Growing up in the West Valley, I didn’t get to enjoy the beloved East Valley chain Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants. I’d never even been to one until they hosted me for a thoughtfully orchestrated outdoor happy hour during my extended-quarantine phase of the pandemic. (For an update on said happy hour, read the latest issue’s HH roundup here.)
Ever since that sampling, I’ve tried to shoehorn a stop at Serrano’s into any Chandler or Mesa trek. (I live in North Phoenix now, so it’s not as far of a drive as from Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, Avondale, et al, but it’s still a bit of a schlep.) “I’m already on this side of town,” I tell myself. “Why not get some bean dip and pollo fundido to go?” Have I inhaled a bean burrito on my drive home despite eating a proper dinner just an hour prior? Sí. Have I messily eaten honey-drizzled sopapillas in my car because I couldn’t wait to get home to eat the hot, fluffy, perfectly fried pastries? Claro que si.
When I found out the Tempe location of Serrano’s was closing to evolve into a fast-casual concept offering some of the greatest hits of the flagship along with exciting new dishes, I once again had East Valley FOMO. Pronto by Serrano’s opened in June, and I finally got out there in early October for a media visit. I brought a very important taste-tester, my little cousin Charlotte, a senior in high school who is mulling a career in food journalism. What better way to give her a taste of food writing than to have her experience a media dinner and share her thoughts?
Charlotte and I are warmly greeted at the bright and open front counter by Dalton, a kind and efficient cashier who walks us through the menu, highlighting long-time customer favorites from Serrano’s and new, Pronto-only dishes. You can customize entrées – burritos, tacos, nachos, bowls, salads, quesadillas – à la Chipotle (follow Pronto on social media for fun glimpses into the Serrano family’s favorite combinations) or choose from specialties like fish tacos, stacked enchiladas, chicken tortilla soup and breakfast burritos. Dalton tells us the fish tacos and enchiladas are hugely popular, along with the quesabirria tacos and birria ramen. I’m a fool for birria, so I order the quesabirria tacos, and Charlotte follows suit. We round our order out with chips, guacamole and soft drinks, and Dalton gives us a little device to place on a sensor on our table, instructing us to align it properly “so she can find you.”
“She” turns out to be Catrina, aka Cat, the Pronto robot server, named by local journalist Geri Koeppel. “Catrina is the festival folk hero used in Day of the Dead celebrations across Mexico… and the robot is a female cat… so it was meant to be!” Pronto publicist Stephanie Jarnagan explains via email. We watch Cat glide through the restaurant to deliver food to a family a few tables down from us. After the kids excitedly retrieve their dishes and pat her on the head, Cat says goodbye and zips back to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, we have our own delivery from Cat. I marvel that the robot manages not to slosh the birria’s consommé in transit, yet I do so within moments of picking up my tray. Even machines are more graceful than I, sigh. We tuck into our tacos, which are packed with melty cheese, succulent shredded beef and crisp-tender minced onions – spiced but not spicy, which my wimpy tongue appreciates. The consommé brings even more concentrated flavor, with a delicious slick of fat that lingers on the lips like the best ramen broth. The guacamole is fresh and creamy, perfect for scooping up with crisp, plentiful fresh corn tortilla chips.
We love the restaurant’s décor as much as its food – white walls are accented with patterned tiles, an inflatable saguaro, artfully draped Mexican blankets, a little nicho with green tile and Mexican pottery, and an explosively colorful Southwestern mural by local artists Such and Champ Styles.
Sarah Serrano Licht, daughter of Serrano’s CEO Ric Serrano (a member of our Great 48 class of 2023), is running Pronto on top of checking in on the other Serrano’s locations. She pops by our table to talk about the community’s reception to the new concept after this location’s 38 years as a Serrano’s outpost. “There’s a lot of, ‘What is Pronto?’” she says with a laugh. “People are getting used to the new brand and realizing it’s the same really good food” by chef Lorraine Serrano (it’s a family business through and through).
Serrano Licht says Pronto’s picking up steam with the lunch crowd, especially as folks learn how adjustable its meals are for various diets. “It’s all fresh food, all customizable,” she says. “It’s a picky eater’s paradise. There’s something appealing for everyone.” Much of the menu can be made gluten-free, and Serrano Licht hopes to offer more vegan options in the future. Her go-to order? “It changes all the time, but lately it’s been a bowl with al pastor chicken and mango salsa… or the fish tacos.”
As for my dining companion, our budding food critic: “I really enjoyed going to Pronto. I was impressed with the food they had to offer, their great customer service and their yummy food,” Charlotte says. “Their food tastes amazing, and I think it’s a nice little dine-in place to take your family to for a quick bite. I also really enjoyed the interior of the restaurant, like the décor they had and the amazing paintings.”
Out of the mouths of babes. And we both agree: If we lived on this side of town, we’d be here for lunch all the time.
