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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.
Pancho Villa offers its house Carlo Rossi wines by the glass ($3) and by the carafe ($15). There's a selection of Mexican beers ($3.25) including Negra Modelo, Carta Blance and Dos Equis, plus the more readily available Corona. Domestic beer costs $2.50.
Mexican soft drinks in such fruit flavors as guava, tamarind and grapefruit are served by the bottle ($1.50), and American soft drinks with refills cost $1.40.
The children's menu for kids younger than 12 includes tacos, burritos, quesadillas and enchiladas ($4.25 per item), but it also offers chicken strips and cheeseburgers for children who want American food.
Vegetarians get their own menu ($7.25 per item), too, with such interesting choices as cauliflower relleño and potato burritos.
Not exclusively on the vegetarian menu, but a meatless favorite of mine at Pancho Villa, is the chile relleño ($3.25), a large jalapeño pepper filled with queso fresco, deep fried and topped with chili sauce and melted cheese.
Pancho Villa's dessert menu offers fried ice cream ($3.50), fried tortilla buñuelos or sopapillas with cinnamon and honey ($2) and flan ($3).
The flan stands out with its dense homemade custard in a syrup of smoky caramel. I had mine with a cup of Pancho Villa's strong coffee (95 cents), which our waitress was kind enough to brew fresh.
Pancho Villa has established itself as a local chain with two Fredericksburg locations, one Culpeper location and a Garrisonville location that managers hope to open in June.
Even with its expansion both in the Lee's Hill location and across the area, Pancho Villa has managed to maintain its quality of food and service--and margaritas.
To reach NEVA TRENIS: 540/374-5412 ntrenis@freelancestar.com