Panxa Cocina

First time visitor. We celebrated Father’s Day here. We made reservations (just in case) but they weren’t needed because the place was not busy at all. I guess you just never really know if a restaurant is going to get the crowd or not. The host and server went out of their way to create small talk and make us feel welcome. The drink orders were taken promptly and were delivered promptly and were refilled without asking. Our order was taken quite quickly, but for whatever reason, it was about a 20 – 25 minute wait before we were served. We ordered nothing unusual and, like I said earlier, they weren’t that busy, so I’m not sure why it took so long. The prices were fair and the restaurant was very clean. I would give it another try.

The Lavender Old Fashioned is wwwonderful. So is the Smokey Mango margarita (though I asked for reposado instead of blanco). The salsa were very good, and I’d have the pozole every other day if I could.

Love the Happy Hour! Everything is great on the menu! So you won’t be disappointed with any of the items on there! My favorite drink is on the regular menu the Margatini but I believe they’ve recently changed the name to something else (sorry I can’t remember) but just mention the Margartini and they’ll hook you right up! Great Vibe so it’s definitely become one of my favorite LB spots :-)

I had the ceviche, Aguachile, iron steak, and carrot salad here. The ceviche was good. Lemony, and I loved the pickled onions. The Agua chile was meh. Maybe because I’m used to a traditional kind. This one had octopus and scallops and they were good. I just don’t think I like the sauce. It was too bitter for me. The steak was bomb. I enjoyed it. The hash was not cooked all the way so some pieces were cooked some were raw. I loved the carrot salad the best. Fresh, whimsical and like able. Their tortilla chips are the bomb!!!

Loved this place. Food was delicious. Service was great. Drinks were amazing. Everyone was super friendly. I will be back… Maybe on a regular basis.

Came here for happy hour and loved it. There were seats at the bar area, ample room for our party of 6. Everything everyone ordered looked delicious and the drinks were pretty and potent. The gal that served us was wonderful, she was efficient, friendly and polite. Chelsey Sanchez, a local favorite, performed songs with her guitar. her beautiful voice added to the ambiance!
I enjoyed my experience, however, I withheld a star because I would’ve liked more options on the menu.

Great food and cocktails! I loved the spicy Paloma! The food was the most difficult part cause I wanted at least 3 different mains! I had the green Chile burger… It was great! But other honorable mentions are the chimauò posole and both enchiladas looked amazing. Another great thing about his place is the HAPPY HOUR! You gotta try the calamari tacos!

Panxa is one of the off-​path gems in Southern California. Housed in a beautiful 1930’s Art Decco Building, Panxa Cocina fits in with its modern, chic, trendy old school vibe like a pair of your favorite jeans! And the food and cocktails… well…just go and find out for yourself! Had to try the Braised short rib, salsa verde with with blue cheese stuffed shishito peppers…#ridiculicious!
A nicely varied menu with something for everyone… don’t forget the excellent cocktails that are mixed by well seasoned and knowledgable staff. The service is intimate with a vibe of old school Cali! Hit them up! Sunday Brunch is amazing as well!

Nestled in a residential neighborhood is this restaurant with a bartender who is pushing the envelope on new and exciting cocktails. Upon arrival I was happy to see there were some seats in the bar area available for me and my family. Greg (our bartender/​server/​hostess) sat us and promptly explained the menu and gave us time to mull it all over.
My family and I all went in with open minds and decided to let Greg recommend drinks for us and all we did was give him a brief description of flavors and types of drinks we like. He came back with several satisfying drinks, and even tweaked a couple a little more to our liking. While waiting for our food we watched the Dodger’s game on the flat screen TV’s and talked about the array of liquors on display.
Once our food came out we were all excited to dig in. My personal favorite were the calamari fries! I remember saying «why can’t everyone serve calamari like this?» another favorite was the corn, which came in a bowl with a spicy sauce and queso fresco. For dessert the flan hit the spot.
After completing our meal we decided to try a couple of tequila’s. Greg was nice enough to again recommend a few and explain their flavor profiles, and background while we tasted them. Our bartender went above and beyond, and I can’t wait to re-​visit this place.

Just wrapped up brunch here w/​the wifey. Delicious as always. I had the breakfast burro chorizo ‘Christmas style’. Wifey had the panxa benedicto and we shared blue corn pancakes. Look up their menu to get details on each item because I’ll F it up otherwise. Just delicious! Plus we ordered endless champagne for each of us and shared a flight of fresh juice purée to liven it all up. NICE! We love walking over here and enjoying great food and drinks.

Highly recommended! Came here on a date night per a friends recommendation. Sat in the bar which was really busy, but still had good service despite that.
We ordered the chips and dips app. The chips are so fresh and perfect! And then the salsas! One is chipotle smokey flavor and the other is green and spicy. Both great. The third dip is a black refried bean dip and yum!
I got the seafood enchiladas, which were really yummy, but I was a little jealous of the flatiron steak that my bf got. It had sooooo much flavor!
I also highly recommend the margaritas.
Great experience!

3.5 — decent food, medium margs, loud as eff. To be fair, we rolled in on Cinco de Mayo, a day that will always be fondly tatoo’d in my mind as the anniversary of when 17y RAN used her «legal» ID to procure a handle of Jack, douse a perfectly good South of the Border fruit salad in it, you know, in the spirit of the holiday or whatever… and really let the night go from there — so, needless to say, I always approach with caution.
Place was packed at 7p — waited a few min at the bar for our reservation — b-​tenders were hiply hunky, almost attentive but not quite — a soft neg, if you will — was hoping to do less yelling once seated at our table, but it really only got rowdier as the fiesta marched along.
Once we managed to get the attn of our waiter — an ordeal — I attempted to start w the ceviche, however, upon learning it was tilapia — inedible even when cooked under the best of circumstances — hard passed and moved onto the betabel salad (jicama, candied almonds, frisee, watercress, agave roasted beets, hibiscus vinaigrette) — interest also piqued by the albacore tostaditas (cabbage, salsa verde, pico), seafood enchiladas, and calabacitas (squash, dehydrated corn, hatch green chile, manchego cream).
Perhaps most thoroughly enjoyed was the chile-​honey lamb shank (beans, pickled veg, salsa — all weird bed fellows for this carnivorous glory) — tender, well seasoned, SBN wasn’t sad abt it. The chicken mole was also appreciated — perhaps not the belle of the ball, but dark and rich. Charred cauli (parsnip, pickled Fresnos) was blown out by the chile, ultimately tasting of nothing other than heat.
A word of caution to plant-​based eaters out there — when your server tells you that the salad is «pretty large», this translates into a few leaves on an app plate. It would have taken roughly 4 of them to get me anywhere close to sufficiently snacked — if you’re coming here as a veg, you’ll end up cobbling together a meal of sides — all of which sounded intriguing but were bark and no bite.
Overall, es posible que we just ordered wrong, but at the end of the meal, we felt that the menu looked more promising than the food delivered — the kitchen needs to be refocused — potato-​cheddar pancakes (hatch chile/​apple chutney, crema) and scallops w spaetzle, corn purée, and sweet peas might sound funsies in name, but are perhaps best suited to remain realized only in the written word rather than on my plate.
Small plates (ceviche, salads, charred queso, chips/​salsa) run btwn $ 5 – 12, «New Mexico Favorites» (enchiladas, navajo taco, posole, burrata/​pork adovada) $ 10 – 22, larger plates (COO unspecified… confusing — scallops, mole, grilled fish, steaks w SW pizzaz) $ 22 – 28, and sides $ 5 – 9. Dessert is offered, though it looked like most tables chose to savor the end of their meals in liquid formats rather than sopapillas or passion fruit napoleans. Meh. Not interesting enough for a round two.

Went in for happy hour on a Monday. They were out of the beer I ordered ($ 5 – 6 for draft beers during happy hour… meh), the poblano fries were a little soggy, not hot, and lacking flavor ($ 5 selected appetizers), and the $ 8 «new fashioned» (as opposed to old fashioned, wink wink, get it?) was overly sweet and generally mediocre. I was ready to just call it a learning experience and never go back again, then when I look at my bill, we were also charged $ 1 for water that we never asked for! Umm seriously?! Seems their entrees may be better, but for happy hour you’re much better off going to one of the many close by places that is worth their salt (literally, we had to ask for salt). Two stars for the server who was nice and attentive, only redeeming factor.

Three words for you: Pork Shoulder Tortas. Soft tender pork shoulder spiced just right and topped with a light dressing sandwiched between two pieces of fresh bread. All washed down with an ice cold Michelada. I can honestly say this is the best new meal experience (As far as flavor and satisfaction) I’ve had in a long time. A combination of both old and young dining in this seemingly hip and dimly lit establishment. Parking can be found on either of the streets that run alongside the restaurant. After reading Christianne’s review I have to come to check out the happy hour. Will definitely be back!

Nope … No … Definitely Not … Cannot understand why this place has such good reviews.
Decided to give this place a try for Happy Hour with co-​workers. Everything seemed against us from the beginning.
1. Parking is not terrible, but it’s all street parking and not very convenient next to the restaurant.
2. Drinks aren’t very good. I had both the El Burro and the New Fashioned. Both were just ok, and definitely not worth the price (which was more than some bargained for … that is coming up).
3. Food was ok at best. We tried many of the appetizers: cauliflower, queso, potatoes, etc. None of them were terrible, though if you asked me to recommend one, I couldn’t — none of them were memorable at all. The general them of this place is if you put cheese on it, it’ll taste good. A decent life motto I guess, but didn’t work so much here.
4. The service was no bueno. I say this time and time again, but companies in the food industry are providing a service just as much as a product. Service is a big component of my review, and the reason this otherwise 2.5−3 star review fell down to a 1. Our waiter made condescending remarks when we were still in earshot and wasn’t around nearly enough. Also when we ordered drinks at the bar, they automatically transferred our tab over to the table — and charged us the higher (non Happy Hour) price. If you’re going to charge me more money (plus the gratuity) then please inform me before you do so.
Now all of this would have been understandable if the place was packed, and my group of coworkers wasn’t worth the space we were taking up. But when a place isn’t really full on a friday at 6ish, is it really worth making your biggest table uncomfortable and unhappy. It’s just bad business.
Anyway, I can’t say this place is without its positives. The ambiance is nice for a date (dark … like cheesecake factory dark) and the the bar area is cool (so are the bartenders), but I can’t recommend it and I won’t be back.
Stay Cheerful ;)

I have been wanting to check this place out after passing by over 100x on the way home from work. I was so excited to finally get my chance. What makes this place shine is their cocktails — highly recommend their sandia picante, which adds a nice heat to the sweetness of the drink. My friend got the smoky bear, which reminds me of PEET which I am not a huge fan of.
The calamari is absolutely delicious, along with the sauces that they serve it with. I ordered the short rib enchilada, and you have the choice of either the Christmas or Green Chile sauces. You can also order half and half to get both sauces although be warned that the Christmas sauce is very spicy. My friend also ordered their rib eye steak and poblano rice. The bleu cheese peppers were so delicious.
My only gripe was that the service was slow. It took us several attempts in getting the attention of the waiter, and it seems that he was covering all the tables. In addition, our poblano rice still had not come out by the time our main dishes came out, so we ended up canceling it b/​c we were almost done with our meal and still had not received the rice. I was slightly sad as I was so looking forward to trying the rice.
This place also has a bar side where happy hour is till 7, $ 2 off their cocktails, and some of the appetizers are $ 5. Be warned that it can get packed during those times.
Overall their drinks and food are excellent, although it is heavy on the oily and greasy side, so come with empty stomachs, and plan to fit in some exercise the day before, of, or after to work off those calories! Street parking only.

Came here a little before 7 for their happy hour, which I think runs from 3 – 7, every day, including weekends. I was there on a Saturday, and the bar area was packed, but I managed to grab three seats. Score! Drinks are $ 8 (normally $ 10) during HH. I got the Ceviche, which was pretty good, and had plenty of chunks of fish. My friend got the Mushroom Quesadilla, which looked more like an empanada. It was tasty, though, considering it had no meat in it. I tried the Puntaso Mojito, which I didn’t really like (not very strong but it only has Malibu Rum), and the Jitterbug, which wasn’t bad.
Two other friends arrived at 7, so we moved to the dining area. I had reservations, so we were seated right away. However, they sat us at a table for four, so we had to move a chair over to seat someone at the end because we all would not have fit. Thumbs down to that. We got the corn (yummy but a little spicy), guacamole (can’t go wrong with this), asparagus (came with a smoky spicy sauce — was very good), the pork chop (tasted pretty good, and it was the thick kind), and potato pancakes (did not try these, but my friend said they were tasty). I did not like the dessert, though, which was a hazelnut cake. It tasted like it was old, though it might just have been the odd flavoring. Usually I like hazelnut, but I don’t recommend this.
Service was good, but the restaurant is super loud. We had to yell to converse even though we were seated at the same table. I thought it was maybe only the bar area, but nope, it’s the entire restaurant. Bad acoustics. Overall, good food, but I’d probably only return for the HH.

Thanks to my dentist, Dr. Chen, for recommending this great restaurant. We came on a Wednesday and what a great day because it was Happy Hour. All day!
The décor is Southwestern/​cowboy while the food and drinks are Latin American. We sat at the bar where the Happy Hour menu is offered along with their full menu.
Small bites are only $ 5 and you get a good portion size for the price.
— creamy poblano fries: Served on a hot skillet, fries are covered with a creamy poblano sauce and sprinkled with cotija cheese.
— fried calamari tacos: The combo of house made tortilla, fried calamari with pickled cabbage and spicy mayo is
.good.
— ceviche: big chunks of fish served with a yellow aji sauce sprinkled with seeds. Not your typical ceviche.
— grilled sweet corn $ 6 (main menu): 3 pieces of corn on the cob with a stick in it, sprinkled with spice and everything nice aka cotija crumbs.
Cocktails are handcrafted and are $ 2 off during happy hour. Their drinks are strong and delicious. I indulged and enjoyed:
— Smokey the Pear: a pretty bright pink from the prickly pear purée
— Casa-​Politan: with house made hatch chile vodka.
— Well margarita: don’t let the size fool you — it hits!
If this is just a preview of the rest of their menu, I can’t wait to try their other dishes. Probably the best Happy Hour we’ve experienced so far in Long Beach.

The reviews have been good by friends and Unilocal alike, so I was pretty excited to try this new Latin fusion restaurant in Long Beach. My friend and I went for happy hour, which goes daily 3 – 7 pm and all appetizers are ONLY $ 5! No need to rush frantically after work since it lasts till 7 pm and served in the nice-​sized bar section. We ordered the Mushroom Ropa Vieja Quesadilla (more like an empanada), Creamy Poblano Fries (delicious!), a refreshing Ceviche with chunks of fresh fish, and Fried Calamari Taco. We loved the food! 5 stars for that!
The interior is chic-​eclectic complete with antler and basket chandeliers, a steer’s skull, and modern art. Service was friendly and attentive. The restroom was clean and welcoming. Odd to say, but funky restrooms are a pet peeve of mine. *politely smiles*
The only downer was that their parking lot in the back was slotted for residents, as it’s by permit only. Great for neighbors, bad for customers. Buuut, parking on the street wasn’t too difficult to find.
Despite that, I plan on returning to try brunch or dinner because their $ 5 gourmet appetizers were oh-​so scrumptious!

I found Panxa Cocina, which is a new-​ish restaurant on the northwest corner of Broadway and Termino in Belmont Heights, because I was trying to find a local eatery that has New Mexican cuisine. This was the only one that I found, and I am so glad that we did. They definitely seat a later crowd, as the place was packed at 8PM on a Saturday night, but it was REALLY easy for us to get a table at 6:30 and there were many tables available then. Parking is easy — the valet is $ 3 and there is plentiful street parking.
The restaurant is gorgeous. While it is pretty unassuming from the outside, it is really hip inside. There is a full bar with bar tables on the east side of the restaurant, all of which were hopping on Saturday night. You enter at the midpoint of the restaurant where you are greeted by a friendly hostess who seats you in the large dining room on the west side of the restaurant. There must be about 40 tables just in the main dining room — it is a good sized place. The one downfall — only one ladies room with one toilet. Yikes! C’est la vie — forget you have to go the potty by staring at the gorgeous mural on the wall or the beautiful hanging wicker lamps. Even the black chairs and brown banquettes surrounding the wooden tables are comfortable.
The staff here is incredibly friendly. Our waiter was a doll and the busser was super attentive and friendly. Even the hostess pitched in to fill our beverages (which were empty a few times, but we were thirsty). I think that the only thing better than the staff is the other people. Everyone here is SOOOOOO kind. I could have hugged the ladies at the next table.
Fortunately, the beautiful restaurant with the lovely people also delivers delicious food. They have high chairs and a kids’ menu (but no changing table), and even the kids food is good. Here is what we had:
Kids’ Quesadilla ($ 5): this is a deal! A 10″ flour tortilla is filled with flavorful white cheese and cooked until it is hot and melty inside and crisp on the inside. It is served with a pile of housemade tortilla chips that are very tasty (FYI: chips for all are NOT on the house — you have to pay $ 3; I don’t think that I would pay $ 3 for plain chips, even if they are homemade, but I enjoyed stealing them from our LO). Our LO devoured the quesadilla (we did each get a bite), and we helped her with the delicious chips. Yummy.
New Mexico Enchiladas Christmas Style ($ 12): a fajita style skillet has a layered enchilada made from corn tortillas and your choice of chicken, pork or short rib with white cheese that is covered in red and green sauces. The enchiladas get their signature color from the chiles used — red or green. I was surprised by how spicy these were! Don’t get me wrong… they are DELICIOUS! It’s just most places really tame the heat where Panxa doesn’t shy from it which I love. The green chile sauce was my favorite, because of the roasted nature of the chiles and the loads of onions, but they were both delicious. I liked that the enchiladas were layered rather than rolled, because it meant for an even layering and distribution of ingredients. We got the chicken which was pulled and was very tender. Highly recommended.
Navajo Taco ($ 8): once again, you can pick from chicken, pork or short rib. The masa fry bread base is much like a sopapilla — it wasn’t as warm as I would have liked when it came but it was delicious; super tender and well prepared. We picked the short rib, and the tender meat was lean, perfectly cooked and mounded on the fry bread base. I highly recommend this meat; it is so rich and wonderful. The meat was topped with some borracho beans, a mild red sauce, a shredded green cabbage slaw, a few diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro and some crema. WOW!!! This alone is worth the trip. Every bite was so well balanced between the rich meat, the spicy-​mild sauce, the crunchy slaw, the well-​seasoned beans, and the sweet tomatoes. I loved this dish.
Calabacitas ($ 6): a little dish is filled with zucchini and butternut squash that is sauteed with onion and poblano rajas and a little dried corn in a poblano cream sauce for a slightly sweet side dish (from the veggies) that has a surprising amount of heat (from the poblanos). I was surprised by the cream sauce, but I also loved this dish. Highly recommend it.
We skipped their beautiful cocktails in favor of soda ($ 2.50 with free refills) and water ($ 0). It had been a long hot day and we were dehydrated.
Overall, this was an amazing meal in a beautiful restaurant with excellent service and lovely people. I will definitely come back… it is easy to get to if you have ever been to downtown Long Beach.