Picante! Fresh Mexican Grill

Stamford, United States

3.4

20 reviews

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 203-595-5490
Website:
www.picantefreshmexicangrills.com
Address:
148 Bedford St, Stamford, CT, 06901
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.7 miStamford
1.4 miGlenbrook
2.2 miOld Greenwich
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Today

Today –
Local time (Stamford) 6:59 PM Friday, November 29, 2024

Business hours

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Tuesday –
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Friday –
Saturday –
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Description

Specialties

Fact: There was no Mexican food before Picante! Fresh.

Fact: Our ‘Wall of Salsa’ is the second greatest wall in the world!

Fact: Our food reverses the aging process! (well, not really)

Anyway, here’s the story, and it is a simple one: Our food is damn good, and that’s all there is to it! We are more than just your average Mexican joint!

We use the freshest ingredients, delivered daily, and have an incredible wall of homemade salsa & sauces — from mild to plain olé ass kickin’! Our meats and poultry are perfectly spiced. We also have vegetarian, lo-​carb and low-​fat options. Cheese is cheese, however, lo-​carb or not, and flavor is flavor — and we make it work!

Come on in, bring an attitude and a hustle — because we sure have it!

History

Established in 2011.

Anshu Vidyarthil created Picante! Fresh Mexican Grill® to enhance the vital, healthy & foodie culture of Fairfield County. The first Picante! Fresh in downtown Stamford has rapidly become a local favorite for a healthy lunch, a casual dinner or just for taking out! Fresh produce delivered daily from local markets, meats charbroiled on grills in an exhibition-​style kitchen. Guests have the option of whole wheat, or low-​carb items. Picante! Fresh is gaining notoriety for its hot sauces and its signature’Wall of Salsa!’ Just Keepin’ it Fresh!

Meet the Business Owner

Anshu V.

Business Owner

Anshu Vidyarthi has lived every aspect of the restaurant industry since the age of 16, bringing more than 20 years of restaurant and customer service knowledge to the table!

Although Anshu didn’t originally have plans to pursue a career in the restaurant industry, it just became his passion. Beginning in 2003, Anshu became well known to Fairfield patrons as the managing partner of l’escale restaurant bar in Greenwich.

Ever since his days of growing up in California, Anshu had a dream of opening his own taqueria, something like the ones you find in the Mission District of San Francisco. So, finally, in May of 2011, he took the plunge and opened Picante! Fresh Mexican Grill, updating the classic taqueria to todays standards of health conscious & cost effective dining, while focusing on taste, style and attitude.

Vicinity

Near this location:
1
ft
Ford’s Plumbing Heating & Cooling
148 Bedford St
20
ft
R. Hollander Master Goldsmith Ltd
154 Bedford St
50
ft
Fleet Feet Sports
168 Bedford St
80
ft
Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
112 Bedford St
100
ft
Chez Vous Bistro
188 Bedford St
110
ft
Hudson Grille
128 Bedford St

20 reviews of Picante! Fresh Mexican Grill

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Place rating: 5
Stamford, CT
I love this place! They forgot my free drink once with delivery but i didnt even notice that until the delivery guy came back a half hour later to drop it off! I love their salsa and chips and their burritos are great too
Place rating: 2
Croton Falls, NY
Went today for lunch, just to try their particular spin on fast fresh Mex. Not the best idea. The staff were pleasant, but the proteins in the tacos were sadly lacking in flavor. The steak was bland and limp, and the grilled fish was grey and unpleasantly astringent. Salsas were meh. Fresh, but uninspired. Seek elsewhere; this place is definitely not your best option in downtown.
Place rating: 5
Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, NY
I just ordered a fajita chicken quesilldilla for delivery and I have to say it was the best quesilldilla I’ve ever had! And that was delivery. Usually when you order Mexican from anywhere delivery it’s soggy and subpar and comes late but they were on time and delicious. Would recommend :)
Place rating: 1
Stamford, CT
So bad… Never going back again. It’s pricey, considering it’s fast food quality. The tacos where bland and the tortilla soup was beyond greasy. I was so disappointed.
Place rating: 2
Greenwich, CT
Food wasn’t good, delivery was 30 minutes late past their time estimate. There was almost nothing in the $ 3.50 fish tacos. Seek mexican food elsewhere.
Place rating: 4
New York, NY
My husband and I take out from Picante at least once a week. Their food quality and quantity are both solid. I love love their chicken tortilla soup– it’s perfect on a snowy cold lazy Sunday. I’ve tried their steak salad as well and I absolutely loved it.
My husband’s go to is the chicken quesadilla, and I must admit I’ve stolen several bites of his quesadilla. much to his dismay ha!
We’ve never dined in but I believe there are tables/​seating. It looks pretty casual from what I’ve seen. Parking could be a pain as its on-​street parking on a busy street but usually there’s parking on Summer St, which runs parallel to Bedford where this restaurant is on.
Place rating: 1
Brooklyn, NY
Food is decent… not going to lie. This one star is based on a VERY bad experience.
I order from here about once a week or more for lunch. Its consistently decent food, nothing special but also very satisfying. My co-​worker orders the same thing every time we place an order: Traditional Burrito, vegetarian/​vegan style with no meat, cheese, sour cream etc. This time it ended up coming with cheese. Not the biggest deal in the world, just gotta call and indicate the error and work on getting another one. The guy on the other end of the phone who remembered my order confirms it was a traditional burrito with no meat, cheese, sour cream. I ask him to check with the cook, who also confirms it was a «Vegan» burrito. I hear it happen through the phone. The only problem was there was definitely cheese in there. So my colleague walks it back where they realize there IS cheese in there! The worst part? THEY LIE TO HER AND TELL HER I ORDERED A CON QUESO BURRITO. What the heck?
Man up, and own up to your mistakes rather than LYING and blaming it on customers.
Place rating: 4
Yorktown Heights, NY
I love both the Con Queso Burrito and the Cali Burrito. They’re so good that even though I order from here several times per month, that’s all I’ve tried. It’s a good deal and you’ll never still be hungry after ordering from here. They deliver in a very timely fashion and I would definitely suggest Picante to anyone in Stamford looking for a good, quick, takeout meal.
Place rating: 1
Tampa, FL
The restaurant was not clean in my opinion and the Burrito we ordered was a complete mess that just fell apart. Also it was smoky– we left with burning eyes and smelling like burnt smoke. I’ll stick to chipotle in the future.
Place rating: 5
Riverside, CT
Just tried this place and loved it. Each bite makes clear how fresh and flavorful their food is. Also the salsa bar was really cool. They must have at least a dozen salsas, which made it easy for me to find the perfect one to put on my tacos.
Place rating: 2
Stamford, CT
The service and quality of food has really gone done. My order was wrong, then I talked to the manager and she didn’t ask what I wanted. I wanted fish and I got steak. I told her that I don’t eat beef and she argued with me about whether steak was beef or not. I just looked at her. She did not ask me the type of fish and assumed that I wanted fried, but I had already told them each time that I wanted the grilled fish. After my order was complete, I opened my taco and there was some steak in it.
I used to like this place, but unfortunately, we will go to Tomatillo. We believe that there food is fresher.
Place rating: 5
Stamford, CT
Always fresh and full of flavor the fish tacos are perfect every time!!! Great choice of options at the salsa bar too!
Place rating: 5
Arlington, VA
Fast and easy. For the money it’s great. I freaking love the con queso burrito and my fiancée can’t get enough of the original sin taco. If you want some spice in the burrito, give them some of the hot stuff from the salsa bar and they will mix it in for you. Also I give them kudos for the good music.
Place rating: 4
Stamford, CT
Everything is always fresh here, down to the tortilla chips! I recommend the Taco Salad, really good and filling for a great price. Fast service as well.
Place rating: 4
Stamford, CT
My usual lunch spot on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. I usually order to-​go since it can get crowded thanks to the many office buildings Downtown.
Tacos are delicious. I usually get carne, pollo and their shrimp varieties.
They also have Mexican sodas and Coronas!
Place rating: 1
Stamford, CT
Delivery service was horrible! The guy who delivered the food was angry and when I paid in cash with tip (25%) he THREW the tip back at me. Honestly that alone secures that I never eat at Picante ever again, when the rudeness was uncalled for.
Also, the food arrived cold and was subpar at most.
Place rating: 4
Elmhurst, NY
I am not big in Mexican food but I live around the block so I decide to give a try. I went there a few times so far and really like their special tacos and sangria!
Place rating: 5
Manhattan, NY
I’m not really into tacos, but this place blew me away with their Veggie Patch tacos. Price: For $ 8.25, you get 3 veggie tacos with retried beans, guacamole, sautéed pepper, onion, low fat jack cheese, and shredded lettuce. I opted for the soft flour taco shell (you can also choose corn or crispy corn shell).
Service: Friendly and efficient. My order came within 10 minutes.
The food: As soon as I took the first bite, the fresh and softness of the shell and the savory sautéed pepper exploded in my mouth. Yes, EXPLODED! I’ve tried other veggie tacos before, but this one just took it to another level. They also have a well stocked salsa bar for the tortilla chips. My favorites are the pico de gallo and grilled jalapeño dips.
Conclusion: I can’t wait for my next visit!
Place rating: 3
Wayne, PA
Decent place to get a quick quesadilla, burrito, or other similar mexican meal, plus a beer or sangria to wash it down.
Staff are always very friendly and food is always quick to come out, and the restaurant itself is clean. There is a small salsa bar with some ok salsas. I love the tortilla chips here. The guac is ok but kind of looks like the kind that comes out of a plastic tub you buy at the supermarket. Quesadillas are also ok, though I think they could use a little more cheese than mine have come with. I do appreciate that whole wheat tortillas are an option. On the other hand, it’s pretty disappointing that there’s not an option to get steak inside but rather only ground beef.
If you’re looking for a fancier experience go across the street to Lola’s. But if you just want a quick burrito or salad Picante should suffice.
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
I have been going to Picante at least once a month since they opened three years ago. I love everything I’ve tried. I usually stick to the Taco Salad with chicken, but I’ve also tried everything from the fish tacos to the the skinny burrito (amazing considering the fact that I hate beans of any kind). I love everything I’ve had thus far including the addictive chipotle chicken empanadas. And don’t get me started on the chips and guacamole or the fresh salsa bar — YUM! Everything is so fresh, the sangria is awesome and the staff is really really nice, especially the owner who’s usually present.
With Picante in Stamford who needs a Chipotle???