Pancho's Villa Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in San Antonio

I'll start off by saying our waitress, Roxy, was extremely nice and attentive and this has nothing to do with her great service. However, I will say that this actually might be the worst restaurant I've ever been to and I'm quite surprised at the overall high rating.

The chips and salsa came out quickly. The chips were fine, and the hot salsa was okay, but the mild salsa tasted like marinara sauce from a jar. If you're already serving salsa from a jar, at least have it be a decently-flavored salsa. I could have put the mild salsa on spaghetti and wouldn't have thought twice about it.

We ordered 2 margaritas (regular and strawberry) and after a single sip, realized that there was little to no alcohol in them. They tasted like the margarita sour mix you buy at a grocery store where you just have to "add tequila", except we didn't even taste the tequila. We politely asked if there was alcohol in them, and then we were told that the margs were actually wine-based and from a bottle. I've never heard of a "wine-based margarita" and we didn't even taste the wine! It should be clear on the menu that the margaritas are, simply, not margaritas and just a sugared wine mix. Also, the salt on the rim was not margarita salt...it was table salt. We couldn't get past another sip of that.

We then ordered entrees and hoped that this was where the high rating came from, and unfortunately we were just as disappointed. The quesadilla was soaking wet, and the chimichanga tasted like a frozen burrito from the gas station that was just heated up and fried. Edible, but not what you expect from a sit-down restaurant. And finally, to top it off, the guac. The guac had the same consistency of soup -- pure liquid. No lime, tomato, onion, or jalepeno to be found -- it was simply watered-down avocado with tiny pieces of cilantro. We politely asked the waitress what was in this as it did not smell, taste, or look like guac. She told us that they blended (emphasize blended) avocado and cilantro. We then realized it was so watery because they probably added water to the blender so it could...blend. I've never heard of guac being blended but then again maybe I've never been to that part of Mexico before.

Overall, I will say again our waitress was very kind and this has nothing to do with her service. I do wish we weren't charged for the "margaritas" as it was obvious that we did not enjoy them (didn't even drink them) and were mislead by the lack of tequila. We wanted to try this place because it had excellent reviews, but now I'd rather go to Taco Bell or Chipotle before ever coming back here. Such a disappointment and management should be embarrassed that they call this place a...

We love this place and have gone back again and again since we found it. The speciality tacos are amazing and each are vastly different! For most items you have options between multiple types of beef, pork, chicken, or veggie. They also have shrimp and fish options, the fish and shrimp specialty tacos are fantastic, as are every other one I've tried.

All the usual Mexican items are on the menu and they run daily specials. The quesadillas and fajitas seem very popular.

The portions sizes are considerable and the prices are VERY reasonable. It's almost like they prioritize getting repeat business vs trying to pick your pocket for every little thing till only dust comes out. It is very much a spot that the locals go to for great food and affordable enough that it draws in the students from St. Leo University down the road.

Two people can walk out absolutely stuffed with leftovers having spent $30 or less. Lunch items (11am-3pm) are $10 - $13.. Lunch combos start at less than $9. Dinner SPECIALTIES run about $16; dinner combos start at around $13; and dinner specials range between $11 and $13. Specialty tacos start at 1 for $7.25 - $9.00; 2 for $10.25 - $12.25; or ANY 3 $13.75. Most lunch and dinner items are served with Mexican rice and refried beans but they do have other options available. I'm not sure if they upcharge if you ask for alternate sides since we love the rice and beans, but I don't think so if you ask for like yellow rice and black beans. There are 8 items on the children's menu including the usual staples for kids and they do offer French fries. Do yourself a favor and try the fried ice cream, it's perfect for sharing on date night.

Fair warning, it is a small-ish place and not for the claustrophobes out there and it is packed full more often than not. Larger groups may wait a few minutes for seating but tables turn over pretty quick as people tend to eat and leave because it's a place you go to for a quick bite at a great price and not so much for the atmosphere and a 2 hour fine dining experience. There is a sign posted stating "for larger groups please have all members of party present before asking to be seated". As a couple we've always walked in and are...

After a long week, my husband pleasantly surprised me when he suggested Pancho's for lunch. I was initially excited because I remember how good it was the last time we were there.

Long story short, it was okay. I thought the guacamole could have used some salt and maybe a little lime. Otherwise the crumbled queso fresco didn't help improve the flavor any. Within the combination platter I ordered, I would say the taco was the best. Unfortunately, my palate couldn't distinguish any difference between the burrito and the enchilada. The only way I could taste much of anything was to add some of the homemade hot sauce. That of which was pretty good.

Overall, I would give service a 7 out of 10. The last time I checked, a person can hear better when they are facing you and standing still within close proximity rather than walking away quickly. It felt awkward to call out to our server asking for another container for our leftovers because she didn't stay long enough for us to tell her she didn't bring enough the first time around.

I'm willing to give them another chance. However, I don't think I will miss them too much given the great places closer to home.

¡Gracias a Pancho's Villa por su tiempo y tenga una buena...