Pancho's Cantina, Westcliff-on-Sea

Considering other reviews on this site, was very pleasantly surprised. If you want sophisticated gourmet food then this is not for you - but if you want fun, tasty and reasonably authentic casual tex/mex food then try it! Plenty of choice, hubby said steak was excellent as was Chilli. I enjoyed Buffalo wings and fajitas although they were a little underspiced for my taste but overall the basic products were of good quality and plentiful. Cocktails were excellent! Service was efficent and although it was quite busy there were no long waits. Would recomment for casual fun night and would go again!

Very Tasty and a very warm welcome

We went here for my friends birthday, booked a table for 24 people and when we turned up the manager claimed we only booked for 22. Already sitting on each others laps we knew this would be a squeeze, but the staff offered us no help to accommodate the extra 2 people so we had to squeeze in gettin really uncomfortable and get the chairs ourselves. The service was so slow, we had to wait one and half hrs to get our order taken, by this time the big table that arrived half hr after us already had their mains. The waitresses were stroppy and rude and it was so much of an effort to serve us! We were eventually served and got our starters and mains which had totalled over 3hrs from arrival. Due to the poor service we refused to pay the service charge which was automatically put on the bill.

We walked out and were waiting for a cab when the manager came out and said our bill was short, but i said we weren't happy to pay the service as it was apauling to which he replied even though you only booked for 22 when 24 turned up, as the steam was blowing out my ears at his rude reply, my friend came along to give him the extra to save an arguement, which i was upset as he just snatched it out of her hand and stormed back in slamming the door in our faces!!!

During the meal we were giving the mexican hats, but when we walked out were followed by the waitress' to demand them back, why give them out to us if we can keep them??!!

After the most uncomfortable and slowest meal i've ever had, i will never go back and wouldn't reccomend anyone goes here unless you like being treated badly for overpriced drinks and an average meal, then being chased to pay the service charge!! Ridiculous resturant!!!

Having read some other reviews I was apprehensive. I was therefore very pleasantly surprised. Our visit was for a 50th birthday party. The age range of our party was 20s-60s The atmosphere was lively encouraged by rather cheesy piped music which was well suited to the 50th birthday celebrations and seemed to please the majority. The staff were all very friendly and attentative. The food was very tasy,hot and well presented (We chose from a set menu but there was a good choice) again everyone seemed very satisfied. Good choice of drinks and the service generally excellent. I would definitely go back.

Panchos was an absolute shocker. I have always wondered what it was like in there, having heard it was quite fun but not exactly fine dining. So last week I booked it for my birthday and my god did I regret it. The food is frozen, the staff have to be the most rude miserable beggers I have ever seen. I cant write too much because the thought of this horrid hell hole infuriates me to the point of wanting to throw a Molotov cocktail through the window.

After reading some of the other reviews about Panchos Cantina, I was a little apprehensive about going for a meal there, but I was VERY pleased with my meal, the service, and atmosphere. I have to say that it was on a Monday night at 7pm, so it was very quiet in there, but the food was amazing, service excellent, and I have NOTHING negative to say. I spoke to the owner for some time; a very nice guy, and I congratulated him on both the food and service. Highly recommended!

I have gone to Pancho's every Birthday for the last 5 years. Now all my friends do the same!! We go a good few times a year, and I can hand on heart say I have never been to a restaurant where the staff and management are so welcoming. If you want a quiet romantic evening with Michelin star quality food, then this is not the place for you. If you are looking for a really really fun place, with good, reasonably priced food, where you can have a few drinks and a laugh with friends, then you will not find anywhere as good as Pacho's Cantina anywhere!!!

I read the previous reviews, and although I don't deny it happened I just feel sorry that they were obviously having a bad day. I turned up at Pancho's Cantina restaurant in Westcliff on Sea with 43 other people, celebrating 3 birthdays!

The decor is multicoloured and fun, plus the music was very lively, although loud, which didn't bother me. We were seated upstairs, and although a little cramped I wasn't too worried, as they were trying to fit a lot of us in! The food was AMAZING! Most things have a spicy tinge to them, but this should be expected ... you are in a Mexican restaurant! There are softer options, in fact - the only people moaning were the blokes who thought they could cope with the spicier foods when they couldn't)! I'm definitely going back again, and I hope you can take the chance too, especially if you like your food spicy hot!

The atmosphere was good, but very loud. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody over 30, or someone that isn't up for a laugh. Unfortunately, the service was terrible. Our orders, both drinks and food, weren't taken until half an hour after we arrived at Pancho's Cantina. Plus, the food after that didn't arrive for another two hours. They also refused to let us all pay separately, and said we had to pay as one big table.

Pancho's Cantina Mexican restaurant in Westcliff-on-Sea is a nice place to eat if you live on a council estate and don't go out much.

The service was terrible. We weren't offered any drinks for 20 minutes when we arrived. We were then asked to move tables as a Hen Party felt cramped with us there. Not our problem, and the restaurant manager should have thought of that when the tables were laid out for the evening.

We asked for a desert menu but it never turned up. Not a good experience considering I'd heard how good the place was. They also had the cheek to charge a 10% service charge.