Lacto
Ovo
Beer/Wine
Mexican
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Mexican restaurant in the Shinsaibashi covered mall, at 中央区心斎橋筋1丁目10-1. Reported offering several dishes that are vegan suitable, but vegans should specify to be sure. Live music on weekend evenings. Open Mon-Sun 11:30am-10:30pm.
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Last update on 09 Apr 2019 by Guest
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Added by Tory on 04 Aug 2011
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66 Reviews
First Review by Tory
RichardWhittaker
Points +86
Great comfort food - Edit
Yes, the serving sizes are huge. Ordered the vegetarian set which included, a burrito, quesadillas, tortilla chips, potato chips, refried beans and vegetables. Everything was packed with flavour and it was one of the best Mexican meals I've had. The place takes up an entire floor of a narrow tower, but it's very easy to forget its location thanks to the cute and cosy decor.
Read morePros: Huge serving sizes, Cosy vibe
Guest
MeganSchlanker
Points +60
Some of the best food I've ever had - Edit
A tiny Mexican restaurant on the 8th floor of a tower, accessible by elevator. It was easy to get to, around 5 minutes walk from the nearest subway station and just across from a large H&M in Shinsaibashi. The food was so good I went twice. It was affordable, in the 1200-2000¥ price range (£10-15) and the general atmosphere made it a really enjoyable place to visit, on top of the amazing food. The staff also understand what is and isn’t vegan, which is rare in a lot of places, so you can specify if you want your food to be vegan. I had the vegetable burrito on my first visit and the vegetable fajitas on my second. I absolutely recommend El Pancho, it was one of my favourite places that we ate during my three weeks in Japan and it was lovely for big group meals or smaller dining groups.
Read morePros: Friendly staff
Cons: Very dark
Guest
NAJ
Points +39
great food. highly recommended. - Edit
We ordered veggie set plate and veggie enchilada, rice based desserts with beer & mojito. They all tasted fantastic and we were full! I wish I could give them 5 stars.
Read morePros: good portion, good location
Cons: table & chair weren't functional
Guest
MasonJohnson
Points +19
Amazing! - Edit
This place is awesome! The closest thing to real Mexican food I've found in Japan. There are lots of veggie options, not the usual one or two tops you find here. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough. I will be eating there every time I'm in Osaka!
Read morePros: English menu, vegetarian set available
Guest
TaraMurray
Points +271
Huge meals, amazing food! - Edit
We were without a reservation on a Friday night so had to wait until 830 for a table. Even at 830 the restaurant was still bustling and full!
Read moreWe were very hungry so ordered the vegetarian plate each, I chose the burrito and my partner the enchilada. For entree we opted for the avocado fajita set. We ordered Margarita's also. The waiter knew exactly what we were asking when enquiring about vegan food, we were most impressed!
The fajitas were excellent and full of flavour, I would definitely recommend them! The main meals were huge, the biggest meal so far in Japan. We could not finish them even though we tried. Everything was so yummy, it was great to have lots of choice on one plate, so many options and flavours!
The staff were great, the meals amazing and the bill wasn't too scary, 5/5 in my books ?
Guest
Gekoladie
Points +37
An absolute delight - Edit
Whilst touring Japan with a group consisting of four meat-eaters, one vegetarian and one vegan (me!), we decided to stop into El Pancho because at least two of us were craving burritos. We were not disappointed.
Read moreI found the restaurant without much difficulty - its right by a big Zara and an H&M on the 8th floor of a tower filled with restaurants. Its about five minutes walk from the nearest subway station.
The inside of the restaurant is charmingly garish. Everything is Mexican-themed, from the outfits the waitresses wear to the flashing chili pepper lights strung around the walls. The lighting is quite dim but good enough to read the menu and see what you're eating.
The food was great. I asked for my burrito to be made vegan and our waitress knew right away what that meant without my having to explain it. She specified what would be removed from the meal (cheese and sour cream) and I reckon I got a few extra veggies in there to make up for it. The portion sizes are huge and the food is absolutely delicious, so its great value for money. They also do a range of alcoholic drinks and cocktails priced the same as soft drinks and they do pretty much every flavour of daiquiri you can imagine. They're also happy to mix you a custom one if you explain it and they have the ingredients.
Overall, El Pancho is amazing. I'd definitely go back.
Pros: Staff understand what vegan means, Good price for portions, Delicious food
Cons: The restaurant is a bit dark
Guest
I_love_potatoes
Points +37
awesome Mexican - Edit
Had the veggie platter thing, really great food, the place is a little intimate with little lighting for effect but the food is very good. Thoroughly enjoyed it, defo authentic Mexican and one of the best I've had worldwide.
Read moreGuest
JoshuaStefane
Points +90
Great for parties - Edit
El Pancho is a fun place. The decor is garish and messy, but the vibe is definitely cool.
Read moreThey have vegan options available--but you have to ask the servers for details. Everyone who works there is friendly, and I haven't had any problems with the food.
The price for a veggie plate is a bit high, but the amount of food that you get makes you think you're in North America.
The frozen margaritas are also a must try!
My one complaint is the live guitar player/singer who comes in on weekends. He's always singing the same, standard pop-rock stuff and honestly I would rather just listen to salsa music all night....
Pros: big portions, friendly, cool vibe
Cons: live music seems outta place...
Guest
Food1e
Points +125
Delicious food and authentic atmosphere! - Edit
Massive portions of delicious food. I was so stuffed after leaving here. They do great vegetarian and vegan options!
Read moreGuest
Joshhw
Points +43
great spot, plentiful portions - Edit
Wonderful spot for an easy meal. Especially for vegetarians.
Read morePros: large portions
Cons: not enough English
Guest
KirstenLoreen
Points +38
love - Edit
I love this place! This is my second time in Osaka, I visited El Pancho about 5 years ago, when I got here this was on my list of must go places. I ordered the vegetarian enchiladas. They come as avocado enchiladas. And it's a lot of food, I took about half of it home with me. It came with beans, a veggie taco, a quesadilla, a few veggies that were kind of out of place for a mexi resto, along with some mashed potatoes. But I'm not complaining bc they were delish. :) I will be going back soon. A good place for vegetarians to make their meat eating friends as well. There is something for everyone.
Read morePros: great food, good atmosphere
Guest
Tory
Points +35
Great vegetarian/vegan option in central Osaka - Edit
While visiting Osaka, we ate at El Pancho three times due to the great food and fun atmosphere. Although there is lots of meat on the menu, there are lots of vegetarian and a few vegan options as well. They serve authentic Mexican food and have live music on weekend evenings. It's a small place so reservations are a good idea. They also serve a great assortment of fun cocktails and bring chips and salsa as soon as you sit down. It's clean and service is friendly. As an added bonus, the restaurant is centrally located in the Shinsaibashi covered mall and near to public transportation. If you're walking toward the end of the covered mall toward the very busy restaurant/entertainment area with the massive illuminated billboards, El Pancho is tucked in to the left of a tall, narrow building (it's a little bit tricky to find the first time). There are small elevators to take you up to the 8th floor and smoking is in the little lobby right outside of the restaurant where you exit the elevator, but is not inside the restaurant (which is not always the case in Japan). I highly recommend El Pancho and my carnivorous partner said his meals were great too - so there's something for everyone.
Read morePros: Great food, Clean, Veg options
Cons: A little hard to find the first time, Smoking right outside the restaurant
Guest
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