Sancho Pistola’s

This is one of my favorite places to go for drinks and dinner in the city. Margaritas are a must here and they’ve always got new flavors. Fish tacos, mole meatball steamed buns, and scrapple guac are my favorite!

Great food. Great drinks. Good times all the way around. The lobster tacos are my absolute favorite. Gavin makes me awesome concoctions every time I come in!

Just ok. The spicy mango/​guava margarita was a highlight. The food took forever to come out during brunch even though it wasn’t crowded at all. Two tacos for $ 12? That’s pretty steep especially when they’re not all that good. Bland «Mexican» food? That’s hard to do.

I can’t say enough great things about Sancho’s. I have eaten/​had drinks here at least monthly for two years. Tacos are delightful and interesting both for meat eaters and veggies (Brussels Sprouts Tacos are outstanding). Nachos are amazing and the beer menu is fantastic — great can selection and interesting drafts as well. And if you like mixed drinks the drink menu is delish — and the bartenders are excellent at whipping something up for you with freshly squeezed juices and mescal. Atmosphere is friendly and plenty of TVs if you want to watch sports. Best Mexican in Fishtown/​NoLibs!

In the area and stopped in for some drinks and a light dinner. Was not dissapointed! Sat at the bar and got immediate and effing great service.
Meal & drinks included:
Spicy tuna guac A (chunks of tuna, so yum)
Plantains A++ (yaaass)
Soy chorizo nachos A– (could have been more hot and gooey!)
Spicy mango marg A+ (recommend if you like bite)
Especial beers A
Price point is average for the area and quality of food, IMO.
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend.

This in my favorite Mexican restaurant. The spicy tuna guacamole is amazing & I always get the chicken tinga tacos. The meat is always tender and juicy. The mahi mahi ceviche is my go to if I need a ceviche fix! Everyone I’ve brought here has loved their meal and wants to come back. It’s is a bit on the pricier side and it does stink that you only get two tacos. I usually would never pay $ 11 for two tacos but It worth it if you like juicy, tender, flavorful tacos and they are consistently good.

Loved the spicy tuna guacamole. Not the best service. And definitely not the best margaritas — they are so sweet it’s hard to get down. I sent my margarita back two times before I just gave up and drank a water.

I could eat here every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. Spicy Mango… omg. I never drink margaritas because they’re usually too sweet and artificially flavored, and it’s rare to find a good spicy margarita that doesn’t taste last night’s salsa that didn’t sit well and made a reappearance (TMI?). But the spicy mango is so perfect… lightly sweetened, spiced rimmed glass… perfect amount of spice. So refreshing! The Carnitas steamed buns are to die for, melt in your mouth. And can never go wrong with chips and guac. The oysters are also delish and I’m already looking forward to continuing my Woman vs Food to see how many tacos I can eat at once. And a plus, servers and bartenders are friendly. Big fan!

I came here to try the falafel tacos. They were great but a little spicy. If you don’t like spicy you may want to try something different. These are a great option for vegetarians. The goat cheese and pistachio guacamole was very good. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. This is a bar atmosphere so be prepared for higher noise levels than a typical restaurant. I would definitely return in the future.

Me and husband have been here a few times already and they were really really good! Does seem like they are going downhill a little. Pass two times we came the food has been a bit off. I ordered duck taco this time and the duck was real dry. Had to switch it out. But the next one (pork belly is good!) they just need to keep an eye out better I think! All and all a really good place!

Trendy is as trendy does. Completely enjoyed our food (guacamole and chips– Mexican crispy style, tacos and enchiladas) and on that alone I would give it a solid 4 stars. However, a few things brought this rating down for me.
1. Pricey. I know, it’s the town of fish but 85 bucks for 3 drinks and 3 plates?
2. The margarita was super clutch, the other drinks not so much. One tasted like straight up gasoline.
Bottom line for me, 5 years ago this would have been a nice spot to pregame and eat before hitting up the town. Now, the appeal just isn’t there.

First time here, was unaware that they were associated with Jose Pistola’s (one of my favorite spots in Center City), so I was pleasantly surprised when I found this out.
Met my friend for some drinks, food, and football on a Sunday. Beer selection was excellent, offer a lot of different bottles, cans, and drafts.
Food menu had a lot of intriguing choices. At Joes Pistola’s I always tell people to go there and get the Pulled Pork Nachos because they are some of the best I’ve ever had… so naturally we ordered those here as well. Delicious.
The Tuna Guac was reccomended but my friend won’t eat tuna, so we went with the plantains which were incredible and the Green Curry Wings, also very different and tasty.
All in all it was a great experience. I’m glad I now know this spot it here as I’m in the Northern Liberties area frequently, especially during my summer/​tequila season! Solid Job to Sancho and it’s employees who were all very helpful and friendly.

Came here with some friends on a whim, and was pleasantly surprised. The food is amazing! (albeit on the pricier side)
— Nachos: (cecina beef, chicken tinga, or spicy pork) Get the beef. Every time — get the beef. Very pricey (about $ 10?), but well worth it!
— Corn on the Cob: tasty, but with a little spicy kick
— Korean Rib Tacos: only 2 tacos per order (as with every taco), but they were AMAZING. So flavorful with a unique pear pico de gallo that combines a Korean favorite with a unique Mexican twist

When everything on the menu sounds delicious, then you know you’ve hit the jackpot. First, the drinks. Sancho knows what he’s doing when it comes to margaritas. I’m not normally a margarita señorita, but I decided to get a pomegranate –mint variety because it sounded good. And it was. Not too– tequila-​y, if you know what I mean.
For an appetizer, we let other Unilocalers guide us in the right direction with the Spicy Tuna Guacamole. You guys, this dish is it. I love me some guac, and this version is one of the best things I’ve ever piled onto a tortilla chip.
The taco selection is out of control crazy. Every single taco made my mouth water. After some intense moments of debate, and with the help of my margarita brain, I decided on the lamb with cucumber yogurt. Even my husband, who said he wasn’t sure it sounded good, was begging me for more than just one bite.
We aren’t in Fishtown a bunch, but I think Sancho just gave us a reason to visit his neck-​of-​the-​woods more often.

Again another place that is close to where I live and it has taken me forever just to come in here for a drink. Finally I convinced myself the other night that I needed to stop in at least for some drinks and apps. So came in ordered the spicy tuna guacamole, the ceviche mixto, the wings, the fries, and the corn. Pretty much everything rocked, like hard. The spicy tuna guacamole is absolutely my favorite, just awesome, and their tortilla chips are legit. Next time I am definitely getting the fish tacos among other things because I saw the guy next to me eating them and they looked amazing. Love this place, hope they keep putting out awesome food.

Can’t believe I haven’t done a review here yet because I’ve probably been here 100 times. You can go wrong with this place, I’ve had everything on the menu, and it really makes all the other Mexican places in the area seem obsolete.
The margaritas are fantastic, no heartburn with these bad boys. The tuna tacos are my fave but the crem de la crem is the spicy pork nachos. GET THEM! you won’t be disappointed.
Great happy hour and brunch, can’t beat the prices!

Awesome customer service, great location, amazing food/​drinks!!! Will def be going back again.
We ordered the cecina tacos, and 2 orders of the pork belly tacos, with plantains on the side & can’t forget the margaritas (spicy mango, classic, & pomegranate).
We sat at the bar and the bartenders were great and constantly checked to see if we needed anything. This place gets 5 stars for the food (that was well prepared), the drinks (that were AMAZING), the customer service (which was an A+), and the ambience (which was a cool, chill place, with decent people just looking to have a great time)

What’s great?
The fish tacos, the $ 17 pitchers of margaritas during happy hour, the spicy mango margaritas, the nachos with pickled red onions, the homemade hot sauce, the guac, Jose the best server
What’s not so great?
I wasn’t a fan of the Korean rib tacos, but I’d never tried Korean ribs before… so if you like them, it may be a good choice for you
Come between 4:30 and 6:30 for happy hour M-​F to grab $ 17 pitchers… so worth it.

Being a big time fan of Jose Pistola’s I was ecstatic to hear that they were opening a new bar in Fishtown. And while it might have been devoid of Casey Parker singing along to the jukebox with gusto, it delivered exactly what I’ve come to expect from Pistola’s and then some.
Décor, ambiance, service, and the well rounded beer menu here are almost exactly the same as Jose’s; only you don’t have to climb the 3^rd floor stairs for a somewhat sketched out bathroom. But they significantly added upon the TexMex and cocktail menus to add in even more enticing options.
For beers I was happy enjoying drafts from Avery, Jolly Pumpkin, and Bell’s. But they rotate and keep the list fresh pretty frequently; and also have a fairly fantastic bottle menu. But they also might have the best Tequila list in the city. And they tout incredible cocktails like the Dead Man’s Chest w/​Sailor Jerry, spiced rum, absinthe, Blanco Tequila, and grapefruit bitters; and the Big Mex with serrano infused tequila, mezcal, sour apple, strawberry, lime, agave nectar .
The taco menu runs the gamut of varieties that you’d expect, to plenty that are outside the box of TexMex standards. But with those odd varieties being taco variations of oyster po’boys, falafel, and a classic pastrami sandwich; I can’t say I’m complaining too much. Going with someone meant that we were able to share and become mesmerized by the Lamb Pebil and Red Striped Bass tacos. The Bass was everything that you would want out of a battered fish taco, with just a bit of extra heat courtesy of the chipotle aioli. Meanwhile the succulent lamb rib meat, and the habanero achiote sauce succeeded in making the Pebil the star of the night.
With staples like corn on the cob with shredded cotija cheese and tortilla soup on the menu, a supersized burger and decent raw bar options, and a killer sounding brunch; there’s definitely more than enough reasons to make here a Fishtown destination.

Sancho’s was my destination for after work drinks with a coworker last Thursday and we made sure to get there in time for happy hour. We first indulged in a pint of beer from the crafty selection on the chalkboard before moving onto the half-​priced pitcher of sangria. I was especially in love with that because it came with a generous portion of apples and cherries on top without being too sweet.
We got fairly hungry, so we thought we’d start with a plate of nachos ($ 9 + $ 4 for meat – ours were half off because of happy hour and such a good deal) and order more food after. But those nachos came so loaded with meat (hint: get the chorizo, which isn’t listed as an option. Yum), a few different types of cheese, cilantro, and jalapenos that we didn’t need to order any more food. We were stuffed before the rest of our friends even rolled up.
Also, MAKE SURE you ask for the homemade hot sauce. It’s a sweet and creamy flavor on the front of the tongue but it develops a deep burn on the aftertaste that is totally satisfying.
Our server was fantastic and shared with us her favorite dishes while also putting up with our boisterous conversations (we were easily the loudest people in there, although there were larger parties in attendance).
The atmosphere and décor of Sancho’s made me feel like I was in any normal Fishtown bar (read: industrial décor) that also happened to be serving Mexican food. I am not a huge fan of kitsch in general, so I really didn’t mind it at all. Just don’t expect it to look like an «authentic» Mexican place.
Definitely need to return to have more than just the nachos.