I think my friends are going to hate me for this rating....but I have to be true to myself.
Three trusted elites in Louisville, when they found out we would be in Phoenix for a week, they all but insisted that we eat at Chino Bandido.
First, how HOW did none of my friends tell me what the food was like? I honestly thought we were going to be going to get tacos until we were on our way to the place and we were so hungry, we started looking at the menu before we got there (I don't normally peep the menus ahead of time).
The Mexican-Chinese mixture is an interesting one. The amount of food you get for the money is CRAZY. At least two people could share a combo and be more than satisfied. I think it just wasn't my cup of tea.
I got a combo with the Chinese bbq pork and the carnitas (in a quesadilla) with pork fried rice and beans. I absolutely devoured it, primarily because we had climbed Camelback that afternoon. But it just didn't wow me like I hoped it would, having heard my friends rave about it. It all tasted fine separately, I'm just not sure it all works together.
The staff was friendly and helpful when telling us first timers how to order and how it all works. Overall it was a decent visit.
It is an interesting concept, that many think is well-executed. If I was back in the area and was asked to go back, I wouldn't say no. But I personally wouldn't suggest it myself.