Bite club: Pronto, Serrano's new fast-casual Mexican concept, opens
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The Serrano family has been slinging Mexican comfort food and their signature bean dip in the East Valley since 1979.
- The location on Rural and Guadalupe roads in south Tempe was my family's go-to spot growing up. Countless birthdays, straight-A report cards and a high school graduation were celebrated there.
Flashback: I was devastated when the restaurant closed its doors in 2020.
- It remained shuttered until late last month when it reopened as a fast casual concept with a new name: "Pronto by Serrano's."
Obviously, I had to check it out on opening weekend.
How it works: The former host booth has been transformed into an order counter where you can choose between a burrito, bowl, salad, nachos or tacos.
- You can load 'em up with an assortment of meats, fajita veggies, beans, rice and a plethora of other toppings and sauces.
- Your order will be delivered to your table via a robot server.
What I ordered: A burrito stuffed with asada steak, pinto beans, Spanish rice, cheese, pico de gallo and lettuce. It was topped with tomatillo sauce and queso fresco.
- And of course, bean dip! (Kind of a bummer that it's not just free and waiting for you at the table anymore, but alas.)
The verdict: The bean dip was superb, as always. And the burrito was pretty good, too. I'll definitely come back to try the nachos.
My two cents: I recognize I was there on their second day, but the whole concept felt a little overwhelming.
- There are a ton of options. Employees and customers alike were frazzled trying to make sure orders were recorded correctly. Throw in a robot server that was taking orders to the wrong tables and — it was stressful.
- I think the fast-casual idea is a good one — and needed in that part of the Valley — but paring down the options could help speed up the process and make it more intuitive.