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Pachuco
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
99 Danforth AvenueToronto, ON M4K 1N2
Neighbourhood: Riverdale
(416) 466-8006
- Hours:
Wed-Thu, Sun 6 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 12 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
7 reviews for Pachuco
7 reviews in English
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Review from Jimi S.
ON
5/5/2012
Pachuco feels like a secretive jazz bar without the jazz or a former bomb shelter turned into an any-time-of-the-day romantic love den....with, um, mexican food. It's not that there's pillows lying around or people serving you food in lingerie, but maybe it's their lick your finger dips and oozing and slightly sloppy tacos that round out the notion quite delectably.
Try one of their specialty drinks. I had one that combined beer, Worcestershire, soya sauce, chipotle maybe, cant quite remember, but it was refreshing and spicy at the same time.
Dive in and order 3 different kinds of guacamole (pass on the traditional - BORING CHOICE - even if it is tasty - besides IT COMES IN ALL THE REST OF THE OTHER CHOICES.). We had the blue cheese and walnut, goat cheese and cactus - all great with substantially crunchy tortilla chips.
The four elements that comprised the braised beef tacos - the beef, guacamole, black beans and honey chipotle sauce - were all tasty in and of themselves, and when combined, fabulous, messy and fun.
Pachuco is a small, carefully orchestrated, cozy little lovebite. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
Pachuco is my kind of place...Dark, Cozy, Intimate, Small, Personal
Wonderful Service.. Awesome Food!
Margarita Sampler $15 for 3 flavours... Great for people like me that could not make up their mind.. even so, I still could not make up my mind!! With the help of my waiter, I ended up having Original, Spicy Mango and Spicy Cucumber... The cucumber is so refreshing... and delicious... and I feel healthy drinking. All three I had are all so tasty and balanced!!
Tacos... what should I have for tacos... I wish I can have a Taco Sampler just like the drinks.. but I am out of luck... So I decided on the Baja Fish Taco ($15)... The batter is a little heavy but still really good! And thanks for my waiter in bringing me their secret house prepared extra spicy chili....
Dessert though is a little disappointing...My Sweet Corn Torte ($7) lacks flavour... and sweetness...I don't think I would order that again...
I'll be back... I still have another 9 different Margarita flavour to try out and of course the Duck Confit Taco... :) -
Review from Renay R.
Toronto, ON
2/19/2012
I came here last night around 9pm with a friend. The space as mentioned previously, is TINY and the few tables they had were occupied so we grabbed a spot at the bar. I liked the vibe of the place - it was casual and friendly.
I had the margarita sampler - you get 3 small margaritas for $15. I had the spicy mango, strawberry mint and cucumber - yum! I liked all 3 but the cucumber had a slight edge simply because I had never had that before.
We also had the guacamole sampler - 3 guacs for around $17. We had the blue cheese, walnut, the goat cheese and the regular. I LOVE the idea of samplers. I don't think I ever would have tried either the blue cheese or goat cheese guacamole and I ended up really liking both of them.
We were really just there for drinks so didn't have anything else or even really look at the other stuff on the menu but I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a casual place for a drink. -
Review from Natalie T.
East York, ON
2/12/2012
I love that there is Mexican on the Danforth! Ole.
VIBE
It's downstairs underneath a basement. You'll also notice flamenco dancers walking back and forth to their gig at neighbour, Emburjo Flamenco.
Lots of deuces and a good six seater in the back, this intimate space also has room at the bar.
One thing about the service: no one greeted me and they saw me! Luckily, my dining partner was already there but still...not a terribly good impression.
Our server was nice but nervous. It was a bit weird. Otherwise, the food was served in good timing. The bill was not. I literally had to go up and I think it took five minutes for the other server to process my bill. It's not that hard!
WE ATE
The Taquitos de Pato / Slow cooked duck confit, / Pear salsa and guajillo peppers /
This, unfortunately, was a bit of a disappointing dish. It had flavour but not enough and it looked a bit unappetizing in the bowl. And yes, the set up is, you get five tortillas and a bowl and you make your own taco. I don't know. I think it's a bit counter intuitive to a restaurant.
The baja fish tacos were a bit better but in comparison to Grand Electric were too over dressed. Let the fish speak for itself! On top of that the tacos had guacamole on them.
This is the thing: if you are selling about five different types of guacamole as an appetizer and expect your patrons to get tacos afterwards, put the guacamole on the side! I told our waiter this so hopefully he will relay the message.
It's a bit of a guacamole overload! But the guac was good. That said, not sure if I'd want to try the other guacamole recipes.I'm a fan of the tried and true recipe. Guacamole is not something you mess with especially if you're an authentic Mexican restaurant.
Another note: if you do like to guac it up, they have samplers! SMART idea.
No alcohol this time but they serve coke in the bottle and it's a big bottle! Yum. Me likey.
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
It's a nice change to see something different and new on the Danforth. I also like that it's close to the subway at Broadview. But there can be too much of a good thing (i.e. guacamole). Nice for snacks and a drink. That said, the baja fish taco award goes to Grand Electric.
Another note: NO DEBIT. There's a CIBC across the street so make sure you have some dollar bills!Listed in: Mexicana
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Review from Jamie C.
Toronto, ON
1/25/2012
Pachuco is an intimate restaurant located on the basement level of Embrujo on the Danforth. Don't let the stairs down scare you - there is nothing about Pachuco that is "basement-y". The restaurant is warm and offers "modern mexican" cuisine. There are no sloppy chimichangas thrown on plates here - everything is made fresh and extreme care goes in to every dish. The servers and bartenders were knowledgeable about every dish on the menu and were happy to offer their suggestions if you can't decide what to order (everything sounded amazing!).
While the decor is elegant, the music is fun and casual (not obnoxious - no pop or Top 40 here) and the vibe is more casual than pretentious.
The menu is reasonably priced, although not if you want to try everything like me!
We ordered the blue cheese guacamole to start and were impressed. Not enough chips by my standards, but I'm sure we could have asked for more without a problem. The guac tasted fresh - I like knowing my food hasn't been sitting in plastic containers in a fridge for a week.
For dinner we ordered the fish and beef brisket tacos (Taquitos estilo Baja and Taquitos de Machaca). The fish was breaded and fried (not sure what fish was used) and I wanted seconds as soon as I finished. I would come back every day for them if I could! The beef brisket was good - a nice combo of the dark, coffee flavours went well with the sweet flavours of the guac and salsa. There was a bit of spice to the dish as well.
These dishes were washed down nicely with the margarita sampler - 3 flavours for $15. We had the traditional lime (my personal favourite), spicy mango (my boyfriend's favourite) and the guava (meh). We couldn't get enough so we ordered the Mexican Cosmo.
What I wished I had ordered: the Canadian Churros - "poutine-style" Churros. Guess I do have to go back :)
Great selection of tequilas!
Great date spot! -
Review from Neha S.
Toronto, ON
1/25/2012
Pachuco is an intimate space. I mean, really intimate. I stopped by for quick appetizer and drink with a friend and we opted to sit at the bar. I had the Mexican Cosmo and my friend had the Spicy Mango Margarita. Both of the drinks were amazing, but I really have to rave about the spicy mango! It was great flavor, not to strong but just the right amount of kick, and the seasoning they put on top was a nice touch.
We opted to go with the goat cheese guacamole for our appetizer and it was really good! I enjoyed the freshness of our tortilla chips. We decided to try the churros because who can say no to churros when they are served POUTINE STYLE (perfect for sharing!). They were fabulous, but remember to eat quickly or they will get soggy (we got caught up in our conversation and they were soggy yet delicious when we finished them off, but I am not a huge fan of the soggy texture).
Sitting at the bar was a fun experience because the bartender was sweet and friendly, she was always checking in on us to make sure we were having a good time. One of the owners also came down and asked us how everything was. We're going back next week to have dinner! The space is really fun and eclectic and I look forward to tasting the rest of their menu. -
Review from TOFoodReviews n.
Toronto, ON
1/21/2012
There is a new kid in town, and his name is Pachuco - named after the look and style of Mexican youth back in the 1930s to 1950s that dressed in zoot suits. Pachuco opened its doors on Friday, January 13th, perhaps a sign of bad luck, but that shouldn't hinder their success.
Pachuco is a small (read: reservations) and cozy space, with exposed brick walls, wrought-iron décor and, and a pretty impressive wall of wine bottles lit by a neon sign. Even though Pachuco shares a kitchen with older brother and Danforth favourite Embrujo Flamenco, they definitely serve up their own distinctive flavour.
Their menu is well thought out and varied, with an excellent selection of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. Their appetizer menu alone is worth the trip. With a confident boasting of guacamole flavours, including goat cheese, blue cheese, smoked trout and walnut, and a guacamole sampler patter that allows you to try three of their creations, there is seemingly no end to the interesting flavour combinations. We decided to stick to our guns, however, and go with the traditional guacamole, which was a stellar choice; lots of lime, onion and creamy avocado, but with no flavour left too overpowering. Their homemade tortilla chips have to be mentioned as well: crisp and tasty. I am hoping they will one day provide these in a to-go bag for purchase before you leave. We also ordered the Chile poblana, swathed in an excellent and perfectly spicy tomato sauce, with queso fresco and refried beans, all baked perfectly. The portion size on both entrees was more than enough for two people, and it could easily serve as a great entrée.
For our meals (both $15) we went with the Taquitos de Machaca (coffee and ancho braised beef brisket, with guacamole and honey chipotle salsa), and the pre-Hispanic delicacy of Taquitos de Huitlacoche (corn truffle, onions, jalapeño peppers, Cazuela beans served with requesón-avocado salsa). Where to start? Let's save the most interesting for last. The braised beef was well cooked and well spiced, the chipotle salsa was a great added touch, and one order of beans and rice between the two of us was more than enough to share. In fact, we both left incredibly full. Their fresh-this-second corn tortillas are amazing, sweet, soft and still warm from the press, prepared just the way you would expect to find them in a traditional Mexican eatery. The Huitlacoche, however, was an adventure in and of itself.
For those who don't know (myself included), Huitlacoche is a fungus, which grows naturally on corn in damp environments. The fungus is harvested and has been consumed as a delicacy for centuries in Central and South America cuisine. When it arrived, it tasted smokey and earthy; it looked like a dark mash of black corn, onion- and was that a jalapeño in there? Hard to tell. The dish was good, but I can't say I would strongly recommend it. Overall, I found the food at Pachuco's to be mostly over-salted, and the Huitlacoche had to be the worst offender. This is the main reason why I would not order it again; although the flavour was very different from any other Mexican dishes I have tried, and I actually did enjoy it, I just could not get over the intensity of the salt.
The drinks and food at Pachuco's ranged from good to very good, and if they could tone down the salt (margaritas included), I would probably rate most of it as excellent. However, I cannot say our overall experience was excellent, but I would not fault them for it in my overall rating. Being that it was their opening weekend, one expects a few hiccups, and I am sure they will be cleared up by the time you visit. I was served the wrong meal at first, and we had to wait about 10 to 15 minutes for the Huitlacoche to be prepared, instead of the fish tacos, (though delightful looking), I was initially served. By the time my dish came around, the other half of our meal was cold. Our side plates and used cutlery were never removed from our table after we finished with our appetizers, and the tables are so small and cramped as it is, there was no room for our mains. Instead of removing our side plates, there was a vain attempt to stuff everything on the table. I eventually had to ask for fresh cutlery and removal of the used dishes from our table. Not once, but twice, we almost had our not-quite-finished drinks taken from us, and we had to ask a few times for extra tortillas. It seemed a little strange to me that you would only get four at a time, and as great as they were, they are very, very small, so I imagine each meal would require a minimum of 3 or 4 on its own.
Overall, I think these are minor complaints, especially since it was Pachuco's opening preview. I found that the service was friendly and genuine, the restaurant was quaint and ambient, with Latin music, candles and a few kitschy décor details, which made it seem authentic and allow it to live up to it's self-proclaimed 'Modern Mexican' dining experience.
