When it comes to finding a quick lunch in Manchester city centre, you can never go wrong at Pancho’s Burritos.
Nestled into its own very colourful corner of the Arndale food Market (just upwind from our favourite fishmonger), it has been a fixture in this bustling wing of independent food traders since 2010.
A hallowed stop-off for burrito fans in the know, for the past thirteen years chef-owner Enrique Martinez has been dealing in big, fat wraps and tacos stuffed with flavourful slow-cooked meats.
Cochinita pibil (pulled pork marinaded in achiote spices and lime), chicken tinga and beef in chipotle are longstanding favourites, served alongside an array of homemade salsas – all made as they would be in Mexico City using a Volcanic stone called a Molcajete.
A grande burrito at Pancho’s Burritos in the Arndale Market filled with cochinita pibil (pulled pork marinated in lime and achiote spices). / Image: The Manc Eats
A packet of chilli lime ‘fuego’ Mexican Taki crisps, the best selling rolled corn snack in Mexico. / Image: The Manc Eats
Homemade sides and salsas here include Enrique’s special taquero sauce, own-recipe guacamole and XXX Habanero hot sauce. The latter is made using a recipe that has remained unchanged since 2009, and is to be treated with serious caution thanks to his use of fresh Habanero Chilies.
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Other interesting morsels on offer include packets of chilli lime ‘fuego’ Mexican Taki crisps and a tangy portion of nopalitos (cactus leaf salad) – a staple in Mexican cuisine used widely in tacos, salads and stews.
There’s plenty for vegans too, with plant-based fillings choices spanning a vegan chilli, vegan fajita tofu and vegan jackfruit with broad beans in green salsa.
Open from 10.30am in the week and 11am on Sundays, Enrique also serves up a handful of breakfast dishes.
Fans of the stall will know that his 10 inch burrito stuffed with eggs, ham, black beans,cheese and homemade pico de Gallo salsa is just the thing to fix a hangover.
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Priced at £7.50 as part of a breakfast meal deal, you can also secure a coffee, hot chocolate or tea to kick start your day. It’s also available as a quesadilla, but for us the burrito wins hands down every time.
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find soft-corn Masa Harina Mexico City tacos stuffed with Mexican red rice, your choice of fillings and Taquero salsa, 12-inch quesadilla ‘Gringas’, and Pancho’s nachos loaded with melted cheese, fresh jalapenos, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole and beans.
Add to that Enrique’s freshly-made Mexican flan and a variety of brightly-coloured Jarritos Meixcan soft drinks in flavours like guava and pineapple, and it truly is a lunchtime dream.
Homemade traditional Mexican creme caramel flan at Pancho’s Burritos. / Image: The Manc Eats
Mexico City tacos at Pancho’s Burritos with guava Jarritos. / Image: The Manc Eats
The family-run business has been a fixture in the Arndale for as long as we can remember. Owned by couple Enrique and Collette, the magic all began when the pair met in 2006 whilst Enrique was studying in Manchester.
The pair moved to Mexico for a couple of years, then had the idea of returning to start their own food business in the north of England. Having landed back in the UK in late 2009, their company was quickly formed and in in January 2010 Panchos Burritos opened inside the Arndale Market.
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Enrique grew up on his Mother’s home cooking and the street food of Mexico City, a mixture of tacos, quesdillas, sopes, tortas, enchiladas and Sunday morning markets selling Mixiot – a traditional pit-barbecued meat dish that is very popular in central Mexico.
It’s this heritage that inspires the dishes he cooks up on the market stall every day.
Delivering big flavours for a pretty minimal price, it’s no wonder that this tiny little spot is constantly pulling in big queues at lunchtime.
We recommend heading down early or preparing to queue for a while, it’s always incredibly busy between the hours of 12 and 3 – but entirely worth the wait.
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Being such huge fans of the place, we headed down to grab ourselves a big fat order Enrique’s Meixcan – and we even managed to score a discount code for you to get a tenner off when your order from Pancho’s with Deliveroo.
To see the full menu click here and to find out more about Pancho’s Burritos head over to their Instagram page here.
Oh, and to save on your next Deliveroo order from Pancho’s make sure to use the code 2X5@PANCHOS when you check out (note that the code can be used twice for two £5 savings on separate orders).
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Manchester
Where to watch Tyson Fury vs Oleskandr Usyk 2 in Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
Tyson Fury vs Usyk 2: ‘Undisputed’ is nearly upon us with the two contenders fighting to become unified heavyweight champion, and as the biggest fight of the year (at least since the last one), you might rightly be wondering where in Manchester is best to watch it.
With a homegrown albeit controversial talent on one side in Fury and a no-nonsense, not to mention undefeated Ukrainian on the other, there’ll be Mancs cheering for both sides but regardless of who you want to win, we can assure you town is going to be absolutely rammed with fight fans.
That being said, much like getting in the ring itself, you’re best having a game plan if you haven’t already sorted out where you’re going to watch the Fury vs Usyk rematch.
Now, you’re going to want to bank on big rooms with plenty of space for those coming last minute; don’t worry, we’ve got a few ideas and they’re decently spaced out in terms of area too.
Where to watch the Fury vs Usyk 2 fight in Manchester city centre
1. Tank and Paddle – Printworks
Spread across too large floors, it still has all the appeal of the old place and more. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
First up on the list is the newest addition to the Printworks entertainment complex: Tank and Paddle, which has taken over the old Yates site. Specialising in craft beers, cocktails, big pizzas and big screens for live sport, if you used to head here for the boxing before you have even more reason to now.
2. BOX – Deansgate
Next up is arguably the current king of Manchester’s live sports bar scene. Famous for great food, live music, shuffleboard, big steins of beer and even pornstar martinis (yes, whole pitchers of the stuff), as well as its giant jumbotron screen, it’s literally impossible for you to miss a single punch thrown here.
ln at number three is what we refer to as old faithful but, to repeat its true title, is The Brotherhood of Pastimes and Pursuits. We never ever say that name in full but we what do on a regular basis is head here after work, as well as pre and post-matchday to watch the rest of the action and play some games whilst we’re at it. It will be heaving for the fight but if you can book or get there early, you’ll have a ball.
Speaking of reliable after work and weekend haunts, they don’t get more tried and tested than Roxy Ball Room as we simply like to call her, our lovely lady Roxy. Shuffleboard, bowling, darts, pool, table tennis, basketball machines, beer pong, curling – oh yeah, and you can look up to watch the boxing if you want…
Fifth and finally, Mother Mary’s is the unsung hero of our list. It’s fast becoming one of our favourite places to watch sport anywhere in town. It’s popped over on New Wakefield St where Manc institution The Font used to be and it won’t stay the city centre’s best kept secret for long, so make sure you grab a table, one the cheapest pints of Guinness around and a seat in front of the big screens whilst you can.
Honourable mention…
Shooters/Bierkeller
Last but not least, we had to throw another suggestion (or two in there) because besides Tank and Paddle in Printworks, there also happens to be the legendary Bierkeller beer hall and the American sports and gaming bar attached it, Shooters, both of which will promise a great crowd for this title fight.
If all else has truly failed, O’Neill’s and Walkabout are just around the corner too – you’ve got to get in somewhere and you really don’t want to miss this clash.
If you were still wondering where to watch to watch the Fury vs Usyk rematch in central Manchester this Saturday, that handful of suggestions should just about do you in a pinch, just keep in mind that the earlier the better when it comes to events like this.
The two boxers are expect to begin their ring walks at around 10:25pm UK time, so you should have plenty of time to find a good spot to watch the carnage.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/TNT Sports (screenshot via YouTube) BOX (via Instagram)
Manchester
Manchester Airport unveils bumper Christmas makeover with Santa’s Grotto and last-minute shopping ideas
Daisy Jackson
Christmas has officially landed at Manchester Airport, and with an estimated 1.1m of us travelling through the busy transport hub in the coming weeks, the airport is really kicking off the festivities.
The halls have been decked with all sorts of festive touches, like a 20ft Christmas tree in Terminal 2, and plenty more glitter and sparkle around the entire airport.
There are dozens of discounts on stocking fillers as part of Manchester Airport’s ‘Holidays Mode Activated’ campaign, along with festive menus at bars and restaurants.
A Santa’s Grotto in Terminal 1’s free play area, the Little Flyers Zone, will be open until Wednesday 18 December, where little Mancs can send off their list to the big man with a Letters to Santa Station.
Santa himself will be on hand to greet families on Thursday and Fridays, but his elves will be there throughout the next few weeks too.
There are more than 200 destinations you can fly directly to from Manchester, from city breaks to other Christmas markets to snatched fortnights of sunshine to flights to spend the festive break with loved ones.
You can do your Christmas shopping at Manchester Airport with brilliant businesses like The Sculpts
And whether you’re one of those who’s panicked and left your shopping until the last minute, or are biding your time to save cash on beauty, booze and fragrance at World Duty Free, you can tick everything off your list on your way home for Christmas.
Shops at Manchester Airport include legendary toy shop Hamleys, fragrance favourite Jo Malone, and sportswear brand JD Sports.
You can stock up on gifts like fashion accessories from shops like BOSS and Accessorize, or get all your gifts for 2024 in one go at duty free.
And don’t miss The Sculpts, a Manchester-based design business operated by a local couple, who sell a range of handmade homeware and souvenirs including their signature alphabet tiles.
Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said: “Christmas is a magical time here at Manchester Airport.
“We’re always proud to connect the North to the world but the importance of that role really shines through at this time of year. It feels wonderful when you see travellers having emotional reunions in arrivals and families in departures getting ready to visit Father Christmas in Lapland.
“It’s also always a popular time to fly and, having broken our passenger records every month for well over a year now, we expect this Christmas to be the biggest and busiest we’ve ever seen with over a million passengers flying in the two-week festive period.
“Not only will those passengers receive a great service – last month 82% of our passengers waited less than five minutes to get to security – but they will also be able to soak up some of the magic we have here, including Santa’s grotto in our Little Flyers Zone in Terminal 1 and choirs singing carols at various spots in all three terminals.
“We can’t wait to welcome passengers to Manchester Airport this festive season.”
Georgina Pellant -
6th March 2023 
