In recent years, there has been a sort of Mill Avenue diaspora in which independent businesses formerly located in the heart of downtown Tempe have fled in response to rising rents and chain competition. Some like Gentle Strength Coop have vanished, others including Desert Roots Kitchen have switched business models, and a few such as Changing Hands Bookstore have thrived in new locations. One longstanding Mill Avenue favorite, Restaurant Mexico, closed, but its cook and most of its menu re-emerged in a new place in Mesa known as Mr. Pancho’s.
Mr. Pancho’s, a resurrection of Restaurant Mexico in all but name and address, is found in central Mesa a few blocks west of Stapley/Main station on the A Line. Although improvements to Main Street in Mesa have made the area more walkable, there are still few bike racks in the neighborhood. The railing that borders the restaurant’s small patio might work as an alternative. The restaurant occupies a modest building that looks like it might have previously housed a fast food franchise, but a colorful mural on the west side of the structure adds some distinctiveness.
Inside, the decor is minimal, but a wall of photos recalls the history of both the current restaurant and the old Restaurant Mexico. Reader boards over a counter display a menu, but printed ones are also brought to each table, along with a complimentary basket of chips and a thin, mild red salsa that is also familiar from Mill Avenue. During the week, the server on duty is often Angie, who worked for many years at the front of the house in Restaurant Mexico while cook Angel Lopez ran the kitchen. Having both at Mr. Pancho’s gives a sense of warmth and continuity.
That familiarity extends to the menu, which focuses on a mix of favorite Mexican-American dishes and a few signature items imported from one restaurant to another. Items like tacos with meats such as carne asada, cabeza, and chicarron can be ordered a la carte, but many customers choose combination plates that add creamy beans and fluffy rice to the featured item. The taco suave is one taco in a large format with chili colorado made from tender pork inside a big flour tortilla. Two smaller tacos on corn tortillas feature a filling of shredded beef.
That same shredded beef is an option inside crisp chimichangas or soft enchiladas, and it appears mixed with scrambled eggs as part of an array of breakfast items offered during all hours of service. Beef is also prominent in other formats such as a carne asada plate or bistek ranchero with tender strips of meat, tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes in an unexpectedly spicy sauce. Ground beef is the essence of the giant meatballs which float in a flavorful tomato-based broth with rice, carrots, and a little bit of potato in a big bowl of Mr. Pancho’s albondingas soup.
Flautas work particularly well with either shredded beef or chicken. A meatless option is the Clare burrito, named for another server at the old Restaurant Mexico and a longstanding signature item at both locations in which a flour tortilla is wrapped around whole beans and sliced avocado and then topped with tangy verde sauce and cotija cheese. The same dish can be reinterpreted in an enchilada format. Cheese or potato enchiladas are also offered as vegetarian dishes. Sopes and tostadas are also available with a variety of meats and fillings.
Day of week specials are some of the best items at Mr. Pancho’s. On Tuesdays, the featured item is chicken pipian, a leg and thigh in a mild sauce made from ground pumpkin seeds. Wednesday, bistek ranchero is featured, even though it’s an item typically available at all times. On Thursdays, it’s back to poultry with chicken mole with a dark, complex sauce. On Fridays, a chile relleno is offered not only with the usual cheese stuffing, but also an alternative of picadillo, ground beef with potato. The pepper itself is spicier than in typical versions of this dish.
On Saturdays, albondigas are listed, but pozole is also frequently available. The version served at Mr. Panco is mild with pork on the bone in a deep red broth with plenty of hominy. Shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, chopped onions, and a wedge of lime are all provided to add flavor, but for extra heat, ask for some of the semi-secret spicy salsa that is always available upon request. To be honest, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of what is featured when, but if a server recommends something in particular, that’s often the best choice, no matter what day it is.
The one dessert available at Mr. Pancho’s is a flan, which is available intermittently. It’s a light take on this classic dish and somewhat less viscous than the usual variations seen in local restaurants. To drink, there are fountain sodas, horchata and jamaica, bottles of Mexican Coke, Jarritos, Topo Chico, and familiar brands of Mexican beer like Negro Modelo, Dos Equis, and Corona. The standout beverage, however, is the restaurant’s iced tea, which is lightly tinged with a bit of cinnamon for a distinctive flavor that complements much of the food on the menu.
Back on Mill Avenue in Tempe, eight miles west of Mr. Pancho’s via the A Line, the city is trying to revive its signature street with new trees and even a big sign telling people where they are. Unfortunately, those measures can do little to help with high rents and vacancies caused by landlords who seem to prefer no money to some money. Regardless of what happens on Mill Avenue proper, the spirit of the street endures, albeit in a scattered format. Remnants of the old Mill can be found in many formats and locations, including comforting Mexican food in Mesa.
