Pancho Villas Restaurant

Strange things are afoot in the town of Fairfax, if people are giving this place five stars. Hell, two is too generous.

Wife and I stopped by after being given a Living Social deal by a friend of ours who was out of town and couldn't use it. We kinda feel like we were set up. The deal was two house margaritas, two items from a pre-fixe menu, and a shared dessert. "A $48 value."

First up, the margaritas. Small glasses, filled with ice, and then topped off with sickly sweet chemical margarita mix and a splash of cheap tequila. I took one sip, pushed it off to the side, and ordered a Corona instead.

When the food rolled out, I almost missed the margarita. You know sometimes when you go to a Mexican restaurant, you overdo it on the chips and salsa, and immediately regret it when your food comes out? Well, this time it was the opposite. I ordered a beef burrito and a chicken tamale, which came with rice and refried beans. Wife ordered a chile relleno on the recommendation of the waiter, along with a chicken tamale as well.

At least I assume what we ordered was on the plate - both plates looked identical, since everything was buried under a mass of sauce and cheese.

First up, refried beans. Oop, no - from a can, and floating on a pool of rapidly congealing oil. Pass. How's the rice? Oh, that's like sawdust. Next up, let's try the chicken tamale. Scrape all the crap off the top... ahh there it is. Ooop, stone cold and... wait, that tastes kinda familiar. "Honey, try your tamale!" (Wife rummages around her plate, trying to find which anonymous pile of saucy cheese is hiding her tamale, and tries it) "Wow, these taste like the Costco ones?" "That's what I was thinking!"

Cue the Price is Right losing horn.

Alright, let's try the beef burrito. A store bought flour tortilla, wrapped around shredded beef, buried under the obligatory saucy cheese. Cut into it, and it looked like the wreck of the Exxon Valdez. Oil seeps forth, mingling with pools of sauce and greasy cheese, and the aforementioned congealing beans.

It was at this point I literally gagged.

Meanwhile, the wife was exploring her chile relleno, and ended up wishing she didn't. Being a glutton for punishment, I tried a bite, while she sampled the beef from my burrito. The relleno was just a mass of bland, oily (seeing a pattern here?) cheese, with the vaguest hint of ancient batter, and tasted like it had been fried in oil that was several years old. Last week. I spat it out. Wife's opinion of the beef burrito? "This is the most processed thing I've ever tasted, no way it's home made."

The dessert was the shiniest turd in the bowl - four triangles of dough that were actually nicely cooked, absolutely dredged in cinnamon sugar, and served with four squirts from a can of whipped cream, a teaspoon of ice cream, and drizzled with Hershey's syrup. We actually stayed and finished it, given that 75% of our "meals" were left on the plate.

I don't know if it was something they did with their "Living Social Menu", perhaps expecting a massive flood of customers. But at least in our opinion, NOTHING we were served was homemade. Absolutely EVERYTHING tasted like it came from Costco, was hastily assembled several weeks ago, and then just microwaved to order anytime it needed to be served. It was - without doubt - one of the most disgusting meals I've ever encountered in the Bay Area, and I've had some crap shoved in front of me, let me tell you. I'm not a fan of haute cuisine, and I don't stop by restaurants expecting a Michelin star experience - I just want my food to be enjoyable, and at least edible, and this stuff was neither.

And judging by the couple sitting behind me choking, I wasn't the only one thinking this. (Actually highlight of the night was bantering with that guy, who I hope is feeling better!)

So Awful! Don't go! I've been wanting to try this place so when a living social deal came up I bought it- like hundreds of others.

This place was empty. Me and my daughter were the only ones there. So I walk in and have to look for service, got seated by the waiter, order the food and margarita's ( the deal was 2 margaritas, 2 combo plates, and a dessert). Guess what? I never got the margarita's! The food was burning hot, ( more like they microwaved it too long- hot) Greasy, everything was covered in red sauce and cheese. I love cheese but not on everything- It was even on the lettuce! Considering the restaurant was literally empty, our waters were never refilled, the chips were cold and very crunchy and I couldn't find the waiter anywhere. He seemed like a nice person, just gave very bad service. He didn't come check on us nor did he know that we didn't receive our margarita's. Yes, of course I told him!

It was overall very disappointing. We actually just asked for our dessert to go- we could be there another minute.

I'm not sure what other people are talking about when they say they liked this place? Just hoping I don't get food poisoning or diarrhea . . .

Yummy margaritas and tasty, comforting food. It's a little on the greasy side, but sometimes that hits the spot. (I don't come here to eat healthy.) I usually get the chile relleno or enchiladas. My husband usually gets fish tacos or chimichangas.

My 22 month old daughter always has fun here even though she is usually a terror at restaurants.

Great place overall.