Visit the Photo Place

Larger Pancho Villa serves tasty fare

Pancho Villa is established in a new location in Lee's Hill, has a Fredericksburg location on Bragg Road, a Culpeper location and will open a branch in Garrisonville

By NEVA TRENIS

Date published: 5/20/2004

By NEVA TRENIS

THE FREE LANCE-STAR

tHE LEE'S HILL Pancho Villa graduated to a larger building in January, but it still has a family-friendly atmosphere, still serves good Mexican food and still makes a kickin' frozen margarita.

The cavernous restaurant across from Lee's Hill Shopping Center sticks to a Southwestern theme, a leftover from previous occupant Tumbleweed restaurant. There's a wooden Indian inside the door, a bison head mounted on the wall, lots of burnished wood and piles and piles of antlers.

On a recent night, my family and I enjoyed the rhythms of a live and talented mariachi band that seemed as intent on making children smile as providing music for the adults.

Servers at Pancho Villa also are friendly to customers of all ages, but know how to maintain professional boundaries: They understand when to make small talk and when to make themselves scarce while keeping a watch over diners.

Knowledgeable servers are quick to deliver hot, crispy corn chips and tempting fresh salsa flecked with emerald green cilantro.

About the time the chips arrive, order a frozen margarita if you are so inclined. Pancho Villa's margaritas taste of lime and tequila, rather than the soapy-tasting mix served at so many Mexican restaurants.

Pancho Villa's menu is standard fare with nice touches like shredded--rather than ground--beef. Dense tamales ($2.25) are served in a spicy chili sauce; two-fisted burritos ($2.75) are filled with chicken, beef or beans and covered with a creamy, white nacho chili sauce; and cheese enchiladas ($2.25) are made with tender queso fresco.

"Pancho's special quesadilla" ($4.25, lunch) is the garden-variety grilled-cheese-filled flour tortilla, but moist shredded chicken and fresh Mexican sour cream pluck it from the fray.

Fajitas are freshly grilled and delicious, with different combinations of beef, chicken, shrimp, scallops, lobster, peppers, onions and tomato. Fajitas--served with beans, rice, cheese, tortillas, sour cream and guacamole--range in price from the vegetarian for $9.25 to lobster-laced seafood for $18.95.

Less successful is the camarones rancheros ($11.50), sauteed shrimp in a mild red salsa that overwhelms the little crustaceans. Beans, rice, salad and tortillas are served alongside.

Follow us on

Date published: 5/20/2004