Bar San Pancho To Take Over Chino, Bring Cali-Mexican to the Land of Cali-Mexican

When Chino closed its doors for good last fall following a short-lived reboot, owner Joe Hargrave (Tacolicious) was already considering his next move. Though nothing was set in stone, Hargrave told Eater "...I'm always very comfortable in the Mexican scene." Combine that with a newly signed 15 year lease, and it's no surprise that the space will now become Bar San Pancho, a Mexican concept.

Now the space is fully committing to living its best life as a "Cal-Mexican cantina" concept, offering dishes like cocteles de camarones, spicy wings, chile relleno tacos and more. Tortas will include the likes of a cheese-stuffed burger called a "HamburQueso," according to Tablehopper, and will be accompanied by ancho fries. Though it sounds like bartender Danny Louie is no longer involved, Manny Ramirez has been drafted from Tacolicious to do the boozy honors.  Drinks will be on the "easy" side, including a handful of cocktails made with fresh juices, slushies and Mexican draft beers. And, most exciting, there will be a series of "preparadas," which is basically a choose-your-own-adventure michelada bar.

The space is undergoing a makeover at the moment, adding some high-tops with stools, communal tables and a handful of flatscreen TVs for sportsing purposes. The switcheroo is expected to wrap up quickly, with an early April opening in the works. Stay tuned for more details.