Pancho & Lefty's Cantina

Pancho & Lefty's Cantina has great and friendly service. The food however, is not great. I started with a cup of elote, which was pretty good. This gave me high hopes for the tacos. The tacos came out and looked very appetizing but sadly, they were anything but. The meat was bland and these just aren't authentic tacos. Maybe I'm biased, being from New Mexico, but I did have some other tacos in Nashville that were outstanding! This place severely misses the mark. If you're looking for authenticity, look elsewhere.

In town for business and trying all of the local food choices. This is a great part of town. Some of the best barbecue in Nashville is served right across the street from Pancho and Lefty's cantina. My order was street corn and the three taco combo with shrimp, steak and barbacoa . Every taco was phenomenal with the shrimp taco coming out on top. In my opinion. I had the award-winning margarita and it was pretty good. Maybe a little sweet for my liking, but still a great margarita. I would definitely return and highly recommend anybody try it out. Highly recommend.

I dined at the Sylvan Park location on Sunday. I was so impressed with the freshness of the ingredients. The salsa, queso, and guacamole were the best I've ever had. Found out they are made fresh daily on site. Followed up with two tacos and an extra spicy Bloody Mary that did not disappoint. The wait staff and management were friendly and professional. I loved sitting out on the patio with my grand dog in a super relaxed and fun atmosphere. I can't believe I have lived in Nashville for nine years and just made my first visit. It definitely will not be the last.

Some of Nashville's best tacos! We sat out on the patio and absolutely loved the atmosphere. We will definitely be back!

Good location , Good environment, Good service. However, chips and salsa are $3. Chips are very, very thin and greasy. They break when you scoop salsa. The steak fajitas are nothing to write home about. Ours came out cool after it was sitting on the shelf for 10 minutes. There are plenty of other good restaurants are around. But if you want something quick and nothing too special, check it out!

Ordered from Uber Eats. They are out of their mind with these prices. $6 for a 2oz container of corn? The food was good, mind you but a majority of items were way overpriced for the tiny portions given. The taco was $6, which is pretty tiny, but still more reasonable than the corn. Lastly, not sure why they threw a couple broken and stale tortilla chips on top of my taco, but seems like a careless afterthought.

I’ve never eaten here before but the food was really great. And very good portions. The margaritas were great. And Cory, our server, was absolutely the best! I have a lot of foot allergies, including gluten and dairy, and he was so insanely careful with my food. He even got me toasted corn tortillas in lieu of chips so I could eat salsa too. Totally excellent service! I will absolutely come back.

Stopped by here recently and it was a really enjoyable spot for some beverages in a nice outdoor setting. Didn’t order any food, but we sat at a table on the patio with our dogs and enjoyed some margaritas, and they were fantastic! Highly recommend the cosmic cactus one. They have frozen drinks too, for those particularly hot days. The service was great and the menu looked really appealing too, so I’d gladly go back whenever I’m back in the area.

So yummy and quick!! Chips and salsa fresh and the adobo chicken bowl had tons of flavor! Liz is awesome and works so hard to serve her customers!!!

1st timer, due to Edley's BBQ (across the street) being closed because of a power outage. I was greeted & seated quickly. The server was nice & attentive. I was hungry & had to order something, so I thought that I would play it safe and order Wings. They came out pretty quick, so my antenna went up! Low & Behold they were not cooked thoroughly. I chose the Chipotle Glaze. The sauce was tasty, but I could taste quite a bit of salt also on the chips that were complimentary. If I choose to try them again, I will wait until my taste buds are wanting Mexican food.

Such good service, but the food was awful. We came near closing, so perhaps that was part of the reason that the quality had slipped. We ordered a couple of margaritas and some nachos to share. We added the Barbacoa what came was a very gross pile of broken chips that tasted like they had been cooked in older oil, or had been sitting for a while, and the queso had completely split. We basically could only eat the top layer off of some of the meat, and then had to leave the rest alone. It was one of the most unappetizing meals I've had a long time. The beverages were really great, and we had a spot on service. We did tell our server how bad the nachos were, and we were still charged, so I don't know if that's just normal policy or what. $60 for 2 drinks, nachos and generous tip.

Margaritas and tacos were very tasty. Patio is a great place to relax while enjoying your drinks and food. We enjoyed the Birria Tacos and El Classico Tacos. The El Classico were nostalgic crunchy tacos that reminded me of eating Taco Bell as a teenager. These tacos, however, were elevated and delicious! Definitely try them. The Birria Tacos were served with consommé. The beef was tender and these tacos were super tasty. I'd get them again. We also shared a side of street corn along with some chips and salsa. Both were good, but not great. Staff was super friendly and food was served quickly. We really enjoyed the vibe outdoors on the patio.

Only leaving 4 stars instead of 5 because the service could have been better, we choose to sit on the patio on a Saturday at lunch time and we were the only ones out there so we rarely got checked on. However, the food tasted amazing and the serving size was worth the money. Also, the drinks are very good and Nashville themed which was cute!

The atmosphere is the best part of Pancho and Lefty's. The food will get the job done but it didn't inspire me to come back.

Pancho & Lefty's is a great casual spot for Mexican food! I was really excited to try their crunch-wrap, which you can customize with your meat of choice (I had the vegan chorizo). It was absolutely delicious and super filling. I had the charro beans as a side and it was definitely more food than I could eat, but always good to have leftovers! I recommend the margaritas as well - a lot of great seasonal flavors are available and were super refreshing on a hot Nashville day.

I have only been one time, and cannot believe I forgot to leave a review. Took a customer for lunch, so no alcohol. Service was solid, and the food was great. I got lunch with my customer, and took some tacos home for the family. Even though the food was an hour or so old, by the time I got home, everyone agreed it was very good.

Great margs!! I love the strawberry basil one. Great spot for takeout too, they do free chips and salsa for takeout orders which I really appreciate. I like the Crunchwrap. They don't take reservations, but on a Monday night we didn't have to wait for a table for 10 which was great. There's a parking lot in the back or a few spots in the front.

I had a really good experience eating here for dinner! Got the queso to start and a frozen mango margarita. The queso had a unique but good taste to it and was the perfect consistency for dipping. The steak tacos as an entree were a good choice and two tacos were plenty of food for me! Service was quick and we were seated right away at 6pm on a Friday. The restaurant did fill up while we were there so I suggest going early!

The best tortilla ships at a restaurant hands down! Absolutely love the food here. Fair warning: the salsa is spicy!!

I'm only sure of one thing with this restaurant, DO NOT get the queso. I got it with a Margarita before ordering. I ate some of it and before I could even order any other food, I started getting sick to my stomach. So I cannot rate anything else, but the queso and it was easily the worst I've ever had.

We moved to Nashville two years ago from Newport Beach, California. Couldn't handle the way CA is run so we moved to TN, but I got to say, Nashville Mexican food is not the best. Fast-forward to today, we were across the street at Edley's, where their typical hit and miss service was a miss, as is increasingly the case, so we walked across the street. Hands-down this is the best Mexican food I've had in Nashville, and it would be good by Guadalajara standards in Mexico. Absolutely epic food. Try their tacos, unbelievable, the sides were really good, and their margaritas are absolutely top shelf. Highly recommended.

The service was fantastic and the food tasty. We got tacos, steak; sweet potato, & fish with beans and rice. The blueberry margarita pitcher. And chips and salsa. Our waitress Liz was on point. We sat on in the covered patio. A great lunch and I love the ambience of the environment

I'm here to deliver an uproarious 5-star update on the place that once had me sulking! Brace yourselves, folks, because things have taken a hilarious turn for the better. Remember when the service was as attentive as a daydreaming sloth? Well, guess what? They've gone from snail speed to superhero swift! They now listen to special requests like detectives on a high-profile case, ensuring your dining desires are met with precision. I must give a shoutout to Lilly, the extraordinary server who has truly mastered the art of making your dining experience unforgettable. Lilly's attention to detail, warm demeanor, and impeccable service make her a standout star in the restaurant. She goes above and beyond to ensure your every need is met, leaving you with a smile that lasts long after the meal is over. If you have the pleasure of being served by Lilly, consider yourself lucky, for she is truly an amazing server who elevates the dining experience to a whole new level. Hold on tight, because the server shuffle has turned into a comedic masterpiece! No more confusion over who's who--now you can play a delightful game of "Guess the Server" while enjoying your meal. The awkward atmosphere has transformed into an unintentional comedy club. You'll laugh so hard, you'll forget why you even came in the first place! But wait, there's more! The food, once saltier than a pretzel left in the Dead Sea, has found its perfect flavor balance. The greasiness has been tamed, so you can savor every bite without feeling like a human slip 'n slide. Forget Chipotle, my friends! This place has evolved into a culinary sensation that'll tickle your taste buds and leave you begging for an encore. So, strap in for a wild ride of improvement and belly laughs. This hidden gem is no longer a secret--it's a sidesplitting adventure you won't want to miss! Bon appétit and plenty of chuckles await!

Poncho and Lefty's is my favorite restaurant in Nashville! You should definitely try the Adobo Chicken taco and the Mad Dog Marg!

Definitely grab the pimento cheese taquitos. The steak tacos and the barría tacos were amazing as well. The salsa was delicious, and my wife and I will definitely be back.

food was great. waiting for 45 mins for drinks is absurd. waiting over an hour for food is even more absurd.

Pineapple spicy Margarita is incredible. Dip trio is a must. Hot chicken taco is my favorite!

It was my first time here, and it was so good. My server, Liz, was so nice and super helpful with the menu. The manager was very nice and checked on me. This place is managed very well. I had the strawberry margarita, the trio appetizer, and then the ground beef crunch wrap. Wow! The food was SO good. Overall, a 10/10. I'll definitely be back.

The best food, and such a chill atmosphere. The house margarita with a tajin rim + the avocado bowl and don't forget the sweet potatoes! Must visit!

The food, ambiance, and service from Liz was top tier! We got the birria tacos, that we devoured before I could get a pic. We also had a crunch wrap with chicken that was seasoned to perfection. Let's not forget about the margaritas... we both had the dragon fruit spicy margs. One was made without orange juice so that's the reason for the color difference. Overall I give it a 10/10!

Great meal and friendly service! The smash burger and chicken and waffle tacos are yummy.

Our server Jalan was amazing!!! The Birria & steak tacos were CLUTCH & the trio appetizer was sooo good! The patio had awesome ambiance We'll definitely be back!

Loved my experience here!! Aja was one of the best servers I have had in a long time. Very engaging, gave me great recommendations for food and drink. Also, I love the cocktails, they are fresh juices and some of the best margaritas I have ever had. And the tacos are to die for.

Absolutely great tasting food! I had the queso to start and it was great and their chips were fresh and thin. I had the burrito bowl with steak and it was sooo frickin good! I have thought about it every day since I had it. Try it out!

Yes, I LOVE this place. It's rustic and cozy. The first time I ordered several different tacos but I decided I love the shrimp po boy soooo much, I always get those now. Sometimes 2, sometimes 3. Service is fast and pleasant. I thought there wasn't much parking. but after 3 visits I found out there was more parking around the corner in back of the restaurant. The steak tacos has won awards but the shrimp is my ticket!

I live in the Sylvan Park/Richland neighborhood, and I used to get takeout from Pancho and Lefty's regularly. Since August 2022 (the last time I got takeout from P&L's), my finances recently have mostly kept me at home cooking, but tonight I decided to splurge. I ordered: Adobo chicken tacos (corn tortilla) Barbacoa chicken tacos (corn tortilla) Burrito bowl with Adobo chicken Quesadilla with Adobo chicken Total cost around $50.00 (*I planned to eat the tacos tonight, and have the rest for lunch and dinner tomorrow.) WOW has the food quality plummeted downhill in the last 10 months. Several menu items have apparently changed their recipe -- the Adobo chicken, specifically, used to be savory-spicey chunks of juicy chicken in whatever dish you ordered it in, and it was delicious. Not "amazing" Mexican food, but perfectly tasty for a restaurant that's 2min away and reasonably priced. But now the Adobo chicken is shredded chicken saturated in some kind of reddish-brown, vaguely-BBQ-type sauce that isn't even trying to taste Mexican. The chicken tacos I ordered both tasted and "felt" (texture-wise) almost identical to the Barbacoa tacos -- oily, mushy, and bland. In fact, *everything* I ordered tonight was just oily, mushy, and bland. The quesadilla was saturated and dripping with oil. The rice in the burrito bowl was watery and over-cooked. NOTHING tasted good. Honestly, I took 2 bites of each dish and tossed the rest in the garbage -- I *never* waste food, but it was that bad, and doubly-disappointing from a restaurant I used to like. Workers were super-friendly when I picked up my order, but I'll never waste money here again, and I'll warn as many people away as possible.

Delicious. I highly recommend! Service is great and food incredible and fresh. Chips and salsa amazing. Get the avocado bowl with adobe chicken. Just in town a couple days but I miss my so cal Mexican food and this hits the spot! Nice ambience too.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the outside patio was warm and cozy. I am sad you have to order salsa, instead of it just being free and part of the meal. But the roasted red salsa was incredible! It has just the right amount of spice. I got the tacos, and they were tasty as well. The side was chips, which was good, but I wish it came with rice. The taco itself was really good though, I especially loved the tortillas that taste homemade.

SO yummy! If you don't get the Crunchwrap you are missing out! Also the strawberry Basil marg is 11/10

Title: Mixed Experience at Pancho and Lefty's Cantina - 3 Stars I visited Pancho and Lefty's Cantina this past Saturday for dinner during Father's Day weekend. While the server, Brandon, and the ambience impressed me, the overall food quality left much to be desired. Here's a breakdown of my experience: Starting with the positives, I must commend our server, Brandon. Despite a delay in greeting us after being seated, he quickly made up for it with exceptional service. His knowledge and enthusiasm in recommending dishes were commendable, and he genuinely knew how to make us feel welcome. The ambience of the restaurant, along with the delightful margaritas, added to the enjoyable atmosphere. We didn't sit on the patio this particularly time but it is enjoyable, making it a great spot to relax and sip on refreshing drinks. However, the food was a disappointment. We ordered the trio for a starter, but the chips were overly greasy, and the queso was overshadowed by large watery chunks of tomato rather than the promised pico de gallo. I shared my feedback with Brandon, who appreciated the feedback. Unfortunately, the tilapia was unappetizing, and again, there was an excessive amount of pico de gallo on everything. The shrimp tacos were average at best. My husband's adobo chicken was simply awful. Pancho and Lefty's Cantina has an ideal location and offers a great patio for enjoying margaritas. However, the overall decline in food quality is concerning. I sincerely hope they can address this issue promptly and regain their former glory. In conclusion, while I acknowledge the excellent service from Brandon and the pleasant ambience, the subpar food quality significantly impacted my dining experience at Pancho and Lefty's Cantina. I recommend this place primarily for drinks and atmosphere, but improvements are needed in the culinary department.

(I wrote my previous review on the wrong yelp account.. so you bet I'm gonna give another great review so people WILL eat here ) Amazing service. Our server took great care of us. The chips and queso were fantastic. I'm not a big tequila guy so I'm not gonna base this review on my margarita.. mine was alright. What I will say.. was the birria tacos and my Nashville hot chicken taco were out of this WORLD. Would 100% recommend to anyone wondering to check it out or not.

Every taco ordered was amazing (and we ordered quite a few at the table). The pork belly was my personal fave and I would order it again in a heartbeat. We had a group of 8 on a Friday night. Luckily we got a table as it's seat yourself and our waiter was new. It took a bit for our drinks to come out but it was Friday night at 7 so we understood. A couple of people's orders were mixed up when they arrived but it was all handled well by the mgmt and we didn't really have any complaints. Chips and guacamole were good but the guacamole to me wasn't the best I've had. It needed some lime juice or tomato in it. Overall we'd be back and we probably will soon!

Had a delicious dinner tonight! Highly recommend the hot chicken taco and the blueberry margs. Ashley H was so wonderful and read our minds about everything! Will be coming back soon.

Loved this spot! Super friendly staff, tasty food and drinks, and awesome ambiance. The Orchata Bushwhacker was seriously heavenly However, this review is mostly for the Big Ass Nachos: $14 Big Ass Nachos Chip crunch 7/10 Topping ratio 10/10 Value 8/10 Flavor 10/10 smoky medium spice, cilantro, lime, jalapeño Uniqueness (smoked corn was unique) 9/10 Restaurant experience 9/10 good music, friendly staff, killer ambiance Presentation 9/10 Cheese 8/10 nacho cheese Toppings 8/10 Quantity 9/10

Place was recommended from social media and it did not disappoint! We were seated right away and there was no wait:) The staff was extremely friendly and inviting! My boyfriend and I both got the blueberry mad dog margarita! ( little strong, didn't taste like blueberry but flavor still was great!) we also ordered the guacamole and the lovely waitress also grabbed us some queso, both were delicious and we've had our fair and share of those before. I ordered the chicken tacos and my boyfriend ordered birria tacos! They were PHENOMENAL!

I loved the patio here! I ate with friends yesterday and was perfectly content on the patio with a small fire in the outdoor fireplace. The patio is dog-friendly too which is nice. Zac waited on us and he did a wonderful job. He was very friendly and too good care of us despite it being very busy. The food was very good. I had the grilled fish taco and the pork belly taco with elote. The elote was just okay but both the tacos were great and the portions are large. I ended up ordering 2 but only eating 1.5. They come with a little side of chips and salsa (didn't see that posted on the menu). I'd recommend against ordering a side and just getting the tacos. The margarita I had was the citrus one with OJ. The flavor was great but it was very weak which was disappointing. When I order a $12 drink I expect it to be decently strong. Hence the minus one star. Overall though I'd definitely come back for the food and the patio. My friend ordered the nachos and they looked amazing so I'd like to try them sometime.

Friendly service, a great outdoor seating space, COVID conscious. The food tasted fresh and the options are a bit unique compared to some of their competition. Decent drink options to boot. A few of the items are a tad bit pricey for what they are and it'd be nice if things like chips and salsa were complimentary for tables but those are minor complaints. I particularly enjoyed the Avocado Bowl with a nice mixture of street corn, cheese, and tasty spices. The optional add-on of pork belly sent it over the top.

Dirty floors, slow service, hard bottom of the pan rice as well as borderline tacos, enchilada and crusted over beans. I do not recommend this establishment.

Listen here I am starting to become a regular because I need my taco salad fix. It is so effing good. Margs are ok you are better off saving your marg money for another place. But the food is well prepared and the service is pretty quick and efficient. I haven't been when it's super busy but it's a good place for big groups or families. 4 stars because the margs disappoint.

Super yummy little taco spot! The queso is a must and the crunchwrap was surprisingly great! Would recommend the margaritas as well!

I am not sure how this restaurant has 4 stars, it's shocking to me. The food is not good and my friend got food poisoning from the salsa. I have eaten here 3 times and gave it a fair chance but I was disappointed all 3 times (the final resulting in food poisoning for my friend). Sylvan Park deserves better.

I had high hopes for this place but was very disappointed. Parking is a nightmare. They have three spots up front but then it's every man for himself. We ended up finding street parking down the road but it was quite a walk. When we walked in we were told to seat ourselves but then it took 20 minutes for anyone to even acknowledge us. We ordered our food right away and it took another 30-40 minutes for it to come. I got the sweet potato and the huevos taco. Both were good. The shell is a thick flour soft shell which are made fresh in house. The tacos also came with chips which were ehhh. My friend got the quesadilla which looked so good. However, he ordered chicken but it came with steak. We didn't say anything because at that point we just wanted to eat and leave.

Sylvan park location is sooooo much better than melrose! Totally recommend! Yummy tacos

This place was absolutely amazing especially because of the service my wife and I received from our server Leah! She was very attentive and created a nice ambiance where I didn't feel neglected or suffocated. She has a great attitude and definitely made my wife and I feel at home ! Would come to this location again to visit Leah and have some great food !!

Great place to grab a quick bite. Laid back atmosphere with good food. We had the Taco Salads

First time eating at Pancho & Lefty's! Everything was so delicious! The nachos were next-level and the service was great! Will definitely be back, highly recommend!

Solid taco bar with friendly employees and casual atmosphere. Visited the cantina on a weeknight. It was pretty chill inside but busy on the to-go side. We ordered at the bar and the bartender prepared our drinks and then brought our food to the outdoor area where we chose to sit. Sitting outside even in December was nice because of the tent and fireplace. It was quite cozy! The house Margarita was quite tasty though a bit on the small side. The pork belly taco was my favorite! It was so perfectly cooked. The shrimp taco was good as well, but the pork belly was so good that it overshadowed it. The elote was solid and some of my favorite that I've had outside of Texas. I didn't know the chips and salsa would be on the side, But I can definitely appreciate that. It was a bit more expensive than I expected for a taco place, but I'm guessing it would be considered more upscale, so that could lend to the higher price.

Excellent! A favorite for everyone at our office. Have tried and enjoyed all tacos on the menu. Sweet potato wedges are unlike any I've ever seen and amazing.