Pio Loco

If you’ve read my past reviews of Pio Loco (most deleted by Unilocal), you know how I feel about Chef Jeff. In ways that I won’t enumerate here (because it no longer matters), he brought this on himself. Suffice to say that it’s bad business when half the town refuses to eat at your restaurant because they think you’re such a colossal douche-​bag.
But I’ll finally state the sole reason why I came down so hard on his ass. I’ve heard the horror stories of Chef Jeff as a boss from someone close to me who worked for him for a time — a young woman who has since done just fine in the restaurant business — and he was an abusive, arrogant, bullying, sexist asshole to her. For no other reason than she was very young at the time — and he sensed that she was unsure of herself and thus vulnerable — he did it because he thought that he could, out of a sense of power and entitlement.
The worst form of bully. A big guy bullying a little girl.
Punk broke-​ass motherfucker.
But I just don’t really feel like getting up from my chair and doing anything like a victory jig, as I would have done a few years ago. I feel genuinely bad for those who are losing their jobs, given the state of things.

This place is plain creepy. ‘Been here for lunch and dinner over the years — really never once was it any good, in fact I would say every time it was bad. My LAST visit !
By day it is dingy and stenchy. Smells like stale alcohol and rotting carcasses. The server made me nervous — she looked scared like maybe she wanted to scream RUN RUN but instead was frozen in fear. Food was gross — I can’t even write about it without gagging.
I checked out their health department inspections… well, you should check it out yourself.
By night with the lights low this place goes from creepy to frightening. Chips stale — salsa was bubbling like on the verge of going rancid. Entrees were limp and confusing and tasted like dirty dishes and old grease.

With yet another venue change, we had to check it out.
Carnitas pork with the bbq sauce/​build your own version
which was preferred by my husband, now $ 3
extra for the guac., come on.
I ordered the Special: «surf/​turf». Fillet? maybe. Lobster, was in pieces,
drowned in too much sauce, although yummy. Excellant service!
I did like the room change with the added bar. We left before the «Club Loco» got under way…

With the demise of the Martini Bar at Win River, Club Coco Loco’s has become a late-​night stop, sadly.
I love to dance, and it’s the only place to pound the hardwood with semi-​recent dance music.
At times I feel like I’m back in junior high, shaking my hips at the «Drug Free Zone Dance» at the local community center.
This place has amazing potential if it were to implement a few changes.
Get a DJ that has a sense for hit music of the current decade and maybe a few songs for decades past.
However, I don’t want to wait through five songs to finally get out and groove to one decent jam.
The drinks are strong, the atmosphere is solid, but the music is lacking for a place that considers itself Redding’s new top night spot.
Get a new DJ already!

I have never been to a mexican restaurant that is frugal on the chips.
Our large party of 20 plus = $$$‘s had to ask for chips midway our first cocktail. Then we got one basket per 4 – 6 of us with a single tiny dish of salsa. I felt bad for the waitpeople as I would be embarrassed to having to ration chips in a mexican place!
The food was average, and nothing to write home about.
The Sangria was poor.
I think the plain fact with the lack of salsa and chips in Mexican restaurant makes me NOT recommend this place to anyone!
Oh you can purchase them for 2.99 a basket.

My friend I went out for drinks here the other night and had a decent time. When the bill came, I was happy with the affordability. Even got a free shot on our way out the door! However, all that cannot undo the horribleness that was lunch the following Friday. The food was terrible and overpriced. The menu looks mouthwateringly interesting, but somehow it doesn’t translate to the plate. The beans looked like burnt, black mush and my spinach enchiladas were boring. To be fair, half of our group was happy with their meals, the other was not. So I figure you have about a 50% chance of liking this place. Also, our waitress was great; she took our untouched soups off the bill. She gets 4 stars. On to the next…

This was an extremely nice dinner. We were pleasantly surprised.
The mexican fondue — outstanding
Tuna tacos — fabulous
Burrito (can’t remember which one) — divine
We wanted to eat dessert but we were really full. So we waited for a bit to see if a little hole would appear. Unfortunately for us (with a 4 mth old baby), the restaurant turned into a nightclub at 9pm. We aren’t ones to let our baby cramp our style, but a nightclub is going a bit far even for us.
Definately go, and if you don’t want to eat in a nightclub, plan to finish before 9pm

I wanted to love this place. The location is great. But the food really wasn’t.
Surprised when the complimentary salsa with our chips came in a little paper container. Doesn’t it cost as much to wash a ceramic container as to buy paper nut cups? I’m already thinking… cheap & cost saving measures.
We had the pesto salmon with balsamic spinach & risotto: quite nicely presented with crispy & fresh vegetables. But where was the pesto? Where was the balsamic? Neither of these distinct tastes was present. All I could taste was oil.

Well I am going to agree with the previous person that the bad ratings on the other post are from people with an ax to grind and not a proper review of what you can expect for your dining experience.
I just visited Redding for two days. Our first day needed to eat a about 4 pm. This was not our first choice due to the low rating. Most places were not open until 5 so we ended up at pio loco.
This is a really nice place with great service and the food was great. It is more of a high end Mexican or a Mexican fusion but it is really good.
We decided to come back in the evening for drinks and appetizers and for some live music. Had fabulous service and some of the best calamari I have ever had.

Hmmmm… The first time I went to this place we sat at the bar and ate because we wanted to watch a game. The food was good and so was the service.
We decided to try it for dinner one night… Oh My! The waiter was GREAT but the food never did come out… Over an hour later I told the waiter we needed to leave to catch a movie. He said the kitchen is doing menu changing so it won’t be much longer. After another 15 minutes we decided to just leave. There were only 5 tables of people in the restaurant so I dunno… Like I said, The waiter was superb but the wait was unacceptable! We will probably not go back. I gave them a two because of the waiter and the first time we went there.
It was a GREAT movie though «Changeling» with Angelina Jolie!