I love discovering restaurants that are so confident in the quality of their food and service that they don't worry much about location or appearances. They know that if the food is exceptional and customers have a great experience, word will spread. That's exactly what Pancho Villa Mexican Grill is doing in Lincoln. In a city of nearly 300,000 people with countless Mexican restaurant options, Pancho Villa stands out the best possible way -- through incredible flavor. Taste is clearly their calling card. Owners Eli and Lisa Santana recently celebrated 16 years in business, and it's easy to see why they've built such a loyal following. The restaurant is family-run, with their children helping alongside them, and their passion for serving great food comes through in every part of the experience. We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon around 1:30 p.m., after the lunch rush. I ordered the Guadalajara-style tacos -- soft corn tortillas filled with flavorful carne asada, onion, and cilantro. The tacos were excellent, but the true stars of the meal were the red and green salsas. Both were incredibly fresh, packed with flavor, and had just the right amount of heat and spice. They were so good that I actually returned the following week just to order salsa to take home. Pancho Villa can be a little tricky to find, but Google Maps will get you there. And much like their namesake, Pancho Villa, they may not be the easiest to track down -- but once you do, you'll be very glad you made the effort. Fantastic, authentic, flavor-packed Mexican food. In the end, that's what matters most! read more

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Love Pancho Billas! It's authentic Mexican food and Eli and Lisa along with their kids serve a very delicious plate! Always leave way too full and with leftovers! Generous portions filled with deliciousness! read more

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We saw the article on the news how they were losing money due to the construction on Cornhuskers. We went but for lunch to show our support. We had not been there previously. The restaurant was closed at the time we arrived which was noon. I can see why they are losing business, and it's not because of the construction. We had no issues getting there even with the construction. It's because they don't adhere to their hours, and they can't even post a sign explaining why they were closed/when they will open. read more

Amazing cuisine and exceptional owners!! - Highly recommended without a doubt!! - Thank you. read more

Me and a friend came here and it was the best Mexican food we'd had in Lincoln. Service was great and very friendly will definitely be back!

My favorite Mexican restaurant in Lincoln. The grilled chicken burrito with the burrito sauce and #2 Eli's chicken are awesome. It is my favorite thing to get when we go there and will keep me coming back. Service was great and the owner is very humble and thankful. Thanked us multiple times for coming. read more

We really enjoyed our meal. But, it has 3 major issues to overcome. First off the beaten path and even a secondary path. Next the building is in the second layer of businesses . Making it difficult to even see the restaurant. Except a small one. All considered it has to a local, neighborhood place.a Service was good. We were the only customers steered.. Another reason almost didn't go it But as I said we enjoyed our meal and the price with quality was# also good We have already mentioned it to family in Lincoln Will return at some point. As we don't live there read more

Best Mexican food in town! I tried a variety of dishes and they were all so delicious! The service is amazing as we always get take out and they don't forget anything! read more

Everything on the menu is full of great ingredients. We love the chips and salsa, and the green avocado salsa is really terrific. The food is very authentic and the meat is char broiled. read more

My first visit to Pancho Villa was impressive. Food quality and service was outstanding during a recent lunch. Will definitely return the next time I'm in the area. read more

The sign on the door warned they were a carry out only restaurant, but I told them I wanted a margarita, and they let me eat in. And YUM! Admittedly, it scared me that this little hidden gem isn't on any of the Yelp lists people create. C'mon, Lincoln, NE! check this place out and add it to some Yelp lists! Here's why: The green sauce: avocado based. Get your healthy fats in the most delicious way possible! The customer service: bend over backwards outstanding. Literally they let me eat in, even though they only want to do carry out. The margaritas: STRONG! yummy! The street tacos: yes, I am a fan. These are exceptionally well made, really bargain priced. Lunch time, this place should be jammed. Please, dont let them go out of business, Lincoln! Grab a bite here, I promise you'll be so glad you did! read more

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I've been rooting for Pancho Villa for years and always suggest people visit there if they have not before. But I am compelled to share this criticism hoping that the owners see it as constructive because they definately need to fix some things if they want repeat customers. I knew we were going to have a larger group of 8-10 on a Friday night so I called several days in advance to give them a heads up. When we got there, there was a handful of other customers but the place wasn't full. Ambiance has never been the draw for sure, the florescent overhead lighting is awful, but there also was no background music or anything. Just cold, bright, uninviting. The server didn't bring waters to everyone, which was odd but also not a huge deal. When we ordered our drinks, we all asked for a water. Our first round of margaritas was gone before the water arrived. It took a really long time for the server to come back to get our order. She wasn't around, no idea where she kept heading off to. I assume it's because they're shorthanded everywhere so she was helping elsewhere? Idk. She didn't seem to think it was a big deal to leave us hanging anyway. Once our food came out, it was good. I will give them that, Pancho's has good food and the green avacado salsa is absolutely delicious. We did have one person get the wrong protein in his meal and another whose meal came out a good 20 min after everyone else had been served. The owner did come ask how everything tasted, etc., but the server did not. After TWO HOURS of being there, we were still waiting for the bill. Finally one of us went to find the server and she gave him a long printed out receipt. She never asked who was with who and even though the couples were all sitting beside each other, our food wasn't grouped together at all so my husband went and got a pen and decoded it for her. I won't go there with a group again and probably won't ever dine in again. There's a lot of other mexican restuarants in this town that have a lot better customer service and provide a better overall dining experience. I honestly think they should pair down their menu and get a food truck or focus on fast casual dining. read more

Green saucy is fire!! Very good, very different!! I Will come back if I'm in town. Being from southern Texas I love Mexican food and can appreciate it. But have never had a sauce like such!! Try the green sauce dip! read more

I've eaten her many times and have never been disappointed food is always hot fresh and tastes great.

Late lunch mid day. Walked in after seeing a couple cars out front. Not a single person dining here. Should have been our first sign. Quiet. Like uncomfortably quiet. Halfway through our visit someone turned on the tv to some music. No kids menus available. They were out. She just told us what was offered. $10 Margaritas over rocks wouldnt blend it. Heavy on the syrup. Couldn't taste the alcohol. $0.99 balloons and streamers used to decorate. Food was hit or miss. Some enjoyed their dishes while others didnt. Do not play to return. read more

The location is a tough one to get to, and it's in a strip mall so ambiance is plain. But these are absolutely NOT dealbreakers. The service was slow, I had to do a lot of the footwork myself, took quite a bit to get seated, despite a near empty dining room. The waitress got us sorted out and we ordered. The chimichanga was massive, came with plenty of beans and rice. My wife's shrimp fajita was small, but she's a light eater, so it was just right. We had to hunt our waitress down to get the check and pay... Service wasn't super attentive. But the food was really good, and you can see the grill/cook working his tail off, he was so busy that when I thanked him and told him we enjoyed the food, he didn't notice me at first. read more

Pancho Villa Mexican Grill - $12 Chimichanga was more than I could handle and amazing! - Mexican Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Been driving past for a few years, was here 5-6 years ago and was unimpressed. I thought I had written a Yelp review them. 5:30 PM Sunday night, I pull into the parking lot and there are no cars, no open sign and no other lit signage. The sign on the door said open 11-9pm daily. I walked in and stood by the counter for almost 4 minutes before one of the cooks noticed me. His English is as bad as my Spanish. He seated me and brought me water with chips and salsa. In reviewing the menu. I was taken aghast of the prices of the items. $16+ for fajitas, $15+ for a 3 item combo I elected for their house combo. Their menu states it their best @ $16.95. Given their lack of English. I expect it to be authentic and good. And order was placed for a #28. And as it was made to order, came in a timely manner. First impression was, this plate was huge. Upon further scrutinization. There's a shot glass of beans and a couple cups or rice. After my meal arrive. A couple more staff members came in as well as 3 tables of customers. Mind you, this place has no ambiance. Earth tone tiles and a few old posters on the wall. The only noises heard was that of the exhaust hood and the margarita mixer. The food was adequate. The ambiance poor. There are nicer places to get similar quality food with better ambiance and prices. Perhaps it's their happy hour half price appetizers urging the weekday that keep them going. After my meal, no one stopped past the table. After I walked up to the register it took darn near 5 minutes to pay my tab ($26.95)and escape. Won't be back here for another 5 years or so. If they're still here... read more

Went there late last night (a Friday), and we had great food and service. Extremely tasty chimi and enchiladas, fantastic salsa verde, and a really good margarita. We will definitely be back! Well done, Eli & Lisa! read more

Good salsa and chips. Excellent steak picado. Good prices....will return again and again. read more

We were here a year ago and enjoyed it even more. You have to get the guacamole based green sauce it's amazing! I hope I can get some to go. If I wasn't so full my plate would be empty. I ordered #24. Get it you'll love it. I don't know how someone could give this place A bad review. read more

Pancho Villa Mexican Grill - What's. Left. Just too much. Portions are great - Mexican Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Wow! This place is amazing! Great food! On top of there service. Best salsa ever! Very polite staff. Thanks for the great food! read more

Went here tonight for the first time. The server seated us and took our drink orders, and then came back and took our food orders. Chips and salsa were served immediately. We had the Super Quesadilla which was 1/2 price for happy hour and the chicken/steak fajitas. The food came out in about 10 minutes and was fantastic! The steak and chicken were marinated well, and cooked just right. The flour tortilla shells were a little small for all the food to put in them. Peppers, onions, meat, beans, rice, guacamole and sour cream. It's nice to find a place like this. I hope it continues to have good service and great food. We will be going back. read more

Pancho Villa Mexican Grill - Chicken and Steak Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Were you disappointed when Lucy's restaurant closed? Luckily there's a nice replacement. On the end of a strip mall behind a strip mall on the North side of Cornhusker. The Santanas remodeled the interior for a cleaner look. Totally different menu. Start with complimentary chips and red and green salsa's. The green salsa is from bits of avacodo not tomatillas. This is not quacamole but it is good and a nice change from standard salsa. We tried the regular burrito for $5.95. A behemoth stuffed with you choice of meat. Combination platters range from $8 to $14 and include seafood and vegetarian offerings. Standard mexcan food items and some new twists like Tortas & Milanesa with emphasis on fresh food. I haven't had a chance to eat through the menu yet but so far it would make Pancho Villa proud. read more

Yum! We stopped in on a Wednesday night for an impromptu dinner out. It was our first time visiting Pancho Villa's and I can confidently say that we will be back. Location: unless you know that this place is tucked in the corner of the strip mall, you could miss it. The open kitchen is nice and there is plenty of seating. Parking was easy. No TV! Yay! you can sit and chat without the background noise overwhelming your conversation. Menu: Being an AZ transplant, I have eaten a lot of Mexican food and this was probably some of the best in Lincoln. Appetizers were 1/2 off so we ordered a quesadilla to start. It was huge and when paired with the green Avocado based salsa, delicious. Both salsas that come with the complimentary chips and salsas were just spicy enough. We each ordered a super burrito with carne asada for $8.95. It came with a light red chile sauce on it NOT tomato sauce like other have eluded too. `These were so big at one point I just couldn't take one more bite. We were full all night. Like literally, for HOURS. The food came out quickly and was good. $2.50 Margarita? YES PLEASE. They are fooling around with the margies. You have the choice of sugar or salt and they pack a punch. Fountain pepsi products, lots of bottled beers and Mexican cokes. There are a number of burrito options (yes, some even with parmesan cheese in them so READ the descriptions), combo plates, and appetizers. They were in the middle range of price but considering the quantity, freshness of the food and quick service it was worth it. Service: service was nice and she was very quick. With one server it may get a little slow but imagine they staff more people on busier nights. Overall: definitely going again. You should try it too if you haven't already. Wishlist: White Menudo! with lots of hominy! They had to take it off the menu since no one ordered it. read more

This restaurant has a special place in my heart. Wednesday and Thursday nights are cheap margarita nights, and yes, they pack a punch! The food is excellent and portion sizes are generous. The fajitas are served with a flaming tequila show, which is fun. I tend to order the shrimp fajitas or Eli's deluxe plate, which has steak, shrimp, and cheese. The salsa here is probably the best in Lincoln. The green salsa has an avocado base, which is unusual and delicious, but don't forget to try the red salsa too. read more

Visited on a very busy Friday night with my two children. The place was packed and there was only one server and she was drowning from the start. I saw a sign that they are looking for additional help and they needed it. I ordered a Shrimp dish with Diablo sauce which was very good, had a unique smokey Chipolte flavor infused with fresh lemon. This was complimented by fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and lovely large slices of avocado. It was impressive and what I imagine proper Mexican food tastes like. My wife had a Shrimp Burrito which had nothing but rice and beans on one end and all the shrimp stuffed in the other. You could tell the chef was run ragged. The tortilla chips with Salsa were very greasy but the actual Salsa was fresh and spicy. Something I appreciate but some people may not be able to handle. My son had a beef taco meal which was plentiful and looked good. So long story short we will go back when it's not so busy and they have help. I feel the place has great potential for a family owned little restaurant. It was hard to see people getting their own menus, watching chefs having to help take orders and waiting 45 minutes for our food. read more

Fast food, average service, mediocre food. First time coming here, read reviews and decided to try it out. It's close to my house so I thought why not. We get there and are slightly confused on seating since they have two parts to seat. I was really excited to try the green salsa that I read reviews about, however came on a Friday night at 8pm and they were out. Disappointed. Ordered Chile verde which came in huge portion with rice and beans. Rice and beans were great, Chile verde was not spicy so if that's what you like I would skip it. My husband had a torta al pastor, came out dripping with greasy even the bread was greasy and the bread was more of a sub type bread and pretty sure it was asada too. Overall would I go out of my way to go probably not. read more

Food was great as I had a chili relleno and the wife had Guadalajara tacos, which she said were very tasty. However, waitress never came back to ask how our meal was AND she cleared two tables without cleaning/wiping them (Ew!!!). Moreover, we had to have had one of, if not the WORST margaritas in Lincoln. Those are the reasons for the downgrade. Come for the food, not for service or a margarita. read more

I stopped in on my drive cross country. I don't know what other Mexican cuisine is available in Nebraska, so I can't compare. It was ok. The service was friendly and fast, the food was fresh, but it was just ok. I guess I was happy to find it instead of some fast food joint. The green salsa was very delicious. The Horchata was crunchy and not well mixed. read more

The flat steak "Poncho Villa" had a rich grilled flavor that was mellowed with the cheese. The grilled peppers created the "perfect bite" with or without the corn tortilla. Overall it was a delicious meal. I prefer more spice in the rice... and was disappointed in the salsa as it was slightly bitter, but salsa can have variations like that. I still give 4 stars as the steak, peppers and cheese were so good!! read more

Pancho Villa Mexican Grill - The Pancho Villa - Mexican Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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This place really surprised us. We came because of the good reviews and they were right! I got the carne asada chimichanga and it was the best chimi I have ever had in my life! Huge too. Took about half of it home. Hubs had a chile relleno burrito. He really liked it but for whatever reason it didn't come with rice and beans and he missed them. The thing I crave, however, is the tomatillo and avocado salsa. My God...it is delectable! Even after we could eat no more of our entrees, we kept munching on the chips and salsa. read more

Great staff, friendly service, and the food was delicious!The kids menu had options that you actually won't feel bad feeding to your child. I highly recommend the steak & shrimp chimichanga! read more

Pancho Villa Mexican Grill - A house margarita on the rocks - Mexican Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

This little out-of-the-way place is tucked into a plaza with tricky access. But, once you are here there are no tricks. The food is solid. I had the street style tacos with pork pastor meat. Tasty... No complaints and excellent service. read more

Great spot for lunch.. it does take little bit to get your food but they serve great chips and salsa while you wait. Get the super burrito with pork you can then send me a yelp message saying thanks brian hahah read more

Don't judge a book by its cover - a little remote, perhaps deceiving exterior, food was fantastic! Service was great! Would highly recommend! read more

Since when do you have to pay extra for salsa refills? I have to say, that was my favorite part of coming here- we could ignore the bad service and inconsistent food (and in fairness, when it was good, it was really good, but equally bad when it was bad) for that delicious green salsa. But frankly, if you're going to charge $1.95 to eat it, we'd just rather support another restaurant. It's just really, really bad business if you ask me. read more

I've eaten at Pancho Villa twice now and it has definitely given my other favorite sit down type mexican restaurants a run for their money. This place is tasty. First the chips and salsa. WOW. They have two different kinds of salsa that you get complimentary with your meal. One is a red salsa that has a nice kick to it and wonderful flavors. The other is (for me at least) the star of the salsa show. It's a green salsa with tomatillos and avocado. YUM. I love avocado, so a salsa verde that also boasts mushed up avocados is about the best thing to happen to my taste buds in quite some time. The atmosphere leaves a bit to be desired, but it's clean and very bright. There isn't a lot of decor on the walls and it's a bit bland. Not a huge deal at all, because the food is awesome. I just think a bit more character would help give it an extra punch. The top shelf margaritas: AWESOME. Don't even waste your time with the cheaper marg. These are more expensive and worth every single penny. They make them from scratch. No high fructose corn syrup laden mix in this drink. Just the good stuff like you'd get in mexico. Top shelf tequila, cointreau, fresh squeezed lime, salt on the rim and ice. So simple, so delicious and so much better than a mix. The food: Very good. The first time I went I got the chili relleno burrito. It was HUGE. for 7.95 I got a burrito that was the size of my forearm. The chili relleno was so good, with yummy cheese and a light batter. It had more cheese, rice, beans and then a fantastic sauce on top. The burrito sauce was seriously good stuff. The second time i got a combo plate that came with an enchilada and a Guadalajara style taco. I love the traditional tacos. I got al pastor for the meat on my taco (you have your choice of meat for any of their dishes here) and chili verde in my enchilada. Both of these were knock out. The chili verde sauce was fantastic and the stewed pork in it was tender and flavorful. The al pastor was also wonderful. The marinade on the pork was flavorful and made the pork very juicy. I really like the rice here and I'm pretty picky about my Mexican rice. This stuff is very good. The service is pretty good. The first time our waitress was very friendly and helpful, the second time it was a little less so. Over all, I think they really care about customer service and keeping their patrons happy. If you haven't been, check this place out. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. read more

Wow, first time trying this and dos not walk away unimpressed. I got three tacos, el pastor, carne Asada and chile verde with a chile reano on the side. Everything was very good from the red and unique chile verde/avocado salsa. Service was outstanding! Get to this place and eat. read more

On one hand I want to tell you just how amazing the food is at this place. On the other I want you all to stay away and keep this my own secret hidden Mexican food oasis of perfection. But my conscience seems to have gotten the better of me so I can only sing their praises. read more

Excellent burrito! This place is middle of nowhere and it was one of the best Mexican food I have had.