Pio Loco Restaurant

In the late 90's this place was really good, but then they changed the menu and it seemed like they jacked up the price and the menu was bad. Now they have tried to go back to a simpler menu, but I'm not impressed. I do not find the food to be very good. Even the higher priced items are not good. I think they should simplify the appetizers though. It would be nice to be able to order something that the kids would like for an appetizer instead of oysters. I think they should try to return to the way they were in the late 90's with a variety of burritos and chimichanga's. I don't think other people are really enjoying Pio Loco much anymore either. If they want to be upscale, I really think they should just change their name and become a steak house. The building looks like it should be an upscale steak house.

I have to agree with the other review, Pio Loco has gotten pricey and their food has gone down hill. There was a time when this would have made my favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. I used to go for the crab enchiladas (you cannot get those just anywhere) and they were really good. Oddities like broccoli guacamole were typical of dishes (and sides) you just would not find anywhere else in Redding.

The service was getting really bad! The place reminded me of corporate America in the late 80s, when someone realized how much more money they could make by firing people and cutting corners. That is a short term business model, and it felt like less staff and smaller portions were a quick way to make a buck. It is quite unfortunate that this place lost the qualities that made it stand out from the rest. This seemed to disappear about the same time the Chef Jeff commercials stopped running on the radio.

Great atmosphere but thats about all. I had an enchilada lunch that was about $12 and had one enchilada on it. The taste was good, but the value for the money wasn't there.