Lake Forest location: Avila's used to be great, not so much anymore. Online they feature a happy hour menu, however that's not an option. The food was not great and overpriced. The Margaritas were expensive and weak. The salsa was a bland watery mess. The carne asada on the nachos was chewy and cooked poorly. Didn't taste like carne at all, rather some type of cheap meat that was expired. The service was poor. Chips were not brought to the table (which is customary at the 100s of other Mexican restaurants I've been to. We had to ask 3 or so times just to get the chips and watery salsa. The end bill was astonishing for how poor the food was. Would have been happier with Del Taco. For 10% of the price. read more

This place is really good. Staff is welcoming and courteous. My husband and I dont eat meat, so I got the veggie Fajitas, and he got the veggie enchiladas with beyond meat. Let's say he cleared his plate, and I had to get a take-home box because they gave me a nice size plate. This was our first time here, I would say we would come again soon, but we are not from this area. If we were to come to town again we would definitely visit again. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Veggie Fajitas w/Corn Tortillas - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I have been to this restaurant chain in L.A. and wanted to try the one near my house. The food was good; however the service sucked so bad. I ordered steak fajitas and they were NOT FAJITA-ING when I got them. In fact my mom said she saw them come out and sit there for a good 5 minutes. When we got our food, the waitress never came by to see how it was and when finished, we waited an impatient amount of time for our check. I had drank all my water about 10 minutes before and she never refilled it. We had to ask someone who looked like a manager to refill our waters. For their pricey menu, you get a lot of food. However, the salsa is ALRIGHT. We asked for spicer salsa (cause that's how I like it) and it was still lackluster. Come to find out they charge $2.50 for the spicy salsa. I'm too offended by that. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

Excellent drinks excellent food like I said just posting a few flicks for the people‍‍ read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Delmi con El jefe, bloody Mary made by Norie the bartender the bartender Bosslady deserves all her flowers - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Great food, margaritas and staff! Our fav maexican spot! Our family comes here at least once a week.

Wow I guess each Avila's is different in the way they cook items. I was so blown away by Foothill Ranch Avila's abondigas soup. I stated I usually did not like this soup but the flavor was so good and so flavorful. The meatballs had great flavor and broth was so tasty. Today I gambled hoping the Lake Forest location was the same. Unfortunately I paid almost $16 for a large bowl of hot water with vegetables and meatballs that have no flavor.. I guess I will have to travel to Foothill Ranch to get the good version. Bummer. My daughter ordered the Chile relleno Fresca and chicken taquitos combo plate. Relleno was delicious rice and beans good. Taquitos 3 which are smaller than normal ones. $17.95 you'd think they would be full size instead of 3" Won't be coming back.... To this one I mean.. read more

You need a part time job to eat here. How is beans rice a enchilada and taco $30.. wow that's insane

I feel the prices are way too high for the quality served. The place is fun and great for a taco tuesday or some margaritas, but very americanized. The tacos were horrible, the crispy better than the soft, but the meats were very generic and flavorless, even the salsa did not do much to add life to our meals. Service is great, they really have a wonderful staff that works the crowds well and you do feel welcome here and are treated well. A shame since I live nearby, but the food was just not worth returning for. read more

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Every time we go there they have some of the most fresh tacos, meats & horchata around. Super kind & polite service plus it has a very authentic Mexican vibe in the restaurant. We eat there almost weekly read more

I'm updating the stars from 2 to 4 cause the service has really improved over the last few years. Service makes the experience so great job on improving this area! Now we're regulars. read more

I love the ambiance of this restaurant, it's tucked away in a place where it's very difficult to find if you're not going there specifically with once you enter it just feels like you left the typical Orange County corporate restaurant scene. The menu is filled with so many options, make sure you look over everything because they really do have many many options and I always suggest trying something new. The service was great, we took our time with them and you in the later and let us enjoy read more

Great atmosphere, great food. My favorite is their Avila's soup! Customer service was also very friendly.

Avila's El Ranchito is a great neighborhood restaurant for some good authentic Mexican food! Their restaurant interior is eclectic, which is totally my style. They have expanded their patio area into the parking lot for those that prefer to eat outdoors. Their portions are large, food is reasonably priced, and the dishes are always cooked just right and taste fresh. I have some dietary restrictions and they always accommodate when I ask for substitutions. I also love their complimentary chips and salsa! And if you are in the mood for a margarita (or two), they have an extensive selection of margaritas! I appreciate that they have some skinny margaritas too! The service is friendly and quick! They have lots of parking out front. read more

The food here is fantastic. The service is top notch. Jesus is the man! We come here every week and the consistency and quality never disappoint! We absolutely love that they have a dedicated Vegan menu!!! read more

We love to eat and drink at Avilas. You can't go wrong with the food or drinks! The atmosphere is all superb! So come on down and have some great food and drink! read more

We have been coming here for years. We feel like family and the food and margaritas are amazing. We love our waitress Blanca, she is the best! read more

Now so far Avila's is my go-to place for Diabla Camarones. It is hard to find a spicy camarones and that has consistency. (I've been to other places where it was good for awhile and then the quality degraded, then there are other places, like one in San Diego that will make you cry and beg for mercy.) Now the consistency is great, for the most part this is true of Avila's El Ranchito. The shrimp are large and it can get spicy depending on the time of day you visit. I believe we might be the only ones who order it as a lot of people don't understand it. We also have never had any shrimp that were funky, it is always fresh when we've gone. Tip: You can request with or without the shells on the shrimp. Also, the Mama Avila's Soup is just fantastic. A large bowl and you could be set for a meal. It is filling and very tasty. read more

This Avilas has the best guacamole!! They make it at your table, a nice touch. It's fresh and yummy. Their Mama Avilas Soup is my favorite of all the locations as well. Fun ambiance. read more

Crave worthy food! The chips & salsa are very tasty. I always get red sauce shredded beef enchiladas and rice. If I lived closer I'd eat there every week. read more

Our family for years has frequented Avila's. We hadn't been back since covid, way to long. We were greeted by friendly staff, and our server was cheerful and attentive. We ordered fajitas. The worst fajitas ever. Very dry under cooked vegetables with no flavor, no sauce. We asked for sour cream and Pico salsa to add some taste. We were charged 2.50 for each, and sour cream was imitation ! The staff became very busy, so instead of saying anything, we paid our bill and left. There are too many options in Lake Forest to return to this one. On the plus side, the interior had many improvements, clean and inviting. read more

Highly recommended this place, bomb.com!! From Mama Avilas soup to the margaritas, everything hits the spot. read more

Great atmosphere and service. Guac made fresh at your table is the best! Whole family enjoys eating here. Kids menu has lots of choices and you can't go wrong with the tacos & soup combo from the main menu. read more

My family and I used to come this restaurant regularly for family meals and this was the first time back in years. First, the positive: the table side preparation of guacamole is still very good and was the highlight of the meal. Although we had to ask for chips twice before we were served them. The mains for myself, wife, sister and mother were all disappointing. My mother pointed out to the server that her chicken enchilada was unseasoned white meat, dry and bland. He offered to give her another dish but by then it was the end of the meal and she declined. My chicken mole was a very average mole sauce that barely covered unseasoned white meat. My sister's chile relleno was equally disappointing so were my wife's fajitas. The only positive about the dishes is that the portions were large so we took leftovers home. The service was the real letdown. I read in other Yelp reviews that if you don't order a margarita the servers will ignore you. We didn't order a margarita and we were ignored, despite the restaurant being largely empty. When we were giving our order the waiter asked my wife and I if we wanted corn or flour tortillas and then didn't serve them. When I asked him at the end of the meal what happened to the corn tortillas he finally gave them to me. We had to wave to get water and service. There are alot of great Mexican restaurants around. I'd give this one a pass. read more

Late lunch today , food and service 4/5 Mgr refused a coupon that is posted on AARP. Will not return! read more

My husband and I stopped by for lunch today, and our server David was THE BEST! He was so nice and top of everything! We started with the shrimp botana and it was a great choice for appetizer! I ordered a cucumber margarita, fiesta size of course! We also order a tampiqueña which you can never go wrong with! It was delicious! The atmosphere was very welcoming! Thank you David! We will be back soon! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Cucumber margarita - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Great food. Friendly service. We come here frequently and are never disappointed. Order the carne asada. To die for. The Cadillac margarita is also top notch. read more

I have been a regular customer here and have always enjoyed the food and atmosphere. We are always greeted like family! Sal and his amazing staff, Maria, David, Blanca, Julio, Henry to name a few, never disappoint! The food and service keep us coming back!!!! read more

Came here for a quick bite before kickoff! Very attentive staff and food was great,came fast and you can tell this place is popular it got packed as we left. Would definitely come again, casa azul margarita was amazing thanks for the recommendation from our waiter Jesus Avila read more

Avila's was a great restaurant--the ambiance is amazing and the food is even better. The rice in particular stood out. Blanca was an excellent waitress! read more

These are the best people in the world. So loving and caring to make sure your dinning experience is perfect. My wife has a neurological disorder that makes it difficult for her to eat but all the staff are so patient and wonderful we come here every week. We love them. Thank you Avila's. read more

My sister and I ate here last night. Waited over a half hour for two bowls of tortilla soup. She had onions and cilantro on top ($2 extra by the way). I did not. A few hours later she was violently ill. Severe stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. I think the onions were bad. So best to avoid. read more

Had such a great experience! Very family friendly and the service was wonderful. Blanca was very nice and attentive to our family. Food was great, the service was fast and we couldn't have had a better time enjoying the ambiance. This will definitely not be the last time we come! Thank you Blanca for adding to our experience. read more

Great ambience and overall great experience. David, luis, Henry and Blanca were very great to deal with. The food was amazing and definitely hit the spot after a hard days work. They have all the sports games on as well. read more

Best Mexican food, festive atmosphere, our server Henry was great . Highly recommend the Tacos and Caldo. Mamasita's chicken and rice soup is delicious read more

The food was delicious, we are vegetarians and vegans, but found lots of choices, and the server was fantastic! She was super friendly, and efficient too. The music was delightful too, the decor was so authentic. read more

I ordered take out many times, and I just tried to order again prior to getting take out a couple days ago. The guy always answering the phone does not know the menu or how to put anything in the computer for take out, he had to ask two different people how to order "flautas with rice and beans" and they still couldn't get it, horrible service don't waste your time and come here. The guy that put for the phone orders or host cant do his job AT ALL, I would give 1 star if I could read more

No. Seriously. Don't. One extra star for the ambiance. And one for the service. That leaves zero for the food. That's about right. No posole in the posole, just stewed pork in a flavorless red liquid. "Chingolingas"? Never heard of them. Chingadalenguas would be a better name for macerated dry chicken in an egg roll. Her "quesadilla" never saw una sartén, but was warmed slightly in a microwave. Skip the food and fill up on the airplane. read more

Terrible food and high prices. Worse of all was the SIMPLE Margaritas; for the $11, the small drink was TASTELESS, absolutely not even close to an amateur bartender's mixed drink. Service raised my review to two stars. read more

Food is good, but $14.00 for a small bowl of Quacamole? That's outrageous!! Was it that they prepared it in front of us that made it worth $14.00 I will never go back to that place...it's way too pricey for us!! Especially for one of the less expensive foods to make. read more

Great staff, indoor and outside seating. Portions of food are enough for two to split and the margaritas are delicious. (The large is LARGE) The exterior art and decorations are awesome as well as the interior. Bathrooms are clean as nicely remodeled. Definitely Recommend this place read more