Mexican food is one of the most popularized categories of food in America; there are an abundance of Mexican restaurants across many cities, and Paso Robles is no exception. To keep our review criteria consistent we chose to order the same kind of dish at every location: burritos. We decided to visit Taco Roco, El Pollo Loco, Señor Sanchos, and La Mexicana. As per usual we entered with four key aspects of review in mind; price, atmosphere, food quality, and customer service. Despite each restaurant having its own unique experience, we concluded El Pollo Loco to be the best location of the group.
Taco Roco
Our first stop was Taco Roco, which is a small chain of Mexican restaurants on the central coast with a vast menu. We ended up visiting the location on Theatre Drive, and upon entering the restaurant we were greeted with a cozy, thematic atmosphere full of warm colors. At the time of our visit there were St. Patrick’s Day decorations strung up throughout the establishment, which added a nice sense of relevance to the experience. The full menu was written on a blackboard above the counter, though we only decided to order one item to go since our next stop was only a short walk away. That item being a Breaded Shrimp Burrito, which cost us $8.75 plus tax.
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The wait time was relatively short, about ten minutes or so before we were given our order. That being said, the customer service while we got our order left a bit to be desired. The employee was working on putting other orders on the bench, but made no clear indication of which order belonged to who. Up until this point the customer service was mediocre, though this unnecessarily tedious process made our rating a little lower. It was now a question of whether or not the food would make up for the service, though we soon found out it certainly did. The burrito came in a soft tortilla, and was generously stuffed with beef, shrimp, and rice which were all coated in a light guacamole and dusted with cilantro. The ingredients were very spread out, so they could more or less all be tasted in every bite. They also balanced each other out quite well; the guacamole provided a refreshing cool taste against the warmer ingredients. Despite all these flavors nothing was overwhelming, rather everything was pleasantly harmonious. |
Overall, though we got a smaller glimpse of Taco Roco’s atmosphere (before we walked to the second location), it was an enjoyable one. The festive decor and appealing theme, paired with lively music in the background earned a solid rating for ambience in our book. The food lived up to this ambience as well, it was especially flavorful and filling. All in all, we rated Taco Roco a solid 6.75/10.
El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco, located in a small parking lot next to Target, is a decently large Mexican restaurant that has a fast food feel to it as it includes a very bold, cartoony logo and even a drive through! It felt very relaxed inside with soft lighting and simple decor. There are a lot of different options to choose from for food, so it would be great for anyone even if someone doesn’t like Mexican food. The ordering station is right next to the door and behind it the kitchen is very open. The cashier was super friendly and gave us a few seconds to look at the menu even though they were also working in the kitchen. We were free to pick our own seating, and were given a number to pick up our food when called.
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We ordered a chicken avocado burrito, a side of Macaroni and Cheese, and an order of Cinnamon Churros. The burrito was packed with chicken, rice, beans and a few chipotle chilis for added spice. Though all of the ingredients tasted pleasant, they didn’t harmonize with each other as best as they could have. There was almost nothing to balance out the warm textures of the ingredients, or the spice from the chillies for that matter. This gave the overall burrito a bit of a dry feeling to it, though other than that everything about it was enjoyable. Our side of Macaroni and Cheese was extremely creamy and cheesy! It came in a cute container with a lid, but we wish there was a bit more! However, for the price we can’t complain! We were incredibly excited that we got two churros in a pack, so we could each have one! It was a bit strong as it had a lot of sugar and cinnamon on it. It tasted really soft with a slight crunch on the outside.
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Overall, we enjoyed our meal very much as they had everything to make a whole meal! As we were leaving we were thirsty and the kind cashier stopped working to hand us a small cup for water. Without a doubt, we felt really comfortable and loved our time there. The price was more than affordable as well; our meal came out to a total of $13.54. In total, El Pollo Loco lands at a outstanding rating of 8.25/10.
Señor Sanchos
Third, we went to Señor Sanchos, a vibrant and lively restaurant nestled in a small plaza of other stores alongside Creston Rd. Señor Sanchos has a unique presence the first foot in the door, the walls are adorned with many thematic trinkets and eye catching objects. Though we had come in with our order already called in, the menu we chose from was decently sized with a large variety of options. The upbeat mood of the restaurant was pleasantly matched by the employees, who were exceptionally welcoming and patient. Even as we left, a staff member held open the door for us and wished us a good evening. However, the food was notably a much higher price than our previous two locations; our order of a single Carne Asada burrito came in at $16.95, plus tax.
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Price aside, the burrito itself was very enjoyable. Unlike our last two stops, it was enveloped with so many ingredients that we had to eat it with a fork. That’s not to say this was a negative; the overall quality of the burrito was considerably delightful, all of the ingredients complimented each other. The spread atop the burrito was a highlight - a vibrant mix of melted cheese, sour cream and enchilada salsa. It especially added to the already delicious flavor of the ingredients inside; rice, beans, onions and charbroiled steak. |
Overall, Senor Sanchos offers a spirited atmosphere and high quality food, though at a steeper price, earning it a respectable rating of 7.75/10.
La Mexicana
Lastly, we paid a visit to La Mexicana, a quaint and cozy restaurant on 13th st. When we entered we were welcomed with a sign to wait for a waiter. We stood for a few seconds and then were greeted by an employee who took us to a small booth table. We were given thorough menus with plenty of options to choose from. Our spot was perfect because we had a nice view of the cheerful restaurant. The walls were painted with lots of pretty scenes and colors. The floors were checkered with chairs that had small paintings on them. Everything felt very cohesive with the very detailed designs all over the restaurant.
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As we were making our decisions we were brought complimentary chips with salsa, which was a pleasant touch! Following our theme of getting Burritos at every restaurant we decided on a beef A La Carte burrito for $6.45, which was a notably cheaper price than the other restaurants. Despite the Burrito itself being on the smaller side - simple a tortilla with beef filling - it was nevertheless still tasteful! The beef was flavorful and cooked notably well. We also got two plain carnitas soft tacos. They each came with two small pieces of tortilla and a ton of meat to go with it. Although it could seem like a small meal to some, it was very filling. The whole plate was filled with meat to fill the tortillas. The meat felt soft and delectable that complimented the miniature tortillas very well.
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We were in a slight rush because we had to be somewhere right after, so we requested a foam to-go box and the bill. The waiter was very kind about it and delivered the request extremely quickly. Although we felt worried that we would not make it, because of their fast service we were able to swiftly leave. In general, the restaurant employees were especially considerate and the restaurant was pretty to look at while eating our food. Our final rating for La Mexicana was a considerable 7.5/10.