Pancho & Lefty’s
1120 Grand Ave, Grand Lake, CO, 80447
Pancho & Lefty’s Menu
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Address :
1120 Grand Ave
Grand Lake, CO, 80447 - Phone (970) 627-8773
- Website https://www.panchosgrandlake.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Patrick T.
2.5 would be accurate. Ok, not great, not horrible. Standard American Mexican food, good atmosphere. Dining options are limited in Grand Lake, this is a decent (only) Mexican option. We had an enchilada plate and a burrito. Nothing spectacular, but not bad. The salsa bar is a refreshing option with many offerings. Charging for chips and salsa at a run-of-the-mill spot is tacky. Don't the owners know free chips and salsa keep the customers drinking the high margin stuff? Service was ok. For advertising live music we were disappointed they were finished by 8 PM when we arrived. Drinks are overpriced. 15 for a semi-top shelf marg is atrocious.
(3)Kevin W.
Service is iffy, short staffed and slow for drinks and food...but thier mexican food is actually pretty darn good for tiny town! Great tacos and taco/salad bar. Beautiful view of lake just short walk away.
(3)Kirk K.
Went to get lunch here after a 12 mile hike and even then the food was mediocre. Hard to put a finger on the theme of this place; Mexican food, live American music, lake atmosphere, completely non-authentic wait staff and a wilderness decor. Would advise trying other restaurants on Grand Ave The only plus from my experience is that they provide each table with a pitcher of ice water which was great after a long hike in the national park
(2)Rick H.
It's a View with a Room! If you're lucky enough to be sitting on the patio during one of those gorgeous sun soaked summer evenings, where the sky borrows all the colors in the rainbow and paints a sunset over the mountains and reflects it back into the lake, then that should be reason enough to visit Pancho & Lefty's. But wait, the service is brilliant! Sure, Grand Lake is a sleepy little mountain town, where workers are so transient, they start their breakfast shift at one restaurant and end their night shift down the road. The folks here are friendly and from all walks of life. Depending on which month it may be Poland, Italy or Commerce City. The food, well hey, It's Mexican in Grand Lake...Did I mention the view?
(4)Robin B.
Pancho stayed and Lefty left. This place has to be what Mexican food lovers have nightmares about. I ordered the Mexican Hamburger and had really tough time communicating with our server that I did not want the tortilla. One word sums up my entire experience... blah, ok maybe two, bleck. On the upside, there is a great view out the back window and the chips and salsa will tide you over until you can get somewhere else to satisfy your Mexican craving.
(2)Aaron F.
Came here to enjoy a couple of margaritas and was disappointed when we received a pitcher of yellow-ish liquid that in no way whatsoever resembled a margarita. I'm no bartender, but this was by far the worst combination of liquids I've ever attempted to consume. If you happen to be thirsty -and desperate- we're cutting our losses and leaving the rest of our pitcher behind. It's all yours! Oh, and the guacamole and salsa sucked too. It's like Casa Bonita, but in the mountains. Without divers.
(1)Lauren J.
This place was terrible. Of course we went because they do have a great view on the patio. The bartender was in no hurry and seemed put out to have to do her job. Several times she said " I'm workin on it." When we were seated we were given water and then forgotten about. There were PLENTY of waitstaff and yet all seemed just too busy. We left without ordering anything. Went to the sagebrush where we were properly cared for and got to people watch.
(1)Jennifer M.
The jalapeno poppers were good - they wrap them in eggroll wrappers! The hostess was nice and didn't seem to detest our existence. Everything else was a lot of nope. I'm fairly convinced the only reason this place gets any business is a combination of the lakefront views and the lack of cell service in Grand Lake. First of all, they charge $5 for chips and salsa. I've never been to a restaurant that charges $5 for chips and salsa. Our waitress graciously offered us salsa refills, but I could tell she wanted us to go die in a hole somewhere. She was mostly crabby and annoyed the entire time we dealt with her, which I will maybe chalk up to dealing with creepy drunk customers and being one of three waitresses on the floor. There was also another waitress screeching at the manager for moving her drinks or some other offense about 5ft away from our table. Ahhh, quaint mountain town ambiance, amiright? All in all, this is where you wind up when your cell phone shows nothing but dinosaurs and you're too tired to care about leaving. You're stuck, might as well order some jalapeno poppers.
(1)Steve P.
I wanted to try Grand Pizza across the street during an all-day motorcycle ride, but they were closed, so I tried this instead. It was highly disappointing. Service was OK, and relatively quick, but the two chicken enchiladas I tried were really, really bad, and way too expensive. It was nothing more than two small pieces of chicken swimming in a huge plate of melted cheese, a small amount of enchilada sauce, a little bit of rice, and a small serving of severly undercooked (i.e., crunchy) black beans. This meal, with a plain iced tea, was more than $17.00 I don't think it was worth more than a couple dollars, and even at that price I wold not eat here again. I might as well had just bought a block of cheap cheddar cheese at the grocery store and chewed on that while I rode... :( Quite possibly the worst Mexican food I've had in Colorado. Counting Taco Bell.
(1)James G.
Overpriced microwave heated canned Mexican food. Yum You get your first bowl of supermarket chips and salsa free. 2nd will cost u
(1)Katy S.
This review is for the back patio and drinks only as we did not have a meal here. We were looking for a spot on Grand Lake to enjoy a beverage when we saw the sign on the front of Pancho & Lefty's advertising a back patio. We quickly obliged. We were happy to be seated with a very nice view of the lake. The waitress was very prompt and our drinks were out quickly and refilled quickly. The drink prices were relatively good. Other than the view, the atmosphere was just like any other regular Mexican restaurant. Some of our group ordered jalapeno poppers and chips and queso - both were pretty tasty. The jalapeno poppers were interesting as they were wrapped in crescent rolls, but we enjoyed the jelly mixed with the spice. The queso was a bit watery, but the cheesy flavor was good. We weren't blown away by this place, but certainly experienced the cold beverages with a view!
(3)Brian M.
Their food is bland and boring, bordering on real bad. I've eaten many chile relleno's in my 65 yrs and never seen it deep fried in a tortilla. To make it worse they filled it wit mushy pork and where did the cheese go. The beef taco was mushy, just horrible. Refried beans were disgusting. They tasted like those cheap canned type. When I got my check they charged me $5 for chips and salsa and they weren't good. I did complain that I wasn't told they charged for chips and salsa and they took it off the bill. That was the best part if my meal. High prices for really bad food isn't a winning combo. I won't go back.
(1)Sam S.
I would recommend not going here if you have any idea what good Mexican food should be like. There are other places in GL that I would go to - just look them up on Yelp.
(1)Jasen B.
Quite ordinary Mexican food. But maybe it caters to the tourist crowd. Nice location though and a good live music venue
(2)William S.
Horrible service. The server seemed liked he was on meth while at work. Flies were everywhere in the restaurant and biting all the customers. Please do yourself a favor and eat anywhere else
(1)Rock S.
Pancho and Leftys I need to be careful with my observations, there are not many places in this small town to eat at, and this place is one of the palatable places that makes the attempt to stay open in the definitely-not-lucrative off season, and barely busy winter. I come here every year because they do have a vegetarian selection. The $5 salsa and chips was good, NOT OVERLY SALTY...so I was happy. Salsa was served in a small soup bowl, and refilled....so much more convenient than the little 2-4 ounce serving dishes...though refill was ordered from kitchen, so inefficient, longer wait. The lemonade was recognizable as the "contains 0% lemon" type (but not so bad tasting...I had a second one)...I will worry about the chemical/health ramifications later. The "made in our kitchen" poppers that they are so proud of had more flour dough than pepper and cream cheese combined...and that flour really soaks up the hot oil. I tasted one and let my wife have the rest. If more traditional, would have been great, and the raspberry sauce for it was GOOD. My wife loved the Draft local beer and her hot chicken wings...and she compares it to the New York ones. Great service, location and overall parking lets me overlook the minor disappointments. If this were in a city, 3 stars. But overall, this would get almost 4.5 from me if I could do half stars.
(4)Jen N.
Terrible service..rude wait staff...our server passed us twice and told us our order of drinks and apps was almost ready then 45 minutes later, we were told somehow they "never got our order" the drinks were average, apps awful at best, 2 hours later we waiting on one beer, decided to leave....they charge 18% gratuity on your bill for awful service...and I actually heard our server tell a customer at a neighboring table " if you want nice, go somewhere else" rude...we come to Grand Lake every year to celebrate family, we will never return to this vile place...I was appalled by all the waitstaff behavior
(1)Jeff S.
not sure i can think of a positive thing to say.. stopped by to sit on the patio (we had our dog with us) and grab a margarita and some nachos - Nachos were decent - chips and pico de gallo were $7.95!! whaaa? regular chips and salsa were $7.25 (not homemade chips from what i could tell) When was the last time you went to a Mexican restaurant and were charged for chips and salsa? We were seated at a nice table looking out on the lake..next to a large bucket of sand and full of water with floating cigarette butts... nice atmosphere. Service was weak at best.. they just did not seem to care.. Our Margaritas were the worst i have every had anywhere.. when my wife asked for some else because it was so watery... the bartender just looked at her with frown on his face.. no apology..... nothing.. just a dirty look Waitress was the same.. Will not be back - i guess they assume that with a view... they don't need to care.. I am surprised they are still in business.... Plenty of other great places in Grand Lake - don't waste your money here..
(1)Michael M.
After my meal at Pancho & Lefty's, I had to step outside and have a smoke - I can't remember the last time I was screwed like that. I'd just come back from a 7 mile hike, I was hungry, not picky. Chose this place cause the sign said it had a view. We had to ask the hostess to seat us near the view, but no big. Then our server came over, gave us a smile, asked us if we wanted something other than water. I said no and jumped right to appetizers, and when I asked her if the $5 chips and salsa was 'bottomless,' she got snippy. In fact, she stayed snippy and rude the whole time we were there. I felt really uncomfortable, like just being there was a huge burden on her. So. Effing. Weird. All that, I might still give the place 2 stars, except that the bathroom doors don't close. They just hang open into the bathrooms from the hallway, at least the men's room did. On top of that, there are a bunch of tacky mirrored beer signs in there that reflect the image of you out into the hallway. Too much weird, just avoid this place.
(1)Torrey D.
I wish this place was still good. Been coming to grand lake my whole life and I'm not sure what happened to the restaurant holding the best location in town. My guess is there are enough one-timers coming through to keep them in business. Would highly recommend the tv show called Restaurant Impossible come fix this place.
(1)Karen M.
Blech, blech and double-blech. They have great green chile but everything else was canned, bland and packaged. Seems like a fun place to hang out at, though, and they have a mice, big patio to sit on when it's not raining. Good for beers and watching a game - skip it for food, though.
(3)Brian B.
Horrible restaurant, and even worse staff! The locals do not recommend going to this place, and based on my interaction with their staff, I can see why! While on vacation with my family, I had the misfortune of hearing a Pancho and Lefty's staff member telling people they are fat and overweight. And the worse part of it was her children were with her! When I confronted the lady about what she was saying, she quickly changed her tune....but then still found a way to insult me! She said that I was on vacation and didn't hear her correctly and that SHE had to work. SHE didn't have time for vacation. Wow. Just wow. Remember, her children, and unfortunately my children, were there to hear and witness this rude individual of Pancho and Lefty's. So, I end this review posing this question, why would anyone want to eat here?
(1)Greg H.
Been coming to Pancho's for years and the food has been consistently awful for years. So why do I come? For a brew with a view but definitely nothing more. It's people like me that probably keeps ownership from making any attempt at improving their food quality. Sorry about that!
(1)Kathryn G.
So rude and disrespectful!! The drinks were so gross! The waiters and waitresses were mean and nausty!! The bar was horrible!! And the food was nausty !
(1)Shane S.
Incredibly awful. Let me start with the greeter: when she finally noticed we were waiting at the door (5 minutes after we'd arrived) she told us there were no tables for 5 people, but we could squeeze into a 4 person table. We asked if we could push two together and she acted like I'd insulted her family. After a stern "no, I just told you you can squeeze into a 4 person top" we said ok sure. Then she led us past several empty large tables into a back room with a few other patrons. After we sat down, we waited 10 minutes for a server to recognize we were populating a table. We ordered 5 waters and our food and chips and salsa ($5 for chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant). 4 minutes later the server brought a pitcher of water with 5 small plastic cups too small even for beer pong (even children at other tables had large cups). The chips and salsa turned out to be pace picante and mission tortilla chips. In the proceeding 20 minutes in which we didn't get it food, our table was not visited for refills or to check on us. We finally flagged down our server that had been avoiding eye contact by saying miss 3 times loudly as she walked by. We ordered more water and more chips and salsa. 10 minutes later we received our food and water and chips and salsa. So, let's get to the food: The rice wasn't cooked. It was hard and cold. The beans were almost soft, but also cold and hard. The enchiladas and tamales would almost have been passable but they were covered in the awful rice and beans. The rellenos were at best OK because it was fried cheese in a mushy pepper. The only food that was eaten more than two bites was the Fiesta chicken salad. It had the least amount of input by the kitchen, with just chicken being added. And hey, the chicken seemed cooked. I cannot recommend avoiding this place enough. The rudeness and poor quality of food matched with the complete disregard for customer service earn this place an award for the worst place I've ever been.
(1)Andrew M.
From the moment we walked in, the two hostesses were sitting down, one on the guest bench inside the entryway, both playing on their phones. The one sitting on the guest bench saw us, got up and walked over to the host booth, and offered to seat us. We requested an open booth, near the entrance of the restaurant, where several other parties were already seated and eating. She seemed to think it was a bad idea and said that we could be seated and order drinks, but that ordering food might take awhile. We were on vacation, so we weren't in any hurry, so we took the booth anyway. One in our party ordered a strawberry daiquiri. It came with a salted rim, when it should have been sugar. Another one ordered a regular margarita and it came without a salted rim. Then when the food finally showed up, it was less than pleasing. The queso was cold, the ground beef was burned, the chile relleno was overbreaded and dry, amongst many other things. Bottom line...the hospitality was horribly unprofessional and the food would have been better at Taco Bell. Save your money and go there. It will taste better as well as give you much more food for the price they ask at this place. Never going back.
(1)Tina J.
NOT the kind of place I usually frequent, bartender(ess) was nice, but was afraid to eat here...heard some awful things from locals afterwards.
(1)Chris W.
Where do I begin, not only with the overpriced margaritas terrible but every aspect of my meal was at best mediocre. The guacamole was bland, my rice was undercooked, my chimichanga was ok. But I saved the best part for last, the meal actually made me ill!!! I spent all of last night with stomach pains and diarrhea! do not waste your time and money at this restaurant.
(1)Brett S.
Worst experience ever!!!!!! I swear to god, I will NEVER go back to this place, EVER!!!! We go to grand lake 2-3 times per year and have stopped into this joint for a beer after hours, but we have never stopped in for dinner. Worst decision ever... We were craving nachos...nachos!!! Nachos of all things! The easiest thing to do right and the hardest thing to screw up. Rest assured, they screwed it up!!!! Waiter didn't give two fat rats a$$'es and the bus boy said something about having problems in the kitchen. I am a habitual 25-30% tipper...I left $1. They deserve a 1 star review and in hindsight I should have left 0.01...a penny. What a crappy excuse of a restaurant!!!
(1)Ryan H.
Cool place, great bar, the food is not bad, large portion sizes, just no taste, could use a little flavor. My wife thinks 3 stars is generous, but I liked the view. Cool place, great bar, the food is not bad, large portion sizes, just no taste, could use a little flavor. My wife thinks 3 stars is generous, but I liked the view.
(3)Kate K.
Friday night, early May, season in Grand Lake starting to get busy. Eight of us ladies head out for a meal. Surprised by the trio - guitarist, drummer and keyboard playing some pretty good blues. Even more surprised upon finding out this was the first night they jammed together. Five out of eight ordered chimichangas and most were pleased. The poor waitress had to deal with the nut allergy person and the gluten free person but she held it together. My tamale was ok and the guac was very good. Found the service top notch - at least one of two waitresses were circling our table filling our water and drink glasses regularly. The place was about half full but that will all change in a few weeks. The view facing the window is a beaut. I'd go back.
(4)Matt S.
The food was ok, mine came out lukewarm. The handmade jalapeno poppers were excellent! We visited for lunch on a Friday afternoon. The service really was slow, we couldn't get our water picture refilled the entire time we were there. So all in all the place was just ok, but the view is spectacular.
(3)Kelli D.
I only left 1 star because I couldn't continue without it. I've been coming to Grand Lake every summer for 27 years and have always loved Poncho and Lefty's. Today, we walked in and stood there for about 10 minutes until a hostess finally came. Safe then told us she had no tables and just stared at us. We asked how long the wait would be and looked very confused, then said it would be 10-50 minutes. She treated the people behind us the same. Obviously business is so good that they don't need anymore!
(1)Robert S.
My family is in town for holiday, and this place was recommended to us by a local. HUGE MISTAKE. Have never been treated so poorly by hostess ever, asked how long the wait would be and was told "I don't know, I don't know how fast these people chew and how long it takes to cook the food."
(1)Daniel G.
Worst restaurant experience I have ever had. The food is completely over priced and tastes like a half cooked TV dinner, the beer was flat, and it has the worst staff I've ever came across in my life. They act like it is a major inconvenience for you to be there and rarely come back through to check for refills etc. Not to mention the 18% tip is added on automatically for a party of 5+ for the ridiculous service. Definitely would not recommend.
(1)Liz W.
This place is ok... Atmosphere and crowd has a bit to be wanting. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because their green chili stew is amazing! Now granted we had the last 3 bowls so it was the bottom of the pot and super spicy so maybe not always this good... But I would go back once more to see if it was a fluke or regular deliciousness. Everything else that our party of 6 ordered was just meh...
(2)L Z.
Not sure what to say... It's in a great location, but I will not return. We just walked in to the most somber place in Grand Lake. Not one person was smiling, the hostess looked like I murdered someone when I asked to be seated and the service, well, there was none. We finally sat down and numerous waitstaff walked right past us without asking us for an order. One waitress even came by and took a tray off the table without a word. I finally went to the bar to grab a couple beers before the Belmont started (that's why we stopped in) and it seemed to be a total inconvenience. It's too bad that a place with such a great location would not want to be more hospitable. Thank goodness for my good company... And after reading the other reviews, I'm glad I didn't order the food! I'd be double disappointed!
(2)Nic J.
I don't know if it is under new management or ownership but this place is the worst Mexican food I've ever had. I come up every year and in the past Ponchos has had excellent food and drinks. I went in last night and was severely disappointed. The food was tiny, bland, dry, and almost brought me to throw up. My wife ordered sopapillas and after one bite, pushed them away. I will never, ever go back. I was sick all night as was my wife, and it was 50 bux. I feel robbed and longing for the old restaurant I loved so much.
(1)Matt L.
Server was excellent and even rushed our food (having been snowmobiling all day without food). Serving sizes were absolutely gigantic and simple, definitely got our moneys worth of food.
(5)Chris J.
Horrible Food, incredibly rude service. Why is this place still open? The biggest laugh is the $5.00 charge for what has to be the worst chips and salsa maybe ever. Stay away
(1)Devin H.
Decent pitchers of margaritas. Fries were not great. Guacamole and salsa was good and came with a huge basket of chips.
(3)Donna S.
We went their for drinks and appetizers on July 4. We loved the atmosphere and awesome view of the lake. Loved the food and will definitely come back!
(5)Beth K.
Steer clear of this place! BBQ wings were nothing more than a bag of frozen chicken dunked in BBQ sauce. Beer was warm, staff not friendly at all. Worst of all, while eating out on the patio, some kind of garbage truck backed up and started pumping something disgusting right next to us. Was kicking up dirt all over the food/drinks. Not recommended at all.
(1)A J.
Worst Mexican food in Colorado! I think Casa Bonita has better food. My Chile Relleno was chewy and looked like it was reheated, even though it took them over an hour to bring our food to the table. One person in our party even got sick after eating their food. If you want a place to eat in Grand Lake, do yourself a favor and go to Sagebrush. I forgot to add, they had dawn dish soap for washing hands in the restroom!
(1)Jon T.
Ugh, how can you screw up mexican food? Well, I think they perfected it. It had a great ambiance with a band on a Saturday night. We ordered queso and I think they either had it left over from another order or a big tub of it in the back. The server literally took the order, walked into the kitchen and seemed like without stopping brought the queso. It was ok, but obviously not made to order. My chicken burrito smelled fishy and my brothers meal also smelled weird. I still cringe at the thought of eating there. Will not go back. I told the server it was not good and she offered me a 20% discount - HAHA! Really. The ground beef taco I ordered to fill up was not too bad.
(1)Your Mama G.
Place sucks! Everyone told us this was THE place in Grand Lake...ugh. NO nachos, No jalapeños, no tequila in the Maga Rita (or so it tasted). Very disappointed.
(1)D P.
Deplorable! I've eaten here several times over the past 11 years and yesterday confirmed that the quality of food has been in decline since my first visit. Ordered the Bean Burrito, might as well saved myself the time and money and gone to Taco Hell. The burrito came with the overly gelatinous Pork Green Chili smothered over the top. The joke of the menu is the $5 chips and salsa that are served in a very standard portion and seem to come straight from the Sysco truck to your plate. Please, for the love of mankind and good food, don't spend your money here. All you're doing is justifying mediocrity and laziness in food preparation and quality'
(1)Sarah B.
My husband and kids were walking on the boardwalk near Pancho and Lefty's. A woman with her kids was rushing up the boardwalk and loudly announced that they needed to move quickly because she was running late and they didn't want to end up like "those old fat people". My husband was mortified that someone would say that and worried our kids heard her and is positive the elderly couple she was talking about did. She and her children then came up behind my family and she said "We have to slow down because these people up here are on vacation and have the luxury of being slow. And also look at their size." Now most people, I would assume, know this is rude and should never be said, but apparently not this woman. My husband spun around and asked her what she just said. She then began explaining that she only meant she was not on vacation and was in a hurry to get to work. At Pancho and Lefty's. It is of very little importance, except I feel as though I need to stand up for my family, my boys are all of average weight and height. I am glad I was not there as I am pretty sure I would have lost it. Needless to say, we will never be eating there and will be telling all who will listen to not eat there either. Horrible staff.
(1)yelper s.
We walked in wanting to have lunch with a view. We did get water and menus. Then the waitress walked past us maybe 7 times without ever acknowledging us. Then some guys came and started smoking at the next table (smoking is illegal on restaurant patios or within 15 feet of the door in Colorado) with their smoke blowing in our faces. We allowed the waitress one more pass by us (other staff were passing us by too) before we got up and left. It was late-ish but there weren't many customers and plenty of staff -- we should have had lunch with Lauren from the other review that day! Also it just smells like FRIED in there. Not food. Just fried. Pass.
(1)Bill M.
I really do not like bashing anyplace but two times I've been here in grand Lake and both times very poor Service. I am a very tall man in stature and it was if I was not even there at the bar in front of the bartenders . They asked the people to the left, the people to the right and never addressed the middle. Not good. Sad
(2)Jeff S.
I'll never step foot in this place again. My wife ordered chicken tacos for lunch. We started with chips and queso dip. The cheese looked like it had been heated and reheated many time. It was thick and gloppy. Tasted old and stale. She got chicken that was full of fat and gristle. The chicken was to be marinated in something. Not sure of it ever was as it had no flavor at all. To top that off I ordered the fish tacos. Well, that's what I got, a tortilla and a frozen fish patty. That was it. Nothing else on it. No slaw, lettuce, salsa, nothing. I was told I can go to the salsa bar and add what I wanted. The bar was almost empty of what ever was in it. None of the squeeze bottles were labled what was in it. The bar was horrible. I ordered a second beer and the waitress tol me I had to wait. WHAT!!!! Needless to say we won't be back ever.
(1)Aaron S.
The staff in inept and the food and drinks are not very good. The staff is slow and has an excuse for everything!
(2)Kaley H.
Pancho and Lefty's has always been my first stop when I visit Grand Lake. Their chili cheese fries are the best, and the chimichangas are crispy on the outside, moist and delicious on the inside, everything a chimichanga should be. Oh and the owner Bob "Lefty" is awesome.
(5)Brenda F.
Great music tonight. Well done!!!
(5)Shirley N.
Overpriced crap delivered by rude staff. Skip this place. Pick up something from the local grocery and eat it near the lake if it is the view you want.
(1)Honest L.
Over priced and overrated. The food always gives me massive shits about an hour later. But some of the waitresses are hot, so I guess I'd go back for just drinks.
(2)Roxanne S.
No stars. In a great town, it can really ruin your day. God awful food (the ranchero sauce is especially offensive). Most notably, atrocious service. They are poorly trained, incredibly understaffed and just couldn't care less about the integrity of their establishment. Being in the industry, I have patience for many things, but the bitterness about the prices and overall experience was just overwhelming. Do not bother with this terrible place.
(1)J D.
I'm a regular. Service quick. Had fiesta salad. Shell crisp, lettuce large chunks, would like them smaller, chicken rubbery not grilled like it used to. Wonder what's going on.
(2)Laura J.
We walked in for lunch thinking the lake view patio would be great! The hostess was so rude and the majority of the waitstaff so unpleasant we left after a round of drinks waiting for our table at the bar. I'll never know how the food was, but I can tell you the place smelled like old grease and the staff did nothing to make you feel welcome. Luckily for them they have the lakeview, otherwise I'm not sure they'd have any business.
(1)Mat E.
This place could be awesome, with a great bar, a nice performance space for live music, and a fantastic view of the lake. But it isn't. It is miles and miles from awesome. The food is terrible. Not bad - terrible. The person in the kitchen making the food (I will not use the honorifics "Chef" or "Cook," as they are not deserved) should be charged with torture. I have never encountered such mysterious "meat" before, and that includes in late-night street tacos in Mexico. The food at Casa Bonita in Denver is better. Think about that for a moment. I was so appalled by the food that I really couldn't contain myself and the owner must have heard me. She hurried us out of there, but only after making sure we paid our bill. I felt bad for the only other occupied table in there, since I knew what they were in for. I sincerely hope they are ok.
(1)Ken L.
Not bad... Had the chili relleno and they were good but not awesome...
(3)kelly l.
Okay... upon my arrival to Grand Lake almost 4 years ago, I visited this restaurant. I walked in and noticed that they were advertising Chinese and Mexican food. Chinese and Mexican food in Grand Lake? At the same place? That was my first clue that this place was going to suck. Next, the wait staff was horrible, and the food we did order was cold, tasteless, and downright disgusting. I have been there since that time but I have never eaten. My experiences since then have been just as bad as a first except now they have mostly eastern europeans running the kitchen and making up the wait staff... The food has gotten exponentially worse as had the service. The bartending staff is made up of a bunch of hateful women who think they are cougars. Although bar management has changed, I haven't been there to see if it is better... It is really too bad about this place as its location is primo... and it could be really awesome...
(1)Rana T.
Pork green chili was just so so, but the tostadas were great! Very crispy and delicious!
(3)Jack D.
The only positive thing I can say about this place: STAY AWAY! Hard to say which is worse: food, Marguerites, or service.
(1)Carla S.
I'm so glad we don't pay attention most of the times to others reviews! We enjoyed the food, service was great and so were drinks...
(5)t d.
This was OK for being in a small and rustic town. We had a large group and they were able to seat us quickly. Our server was very nice. The location was good, on the water with the parking lot in the back. The food was adequate.
(3)Diana V.
This was ok for a vacation town. We had the nachos compuestos which was HUGE. Our server was awesome and attentive and made us feel welcome.
(2)Tiffani M.
One of the worst restaurants I have ever eaten at. Eww! food is so gross and so overpriced. And holy crap do these waitresses hate their job. They were so rude. I will Never eat at this dump again.
(1)Lisa M.
Do I HAVE to give this place a star? This place is horrible! We unfortunately found ourselves here on Sunday for breakfast. I don't know what was worse, the food, the service or the comical prices. Our waitress had just rolled out of bed and threw on her flip flops for us to inconvenience her. The dishes were filthy. Even the iced tea tasted bad. There was nothing on our plates that did not come out of a can or box, disgusting!! And our bill for 4 people, 80 bucks!! (No cocktails involved!) The waitress was so rude, slow & inconvenienced that we did not leave a tip; we did accidentally leave a couple quarters that fell out of my boyfriends pocket, so the rude waitress decided to wait by our car so she could chuck them @ my boyfriend. She should've been arrested, but I'd settle for fired! Do NOT eat here people!
(1)Ashley B.
This placed used to be very good, and now it's just ok. They've gotten full of themselves because they moved and now have a much better location, so they seemed to think that if you have a view you don''t need to eat well. Or at least it feels that way. I have no problem with the food, but I do have a problem with the price. I think plates average $10-$15 which is a lot for tex-mex. If you want mexican though, this is about your only option, and if you're a tourist, the view will do you good.
(3)i n.
The deck view on to the lake is worth 3 stars and the food gets 1 star. What do you expect, the food will be mediocre (like all tourist town restaurants) but at least this place has a great view. So plan on ordering something cheep like the burger $7.75 and just appreciate the surroundings.
(4)Vanya L.
I give this place one star for two reasons: location and service. I give zero stars for food. I was lucky enough to spend three weeks in Grand Lake over the summer. I came here once and got one relleno and one fish taco. The fish in the fish taco was... a frozen fish stick. The relleno was so over cooked that when I tried to cut through the rock hard shell, a piece went flying to the floor. Somehow, I ended up here with friends again for the purpose of having margaritas on the patio overlooking the lovely lake. We ordered some chips and salsa and queso. The chips were totally stale. The salsa had NO flavor (it was like canned Del Monte tomatoes with green chiles? No, that would be better that this). The queso was a pile of cheese goop from a can and wasn't even warm. I mean- how can you mess it up this bad? Add over-priced and you have this place. The margarita was weak but saturated with cloying bottled sweet and sour syrup. There is another Mexican restaurant in town that is only slightly less terrible. Skip Mexican fare in this mountain bliss. Not even the beautiful view could rectify this food.
(1)Steve W.
Tell me how you get a dime sized piece of china inside an enchilada and I'll give them another try. They gave us both meals for free which we were half done with at the time. I used to work in restaurants and the only thing I guess is that the kitchen was not managed well. Our waitress was actually nice and on time with service.
(1)Natalie M.
The deck overlooking the lake is awesome for sure, but the service and the way my friends and I were treated on the 4th was not so awesome. We definitely were not going to eat, so I cannot even comment on the food, and the drinks were very standard. We wanted to just grab a few drinks and maybe even watch the fireworks, but apparently it was going to cost us $10 to even sit on the patio...WTF! The best part about the whole thing is that they didn't even tell us until we had already spent over $100 and it was 20 min before the fireworks started. I did feel a bit bad for our server since she was just trying to collect what her boss was asking, but even when we went to speak with the owner, he was very rude and unwilling to let us stay without collecting the "unadvertised cover". Next time get a freaking sign so that your customers don't get blindsided!!! To top it all off....some crazy lady who claimed she knew the owners tried to get into a knock out drag out fights with a member of our group because she unintentionally walked on the outside of the property fence....drama, drama...gotta love the drunks. Never will you see me back at this hostile and unaccommodating restaurant again....peace out.
(1)Jeremy D.
I had high hopes for Pancho and Lefty's. I ordered the shrimp fajitas (for $17.50!!) based on the retired couple next to me eating the same. I should have known... Yikes! the shrimp were completely devoid of any perceptable flavor. This was the most disappointing shrimp fajita plate I've ever had. Luckily, they served plenty of cheese and guacamole to mask the fact that the shrimp are flavorless. The shrimp were not worth $5, much less $17.50. The service was just as bad. We waited for more than 45 minutes to receive our food. There are not even any chips and salsa served to tide you over. At least the iced tea was served in a big glass to keep me cooled off as I became hypoglycemic.
(1)Harriett H.
Ok- I really hate to do this. We have owned a cabin near Grand Lake for about 14 years so we have been to Pancho and Lefty's a lot over the years. It used to be the only Mexican food place in town and even though now there is another one, I would only give the other 1 star after several attempts to like it. We used to love Pancho and Lefty's and would split the large combination plate. Then somehow the food started to not taste as good to us. I do have to say that we love to sit outside in the summer and just take in the ambiance. In the last week, we really enjoyed talking to the other people out there and the small Grand Lake drama of a bear in a nearby tree. The dogs were allowed to roam around out there and being dog lovers, we enjoyed that very much. We tried the tamales for the first time and actually liked them. They weren't the best I've had, but pretty good. One thing I don't like about this place is that they charge for chips and salsa, which always annoys me. And the second time we went this week, my husband was served a bandaid in his draft beer. Our waiter was very sweet and seemed shocked. However, you would think that they might have comped at least the beer, but I don't think they are that interested in customer service. Oh well- we'll be back again and I think that's what the owner here is counting on and just sliding by in the meantime.
(2)Robert S.
My family is in town for holiday, and this place was recommended to us by a local. HUGE MISTAKE. Have never been treated so poorly by hostess ever, asked how long the wait would be and was told "I don't know, I don't know how fast these people chew and how long it takes to cook the food."
(1)Shane S.
Incredibly awful. Let me start with the greeter: when she finally noticed we were waiting at the door (5 minutes after we'd arrived) she told us there were no tables for 5 people, but we could squeeze into a 4 person table. We asked if we could push two together and she acted like I'd insulted her family. After a stern "no, I just told you you can squeeze into a 4 person top" we said ok sure. Then she led us past several empty large tables into a back room with a few other patrons. After we sat down, we waited 10 minutes for a server to recognize we were populating a table. We ordered 5 waters and our food and chips and salsa ($5 for chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant). 4 minutes later the server brought a pitcher of water with 5 small plastic cups too small even for beer pong (even children at other tables had large cups). The chips and salsa turned out to be pace picante and mission tortilla chips. In the proceeding 20 minutes in which we didn't get it food, our table was not visited for refills or to check on us. We finally flagged down our server that had been avoiding eye contact by saying miss 3 times loudly as she walked by. We ordered more water and more chips and salsa. 10 minutes later we received our food and water and chips and salsa. So, let's get to the food: The rice wasn't cooked. It was hard and cold. The beans were almost soft, but also cold and hard. The enchiladas and tamales would almost have been passable but they were covered in the awful rice and beans. The rellenos were at best OK because it was fried cheese in a mushy pepper. The only food that was eaten more than two bites was the Fiesta chicken salad. It had the least amount of input by the kitchen, with just chicken being added. And hey, the chicken seemed cooked. I cannot recommend avoiding this place enough. The rudeness and poor quality of food matched with the complete disregard for customer service earn this place an award for the worst place I've ever been.
(1)Kathryn G.
So rude and disrespectful!! The drinks were so gross! The waiters and waitresses were mean and nausty!! The bar was horrible!! And the food was nausty !
(1)Tina J.
NOT the kind of place I usually frequent, bartender(ess) was nice, but was afraid to eat here...heard some awful things from locals afterwards.
(1)Andrew M.
From the moment we walked in, the two hostesses were sitting down, one on the guest bench inside the entryway, both playing on their phones. The one sitting on the guest bench saw us, got up and walked over to the host booth, and offered to seat us. We requested an open booth, near the entrance of the restaurant, where several other parties were already seated and eating. She seemed to think it was a bad idea and said that we could be seated and order drinks, but that ordering food might take awhile. We were on vacation, so we weren't in any hurry, so we took the booth anyway. One in our party ordered a strawberry daiquiri. It came with a salted rim, when it should have been sugar. Another one ordered a regular margarita and it came without a salted rim. Then when the food finally showed up, it was less than pleasing. The queso was cold, the ground beef was burned, the chile relleno was overbreaded and dry, amongst many other things. Bottom line...the hospitality was horribly unprofessional and the food would have been better at Taco Bell. Save your money and go there. It will taste better as well as give you much more food for the price they ask at this place. Never going back.
(1)Kate K.
Friday night, early May, season in Grand Lake starting to get busy. Eight of us ladies head out for a meal. Surprised by the trio - guitarist, drummer and keyboard playing some pretty good blues. Even more surprised upon finding out this was the first night they jammed together. Five out of eight ordered chimichangas and most were pleased. The poor waitress had to deal with the nut allergy person and the gluten free person but she held it together. My tamale was ok and the guac was very good. Found the service top notch - at least one of two waitresses were circling our table filling our water and drink glasses regularly. The place was about half full but that will all change in a few weeks. The view facing the window is a beaut. I'd go back.
(4)Ryan H.
Cool place, great bar, the food is not bad, large portion sizes, just no taste, could use a little flavor. My wife thinks 3 stars is generous, but I liked the view. Cool place, great bar, the food is not bad, large portion sizes, just no taste, could use a little flavor. My wife thinks 3 stars is generous, but I liked the view.
(3)Chris W.
Where do I begin, not only with the overpriced margaritas terrible but every aspect of my meal was at best mediocre. The guacamole was bland, my rice was undercooked, my chimichanga was ok. But I saved the best part for last, the meal actually made me ill!!! I spent all of last night with stomach pains and diarrhea! do not waste your time and money at this restaurant.
(1)Brett S.
Worst experience ever!!!!!! I swear to god, I will NEVER go back to this place, EVER!!!! We go to grand lake 2-3 times per year and have stopped into this joint for a beer after hours, but we have never stopped in for dinner. Worst decision ever... We were craving nachos...nachos!!! Nachos of all things! The easiest thing to do right and the hardest thing to screw up. Rest assured, they screwed it up!!!! Waiter didn't give two fat rats a$$'es and the bus boy said something about having problems in the kitchen. I am a habitual 25-30% tipper...I left $1. They deserve a 1 star review and in hindsight I should have left 0.01...a penny. What a crappy excuse of a restaurant!!!
(1)Matt S.
The food was ok, mine came out lukewarm. The handmade jalapeno poppers were excellent! We visited for lunch on a Friday afternoon. The service really was slow, we couldn't get our water picture refilled the entire time we were there. So all in all the place was just ok, but the view is spectacular.
(3)Kelli D.
I only left 1 star because I couldn't continue without it. I've been coming to Grand Lake every summer for 27 years and have always loved Poncho and Lefty's. Today, we walked in and stood there for about 10 minutes until a hostess finally came. Safe then told us she had no tables and just stared at us. We asked how long the wait would be and looked very confused, then said it would be 10-50 minutes. She treated the people behind us the same. Obviously business is so good that they don't need anymore!
(1)Jon T.
Ugh, how can you screw up mexican food? Well, I think they perfected it. It had a great ambiance with a band on a Saturday night. We ordered queso and I think they either had it left over from another order or a big tub of it in the back. The server literally took the order, walked into the kitchen and seemed like without stopping brought the queso. It was ok, but obviously not made to order. My chicken burrito smelled fishy and my brothers meal also smelled weird. I still cringe at the thought of eating there. Will not go back. I told the server it was not good and she offered me a 20% discount - HAHA! Really. The ground beef taco I ordered to fill up was not too bad.
(1)Your Mama G.
Place sucks! Everyone told us this was THE place in Grand Lake...ugh. NO nachos, No jalapeños, no tequila in the Maga Rita (or so it tasted). Very disappointed.
(1)D P.
Deplorable! I've eaten here several times over the past 11 years and yesterday confirmed that the quality of food has been in decline since my first visit. Ordered the Bean Burrito, might as well saved myself the time and money and gone to Taco Hell. The burrito came with the overly gelatinous Pork Green Chili smothered over the top. The joke of the menu is the $5 chips and salsa that are served in a very standard portion and seem to come straight from the Sysco truck to your plate. Please, for the love of mankind and good food, don't spend your money here. All you're doing is justifying mediocrity and laziness in food preparation and quality'
(1)Kaley H.
Pancho and Lefty's has always been my first stop when I visit Grand Lake. Their chili cheese fries are the best, and the chimichangas are crispy on the outside, moist and delicious on the inside, everything a chimichanga should be. Oh and the owner Bob "Lefty" is awesome.
(5)Brenda F.
Great music tonight. Well done!!!
(5)Shirley N.
Overpriced crap delivered by rude staff. Skip this place. Pick up something from the local grocery and eat it near the lake if it is the view you want.
(1)Vanya L.
I give this place one star for two reasons: location and service. I give zero stars for food. I was lucky enough to spend three weeks in Grand Lake over the summer. I came here once and got one relleno and one fish taco. The fish in the fish taco was... a frozen fish stick. The relleno was so over cooked that when I tried to cut through the rock hard shell, a piece went flying to the floor. Somehow, I ended up here with friends again for the purpose of having margaritas on the patio overlooking the lovely lake. We ordered some chips and salsa and queso. The chips were totally stale. The salsa had NO flavor (it was like canned Del Monte tomatoes with green chiles? No, that would be better that this). The queso was a pile of cheese goop from a can and wasn't even warm. I mean- how can you mess it up this bad? Add over-priced and you have this place. The margarita was weak but saturated with cloying bottled sweet and sour syrup. There is another Mexican restaurant in town that is only slightly less terrible. Skip Mexican fare in this mountain bliss. Not even the beautiful view could rectify this food.
(1)Natalie M.
The deck overlooking the lake is awesome for sure, but the service and the way my friends and I were treated on the 4th was not so awesome. We definitely were not going to eat, so I cannot even comment on the food, and the drinks were very standard. We wanted to just grab a few drinks and maybe even watch the fireworks, but apparently it was going to cost us $10 to even sit on the patio...WTF! The best part about the whole thing is that they didn't even tell us until we had already spent over $100 and it was 20 min before the fireworks started. I did feel a bit bad for our server since she was just trying to collect what her boss was asking, but even when we went to speak with the owner, he was very rude and unwilling to let us stay without collecting the "unadvertised cover". Next time get a freaking sign so that your customers don't get blindsided!!! To top it all off....some crazy lady who claimed she knew the owners tried to get into a knock out drag out fights with a member of our group because she unintentionally walked on the outside of the property fence....drama, drama...gotta love the drunks. Never will you see me back at this hostile and unaccommodating restaurant again....peace out.
(1)Steve W.
Tell me how you get a dime sized piece of china inside an enchilada and I'll give them another try. They gave us both meals for free which we were half done with at the time. I used to work in restaurants and the only thing I guess is that the kitchen was not managed well. Our waitress was actually nice and on time with service.
(1)Jeremy D.
I had high hopes for Pancho and Lefty's. I ordered the shrimp fajitas (for $17.50!!) based on the retired couple next to me eating the same. I should have known... Yikes! the shrimp were completely devoid of any perceptable flavor. This was the most disappointing shrimp fajita plate I've ever had. Luckily, they served plenty of cheese and guacamole to mask the fact that the shrimp are flavorless. The shrimp were not worth $5, much less $17.50. The service was just as bad. We waited for more than 45 minutes to receive our food. There are not even any chips and salsa served to tide you over. At least the iced tea was served in a big glass to keep me cooled off as I became hypoglycemic.
(1)Patrick T.
2.5 would be accurate. Ok, not great, not horrible. Standard American Mexican food, good atmosphere. Dining options are limited in Grand Lake, this is a decent (only) Mexican option. We had an enchilada plate and a burrito. Nothing spectacular, but not bad. The salsa bar is a refreshing option with many offerings. Charging for chips and salsa at a run-of-the-mill spot is tacky. Don't the owners know free chips and salsa keep the customers drinking the high margin stuff? Service was ok. For advertising live music we were disappointed they were finished by 8 PM when we arrived. Drinks are overpriced. 15 for a semi-top shelf marg is atrocious.
(3)Steve P.
I wanted to try Grand Pizza across the street during an all-day motorcycle ride, but they were closed, so I tried this instead. It was highly disappointing. Service was OK, and relatively quick, but the two chicken enchiladas I tried were really, really bad, and way too expensive. It was nothing more than two small pieces of chicken swimming in a huge plate of melted cheese, a small amount of enchilada sauce, a little bit of rice, and a small serving of severly undercooked (i.e., crunchy) black beans. This meal, with a plain iced tea, was more than $17.00 I don't think it was worth more than a couple dollars, and even at that price I wold not eat here again. I might as well had just bought a block of cheap cheddar cheese at the grocery store and chewed on that while I rode... :( Quite possibly the worst Mexican food I've had in Colorado. Counting Taco Bell.
(1)James G.
Overpriced microwave heated canned Mexican food. Yum You get your first bowl of supermarket chips and salsa free. 2nd will cost u
(1)Kirk K.
Went to get lunch here after a 12 mile hike and even then the food was mediocre. Hard to put a finger on the theme of this place; Mexican food, live American music, lake atmosphere, completely non-authentic wait staff and a wilderness decor. Would advise trying other restaurants on Grand Ave The only plus from my experience is that they provide each table with a pitcher of ice water which was great after a long hike in the national park
(2)Aaron F.
Came here to enjoy a couple of margaritas and was disappointed when we received a pitcher of yellow-ish liquid that in no way whatsoever resembled a margarita. I'm no bartender, but this was by far the worst combination of liquids I've ever attempted to consume. If you happen to be thirsty -and desperate- we're cutting our losses and leaving the rest of our pitcher behind. It's all yours! Oh, and the guacamole and salsa sucked too. It's like Casa Bonita, but in the mountains. Without divers.
(1)Lauren J.
This place was terrible. Of course we went because they do have a great view on the patio. The bartender was in no hurry and seemed put out to have to do her job. Several times she said " I'm workin on it." When we were seated we were given water and then forgotten about. There were PLENTY of waitstaff and yet all seemed just too busy. We left without ordering anything. Went to the sagebrush where we were properly cared for and got to people watch.
(1)Jennifer M.
The jalapeno poppers were good - they wrap them in eggroll wrappers! The hostess was nice and didn't seem to detest our existence. Everything else was a lot of nope. I'm fairly convinced the only reason this place gets any business is a combination of the lakefront views and the lack of cell service in Grand Lake. First of all, they charge $5 for chips and salsa. I've never been to a restaurant that charges $5 for chips and salsa. Our waitress graciously offered us salsa refills, but I could tell she wanted us to go die in a hole somewhere. She was mostly crabby and annoyed the entire time we dealt with her, which I will maybe chalk up to dealing with creepy drunk customers and being one of three waitresses on the floor. There was also another waitress screeching at the manager for moving her drinks or some other offense about 5ft away from our table. Ahhh, quaint mountain town ambiance, amiright? All in all, this is where you wind up when your cell phone shows nothing but dinosaurs and you're too tired to care about leaving. You're stuck, might as well order some jalapeno poppers.
(1)Sam S.
I would recommend not going here if you have any idea what good Mexican food should be like. There are other places in GL that I would go to - just look them up on Yelp.
(1)Jasen B.
Quite ordinary Mexican food. But maybe it caters to the tourist crowd. Nice location though and a good live music venue
(2)William S.
Horrible service. The server seemed liked he was on meth while at work. Flies were everywhere in the restaurant and biting all the customers. Please do yourself a favor and eat anywhere else
(1)Jen N.
Terrible service..rude wait staff...our server passed us twice and told us our order of drinks and apps was almost ready then 45 minutes later, we were told somehow they "never got our order" the drinks were average, apps awful at best, 2 hours later we waiting on one beer, decided to leave....they charge 18% gratuity on your bill for awful service...and I actually heard our server tell a customer at a neighboring table " if you want nice, go somewhere else" rude...we come to Grand Lake every year to celebrate family, we will never return to this vile place...I was appalled by all the waitstaff behavior
(1)Jeff S.
not sure i can think of a positive thing to say.. stopped by to sit on the patio (we had our dog with us) and grab a margarita and some nachos - Nachos were decent - chips and pico de gallo were $7.95!! whaaa? regular chips and salsa were $7.25 (not homemade chips from what i could tell) When was the last time you went to a Mexican restaurant and were charged for chips and salsa? We were seated at a nice table looking out on the lake..next to a large bucket of sand and full of water with floating cigarette butts... nice atmosphere. Service was weak at best.. they just did not seem to care.. Our Margaritas were the worst i have every had anywhere.. when my wife asked for some else because it was so watery... the bartender just looked at her with frown on his face.. no apology..... nothing.. just a dirty look Waitress was the same.. Will not be back - i guess they assume that with a view... they don't need to care.. I am surprised they are still in business.... Plenty of other great places in Grand Lake - don't waste your money here..
(1)Michael M.
After my meal at Pancho & Lefty's, I had to step outside and have a smoke - I can't remember the last time I was screwed like that. I'd just come back from a 7 mile hike, I was hungry, not picky. Chose this place cause the sign said it had a view. We had to ask the hostess to seat us near the view, but no big. Then our server came over, gave us a smile, asked us if we wanted something other than water. I said no and jumped right to appetizers, and when I asked her if the $5 chips and salsa was 'bottomless,' she got snippy. In fact, she stayed snippy and rude the whole time we were there. I felt really uncomfortable, like just being there was a huge burden on her. So. Effing. Weird. All that, I might still give the place 2 stars, except that the bathroom doors don't close. They just hang open into the bathrooms from the hallway, at least the men's room did. On top of that, there are a bunch of tacky mirrored beer signs in there that reflect the image of you out into the hallway. Too much weird, just avoid this place.
(1)Karen M.
Blech, blech and double-blech. They have great green chile but everything else was canned, bland and packaged. Seems like a fun place to hang out at, though, and they have a mice, big patio to sit on when it's not raining. Good for beers and watching a game - skip it for food, though.
(3)Katy S.
This review is for the back patio and drinks only as we did not have a meal here. We were looking for a spot on Grand Lake to enjoy a beverage when we saw the sign on the front of Pancho & Lefty's advertising a back patio. We quickly obliged. We were happy to be seated with a very nice view of the lake. The waitress was very prompt and our drinks were out quickly and refilled quickly. The drink prices were relatively good. Other than the view, the atmosphere was just like any other regular Mexican restaurant. Some of our group ordered jalapeno poppers and chips and queso - both were pretty tasty. The jalapeno poppers were interesting as they were wrapped in crescent rolls, but we enjoyed the jelly mixed with the spice. The queso was a bit watery, but the cheesy flavor was good. We weren't blown away by this place, but certainly experienced the cold beverages with a view!
(3)Brian M.
Their food is bland and boring, bordering on real bad. I've eaten many chile relleno's in my 65 yrs and never seen it deep fried in a tortilla. To make it worse they filled it wit mushy pork and where did the cheese go. The beef taco was mushy, just horrible. Refried beans were disgusting. They tasted like those cheap canned type. When I got my check they charged me $5 for chips and salsa and they weren't good. I did complain that I wasn't told they charged for chips and salsa and they took it off the bill. That was the best part if my meal. High prices for really bad food isn't a winning combo. I won't go back.
(1)Kevin W.
Service is iffy, short staffed and slow for drinks and food...but thier mexican food is actually pretty darn good for tiny town! Great tacos and taco/salad bar. Beautiful view of lake just short walk away.
(3)Rick H.
It's a View with a Room! If you're lucky enough to be sitting on the patio during one of those gorgeous sun soaked summer evenings, where the sky borrows all the colors in the rainbow and paints a sunset over the mountains and reflects it back into the lake, then that should be reason enough to visit Pancho & Lefty's. But wait, the service is brilliant! Sure, Grand Lake is a sleepy little mountain town, where workers are so transient, they start their breakfast shift at one restaurant and end their night shift down the road. The folks here are friendly and from all walks of life. Depending on which month it may be Poland, Italy or Commerce City. The food, well hey, It's Mexican in Grand Lake...Did I mention the view?
(4)Robin B.
Pancho stayed and Lefty left. This place has to be what Mexican food lovers have nightmares about. I ordered the Mexican Hamburger and had really tough time communicating with our server that I did not want the tortilla. One word sums up my entire experience... blah, ok maybe two, bleck. On the upside, there is a great view out the back window and the chips and salsa will tide you over until you can get somewhere else to satisfy your Mexican craving.
(2)Rock S.
Pancho and Leftys I need to be careful with my observations, there are not many places in this small town to eat at, and this place is one of the palatable places that makes the attempt to stay open in the definitely-not-lucrative off season, and barely busy winter. I come here every year because they do have a vegetarian selection. The $5 salsa and chips was good, NOT OVERLY SALTY...so I was happy. Salsa was served in a small soup bowl, and refilled....so much more convenient than the little 2-4 ounce serving dishes...though refill was ordered from kitchen, so inefficient, longer wait. The lemonade was recognizable as the "contains 0% lemon" type (but not so bad tasting...I had a second one)...I will worry about the chemical/health ramifications later. The "made in our kitchen" poppers that they are so proud of had more flour dough than pepper and cream cheese combined...and that flour really soaks up the hot oil. I tasted one and let my wife have the rest. If more traditional, would have been great, and the raspberry sauce for it was GOOD. My wife loved the Draft local beer and her hot chicken wings...and she compares it to the New York ones. Great service, location and overall parking lets me overlook the minor disappointments. If this were in a city, 3 stars. But overall, this would get almost 4.5 from me if I could do half stars.
(4)Brian B.
Horrible restaurant, and even worse staff! The locals do not recommend going to this place, and based on my interaction with their staff, I can see why! While on vacation with my family, I had the misfortune of hearing a Pancho and Lefty's staff member telling people they are fat and overweight. And the worse part of it was her children were with her! When I confronted the lady about what she was saying, she quickly changed her tune....but then still found a way to insult me! She said that I was on vacation and didn't hear her correctly and that SHE had to work. SHE didn't have time for vacation. Wow. Just wow. Remember, her children, and unfortunately my children, were there to hear and witness this rude individual of Pancho and Lefty's. So, I end this review posing this question, why would anyone want to eat here?
(1)Torrey D.
I wish this place was still good. Been coming to grand lake my whole life and I'm not sure what happened to the restaurant holding the best location in town. My guess is there are enough one-timers coming through to keep them in business. Would highly recommend the tv show called Restaurant Impossible come fix this place.
(1)Greg H.
Been coming to Pancho's for years and the food has been consistently awful for years. So why do I come? For a brew with a view but definitely nothing more. It's people like me that probably keeps ownership from making any attempt at improving their food quality. Sorry about that!
(1)Daniel G.
Worst restaurant experience I have ever had. The food is completely over priced and tastes like a half cooked TV dinner, the beer was flat, and it has the worst staff I've ever came across in my life. They act like it is a major inconvenience for you to be there and rarely come back through to check for refills etc. Not to mention the 18% tip is added on automatically for a party of 5+ for the ridiculous service. Definitely would not recommend.
(1)Liz W.
This place is ok... Atmosphere and crowd has a bit to be wanting. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because their green chili stew is amazing! Now granted we had the last 3 bowls so it was the bottom of the pot and super spicy so maybe not always this good... But I would go back once more to see if it was a fluke or regular deliciousness. Everything else that our party of 6 ordered was just meh...
(2)L Z.
Not sure what to say... It's in a great location, but I will not return. We just walked in to the most somber place in Grand Lake. Not one person was smiling, the hostess looked like I murdered someone when I asked to be seated and the service, well, there was none. We finally sat down and numerous waitstaff walked right past us without asking us for an order. One waitress even came by and took a tray off the table without a word. I finally went to the bar to grab a couple beers before the Belmont started (that's why we stopped in) and it seemed to be a total inconvenience. It's too bad that a place with such a great location would not want to be more hospitable. Thank goodness for my good company... And after reading the other reviews, I'm glad I didn't order the food! I'd be double disappointed!
(2)Nic J.
I don't know if it is under new management or ownership but this place is the worst Mexican food I've ever had. I come up every year and in the past Ponchos has had excellent food and drinks. I went in last night and was severely disappointed. The food was tiny, bland, dry, and almost brought me to throw up. My wife ordered sopapillas and after one bite, pushed them away. I will never, ever go back. I was sick all night as was my wife, and it was 50 bux. I feel robbed and longing for the old restaurant I loved so much.
(1)Matt L.
Server was excellent and even rushed our food (having been snowmobiling all day without food). Serving sizes were absolutely gigantic and simple, definitely got our moneys worth of food.
(5)Chris J.
Horrible Food, incredibly rude service. Why is this place still open? The biggest laugh is the $5.00 charge for what has to be the worst chips and salsa maybe ever. Stay away
(1)Devin H.
Decent pitchers of margaritas. Fries were not great. Guacamole and salsa was good and came with a huge basket of chips.
(3)Donna S.
We went their for drinks and appetizers on July 4. We loved the atmosphere and awesome view of the lake. Loved the food and will definitely come back!
(5)Beth K.
Steer clear of this place! BBQ wings were nothing more than a bag of frozen chicken dunked in BBQ sauce. Beer was warm, staff not friendly at all. Worst of all, while eating out on the patio, some kind of garbage truck backed up and started pumping something disgusting right next to us. Was kicking up dirt all over the food/drinks. Not recommended at all.
(1)A J.
Worst Mexican food in Colorado! I think Casa Bonita has better food. My Chile Relleno was chewy and looked like it was reheated, even though it took them over an hour to bring our food to the table. One person in our party even got sick after eating their food. If you want a place to eat in Grand Lake, do yourself a favor and go to Sagebrush. I forgot to add, they had dawn dish soap for washing hands in the restroom!
(1)Sarah B.
My husband and kids were walking on the boardwalk near Pancho and Lefty's. A woman with her kids was rushing up the boardwalk and loudly announced that they needed to move quickly because she was running late and they didn't want to end up like "those old fat people". My husband was mortified that someone would say that and worried our kids heard her and is positive the elderly couple she was talking about did. She and her children then came up behind my family and she said "We have to slow down because these people up here are on vacation and have the luxury of being slow. And also look at their size." Now most people, I would assume, know this is rude and should never be said, but apparently not this woman. My husband spun around and asked her what she just said. She then began explaining that she only meant she was not on vacation and was in a hurry to get to work. At Pancho and Lefty's. It is of very little importance, except I feel as though I need to stand up for my family, my boys are all of average weight and height. I am glad I was not there as I am pretty sure I would have lost it. Needless to say, we will never be eating there and will be telling all who will listen to not eat there either. Horrible staff.
(1)yelper s.
We walked in wanting to have lunch with a view. We did get water and menus. Then the waitress walked past us maybe 7 times without ever acknowledging us. Then some guys came and started smoking at the next table (smoking is illegal on restaurant patios or within 15 feet of the door in Colorado) with their smoke blowing in our faces. We allowed the waitress one more pass by us (other staff were passing us by too) before we got up and left. It was late-ish but there weren't many customers and plenty of staff -- we should have had lunch with Lauren from the other review that day! Also it just smells like FRIED in there. Not food. Just fried. Pass.
(1)Bill M.
I really do not like bashing anyplace but two times I've been here in grand Lake and both times very poor Service. I am a very tall man in stature and it was if I was not even there at the bar in front of the bartenders . They asked the people to the left, the people to the right and never addressed the middle. Not good. Sad
(2)Jeff S.
I'll never step foot in this place again. My wife ordered chicken tacos for lunch. We started with chips and queso dip. The cheese looked like it had been heated and reheated many time. It was thick and gloppy. Tasted old and stale. She got chicken that was full of fat and gristle. The chicken was to be marinated in something. Not sure of it ever was as it had no flavor at all. To top that off I ordered the fish tacos. Well, that's what I got, a tortilla and a frozen fish patty. That was it. Nothing else on it. No slaw, lettuce, salsa, nothing. I was told I can go to the salsa bar and add what I wanted. The bar was almost empty of what ever was in it. None of the squeeze bottles were labled what was in it. The bar was horrible. I ordered a second beer and the waitress tol me I had to wait. WHAT!!!! Needless to say we won't be back ever.
(1)Aaron S.
The staff in inept and the food and drinks are not very good. The staff is slow and has an excuse for everything!
(2)Honest L.
Over priced and overrated. The food always gives me massive shits about an hour later. But some of the waitresses are hot, so I guess I'd go back for just drinks.
(2)Roxanne S.
No stars. In a great town, it can really ruin your day. God awful food (the ranchero sauce is especially offensive). Most notably, atrocious service. They are poorly trained, incredibly understaffed and just couldn't care less about the integrity of their establishment. Being in the industry, I have patience for many things, but the bitterness about the prices and overall experience was just overwhelming. Do not bother with this terrible place.
(1)J D.
I'm a regular. Service quick. Had fiesta salad. Shell crisp, lettuce large chunks, would like them smaller, chicken rubbery not grilled like it used to. Wonder what's going on.
(2)Laura J.
We walked in for lunch thinking the lake view patio would be great! The hostess was so rude and the majority of the waitstaff so unpleasant we left after a round of drinks waiting for our table at the bar. I'll never know how the food was, but I can tell you the place smelled like old grease and the staff did nothing to make you feel welcome. Luckily for them they have the lakeview, otherwise I'm not sure they'd have any business.
(1)Mat E.
This place could be awesome, with a great bar, a nice performance space for live music, and a fantastic view of the lake. But it isn't. It is miles and miles from awesome. The food is terrible. Not bad - terrible. The person in the kitchen making the food (I will not use the honorifics "Chef" or "Cook," as they are not deserved) should be charged with torture. I have never encountered such mysterious "meat" before, and that includes in late-night street tacos in Mexico. The food at Casa Bonita in Denver is better. Think about that for a moment. I was so appalled by the food that I really couldn't contain myself and the owner must have heard me. She hurried us out of there, but only after making sure we paid our bill. I felt bad for the only other occupied table in there, since I knew what they were in for. I sincerely hope they are ok.
(1)Ken L.
Not bad... Had the chili relleno and they were good but not awesome...
(3)kelly l.
Okay... upon my arrival to Grand Lake almost 4 years ago, I visited this restaurant. I walked in and noticed that they were advertising Chinese and Mexican food. Chinese and Mexican food in Grand Lake? At the same place? That was my first clue that this place was going to suck. Next, the wait staff was horrible, and the food we did order was cold, tasteless, and downright disgusting. I have been there since that time but I have never eaten. My experiences since then have been just as bad as a first except now they have mostly eastern europeans running the kitchen and making up the wait staff... The food has gotten exponentially worse as had the service. The bartending staff is made up of a bunch of hateful women who think they are cougars. Although bar management has changed, I haven't been there to see if it is better... It is really too bad about this place as its location is primo... and it could be really awesome...
(1)Rana T.
Pork green chili was just so so, but the tostadas were great! Very crispy and delicious!
(3)Jack D.
The only positive thing I can say about this place: STAY AWAY! Hard to say which is worse: food, Marguerites, or service.
(1)Carla S.
I'm so glad we don't pay attention most of the times to others reviews! We enjoyed the food, service was great and so were drinks...
(5)t d.
This was OK for being in a small and rustic town. We had a large group and they were able to seat us quickly. Our server was very nice. The location was good, on the water with the parking lot in the back. The food was adequate.
(3)Diana V.
This was ok for a vacation town. We had the nachos compuestos which was HUGE. Our server was awesome and attentive and made us feel welcome.
(2)Tiffani M.
One of the worst restaurants I have ever eaten at. Eww! food is so gross and so overpriced. And holy crap do these waitresses hate their job. They were so rude. I will Never eat at this dump again.
(1)Lisa M.
Do I HAVE to give this place a star? This place is horrible! We unfortunately found ourselves here on Sunday for breakfast. I don't know what was worse, the food, the service or the comical prices. Our waitress had just rolled out of bed and threw on her flip flops for us to inconvenience her. The dishes were filthy. Even the iced tea tasted bad. There was nothing on our plates that did not come out of a can or box, disgusting!! And our bill for 4 people, 80 bucks!! (No cocktails involved!) The waitress was so rude, slow & inconvenienced that we did not leave a tip; we did accidentally leave a couple quarters that fell out of my boyfriends pocket, so the rude waitress decided to wait by our car so she could chuck them @ my boyfriend. She should've been arrested, but I'd settle for fired! Do NOT eat here people!
(1)Ashley B.
This placed used to be very good, and now it's just ok. They've gotten full of themselves because they moved and now have a much better location, so they seemed to think that if you have a view you don''t need to eat well. Or at least it feels that way. I have no problem with the food, but I do have a problem with the price. I think plates average $10-$15 which is a lot for tex-mex. If you want mexican though, this is about your only option, and if you're a tourist, the view will do you good.
(3)i n.
The deck view on to the lake is worth 3 stars and the food gets 1 star. What do you expect, the food will be mediocre (like all tourist town restaurants) but at least this place has a great view. So plan on ordering something cheep like the burger $7.75 and just appreciate the surroundings.
(4)Harriett H.
Ok- I really hate to do this. We have owned a cabin near Grand Lake for about 14 years so we have been to Pancho and Lefty's a lot over the years. It used to be the only Mexican food place in town and even though now there is another one, I would only give the other 1 star after several attempts to like it. We used to love Pancho and Lefty's and would split the large combination plate. Then somehow the food started to not taste as good to us. I do have to say that we love to sit outside in the summer and just take in the ambiance. In the last week, we really enjoyed talking to the other people out there and the small Grand Lake drama of a bear in a nearby tree. The dogs were allowed to roam around out there and being dog lovers, we enjoyed that very much. We tried the tamales for the first time and actually liked them. They weren't the best I've had, but pretty good. One thing I don't like about this place is that they charge for chips and salsa, which always annoys me. And the second time we went this week, my husband was served a bandaid in his draft beer. Our waiter was very sweet and seemed shocked. However, you would think that they might have comped at least the beer, but I don't think they are that interested in customer service. Oh well- we'll be back again and I think that's what the owner here is counting on and just sliding by in the meantime.
(2)