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So I saw in today's Daily Digest that Pancho Villa was the featured business for the day. I probably ate at PV about 10 years ago, and after moving away, kind of forgot all about it until I saw this little feature. So I went there for lunch today, and I wanted to kick myself for not having remembered how good the food is there. I love the build-as-you-go setup. There are like 50 mexican restaurants in San Mateo, and if you want fresh, fast and fabulous mexican food, I would definitely recommend Pancho Villa.
There's a long line stretching half way around the dining room for a reason.... You need that precious time to figure out what size burrito you want, what to stuff it with, wet or dry, spicy or not. As you approach the open kitchen, you watch as the grill guys throw on a batch of carne asada and you change your vegetarian burrito into a meat one, satisfied that at last you've made your final choice.
Follow the Bear!!
Wide selection - have been 3 times, and each time I try something new. Very tasty and you can really personalize the dishes with a terrific array of toppings, sauces and salsas. I'm definitely going to be a regular!
This is a place I know I can always go and get a quick burrito and be totally satisfied with the portions, price, service and selection. The staff is efficient so even if there is a line it moves quickly. Many times I order the baby burrito since the regular size burritos are more than I can handle unless I'm starving. There's a good salsa bar and I'm in there enough that the staff recognize me which adds the personal feel to the whole thing. Nice reliable neighborhood place for a good meal. And it has the added benefit of being next door to one of my favorite coffee houses - Bean Street.
I agree that the service at Pancho Villa is a bit unfriendly, but the food is very fresh, prepared right in front of you, and their menu is extensive. I think the service seems disinterested because they're also busy completing the orders. I love the food there, and encourage folks to look past the service. And those silly uncomfortable chairs ;-)
The food isn't terrible but the service sure is. I've never dealt with such rude people in my entire life. With so many other good mexican restaurants to choose from on the mid peninsula, I don't think our family will be eating here again anytime soon.
This food is fabulous!! and totally beats any other place in town for authenticity. If you want the real deal try this! Local old standards Celia's or Fernando's does not compete.
I need to make time to eat here more often -- fresh, fast, and fabulous. I've yet to try everything on the menu but so far it's all good. Easy to get to, always packed but the line moves quickly. Yum!
One of my favorite places to gab a quick burrito when I'm downtown running errands and need a good tasting meal to take on the go. There's so many choices to try here but my favorites are the red snapper burrito and the grilled vegetable burrito. It's fun to watch them assemble everything right in front of you and the portions are always generous. In fact I usually am able to save half for later so I get 2 meals for the price of one. My tummy and budget are both satisfied customers. And the staff here is always kind and attentive, which is very much appreciated in this day and age of lackluster service at most of the chain places.
Free burrito on your birthday. And well worth the trip!!
Really tastie Mexican food.
If you are looking for delicious, fresh, short-order Mexican food, you need look no farther than Pancho Villa Taqueria on B Street in San Mateo.
The menu is larger and more varied than most taquerias. The
prices are slightly higher, though all selections are under $10 with the exception of the Super Combo dinner plates, which include rice, beans, salad and tortillas (better be very hungry if you order one of those!).
I had a tasty grilled salmon burrito for lunch that included rice, salsa and my choice of beans (pinto). They serve generous portions here. The burrito, chips and salsa with a coke left me quite full and content. My friend really enjoyed her grilled chicken tacos and was impressed with the variety of choices at the salsa bar.
For those with large appetites or a sweet tooth, they serve desserts as well: churro, alfajor, and flan. They also have a Jugueria - Juice Bar with a variety of smoothies and shakes. If you need a little pick-me-up, I suggest one of their Mexican high energy smoothie blends to help power you through the afternoon or evening.
By 12:30PM there were customers waiting outside the door, but the army of food preparers kept the line moving fairly quickly. The maximum capacity is 62, so it is not the best place to bring large groups. But if you and a few friends or colleagues are in the mood
for quality Mexican food at an affordable price, Pancho Villa Taqueria is an excellent choice.
Hours: 11AM - 10PM Daily
Accept: American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Travelers Check
Pancho Villa is my new favorite resturaunt. I go there fairly often and the food is always fresh, the resturaunt is always clean and there are many employees present to help you with whatever you need. I would recommend Pancho Villa to anyone that wants to have an amzing meal!
My husband and I live in downtown Palo Alto and have several excellent restaurants at our feet, but we regularly make the trek to downtown San Mateo to eat at Pancho Villa's Taqueria! I love the informal altmosphere, especially since my uniform on the weekend is an Old Navy hoodie and flip-flops - patrons sit on wooden blocks in a maze of modular tables. And the food...wow, it really is exceptional, although the amount of choices can be daunting to a newcomer. I love the quesadilla suizas with asada chicken and hot pico de gallo - se magnifique! My husband goes straight for the aquafrescos, fresh fruit juices in flavors such as pineapple, strawberry, coconut, and orange, which are refreshing, light, and a perfect compliment to the tasty food. Don't overlook the salsa bar, which has several salsa options that range from a simple tomato and cilantro infusion to a complex tomatilla varietal. The salsas are a wonderful addition to an enchilada or a perfect dip for homemade tortilla chips. I highly recommend a trip to Pancho Villa's; maybe I'll see you there!
if you love salsa, you will enjoy this place. The meat is good, but for some reason...I enjoy the Pancho Villa in SF more.
the carne asada meat was some of the best i have ever had. however, the portion was small and there was way too much tinfoil on it. made the burrito seem 10x larger. anyways, right mix of beans/rice and great company joined me for lunch. would go back.
So many choices and not enough room in the tummy will bring you back again and again for these sumptious burritos and smoothies. Sometimes it's hard to find a seat, but who cares. Take it to go, or stake out someone looking to leave soon. Mole is at the top of my list!! Haven't had a bad meal here yet and they are walking distance to the downtown theatre. Yes, yes, yes....
I go there almost every Saturday! Their shrimp nachos are awesome. The food is fresh. It's a little chaotic, but that makes it fun. Their juice drinks are really good too!
I'M PERSONALLY NOT A BIG FAN OF MEXICAN FOOD, BUT EATING IN THIS ONE IS WAY DIFFERENT I TOTALLY CHANGED MY IDEA ABOUT MEXICAN FOOD
If your in the mood for some mexican food, simply head over to B street and pay a visit to Pancho Villa. The food is awsome. Plenty of crispy chips and juicy salsa to munch on as you wait for your food. There are so many options when you look up at their menu; if you want a burrito, they've got a zillion ways to make you one (including any custom alterations you ask for), if you want a quesadilla try their steak quesadilla-it is delicious. I haven't tried their tacos, but i have had much of everything else and all of that was really good. oh, and they have those really tastey juice drinks too. It's a little pricey but when your enjoying one of their delicious burritos or quesadillas, nothing else really matters at the time.
Last night I was dining with my family and had a cock roach in my chicken salad... Totally grossed out I had to leave the place in a hurry. Today I called the board of health to report this.. I thought this place looked really clean I guess I was wrong. BE CAREFUL!
Pancho Villa is the cleanest and best run family Taqueria on the Peninsula. My family has made it a regular place to visit ever since it opened. You can't beat a family owned business for this kind of quality.....
So many menu items to choose from and everything's great. A fan of burritos, this is the place. Good size, tons of options and even tofu if you don't want meat. Burritos generally run around $7 but they're worth it. Clean and good quality meat.
While Pacho Villa is a little on the expensive side for a taqueria, their burritos are one of the best on the peninsula. They offer a wide selection of meat choices...the Chipotle Chicken is excellent.
I think this place is overpriced. It is good food but you get such a small amount for the price. I’ve had better in no name restaurants without all the showy traditional facades. This place is all show. On weekends it’s hard to find a seat yet alone parking. It is worth trying once but unfortunately I will not come back. Just walk down North B Street & you will find several other places to eat.
Pancho Villa's food is ok, it's not that good but it's clean and some of the items on the menu are better than ok. Ther shrimp cocktail is pretty good and fresh.
I also like that they have fresh squeezed fruit drinks and smoothies. Their prices are also reasonable.
The food, the ambiance, even the mariachis are just like visiting the Pancho Villa in the Mission in San Francisco. The food is terriffic, made right before your eyes. Gorgeous burritos and terriffic quesadillas. Meal deals are so much food you'll be taking some home. When they ask if you want mild, medium, or spicy, know that spicy is seriously spicy. The burritos are enormous, but good. Try the aqua frescas.
This place has the best authentic Mexican food on the Peninsula. The Mole Chicken is outstanding!
I recently ate here and as I watched them make the food, I realized how clean everything seemed. Sure enough, when I checked the Health Inspection report, they had "excellent" for everything! Very impressive considering the constant flow of traffic. Fresh, great tasting mexican food.
The place is bright and airy. While the staff isn't. Seems like the person taking my order didn't really want to be there. Then the cashier was in fast forward mode trying to get the few people in line through as fast as he could.
Now the food, chip were good, as well as the salsa. The burrito I got was okay.
I'd rather go down to La Cumbre down the block across from Trags.
No stars for service.
one for the chips
one for the salsa
That's all.
I heard about Pancho Villa through the grapevine, before I even moved up to NorCal. Word on the street says it's one of the best Mexican food joints in San Mateo. I came here for a late lunch to avoid the lunch hour traffic, and ordered an Especial Carne Asada Burrito with no rice or beans, and spicy salsa.
As I was chomping away on a great selection of chips and salsa, my burrito arrived neatly wrapped and steaming hot. Perfection. My wandering eyes noticed the charming little leather-wrapped stools that have sunken down a bit in the middle from natural wear and tear. Large, easy-to-read menu, food prepared fresh in front of you WHERE YOU CAN SEE IT, and a wide selection of drinks.
I will definitely start coming here more often, even though I still love the convenience of Tres Amigos being located across the street from the office.
They offer very good food! There salsa and chips are good along with there other dishes!
