Pancho & Willies Cantina

I wanted to like this place… and I did — it’s always awesome!
I wanted to like the $.99 margaritas and it didn’t disappoint!
Lol

used to love this place! However went there awhile back, and the food has went down hill the food had no flavor and even the pepsi tasted horrible. Went last night to try it again to see if maybe it was just that night. nope still horrible the service was horrible had to get up get our own boxes and was about to get up and go get a glass of water from the bathroom. I told the lady and she said that she hope to see us back and I total her probably not since we already gave them another shot and it hasn’t approved

Really mediocre food at best. Used to come here all the time about 20 years ago and loved it and it took us this long to get back. The service was good and prices are pretty reasonable bit again… mediocre food at best.

Giving three star due to the fact that the service wasn’t as expected ! The lady who sat us very nice even came up to ask us if food was ok and talked to other customers as if she knew them which is nice but the waitress we had gave us worse service then I hop waitress we had few weeks ago never once got my water filled till I had to ask but by that time we were done with dinner and had are check already ??? Only time I saw her was when she took order brought us are food and gave us are check and even then we sat there a extra 20 mins waiting to see if they came and got the check not knowing all we had to do was bring the check up front to pay but how would we know when she never bothered to tell us that or even come back up to where we were sitting ! Other then that food was great and the manager who sat us

I would have to say this is one of my favorite restaurants to go to on the weekends. Not only is it close to my house (in sparks) but it is cheap and so delicious and I have yet you have a bad meal here. Poncho and Willies is located inside the Western Village Casino towards the back of the room near Primo Pizza Café. If you go there on a Friday or Saturday you will definitely have to wait, but I promise, it’s worth the wait!
The restaurant has a cozy feel inside which I really enjoy either going as a date night or even with a group of friends. They have big booths that are seated up high in a half circle and we always get seated there. Its a fun place to be able to mingle and eat good food. Another thing I love about this place is they bring you a HUGE bowl of salsa so you almost never run out that is also followed by plenty of chips. You can order green or spicer salsa if you like it hot.
The one food item I almost always order is the Tacos al Carbon with Steak. The meat is SO tender and juicy. It is five tacos with onion and cilantro and comes with a big pile of beans, rice and guac. YUMMY! They have tons of great dishes there but that is may favorite.
Anther huge plus is their margaritas. Not only are all of them in the $ 6-​$ 8 dollar range, even if you order top shelf you are not paying a whopping $ 10 per drink. They have tons of different options for margaritas such as RUM-​arita and its really tasty!
I would recommend this place to anyone that wants a great Mexican food experience with delicious drinks and great service!

Service was fine. food was not superb, it tasted low quality like something out of a can. My hubby and I didn’t eat much of it despite how hungry we were. We both agreed that Taco Bell had better tasting food.

Great service and people but mediocre food.
If you want good, simple Mexican food, go to Super Burrito around the corner at 175 E Nugget Ave, Sparks, NV 89 431.
I had the shrimp fajitas and they were generous with the shrimp.
Good food but nothing special.
My wife had a flat steak. Very thin and very flat. She said it was tough to eat.
The «mixed vegetables» that came with it were the same grilled bell peppers and onions that came with my fajita. She expected broccoli, green beans and carrots — or something like that.
The red salsa seemed like canned tomatoes — VERY disappointed.
The green salsa is just liquefied jalapeño peppers — not worth getting.

This restaurant is usually a good value, good food and great service.
We ate there before our movie and my friend ordered the Crab Melt Sandwich. Spoiler alert: lots of avocado, bread and lettuce and cheese, but the crab was almost non existent. She sent it back to be remade, but we had to take it with us because we were running late for our movie and she said her sandwich had even less crab on the remake when she looked at it the next day. This is not typical of this restaurant. It would have been nicer to comp her meal because it was so disappointing both times.
My meal had «seasonal vegetable» which turned out to be 95% cooked carrots. Isn’t this summer? Should not there be better seasonal vegetables than carrots, three green beans, and a slice or two of bell peppers?
I am disappointed this time.
The Mazatlan Salad (seafood) my other friend had was good, with plenty of fresh seafood.

I was there yesterday. Went with my boyfriend. when we got there they immediately put chips and salsa on the table, then they offered us drinks. we ordered the margaritas its.99 cents but so good, when it was time to order dinner the menu looked lil confusing at first, I ordered the sea food enchiladas my boyfriend ordered the chimichanga the portion was huge, we couldn’t finish it and it was so good. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the ambiance of the place. The staff was so attentive great experience we will be back.

I have eaten at Pancho and Willies a number of times, the food is always tasty and always a good value. My husband and I can get an exceptional meal for around $ 25. Tonight, I wanted to bring a bottle of wine to enjoy with our food. I fully expect to pay a corkage fee, however, for the prices they charge I expected around 10 – 12 $ I assume our waitress was too young to open the bottle, so it was opened by another server. After he opened it, he informed us the fee was $ 20! What? That is a bit high for this place! We questioned the price and said we paid that in the steak house. He said the fee is the same whether we are there (paying at least $ 100 for dinner) or here paying $ 25 for dinner. I noticed other people were enjoying a carafe, when I inquired about the price, I was told it was $ 9. So, a lesson learned…
I might add, the corkage fee is not posted anywhere on their menu. I take full responsibility for not asking what the fee was, however, I did not expect it to be so high.

First, I have to admit that we recieved a comp here due to the Peppermill reaching out to us after a review of Café Bellini. That being said, our meal was quite good, and we enjoyed it so much we will certainly come back when we’re in the area.
The service we recieved from Miguel, the manager, and our server Mallory was stellar, and helped make the experience quite memorable. We started with a steak quesadilla, which was quite good, very cheesy and flavorful, but it took quite a while to get to the table, so they took it off the bill. It was only lukewarm, as if it sat for awhile, maybe that’s why it took so long. The chips were warm, which was nice, and the salsa was good, if a litttle mellow. My husband bot a bowl of hot, hot sauce that he said was just about the right heat for him.
I had a grande platter with a taco, ehchilada, chili rellano, and tamale, and all were quite good. I noticed they were a little on the salty side, but they were quite flavorful and stuffed full of their different fillings. I love chili rellanos, and this one was very good, along with the cheese enchilada. It was way too much food, and I’ve had enough left over for two more meals.
My husband had the shrimp and crab enchiladas, and he raved about them. Mallory recommended them, and she was right on. My husband loves seafood, and he was very happy with this choice, and said he would have it again. The rice and beans on the side were nicely seasoned and flavorful, too.
We ended with fried ice cream, which was good, the tortilla was excellent, but the coating was stale, which was a disappointment. All in all, however, we really enjoyed our meals, and will certainly return to Pancho and Willies!

This is the kinda place I have been looking for for some time now. Service — excellent. Salsa — Very Good (ask for the hot salsa too… they don’t give it out normally because it is really hot.) Food — excellente Cocktails — Excellent
Wife had a mojito, I had an Oranjito (an orange mojito — wow was this good). I had the Beef Fajitas, Wife had the Fish Tacos. Wife said the tacos were very good (but not her absolute favorite). The Fajitas were tender, with all the right additions to make them perfect. Add in the hot sauce and it was perfect. The chips are warm out of the oven too.
The price was very fair — around $ 40 with tip for all of this.
Why not 5 stars? My wife just hates having to trek through the smoky casino. oh and BTW — if you have to wait, the drinks at the bar are cheap or free if you are gambling (even nickels) and the guy at the front bar mixes a seemingly perfect Old Fashioned. I really love having a place like this in Sparks — it reminds me of the old style casinos in Vegas where they take care of locals and you can tell by the parking lot.
If you can stand the smoke (and the restaurants here have separate ventilation systems) — this is the best nice restaurant deal Sparks has to offer.

Our first night in Reno we ate at Pancho & Willie’s and to be honest we weren’t expecting too much. Being part of the casino and all we were expecting something to just fill the void after having been on the road the whole day.
The food and the service was outstanding! The free chips and salsa were a very generous portion and the salsa was some of the best I’ve had.
I got one huge Chimichanga and the Mrs got a steak dinner… Both were fantastic, her steak was done to perfection and the Chimi was a little spicy but not too overpowering… the staff kept our drinks full and were very pleasant.

A true diamond in the rough Sparks Restaurant. This place takes the saying ‘Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” and puts it to the test.
The restaurant is located in a casino in older Sparks, and a smoky one at that. It’s not fancy, not on the cutting edge and it is adjacent to a truck stop and the interstate…
However, they have a few pretty great restaurants that not everyone knows about. If you want to eat well and pay a more than fair price, don’t overlook the restaurants at Western Village. You will be happily surprised.
The margaritas (good ones, I might add) are only 99cents! I don’t drink Margaritas often, but I enjoy these ones and for 99 cents, this is the place I will indulge. The Carne Asada and Carne Asade tacos at this restaurant are to die for. Close to the best in town. The seasoning is perfect. The meat is cooked perfectly, not over or undercooked.
Portion sizes are more than generous for any dish I’ve ever ordered and the prices are amazingly fair. Service has been excellent each time I’ve been there. I love the Andes mints at the end. A nice touch, a little yesteryear but who couldn’t use more of that?
If the casino keeps people out, there will be less wait time for those of us who dare to venture through it all. This is a great local spot with few tourists. I would definitely recommend that you try it!

Keystal, our server was awesome. She was attentive and very fiendly. I ordered a melon margarita, which was only $ 2 and my husband ordered a 38 oz mango margarita for only $ 5 and they were so good! We ordered the Chipotle Shrimp and the parmesan crusted halibut. Both orders arrived quickly and we’re piping hot. There must’ve been 1.5 lbs of shrimp. They were big shrimp and cooked perfectly. The halibut was huge, and also cooked perfectly. We took half of our food home… way more than what we could eat. $ 42 dinner tab for food and drinks was less than we have ever spent on a meal like that!
We ate here because the steakhouse told us there was a 30 minute wait when there were several open tables. I’m glad we found this place, and we will definately be back!

Pancho & Willies is in a locals casino of Western Village in Sparks, NV.
Normally, one doesn’t find oneself opting for a Mexican restaurant inside a casino. Then again, I’ve been too a really good brewery located inside a casino.
So, what do I know!
I do know what I like and Pancho & Willies I like.
Do not expect fast service if they are crowded. Due to their inexpensive prices, good food and decent service, they are PACKED most days.
The last time I ate there was on a Thursday evening and for a party of 6, the wait was 40 minutes. The hostess was friendly despite the amount of people filtering through her control.
We were seated and promptly before the last person was seated, we received our menus and believe it or not, before the last menu was given, we were asked for our drink order.
It was a long day, I ordered the double size margarita. For $ 3.00, it’s a deal! It arrived with the rest of the soft drinks and that was darn quick! The glass, if you never ordered it prior, looks big enough to bath a small infant in!
The margarita was not watered down and I could have opted for it blended but ordered my favorite, on the rocks.
I ordered Pancho’s Caesar salad with chicken. Not the traditional mexican fare but a healthy one that I’ve enjoyed in the past and knew I would enjoy now.
The food at this and Western Village’s other restaurants is always good and very rarely do I have to wait.
Today’s visit was no exception.
The food arrived within a reasonable period of time.
The Caesar salad, served in a angle cut bowl is plated nicely.
The back of the bowl has two Romaine leaves with a salad fork in the center.
Tasty is the key word here. Ample moist chicken which made eating a salad for dinner very enjoyable.
The lettuce was crisp and prepared to the proper size. Very enjoyable.
Service was above what I’ve come to expect here. Two gentlemen maintained the table. The waiter and the busser (bus boy) never let a drink get low and made sure that anything we wanted/​needed was met and satisfied quickly.
Bottom line
— — — — — — — — — — -
Yes, I will go back here.
But, be prepared for wait times.
A way around this is to go at odd hours and have small to average size members in your party.

We were invited to a friends birthday dinner. Our waiter was very cheery and friendly. I ordered Vegetarian Fajita. I was expecting onions, peppers and tomatoes and was pleasantly surprised when my sizzling dish arrived with those veggies as well as carrots and green beans. I thought green beans in my fajita was odd but once I tasted my little fajita creation I was so glad the green beans were there. Very tasty!!! I would definitely go back and order the Veggie Fajita again.

February 4, 2015 Wednesday — 6:00 PM dinner
7 adults and a teenager
Atmosphere — 4 stars
Food — 4 stars
Service — 5 stars
Background — Our friends birthday dinner which we got invited too, okay a few days early but we are still celebrating.
Atmosphere — Strange how it reminds me a Chi Chi’s from the 80’s, they even give you the little Andes mints too. The problem with the location is you have to go through a very smoke filled casino to get to the restaurant.
Food
Drinks — I initially ordered water but one of the guys ordered a bucket of four domestic beers, four bottles for $ 4 if you buy one of Wednesday quesadilla specials. Yeah it was Bud Light but it was free. Part of their Wednesday special.
Appetizer — Free chips and salsa. We also ordered a side of gauc, it was tasty.

Dinner — The Gordo Chimichanga with shredded beef. If you want a stuffed tortilla, basically all meat this is the one for you. It was lightly fried, still a soft shell on it. I like mine crunchy and flakey. It came with the started rice and beans. The chimichanga was huge and very filling.
Service — Our waiter was on point for a part of eight.
Future — I want to try their 99 cent margaritas.

This was the first time that I had come here since the mid 90’s. Now I am trying to figure out why I haven’t been back since then. Big mistake on my part. For some reason I forget about this place and it is probably because it is in a casino.
We were told the wait would be 20 – 25 minutes and we waited maybe 10 if that. Once seated in a big comfy booth we were given a big bowl of chips with a HUGE portion of yummy salsa. This was the largest portion of salsa I have ever been given in a restaurant. It was pretty good but a lot of salsa peeps might not think it is spicy enough. Me being a Mexican’t I was fine with the mild flavor.
I ordered the tostada and my friend ordered the Vera Cruz burrito. Both were really good. Very large portions for what we paid. This place definitely is a spot where you get so much for your dollar. The vera cruz was pretty tasty and had a lot of seafood in it but it was very garlicky. The sauce was a cream sauce too so keep that in mind if you are a burrito purist and decide to order this. My tostada had lots and lots of shredded chicken on it. It was so good and the beans and rice that came with were also good.
The margarita was meh… nothing to write home about. The prices on their margaritas are ridic. So cheap. I would rather pay more and get a really good margarita.
My only other complaint was the service. The sweet lady who waited on us must have had other tables on the other side of the restaurant because we rarely saw her and we actually went about 15 – 20 minutes at the end before she brought our check. Luckily we had no where to be that night. I did see that all of the other tables around us were getting good service and the servers had tables located in the same room but for some reason our server was not around much.
Anyhow, I will be back for the prices and food alone. It definitely isn’t the best but you get a lot for what you pay.

Four stars from this new found fan! If anyone wants to know the secret recipe to restaurant success, here it is:
One part margaritas that cost less than a buck… .99 ALL DAY EVERY DAY! It seems way too good to be true, and I didn’t believe it when I read it in Unilocal reviews and on their website. So I called, and it’s real, they’re strong, but you don’t realize it until #1 is done and you’re halfway through #2.
One part excellent service… On this visit that happened to come from Robert, the Assistant Manager. Lucky us I suppose, but I asked a bunch of questions about service standards and saw the rest of the staff hustling just as hard, making sure customers got the best experience possible. Drinks remained filled, baskets of chips were never ending, and Robert was present appropriately with answers to all of our questions.
One part awesome eats… Which at a sit down Mexican restaurant starts with salsa, and Pancho & Willies dished up three kinds including a super pico de gallo, a rich fire roasted red, and a spicier blended salsa that combined the other two. The chips were light and crispy, but not greasy and they stood up to the salsa very well. Robert explained the daily specials expertly, and they included a grilled tilapia topped with grilled shrimp and salsa, and a 5 taco sampler for Cinco de Mayo that came with carne asada, ceviche, pollo, chile verde, carnitas and a Corona on the side. I opted for the that one, and except for the absence of a lime, I was a happy camper.
One quarter part décor… I’ll eat in a hole in the wall, as may of you know, but decoration never hurt anything. This place is actually a very nice restaurant inside with big comfortable chairs, art on the walls, and since there are no windows, there’s even some landscaping to bring the outside in. You’ll definitely be surprised when you walk in, but you’ll leave very happy.
There’s a reason this is a local favorite. If you’ve never been, be prepared for a smoky casino that gives way to a great dining experience.