25 replies to this topic

[shred]

My husband and I have come away from our last visit to Old Town VERY HAPPY. All those years in SF have produced a couple of mild-mannered food snobs...and we've had to (ahem) adjust our palates a bit since moving to Folsom. HOWEVER, our first visit to Pachanga was so positive that I had to spill a little on the forum here to get folks to check it out. We've only got the one meal to base things on, but from what we sampled, an asian chicken salad, a fettucine with veggies, bbq chicken sandwich with fries, and house salad...we were VERY impressed. The quality of the ingrediants, FRESH FRESH FRESH, and dressings and sauces all appear to be made on the spot. The atmosphere was spare, warm and sophisticated yet casual enough for a drop in without dressing up. Oh, and a big ole plasma tv behind the bar kept my husband posted on the latest football game.

A patio for outdoor dining will be ready when the weather warms. No complaints at all...the service was casual and leisurely, everyone very friendly and professional. We're so happy to find something a tad more upscale in Old Town without the pretention and huge pricetags. Great quality, fair prices, lovely atmosphere.

If you haven't seen it yet, it's opposite the large parking lot on the far end of Sutter, just a few doors down from the Historical Museum. From what I heard, the space was formally a pizza place, though it's been empty since we moved here. I'll be interested to see what other forum posters think.

[DougP]

Ditto!

My wife and I ate lunch there yesterday after looking at the overflowing crowd at the Sutter Street Grill. I'm glad we did!

They've done an amazing job with the interior -- the last time I had been in there it was still "Remo's". There's not been a whole lot of architectural changes, but the place definitely feels much more upscale now.

Our food was both fresh and very tasty -- and the service was excellent.

We'll definitely be going back.

[bordercolliefan]

Can you give us an idea of prices ranges -- both for a lunch entree (sandwich or salad) and a dinner entree?

Thanks for the recommendation!

[Steve Heard]

Hey Shred

I was hoping someone would post a review. I hope Pachanga does well. We plan on trying them out soon.

I drove by the other night, saw people dancing, pulled up in front, and could hear they were dancing to 'We got the beat' by the Go Go's, so I kept driving. :-)


PS. You missed a great party last night!

[shred]

Dancing? Hmmm...didn't know they featured dancing (to "new wave" no less?!)

The lunch entrees seemed to hover around $7-12 or so...I only glanced at the dinner menu and didn't really focus on price, but it seemed to be in the $10-20 range from what I can recall.

And for those who eat late, stay out late, apparently they will stay open til midnight or 1am if the business is there.

This is easily the best new addition to Old Town...and some of the best food to be found in Folsom on the whole.

[forumreader]

I'm intrigued by the name of the restaurant. Pachanga, as some might know, is a popular word used in Mexico for a respectable, but somewhat rowdy party. Not your run of the mill "fiesta." It certainly connotes fun.

However, it sound like it is not Mexican fare, correct?

[mylo]

We too had a good experience there!

The food was fresh and tasty. The decore is beautiful, but the layout needs a little love. Looks like a lot of potential for a little building at the end of the street!

We'll definately be going back, rumor has it they might be having live music (jazz?) on thursday/friday nights. Can't wait!

[booboo]

This place is great. Someone posted earlier that it's upscale but not so much that you couldn't get away with semi casual attire. I agree. The food, staff and atmosphere are wonderful. What's even better is the drink menu and creative martini's. Be aware, you actually get what you pay for...these baby are not watered down (...my pet peev at restaurants and bars, nudge nudge "Blue Cue") . I'm just glad there's a place that offers more upscale food and atmosphere on the Sutter row. It makes a refreshing contrast to the other food & entertainment offerings along Sutter. I REALLY hope this restaurant sticks with the Jazz idea as again, there are no other venues offering this anywhere on Sutter - as well as Folsom entirely. Good luck to them and I'll definetly be back here soon.

[Chad Vander Veen]

We had dinner there tonite. What a fantastic addition to Folsom. Great food and a beautiful restuarant. Bravo!

[bordercolliefan]

We liked it, too. I like that they have "small plates" and "big plates" for dinner -- so you can choose depending on your appetite and budget. The tortilla soup is fantastic -- don't go there without trying it!! We also had the skewers and the corn tortillas (I forget what they're called) -- they were both quite good. The chocolate gelato for dessert was heavenly.

They use some unique flavors and marinades. We really enjoyed it.

[s0479]

We tried it to last night and enjoyed the place very much. Good food, good atmosphere and the Bar manager was very friendly. We will definitely be going there again.

[shred]

My husband and I had the chance to make a 2nd visit, for dinner this time and it did not disappoint! The food is just amazingly fresh, well presented and expertly prepared. Service was also attentive without hovering too much. Another excellent meal. I hope everyone checks it out and supports this wonderful new restaurant in Old Town. It's quickly become our favorite place for a nice meal in Folsom.

[Animal]

My husband and I and a neighbor couple dined at Pachanga Sunday evening and had a lovely experience. Wait staff were polite and professional, the food was excellent, the ambiance was great -- lovely music, seat by the window. We watched them struggle to put up a new wall fountain which was done by a large group of folks who seemed to be enjoying themselves as well as accomplishing the task at hand. We will return, over and over again! Good job folks -- just what the doctor ordered -- a fine new place to dine on Sutter Street. And...you did something great with the building!

[melloguy]

We went with a group of eight people Saturday night (and saw Chad with a larger group!) and enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Everyone in the group was happy with the choice.

Some people may say the menu here is eclectic, but it probably more appropriately referred to as California cuisine - i.e. influences from throughout the world. I had ahi with polenta, my wife had carnitas, and others at the table had ribs, salmon, and chicken pasta dishes.

I was very impressed with the appetizers we had - skewered chicken and beef, wings, and a cheese plate. I must admit I was disappointed when someone ordered the cheese plate instead of crab cakes, but was not once I sampled the four local cheeses on the plate, including one called "Humboldt Fog!"

We definitely plan on a return, although next time I might have to suggest we do it with the family and eat just from the extensive appetizer menu, tapas style!

[Chad Vander Veen]

You could have said hello! I was there for my father-in-law's retirement party.

The ribs are very good.