Pancho Villa — Restaurant in Ottawa

Went in with fair expectations because I know even a decade ago, Pancho Villa was nowhere near authentic nor anything special but they did mediocre to decent Tex Mex and had beach drinks which will satisfy your need for mex influenced carbs on the patio. The best part about the experience was their server who was very resourceful and eager to accommodate. Unfortunately there is a complete lack of ambiance, from the moment I walked in I was accosted by a senior staff guy about my little soda can and told I couldn’t be on the patio with it due to liquor license. Based on some other observations, this place is a serious stickler when it comes to things like that. You get the sense that they don’t like certain people hanging out after they’ve finished their food, I felt very rushed even though there were only a few other tables spaced out and it was a couple of hours before dinner service. No one was sitting inside of course. The resident bartender can’t make a decent lime margarita and this was after I already sent back one of their gin cocktails that was recommended to me. After this experience, I really appreciated my favourite bartenders more and I have even more respect for their trade. You might have been making drinks at pancho villa for years but it tastes like very watered down lemon juice with a splash of bland flat spritzer. I don’t know, it was just really disappointing and it made for an awkward experience because I profusely apologized to the bartender for sending the first cocktail back and he made a jokey comment that I’d better like the lime margarita because he won’t be doing any more re-dos. So when the simple mix was awful, I respectfully asked for a some bar lime. The server had already brought a small side of mango juice out for the original cocktail so then I tried to add a bit of that. Instead of being honest, I tried to gulp it down and look like I was enjoying it when the bartender would be nearby on the outside patio. I officially felt like a preteen at a sad birthday party I’d been forced to go to where the parents only serve bland “health” food and hover over you like helicopters. Thankfully I didn’t order any food as I know how risky it was to do that unless you enjoy unevenly cooked “Mexican”rice and partially reheated frozen-to-microwave chicken or beef enchiladas on a tacky plate resembling your great grandma’s groovy 1960s dinnerware. Napkins always had to be requested despite it being a severely hot day. Mom and pop shops and small biz restaurants are pressured to cut costs somewhere so the stingy napkin thing isn’t a deciding factor for patronizing or not patronizing this place. Although they do use paper towelettes in the bathroom I believe so not exactly economically or enviro-conscious in that area, are they. I never received a thank you or a welcoming smile from either of the senior male staff on duty and my server had to leave before I left so it was extremely dry and uninviting overall. They could be overworked, underpaid, tired, unhappy at their job, I realize the world doesn’t revolve around the customer the way it once did but for heaven’s sake, every single patron who chooses your business over all the others should be appreciated. We don’t have much disposable income and to select your spot to unload a few bills is something to show gratitude for otherwise you’ll quickly discover your restaurant can’t hack it in today’s post-pandemic competitive hospitality and prepared food market. Would not...

First of all, the service was great, so no complaints there. The terrace was cute, too. The food and drink were very disappointing.

I ordered the "Sombrero" cocktail, a chicken taco, and the "Avocado Princesa" (because I was craving crab salad.) The drink was very bland, and almost tasted like a rubber tire but watered down. I would work on that recipe or reduce the price. For $15 one can get a really great cocktail, especially on Elgin, so I couldn't help but feel ripped off.

The taco was really not good. Chicken boiled in something tomato-y, slopped (with too much of the juice) onto a tortilla, garnished with some bland lettuce. It was actually difficult to eat because of how soggy and bland it was. With every bite, a bunch of liquid spilled onto my plate. Not to be rude, but it was gross and I did mention it to the server, to let the kitchen know. As someone who loves to cook, I never would send out food like that. It made me regret not just going to El Camino across the street for a quality taco.

For my "main course" I ordered the Avocado Princesa. It was basically an avocado cut in half, stuffed with what tasted like thousand islands dressing mixed with some defrosted little shrimp and celery. It was very bland and almost kind of sweet, which grossed me out. It came on top of a bowl of lettuce, with some shaved carrots and peppers and hardly any dressing. I ate some, but gave up quickly.

This is just an honest review, and is not intended to throw this place under the bus. I ate here once before, a few years ago, with someone who was a regular and whatever he ordered for us that time (I wish I remembered) was very delicious and filling, so I think I just ordered the wrong thing. I probably won't be back, but I wouldn't say "NEVER"...just, I would never order the...

Spilling the beans about beans☹️😧 It is one of our favourite restaurants and after yesterday, no longer worthy of those words. We were there to celebrate my wife's birthday and after spending almost $70-80, we left the restaurant with sadness and disappointment.

We ordered 2 plates of Veggie Burritos (we are vegetarians ) and they both came with spoiled stale sour beans. When we pointed out to the server, she was very defensive and told us that they make the beans every day and looked surprised that we made that comment. I only ate beans and salad from my wife's plate and the beans were sour and had a pungent smell to it.

We were charged full price and given some other beans and handful of nachos to take home to make up for the sad but "bad" beans. Since it was my wife's birthday, my daughter didn't want to leave the place without a small sweet treat. She ordered "fried icecream" and we left after that with a very heavily "fried"heart. This was a place we have been going for 30+ years and I don't think we will go back again. I only ate a bit of salad and beans and I have been feeling like having taken strong laxative and 🤮 and visiting 🚽🧻 since last night.

We took home the balance food minus bad beans and I think it's going to be deposited in the ♻️🚮

Sorry I had to make those comments because food and handling of it is a very sensitive and hygienic...