Pancho’s Bar and Cafe

Pancho’s is actually a restaurant and a bar, so here are reviews for both sides:
Restaurant:
This place serves simple food with attention paid to every detail. Unilocal and «foodieism» have made many folks take a ratings dump on anyplace that isn’t haute as hell.
Pancho’s isn’t schmancy at all. But for what it tries to do, it does it with incredible value, attention to detail, and great care. Sandwiches, salads, and soup rule the day. Paper Moon supplies some really excellent and subtle baked goods to go with excellent Darkmatter Coffee.
The cod sandwich is a revelation, and shows off the chef’s masterful blending of texture and flavor. Capers offset the greaseless cod, held together by beautifully toasted bread. The burger similarly relies on quality of beef and spices over the current glut of toppings Kuma’s-style impersonations.
This place is friendly, and casual, and not the location to bring all the adjectives you learned watching «Chopped» to judge the ambiance and décor. This isn’t 12 courses, it’s a delicious fish sandwich or burger and a fine craft beer for 10 dollars or less. It’s a successful restauranteur doing what he loves and trying to give you as much value and bang for your buck, without the pretense or stuffiness of fine dining.
Bar:
The beer is good, the ambiance is similar to when Pancho himself was behind the bar, except there’s a ton of delicious craft beer and some decent cocktails as well.
People complain about the lack of a music «scene» here in Chicago, probably because they don’t know about MP, which runs the bar and venue side of Pancho’s. I’ve heard people bitch that an $ 8 cover is outrageous for 2 – 4 live bands, but I think it’s outrageous that people complain over something so reasonable for so many hours of entertainment.
Touring and smaller bands don’t make much off these shows, and if you begrudge them the 100 bucks or so (divided by the number of band mates) then you are a cheapskate.
Don’t expect their food to look like it came from Next, don’t expect to be able to pay 1996 prices for a 2012 show and drinks and you will go home happy, tipsy, and full.

Tamiz Haideraul is back!
Tamiz, an early pioneer of haute BUT but reasonably PRICED cuisine in Chicago, opened Treat Restaurant, bringing savory and exotically spiced international dishes, and warmth to a desolate hard scrabble corner of Kimball & North Ave., where drug addicts of both sexes plied sex for drugs in a car wash and a midget drug dealer named Biggie use to threatened to shot mother f*ckers over dice games gone wrong.
Treat was tiny and while it provided a warm cozy colorful atmosphere for us, it kept Tamiz running like a hamster on a too small tread wheel. Needing a much deserved break, last winter Tamiz held a celebration, bidding farewell to loyal customers and staff before heading off to wander the steamy jungles and coast lines of Peru.
Thankfully, Tamiz came back to Logan Square were he and a partner, purchased Pancho’s. Pancho’s is now a much needed break and hide away from all the new stainless steal big screened big ticket TV bars that are propagating like leprous spores while revolutionarily brewing Logan Square into «Cha-​Ching!» Liquor Park West!
Now you can witness Tamiz as he creates an directs an explosion of reasonably priced ethnic cultural savories like calamari with sambal aioli, samosas, curried chicken salad, and beer battered cod. And instead of the corona and there is amazing plethora of inventive cocktails with names Bee’s Knees and Pancho’s Sazerac and the beer list a strong as the Old Rasputin they sale, for a steal at five bucks! They got Chimay Red, Cabin Fever, Ephemere, Strongbow Dry Cider, Chicory Stout, and the list stretches on like an 8 year old summer’s day.
Now bare in mind Tamiz is still creating his art, but being able to witness the «grand becoming» is half the fun.
My only hope is that in the amazing music venue attached, (yes their is great space for live music,) is multicultural like the old Hot House. Instead the «Hi I have a beard and a flannel shirt and therefore like the rest of the bros I’m unique» music