Pancho's Mexican Buffet
Encyclopedia
Pancho's Mexican Buffet is a chain of Tex-Mex
restaurants (24 as of 2009) in the United States
. The bulk of the restaurants are in Texas
; a few restaurants are also located in Arizona
, New Mexico
, Oklahoma
, Louisiana
and Mississippi
. Pancho's main offering is an all you care to eat buffet, though unlike many other such buffets additional food is brought by waitstaff
rather than self-served. Pancho's also offers takeout service.
in 1958. The restaurant was founded by Jesse Arrambide, Jr., who learned how to make Mexican dishes from his mother. His experience in cooking in large quantities while serving on an American naval troopship during World War II would contribute towards his concept of how to operate a buffet-style restaurant. After several years of operating his restaurant as a success, Arrambide turned his energy towards creating a Pancho's restaurant chain. The company eventually relocated its corporate office from El Paso to Fort Worth, Texas
in 1966. In 2007, Pancho's moved east again, this time to Dallas, Texas
Since 1979, the corporation has changed hands between several owners and partners.
s, flautas, enchilada
s, tamale
s, rice
, refried beans
, and many other traditional Tex-Mex items. Sopaipilla
s have been served for dessert
since the restaurant's opening; in the 1990s most locations also began offering a dessert bar with ice cream
and other more traditional American fare.
with the three colors of the flag of Mexico
. The flag, however, is sometimes missing the Mexican coat of arms and thus more closely resembles the flag of Italy
. The food is reasonably priced, and the dining area is often decorated with a courtyard motif. Several locations also sold a limited line of products that customers could purchase and make their own sopaipillas, tacos, etc. at home, as well as a small selection of piñatas that could be used for parties or other decorating reasons.
forced the Metairie, Louisiana
location in New Orleans to close. On March 30, 2009, Panchos Mexican Buffet returned to Metairie, with over 600 invitation-only patrons in attendance at a private opening the previous Friday.
, the main characters enjoy dinner at a Pancho's Mexican Buffet, complete with miniature Mexican flags on their table.
American rapper Lil Twist mentions Pancho's in his song "Young Money Freestyle" on his second mixtape, Class President. In the verse, he states: "better raise flags to reach me like Pancho's".
In the Roseanne
episode "White Trash Christmas" of Pancho's is mentioned, Roseanne got a feliz navidad neon sign.
In the Google Calendar
application, the example event hint when adding an event is "7pm Dinner at Pancho's".
Tex-Mex cuisine
"Tex-Mex" is a term used to describe a regional American cuisine that blends food products available in the United States and the culinary creations of Mexican-Americans influenced by the cuisines of Mexico. The cuisine has spread from border states such as Texas and those in the Southwestern...
restaurants (24 as of 2009) in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The bulk of the restaurants are in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
; a few restaurants are also located in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. Pancho's main offering is an all you care to eat buffet, though unlike many other such buffets additional food is brought by waitstaff
Waiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
rather than self-served. Pancho's also offers takeout service.
Restaurant History
The first Pancho's restaurant opened in El Paso, TexasEl Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
in 1958. The restaurant was founded by Jesse Arrambide, Jr., who learned how to make Mexican dishes from his mother. His experience in cooking in large quantities while serving on an American naval troopship during World War II would contribute towards his concept of how to operate a buffet-style restaurant. After several years of operating his restaurant as a success, Arrambide turned his energy towards creating a Pancho's restaurant chain. The company eventually relocated its corporate office from El Paso to Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
in 1966. In 2007, Pancho's moved east again, this time to Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
Since 1979, the corporation has changed hands between several owners and partners.
Pancho's Food
Pancho's food items include tacoTaco
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety...
s, flautas, enchilada
Enchilada
An enchilada is a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili pepper sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including meat, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, seafood or combinations.-Etymology:...
s, tamale
Tamale
A tamale — or more correctly tamal — is a traditional Latin American dish made of masa , which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. The wrapping is discarded before eating...
s, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, refried beans
Refried beans
Refried beans is a dish of cooked and mashed beans and is a traditional staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a somewhat different approach when making the dish.-Ingredients and preparation:...
, and many other traditional Tex-Mex items. Sopaipilla
Sopaipilla
A sopaipilla, sopapilla, sopaipa, or cachanga is a kind of fried pastry and a type of quick bread served in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, northern Mexico, New Mexico, Peru, Texas, and Uruguay. The word sopaipilla is the diminutive of sopaipa, a word that entered Spanish from the Mozarabic language of...
s have been served for dessert
Dessert
In cultures around the world, dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food. The word comes from the French language as dessert and this from Old French desservir, "to clear the table" and "to serve." Common Western desserts include cakes, biscuits,...
since the restaurant's opening; in the 1990s most locations also began offering a dessert bar with ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
and other more traditional American fare.
Restaurant Characteristics
Pancho's is most popular for having its buffet customers "raise the flag" to request more food; each table has a small tricolored flagFlag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
with the three colors of the flag of Mexico
Flag of Mexico
The flag of Mexico is a vertical tricolor of green, white, and red with the national coat of arms charged in the center of the white stripe. While the meaning of the colors has changed over time, these three colors were adopted by Mexico following independence from Spain during the country's War...
. The flag, however, is sometimes missing the Mexican coat of arms and thus more closely resembles the flag of Italy
Flag of Italy
The flag of Italy is a tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical pales of green, white, and red, with the green at the hoist side...
. The food is reasonably priced, and the dining area is often decorated with a courtyard motif. Several locations also sold a limited line of products that customers could purchase and make their own sopaipillas, tacos, etc. at home, as well as a small selection of piñatas that could be used for parties or other decorating reasons.
Flagship Location
Damage caused by Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
forced the Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
location in New Orleans to close. On March 30, 2009, Panchos Mexican Buffet returned to Metairie, with over 600 invitation-only patrons in attendance at a private opening the previous Friday.
Pop Culture References
In "Hank's Cowboy Movie", the 54th episode of the FOX animated comedy King of the HillKing of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
, the main characters enjoy dinner at a Pancho's Mexican Buffet, complete with miniature Mexican flags on their table.
American rapper Lil Twist mentions Pancho's in his song "Young Money Freestyle" on his second mixtape, Class President. In the verse, he states: "better raise flags to reach me like Pancho's".
In the Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
episode "White Trash Christmas" of Pancho's is mentioned, Roseanne got a feliz navidad neon sign.
In the Google Calendar
Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a free time-management web application offered by Google. It became available on April 13, 2006, and exited the beta stage in July 2009...
application, the example event hint when adding an event is "7pm Dinner at Pancho's".