Pancho Villa

361 Elgin St, Ottawa - K2P 1M7
137 reviews
Mexican
(613) 234-8872

Went to eat there with my 9 year old daughter, wife and brother. I got an ice drink from another shop for my daughter and was told by the owner that outside stuff wasn't allowed but he would allow it this time. All this as other people are bringing outside alcoholic drinks (they told me). I was really irritated by this.I know we weren't spending as much as those other people drinking alcohol but to a child feel like thy are doing something song while others are getting wasted on outside alcohol and told nothing by the owner? This guy was a long I think no common sense. I ate nothing but my wife really did not like the food. We basically ate 1/4 of what we ordered and left........ what a terrible experience

Nice patio. Okay service. Terrible food & drinks.Nachos were disgusting. For a “Mexican” place - it had bland cheese, and weird red sauce (not salsa or salsa verde or anything resembling salsa) and that was it. It was flowing over the pan. The margaritas were also bland (frozen not shaken)Go elsewhere - there are a ton of nice patios with way better food & drinks.

Great spot if :1. You don’t have teeth, and don’t need to chew your food.2. Don’t like tasting your food3. Enjoy lots of alcohol in tasteless drinks.4. Like to get stabbed by loose metal shanks on the wall, on your way out.The tacos fall apart because they can’t be bothered to strain anything.The burritos are filled with mush and 1-2 pieces of what I was told was pulled beef but ended up being steak cut to 3/4 (not very big).The rice is tasteless and overcooked.The salad was not that bad but very watery.If your lucky enough to order the combo you get to enjoy it all as a soup which is a huge plus at the age of 90+ unfortunately I’m not that old (yet).Taste buds of an average dude in early 40’s, non smoker.I will be returning when I’m committed to a retirement residence because well, I won’t need to chew, taste, or generally enjoy my meal at that time, but right now I like to have some texture/flavour to my pallet/meals.Thanks for showing me what retirement residence meals looks/tastes like

We were there with my family for a little lunch. Food was good, service was a bit slow but ok, since we have a 2 ans 4 years old grand children. Good place for a quick meal.

Honestly not really one to complain but I was really disappointed. Went here with my boyfriend expecting some authentic mexican food but what we got was a hot plate of microwaved cold rice dry chicken with no flavour and an expensive bill. Save your money and go to lone star, mexis or guac anywhere but here.

We had a variety of burritos, tacos, garlic shrimp, and tostadas and everything was so delicious. Amazing flavour in each dish. If you like a bit of spice with your meal, ask for their homemade hot sauce, it was absolutely to die for, perfect match of spice and flavour. Their staff were polite, efficient, and great at what they do. My only wish was that their drink menu was more affordable. We were really craving margaritas with our meals but couldn't go for the $15 drink. Other than that, everything was amazing.

They have a nice sized patio and some very fun summer drinks. If asked they can provide vegan options by removing cheese from their vegetarian dishes and substituting their creamy salad dressing for an oil based one. They have a lot of great options, but I mainly love the rice and beans that come with all their main courses. Their refried beans are some of the best in the city!

Most of the food was okay, however, my beef enchilada was bad and I ended up sick all night which ruined the overall experience…should have stick with only chicken.

The service I received from the staff was excellent, but the food was not. It had no flavour, and it was cold—as if it sat in the window too long before being served. The portion I had was small, considering the cost. The meal with a beverage amounted to $30+. I was expecting more for my money. I cannot recommend this establishment to friends or colleagues.

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 repeat business.