with a beer. Â A margarita pitcher was redolent of mix and comically overpriced. Â
*Currently I am wearing a sombrero with many sequins and a large feather.
4.25 stars. The price is right and for what you pay, you get an excellent value.
The Good:
Fish tacos are very fresh and tasty...and at this price they're simply awesome, fresh salsa/pico, barbacoa sopes (amazing actually), expedient delivery to table. So far this is everything I've tried and I liked it all.
The Not As Good:
The decor is a little plain jane, playing the radio when Pandora or something without so many Mexican-language commercials could be played (no bueno!), Â my lime-on-the-rocks margarita tasted like it had marg mix in it although my g/f liked hers, they should offer spicier options for those of us who like it hot (no habaneros...seriously?)
Overall this place is a great neighborhood Mexican restaurant with a relaxed vibe, fresh and tasty food and very good prices. I've already been there 3 times so I can state with some certainty that my review is quite accurate.
Liive in the neighborhood and frequently dine out, so decided to try this place out due to the new opening. All I can say is, wow, this is the worst dining experience I've had in a long time. Â As a former college waitress, I tend to be very forgiving when it comes to slip ups. Â FIrst off, the place looks half finished and not quite ready to be open. Â Second, $7.00 for gauc, really? Â Margaritas were warm, waitress forgot multiple items, and our order took awhile even though the place was fairly slow. But the real kicker was the awful carne asada. After having 2-3 bites and trying to stomach the over cooked unseasoned cheap cut of meat, my husband finally sent it back and requested it be removed from the bill. He is a carne asada lover and stated that it was the worst he has tried in years. Â Fine. We could get over that part. But the death sentence was the waitress coming back to the table and informing us that she woud take half of the steak off the bill, due to my husband eating some of it. Â We asked to speak to the manager and were told that he had just left for the night and would not be back until tomorrow. Â My husband then informed her that he most definitely would NOT be paying for half of the steak, whether on the bill or not. Â We payed the check, which was then magically adjusted to remove the carne and swore to each other that we would never be back. Â It's just a shame that they take up such a big space in a location that would benefit from a great new restaurant. Â Oh well, live and learn.
Review Source:Food the very definition of "meh". Â Would only eat here again if starved and too drunk to walk any further.
I'm quite fond of their sign though.
Also the building in which they're located used to be a headquarters for communist revolutionaries or something like that that had to do with Bughouse Square.
Let's call a spade a spade. Â El Pacifico is the consummate "fast food" Mexican joint that's (a) on Belmont, which is fairly populated with the bar crowd (b) across from Shuba's, home of the music lovers let loose post-2am and (c) open daily until 3am. Â A definite recipe for cheap food that tastes OK when sober and absolutely delicious after a few. Â
The margaritas are good (read: strong) and the nachos with guacomole are definitely a must have (the best thing on the menu, trust me). Â The nachos are individually prepared with refried beans, a dollop of guac and chihuahua cheese. atop each chip...DELICIOUS!! As for the other food, it's tacos, enchiladas, chimichangos, etc. in mass quantities, but you can definitely tell the ingredients are cheap. Â Mi Tierra is down the street, and (although also no Mambo Grill or Lalo's) you can tell the ingredients are better and fresher.
Bottom line - if you're looking for sometihng cheap and cheerful, El Pacifico (and their guacomole nachos) have your name on them. Â If you're looking for a nice Mexican meal (with booths that don't have slits in them)...I'd look elsewhere.
I'm not personally crazy about restaurants not being fully enclosed.
I was highly impressed with the food here. The rice was awesome, the beans were great, and the Pico De Guio was nice and hot. Their was a spicy salsa as well. They have a Orchata Grande, which is a big Horchata(rice milk).. and when they say Grande they mean Grande. Their Chile Rellenos are real good too. Basically, I liked the food alot. There was a really interesting painting of a fountain next to us at our booth that I liked alot too.