Really loved it here, and I'm excited to go back in the future! Very attentive and friendly service, delicious food with generous portion sizes, great drinks and lovely ambiance. I went all on my own and quite enjoyed it, but it feels like it would be the perfect place for a casual date night or a dinner with friends. I didn't see the outside dining section but the inside was really lovely - very classic decor, music and lighting were both at good and unobtrusive levels, and clever use of half-walls and some good sound dampening decor kept it so that the tables all felt very private. Waitstaff was very attentive, friendly without ever being overbearing, and sounded like they were all bilingual in both Spanish and English. I got the mango mojito and was very pleased. Great mango flavor without compromising on the mint, and was still a pretty strong drink that left me a liiittle bit tipsy on the walk home. I also got the Arroz Con Pollo, which was comfort food incarnate. Took at least 5 minutes for the dish to stop steaming enough for me to actually start eating, so despite the fast service you can tell it's all freshly made. Those 2 things together came out to about $42 before tip -- a tiny bit more than the prices listed on older menu pictures on here, but still felt very reasonable, especially since the serving size was large enough to bring home my leftovers as tomorrow's lunch. This was my first time coming here but everyone else I could hear sounded like they were regulars, which is always a big vote of confidence. I very well may become one too! read more

Panchita Restaurant - a mango mojito and some complementary chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Smithtown, New York

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Service 1 star, food 2 star , place is absolutely terrible Waited to get our menu but never gotten,literally one waitress comes by and fill our glass of water but never realized of him not giving us the menu so i had to get up and asked Waited for more n it's been an hour for our service and then had to wait another 20-30 min for our food to arrive , food was terrible barely any seasoning but i will say cant ever go wrong with the piña colada was the only good part about this experience read more

This is our happy place. We usually start with their delicious shrimps in garlic sauce. Myriam with a 5 star Cadillac Margarita or Sangria. Wait staff Jesus and Alex are above board. Food is delicious. We usually go for the seafood in garlic sauce as the main dish. We have been coming here for over 30 years. read more

I'm a regular here. I love this place! Every time I go I get exceptional service. We always have the same waiter and I love him, he always knows our order without us saying a thing! I love that. Their margaritas are so good as well and strong. I always get their bandeja paisa and it never disappoints the food is always so good. My partner always gets Entraña and he loves it. The entire staff is sweet and attentive. Amazing food and amazing service this is why we keep coming back read more

What happened? New chef? No chef? Upscale competition? This wasn't our 1st choice, but with an hour wait at another local Mexican , we decided to try this again. What a mistake! Very expensive frozen food ! A real disappointment! With much better local choices I'd be surprised if they survive! Vomit read more

Panchita Restaurant - Fajita Platter with French fries, seafood Paella Valenciana Special both with the frozen peas, carrots, corn, and string beans - Mexican Near Me - Smithtown, New York

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Pretty authentic Mexican food. Margaritas are fantastic. Service was pretty good, a little slow, but friendly. Nice ambiance on a quiet night. Street parking only from what I saw. read more

I've been coming here for most of my life. I remember when they first opened, many years ago. Last night, I had the opportunity to visit again, for the first time in probably 15 to 20 years (I'm in town from out of state for a funeral). We came in while it was storming out (snow), so the restaurant was quiet and everything was clean and ready to go. We sat down right away at a quaint little table. As far as the good is concerned, everything was completely perfect. The appetizers we ordered were delicious (black bean and cheese nachos, and plantains). My entree (chicken fajitas) was cooked perfectly, filling, and delicious. The house margaritas are so good, and the bartender makes them nice and strong. Two of them and you're feeling REALLY good. Can't wait to visit again, hopefully I won't have to wait so long before coming back. :) read more

When we're in the area visiting the dentist my husband and I go to Maria's but they were closed for renovations. We decided to travel up the road to Panchita in Smithtown. We've been there before. At 7pm we were the only customers at the bar. We ordered chicken Fijatas and drinks. We decided to share since my mouth was soar. I only had a few bites. Hello, that's why we shared! Unbeknownst to us they charged us for an extra plate. Don't you think you should have mentioned this? Trust me, we are not even close to being cheap but this sneaky move ticked me off. We said nothing but i won't forget. I'm sure you weren't expecting us to notice since you didn't mention the extra charge. The meal was very good but you lost me because of this deceptive move. To top it off another patron came in. Clearly a regular that called staff by name. He polished off 3 drinks in 45 minutes and acted like a drunken idot. Staff clearly noticed this , we saw you rolling your eyes. Shame on you! Is he worth you losing your liquor license ? Think about that. I'm sure not. Needless to say you lost us as a customer. read more

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Had not been here in years. Staff was attentive. Food was delicious. In my book that's a winning combination. read more

Panchita Restaurant - a view of the dining room - Mexican Near Me - Smithtown, New York

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Best Restaurant for Latin American food in Suffolk County and the Cadillac Margaritas are phenomenal!

Came in here twice already. The server is always very nice and accommodating. Is quiet during lunch likely due to pandemic but very good food and moderate prices. Generous portions. What's not to like? read more

Panchita Restaurant - Ground beef burrito - Mexican Near Me - Smithtown, New York

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Never had a bad meal here. Service has always been fine. Ambiance? It's fine... I'd say it's about being real... not flashy. Highly recommended. read more

Amazing. I haven't had authentic mexican food this good in a long time. I grew up in New Mexico and this hit the spot. They give large portions and the prices are great! Not expensive whatsoever. We sat on the outdoor patio. The food is flavorful and so fresh. Highly recommend. read more

Very attentive service. Unfortunately missed the mark multiple times, with an error re a food allergy as well as forgetting to deliver our dessert. Food was mediocre. Very pleasant ambiance. Fine for American Mexican food if you want a night out in Smithtown, stay away if you have dietary concerns or prefer more authentic food read more

Good food, excellent service, and generous margaritas. We've been there several times & never disappointed.

Be careful.... I was pointing at the 27 doller caraf thinking it was margaritas but it was actually 45 for a pitcher of margaritas. The price I saw was actually for wine. They dont even have the margaritas listed on the menu but insted a table talker... we didnt even have one on our table... and it still doesnt list the price. Very shady. The salsa with chips tasted like tomatoes .. bland. Service was slowww.... the atmosphere was pretty old for a resturant of smithtown... not trendy at all needs a update . The fucking waitstaff was LAUGHING when they saw I was upset I thought it was 27... like I was stupid.... it's okay we just wont be back . Not like they seem to care. read more

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, my husband, another couple and I decided to go to this restaurant. We hadn't been there in many, many years. After last night's dinner, I know that we will be returning soon. It's not that I am a connoisseur on Mexican food however, I did live in Mexico for six months and have been to many resorts there as well. The ambience was casual, yet tastefully done. They started last off with fresh tortilla chips and delicious salsa. My margarita was very good. I ordered the red snapper with the rice, beans and some guacamole. It was very nicely prepared and seasoned. My husband really enjoyed his variety of quesadilla both steak, chicken and shrimp. Our friends re-introduced us to this place. Great pick. Not to mention how reasonably price they were. The service was good and servers were very pleasant. read more

We came Labor Day weekend and sat at the bar. Even though it was 2 hours before closing the restaurant was empty. The bartender was cleaning and seemed a bit miffed she had to stop closing to serve us. The pros: - The chips and salsa are very good. -My bf enjoyed his mix platter of a taco, enchilada and tostada. -The margarita was good. The cons: -Never received my French Fries with my order. -Asked for the nachos without cheese since I am dairy free, it cane with cheese. -They brought my rice and beans with cheese, even though I was specific about not being able to eat cheese. -The steak came well done, asked for it rare. The food overall was good, just not prepared how we asked, and I just think the bartender wasn't interested in serving us and didn't care to make sure things were as we asked. So basically we would come back for the food, maybe just not sit and the bar.... read more

We have been coming here a while. My boyfriend and I enjoy the food and drinks. Quesadilla is good as well as skirt steak. Veggie fajita was good too. Nice meals. I saw another reviewer state they refilled the salsa and chips and it made me laugh. It's so funny...I never had a smaller sized salsa bowl in any restaurant. The salsa is homemade, we like it, but since it's not thick ...it's hard to get the salsa and onion / pepper bits on the chip itself because the bowl is so small and shallow. With some machinations you can do it, one person at a time, but yes it empties too fast with only the two of us! I can't imagine families lol. But yes they definitely refilled it for us and even politely asked if we wanted it refilled a third time, but we declined because the quesadillas came ...yummy! I wonder if there's a reason to have the bowls so small/shallow...maybe if it's any larger, the bits go to the bottom and people don't realize they're there? That *would* make sense, now that I think about it. Well, the work is worth it-- the salsa is good! It's got that old Mexican world charm look to the restaurant which makes it different. It's got a bar with a few seats at the entrance area as soon as you walk in. We always found the service great. The wait staff are wearing masks, which is nice. read more

Terrible excuse for Mexican food...cheap ingredients, poorly seasoned, poorly executed... My nephew wanted to eat there for his birthday (he's 18...what does he know). At 6:30 only one other table with 3 diners...between 6:30 and 8:30 no one else walks through the door...what does that tell you???? Nobody else in the restaurant and the service was still slow. And when the food came out it was SLOP. read more

Mexican Small little place in the heart of Smithtown village. La Panchita never seems to be too busy. The place is on the small side, and immediately reminds you of Mexico when you walk in: traditional colors and decorations abound. I usually hit the bar area which is immediately past the front door. The bar is on the small side but I can usually score a seat. Freshly made margaritas get the night gong and the chips with salsa give you something to nosh on while looking over the menu. The menu is basic: combination platters for the gringos and some more adventurous entrees for those who know the difference between a flauta and a chimichanga... The food is solid; nothing to crow about. You won't get a mind blowing meal here but it is good enough to get you past your Mexican fix for the evening. Bartenders and waiters are all nice and helpful. Worth a hit if you want something better than Taco Bell. Parking on the street. read more

Was in NY on business, and after a VERY long day of meetings, a group of us decided to go out and get an ice-cold cerveza. The local said he knew JUST the spot, and we headed off to La Panchita. Walking in, it's a wee bit over-the-top on decor...but hey, an east coast Mexican restaurant...what are you going to do? ;-) We were seated VERY quickly, and immediately drink orders were taken and chips/salsa delivered. The latter was made in house...very fresh, but very tame. We got our drinks, and indeed they were ice cold....and after the day of meetings, refreshing and needed. As I perused the menu, I noted mole....and while usually this is done quite badly in American attempts at Mexican, I was feeling lucky....so ordered it with sin rice. The rest of the orders around the table were all over the map...pablano, enchiladas, tacos, burritos...the works. Our food arrived, along with another round of cervezas....and we dug in. The one weird thing about the mole is it did NOT come with tortillas. Strange, but when in Rome (or Smithtown?).....that didn't matter too much, because it was VERY good. The beans were also cooked perfectly (which, granted, is a bit easier than making a good mole...but still, kudos). Virtually all of the plates appeared to be licked clean. I figure that's as good of a sign as any that this place is firing on all cylinders. Definitely recommended. read more

Ouch. 6:30 on a Sunday evening, place was empty except for a couple with their hands all over each other at the bar. Placed our order, noted the carpeting on the walls (what?) but proceeded to order. As I sat and read reviews, I really began to get nervous, but we decided to give it a shot. We waited, and waited, and waited and finally walked out. 35 minutes was way too long for us to be waiting for our meal in a completely empty dining room. After throwing a few bucks on the table for the sodas, we notified the waitress we couldn't wait any longer, she just started to laugh and headed for the kitchen. Interesting experience indeed! read more

Panchita Restaurant - I wish I didn't see that thick layer of dust and cobwebs and grime... - Mexican Near Me - Smithtown, New York

Was looking forward to having a great night with friends and food and it wasn't good from the beginning. They couldn't get the drink orders right and when we did get our drinks one had a bug in it. We were there for an hour and they didn't even get an order for food. We had to ask for more salsa and chips and when my husband was eating the chips and salsa there was a piece of glass in the salsa that he ate unknowingly until it cut the side of his mouth. When he asked for the manager, there was no manager. There was no concern that this had happened from the waiter. I don't recommend this restaurant! read more

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I ordered the ceviche and chicken quesadillas... both were terrible. the ceviche tasted like chinese food and the chicken quesadillas were the worst I've ever had read more

Stopped here the other day for lunch, which I took back to my office. I wish I hadn't, because I would have spent the entire time raving to the chef and the staff about how incredible the food was!! I had a steak chimichanga, cheese enchilada, and black bean soup, and each of these was better than the last!! To sum up: incredible food, friendly staff, and quick service. 100% coming back as often as my waistline will allow!! read more

Classic Mexican restaurant with all the favorites plus more. Chicken livers with sherry are hidden gem on the menu. Food is spot on and consistent ever time. Service is impeccable. Staff is warm, friendly and perfectly attended. It's not the trendy new place but the timeless classic you need. Wine and margaritas are a must. You will leave here happy!! read more

Pros: Nice atmosphere. Chips and dips were not bad. Cons: No parking lot, had to park across the street at CVS. Dead fly in water, dead fly on table. Rude waitress who didn't care or remove the dead flies from the table. Expensive prices for barely edible food. "Cheese" is fake, processed garbage, equivalent to elementary school pizza "cheese". Rice had a nice flavor, but I kept biting into hard, uncooked pieces of rice. Chicken in the chicken burrito had a funky taste, as if it was going bad. Refried beans had no taste. Beef taco wasn't too bad. Most of the people at my table were unsatisfied with their food as well. Won't be returning. read more

Imaging holding in a Yelp review, much like you would a loud smelly fart, so that you wouldn't be embarrassed by the after effects. This is what I've done for my La Panchita review for years. I've been going here for years, always leaving the restaurant thinking it was a 5-star joint. Only problem is, each and every time I leave there, I'm drunk. How well can one judge food when completely trashed? Screw it. The only reason why I get so drunk before I can even take my first bite is because the sangria is the best sangria on the planet, and the service is so phenomenal that you can't help but get drunk taking it all in. And despite the fact that I'm drunk when I'm eating the meal, it still tastes amazing! Further proof - my leftovers are still amazing, and a perfect hangover cure as well... Aside from amazing sangria and food (the Paella Valenciana is my recommendation), La Panchita does everything else well. Pricing? Very affordable, entrees are between $12 and $25. Atmosphere? Extremely dynamic - you can literally do anything here; have a romantic meal, go out with the family, bring a crew and get trashed, bring clients for work, whatever! Service? Extremely friendly, well paced, affable, comforting and you're never rushed despite heavy volume on weekends. Be aware that the $5 guacamole seems like a great deal, but it is not very big. Order one for every two folks at your table. La Panchita is the best Spanish/Mexican Restaurant on Long Island and definitely worth the trip to Smithtown. read more

I cannot eat here. It was all frozen food and not fresh. What a waste of 50 dollars that night. Paella was awful. Food was just bad. Drinks are good I cannot complain about that. Service was horrible. You had to ask for everything you needed, even the drink you ordered 10 minutes ago. I would never return. This is hard for me to say such bad things but it was not worth my money. Gordon Ramsey needs to come and fix this place. read more

I wasn't a huge fan and i love mexican food. The salsa wasnt good that came with the chips. I went during the week in the afternoon and it was dead, and the food still came out in 5 minutes. I know mexican food is easy and fast to make, but 5 minutes gave me the inclination that it pre-prepared. The food was another indication that it was. So i would say skip it, unless you want to try their reported famous sangria read more

Nice restaurant with delicious food. Best fajita that I have ever tried. Highly recommend.

The best ! I eat there typically once or twice a month. I have been going there for years and have never had a bad meal. The waiters are professionals that have been there for years. The margaritas are the best in the county. I read the review from the guy below that didn't like the shrimp. I never had the shrimp there but I would never order seafood unless I'm in a seafood restaurant. La Panchita is 6 stars !!!!!! read more

Empty on Tuesday night. No specials available. Peaceful place to have a quiet dinner.They are attentive in this restaurant. The salsa is very spicy, the grilled wrap is good and enough for two people. The two tscos plate is a little less then what we expected but we're good. read more

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Very low key dinner spot but the best mexican food around!! Strong drinks with a lot of options on the menu and good prices.

My friends and I went to La Panchita because Maria's (another local Spanish place) was closed and we were in the mood for Spanish/Mexican. It was the first time we ever went there and upon leaving we said how we definitely wanted to go back soon. The decor was cute and typical of a Spanish restaurant. It was homey and inviting. The service was great, the food was awesome and the sangria was probably one of the best I've ever had. The restaurant overall was clean and so were the bathrooms. They served chips with spicy guac and salsa that were both fresh and addicting. Great place for a girls night or a birthday celebration..I give it a thumbs up!! read more

Looking at the reviews.. WOW you guys really do not know Mexican with all the Fakecican you must eat. I will start by saying I am married a Mexican, who was born and raised there and makes me some delicious meals. So obviously when we go somewhere that says they are a Mexican establishment.. well.. don't fake it We saw this place once before driving on Main St, so one day we were hungry and decided to give it a try. The first sign of a problem was when my wife started to ask questions to the waiters (in Spanish)about the mole. In Mexico there are different types of mole so she wanted to know which type it was. 3 waiters could not answer what type so she decided to go with the carnitas and I with the enchiladas. Whenever we go to Mexican restaurant we usually have to ask for the kitchen salsa because the one that is normally served is Amercanized and pretty weak. So we asked for the kitchen salsa and the waiter said, "We are going to make the salsa just for you" They brought our dishes out and my enchiladas looked like they were dropped in water. I can eat anything and I have always had this concern that if I complain and have them take back the food, they will eject bodily fluids into the replacement. So I kept my mouth shut and just started to eat. Now my wife, who is a bona fide Mexican, got her carnitas. Right of the bat she was mad. carnatas are usually slow braised and shredded and are also tender.. What she got was chopped up pork from Shoperite, that was chewy like gum. To me it was not actually bad tasting but it was not what she ordered. Then we go the "salsa that was made in the kitchen" Not only was this salsa NOT hot but it was probably the tostito salsa you buy from the stores! Unlike me, who is a food complaining coward, my wife called over the waiter and told him that the dish was NOT carnitas but chopped up pork and the salsa came from a can, so why was he lying to us. He did not have an answer. My answer was you are tricking all these white folks into thinking the food you serve is Mexican. We found out later my Mother-in-law came here some time back and asked for Paella and they gave here rice and beans with seafood. She also had to call the waiter to tell them that the dish they gave is not what the menu states it should be. If we had know this beforehand we would have never come. Long story short. If you palette is contaminated from all the crappy Mexican eateries out there. You may think the food is ok, If you know what authentic Mexican is, if you eat here, they used a bunch of store bought crap and will try to do a 3 card monte and convince you that the plate you ordered is authentic. read more

I am a Mexican food freak. I am always looking for the next best thing in Mexican food. I found this restaurant while going to school on Long Island and am addicted to it! They have a really nice traditional flare to their food and everything is tasty. I love their quesadilla, stuffed with cheese and Spanish sausage. I also die over their guacamole, and I normally HATE guacamole (not an avocado fan). I will nosh theirs by the bowl full though... I can't say anything bad about the food I have had here. I also love the margaritas there... they are strong and tasty... the atmosphere is kinda crummy, lots of dusty old decorations and dated wallpaper... but the wait staff there is helpful and nice... and once you have had a few drinks you won't even be noticing the crummy decor read more

Always delicious .. perfect service ... why don't more people come here ?? Love it ! Best margaritas !!! read more

Great dining experience Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. I will definitely recommend and return. Don't miss the shrimp in garlic sauce appetizer incredible read more