El Sancho

Top choice in Bend


Fantastic, great-value Mexican served in a cool atrium-like setting that opens up in summer or is heated in winter. Every taco, from the chipotle chicken to Oaxacan cheese and green chile, is as good as you'll find anywhere. Extras include fried plantains, tamales, chicken tortilla soup and kick-ass margaritas and pisco sours.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bend attractions

1. Deschutes Historical Museum

0.78 MILES

Located in an old grade school, this museum houses Native American and pioneer artifacts. There's also historical information on the area's logging,…

2. High Desert Museum

6.39 MILES

This excellent museum, about 3 miles south of Bend, charts the exploration and settlement of the West, using reenactments of a Native American camp, a…

3. Newberry National Volcanic Monument

9.93 MILES

About 13 miles south of Bend is this impressive area, a relatively recent volcanic region resulting from 400,000 years of volcanic activity. Newberry…

4. Lava River Cave

11.14 MILES

About 1 mile south of the Lava Lands visitor center, Lava River Cave is the only lava tube that's developed for visitors (bring a flashlight or rent a…

5. Three Sisters Wilderness

16.94 MILES

This beautiful 283,400-acre region spans the Cascade Range and is highlighted by the glaciered Three Sisters, three recent volcanic peaks each topping 10…

6. Smith Rock State Park

23.17 MILES

Best known for its glorious rock climbing, Smith Rock State Park boasts rust-colored 800ft cliffs that tower over the pretty Crooked River. Nonclimbers…

8. Dee Wright Observatory

28.57 MILES

Perched on frozen rock atop McKenzie Pass, Dee Wright Observatory is a small fortress built out of lava in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It…