Places to Eat: Pacos Tacos and Tequila

If you’re in the South Park area of Charlotte and get a hankering for Tex-Mex, there’s no better place to satisfy your craving than Pacos Tacos. The brain child of Frank Scibelli (Mama Ricotta’s, Bad Daddys, and Midwood Smokehouse), Pacos Tacos is located on the back side of Specialty Shops on the Park near Williams Sonoma. Old time Charlotteans will recognize it as the former space of Manzetti’s.

The inside has a rustic Texas feel with a large bar in the center, populated by bottles and more bottles of Tequila. Pacos Tacos serves a jaw-dropping 60+ kinds of tequila. A small patio area is located at one end of the restaurant.

The 2 big draws at Pacos Tacos are the Margaritas and the tacos. Choose one of their specialty Margaritas or build your own from their long list of tequilas, mixers, and flavorings. I had the Firestarter Margarita, infused with jalapenos, and I probably could have started a fire. It was unbelievably hot and spicy! Mondays they offer great specials on their Margarita pitchers.

The tacos can be ordered as a 2 or 3 taco plate and you can mix and match the tacos. First, you pick your tortilla type, all made in-house. Choices include flour, wheat, low carb, crispy yellow, or soft corn. Filling choices include calamari, gringo beef, chicken fried steak, shrimp, masa and beer battered white fish, and the signature Paco’s Tacos- beef brisket slow-cooked for 6 hours with caramelized onions and chipotle BBQ sauce. Taco plates are served with rice, slaw, and choice of beans. Even the 2-taco plate ($10) is a feast.