The "old" Woodlands on N. 10th Street is out of business and has been reopened and named Pancho's. My wife and I ate there last night hoping for a good new place to go eat...cause we love Tex-Mex food.

We were dissappointed. The food is only average...probably 50 other places with the same food as good or better in McAllen. And it is expensive. Most of the plates were appx $25.

You may want to try it. It has the feel of a Reynosa restaurant and may be one of the places that are being opened by folks from Mexico to get out of Dodge. Incidentally we also tried La Mansion and it was about the same, mediocre food and expensive price... but they did have table cloths!

Woodlands was terrible, and the last thing McAllen needed was another overpriced Mexican restaurant.

I have my suspicions about La Mansion, but I always thought their food was pretty good.

What did you have?

I honestly don't remember since it was a couple of weeks ago. I usually get enchiladas my first time at any mexican food place. If they can't make enchiladas or rice then I figure the place is off my list. The price was pretty high for the quality of the food and service. Also, at both of the places above, the waiter/ess, spoke no English. I realize that most of their patrons will speak Spanish but I think that they should be speak a little English.

I wasn't impressed by the cabrito that was behind the glass window either.

For example, at Koko's all of the waiter/esses are fluent in English and Spanish and are very friendly. The food is generally good and the owners are almost always around to shake your hand and make sure things are running smoothly.

we are officially mexico-north. we are no longer the valley.

I've enjoyed Panchos on the expressway. And yes, I have gotten a waitress that spoke no english before. I thought it was funny.

I kept wondering how bad her hands would shake if she had to wait on a couple of border patrol agents.

It's 'Ponchos' just like the one on Cage.
My wife and I ate there last week and won't be going back either. Mediocre food at best and HORRIBLE service. As we were seated the lady at the table next to us was griping to her husband (loudly) about how slow/bad the service was. Wish I'd have taken it to heart and just turned around and walked out. She was absolutely right.

I just moved back to the Valley in mid October and maybe it is just me or my perception of things, but good Lord the service in most places just S-U-C-K-S big time.

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good Lord the service in most places just S-U-C-K-S big time.

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Can't argue there.

Interestingly, I was eating at Koko's for lunch and a couple of friends came up to our table and ask us if we had eaten at the new Pancho's. We said yes and they went into a tirade about how bad the place was.

Yes, RGV AG, you are not mistaken about the service. Over the summer, my wife and I were in Dallas and ate at Pappadeaux's (or however you spell it) out in Arlington. I couldn't believe the service. Since then we have eaten at the one here in McAllen and the service was fine but not like what we got in Dallas!

When you guys refer to "service" what does that entail?

Being courteous? Smiling and being happy? Moving quickly? Keeping your drinks filled?

I only ask because I tend to be the grouchy type and I get annoyed when waitstaff is too happy and tries to have a conversation with me or offer too much insight on the daily special etc...

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Being courteous? Smiling and being happy? Moving quickly? Keeping your drinks filled?

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All of the above I guess. There have been a lot of changes in the way that waiters/waiteress do things these days. It used to be that the same person waited on you the entire stay. Now a different person brings your drink, takes your order, brings your food etc. Because of that it is hard to blame any one particular person for bad service.

Once you get your food, no one comes back by to see if you need anything like a refill. This is particularly evident when you want your check. very few will bring your check or dessert unless you beg them for it. They seem to hide in the back room.

If I have to run down someone for a check I refuse to leave them a tip.

The Buffalo Wild Wings on 10th and Nolana is pretty much right by my house. I love the food and the big screen tvs but their service is possibly consistently the worst I've ever seen.

I won't even go into the stories about the bad experiences I have had eating out in the Valley. What I really think is that for the majority of folks that frequent these places the service is acceptable, they have been dumbed down in terms of expectations.

PJ:
My, my, how right you are. I had to go there to catch a game due to the whole Fox/Dish mess and it was incredibly bad. After I really beetched, the waitress brought me two glasses of tea and put them on my table in a huff. Whatever. It was the Missouri game so I was a bundle of goodwill, but there were only 3 other tables in there at that time and you would have thought it was steak night rush hour at Sbisa by the service that I got.