Food was ok but not so good service. We had to track our waiter to get a refill, more chips etc... finally we asked another waitress from the other room for help. Finally, we put our card into check folder to pay, but no one came to get it?? We needed to leave so we went to track our waiter to give it to him, but as we stood up the woman manager tells us "don't forget your card, you didn't pay yet". Handing her the card, we let her know we didn't forget to pay, no one came and got it. She was apologizing as she ran our card, but no one wants to be told that. It was our first time and it'll be last time at this place. read more

Great food and ambience. Our male waiter was great! He was very friendly and attentive. Food was yummy. Will come back again. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - (15) Shredded Beef Flautas ! - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Been coming to Avilas for probably close to a decade. This location in Lake Forest has the best chef(s) amongst the different locations. The drinks and food is always delicious, reliably consistent. Problem is, fighting off the flying uninvited pests. Please Avilas, get this taken care of. It was better during Covid when the tent outside was an option. Thank you. read more

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I would give it a zero if I could. My bf and I had an early dinner this evening. We had previously had a bad experience there but since they were closed for a few weeks I wanted to support them and give them another try. Service was horrific for a place not even 1/2 full at 4 p.m. We sat down and were brought a basket of chips and some salsa. My bf being Mexican wanted something spicier and was totally offended they charged 2.50 for what most Mexican's want; hot salsa. It was in a small cup like a catsup cup. Then he orders guacamole for $15.00. They guy makes it in front of us and there are like 1/2 avacado chunks. You can't even use it with the chips because it is so hard the chips break. The waiter didn't even refill the chips which were maybe 3 left when he finally delivered the guacamole. My Bf was furious since I smashed it with a fork in order to eat it on the chips we finally received after speaking with mgmt. The waiter didn't even use a Mocahete. I went to discuss with who I thought was the manager. She said yes they charge for spicy salsa and once I said I would be posting pictures on FB she offered to comp the guacamole. My Bf was not happy. The meal he ordered was 27.00 and did not come with enough tortillas so he didn't finish all the meat and the cheese on the rest of his meal was way too much. He called this gringo dining, not Mexican dining and that it should be called Mexican American dining. Avilas used to be our go to place but since the parents have passed we pass right by it. I ordered the Jacob Street tacos. The meat was hard and the tacos were mostly onions. I ate one taco, rice was awful but the whole beans were good. Not even as good as Chevy's was and yes, that was a place catering to Americans. read more

Great owner. I had a chance to talk to him, and he was friendly and clearly cares about the quality of food and service at his restaurant. Fantastic service and food. I'd had a negative experience (about a year ago when I got the runs) with this place the last time I was in OC, but I thought I'd give it a try since my wife and sons love the food and atmosphere here. We were greeted in the most friendly way by the staff, and the service was attentive from the moment we arrived. Great guacomole, chips, and salsa. Even better drinks! The margaritas are exceptional. I had the sampler plate and highly recommend it. Outside heat lamps make the patio quaint and cozy with its fresh air, fountain, and cute blackbirds chirping nearby like in a Disney movie. This place has fully redeemed itself, and I will return with my family. Now I think I'll go here for Cinco de Mayo instead of the other restaurant I'd considered. Maybe I'll even break out my sombrero! (And before people start screeching about "cultural appropriation," one of my best friends, a Mexican buddy, gave it to me). So chill the effffffff out. ;) read more

Found myself in Lake Forest and have heard what I thought were good things about Avila's. I decided to give this place a try. Super cute decor, reminds me of restaurants in Mexico. Food, meh. The menu is a little on the pricy side. My go to's in places where I haven't been are generally chicken tortillas soup or fajitas. Fajitas, being basic are fairly hard to mess up and a generally edible. I ordered the steak fajitas. Awesome presentation huge pile of peppers and onions. I'm thinking great! Unfortunately, that's pretty much all it was. Barely and I mean barely any meat at all. A few random scattered pieces that look like maybe enough for a carne asada street taco. At almost 30 I would expect at least a half pound of meat. I will not stop here again for a meal. Drinks and chips? Sure. Food? No. Hubby's taco salad seemed decent, meat was a bit over done and dried out. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Steak fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Came here yesterday, and had an overall bad experience. I have been to the Avilas in San Clemente many, many times and the Newport Beach location several times, and always had good experiences. I thought this was a family owned company, so I expected the same quality of food and service from all locations, but turns out it's very different. Waited 40 min for a table. Which was fine - it was Cinco De Mayo so I knew Mexican food places would be busy. Got sat at a dirty table. They didn't bother to clean up in between guests. My feet kept slipping around under the table because of the greasy food left all under the table. The table top was also all sticky. My friends also noticed and were grossed out. If you can't keep the dining area clean, how bad is your kitchen? Also, we were sat where there were animal heads mounted on the wall. Very unlike the vibe at their other locations. My friends and I found it pretty offensive. Strike 1. I ordered a Banana margarita. Was told that they don't make those anymore. Yet it was on their menu still. Strike 2. The chips and salsa were terrible. Chips had no flavor and the red soupy water they brought out with a few floating onions was unlike any salsa. Totally different quality than their beach locations. We pushed all the soupy red waters (sad excuse for salsa) to the outter side of table to be cleared out of the way, but our server never bothered to clear it. Strike 3. I ordered Nachos, figuring I wouldn't notice the flavorless chips with the cheese and sour cream and guac on them. Took 20 min for my food to arrive and then there was hair in it. Even if it wasn't for the hair, I would have sent it back anyway. The whole bottom of the nachos were soaked in that red soupy water so they nachos were getting all soggy. I believe the menu said they would have rancheros sauce. This red water was nothing like rancheros sauce. Strike 4. I asked them to please bring a 2 cheese enchillada plate (in the hopes of no more red soupy water, and hold the hair please.) You would think they would put a rush on this, since they had just served me nachos with hair, but no. I sat there for 30 minuted with no food while my friends finished up their food. I was just getting up to tell the server to cancel my order, since my friends were just finishing eating, when my food finally came. Strike 5. My food again lacked flavor so I asked for a small side of pico and sour cream. They did bring 2 small sides. I took most of my food to-go since my friends were done eating and about ready to leave. Finally our server asked how we were doing and if we were needing anything. This would have been appreciated earlier on. Not right before you hand us our check. We could have used more drinks, but nobody stopped by and bothered to ask. I know they were busy, but for how expensive they are, the service should have been much better. Strike 6. Got my bill and was so disappointed. They hadn't offered me any sort of discount for serving me hair, then making me wait for 30 min for new food to come out. I came here to eat with my friends and I just got to watch them eat. My food came at the end of the meal. At any decent establishment the manager would have come over to check on us after an incident like that, would have offered a discount or a free drink. But no, they did nothing. Then they charged me $5 extra for the tiny (not large) sides of pico and sour cream. Seriously?? I go to a nice mexican restaurant in San Clemente far superior to this one all the time, and they have NEVER charged me for a side of pico. When you are charging $20 for a plate of bland enchillads already, charging 2.50 for a small side of pico is just absurd. .50 cents would have been acceptable for a small side of pico, if they insist on nickle and diming customers who are already spending a lot. But after you serve someone hair, and then make the person wait another 30 min for clean food? Seriously? I hope their manager is aware how they have really dropped the ball with their service, atmosphere, and food. Strike 7. I won't come back here. I feel totally ripped off. And I will warn others not to waste their time and money here either when there are way better places that are clean, serve good food, have way better service, and don't nickle and dime customers who are already spending $20-$30. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Nickle and dime you on already overpriced low quality food - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

My first time to this location. I always like the food and service at any Avila's. This one today was pretty busy for lunch, but everything was very good. Really cold beer! Ordered a shrimp quesadilla, and it was the best I've had in many months! Perfect spices, cheese, shrimp ratios!!! I order shrimp quesadillas everywhere in OC, this was super good. My server Xochitl was very attentive. Great choice for Mexican food. Awesome collection of surfboards here too!!! Some valuable ones! read more

My husband and I had a wonderful time at this restaurant last night. We ordered a fantastic fish taco, amazing chile relleno and an order of flautas. It was a large amount of food, and it was so delicious. We felt like This restaurant is really doing well. The servers were outstanding. The hostess, and all of the helpers and servers were attentive and kind. Even when we moved tables. We would definitely love to go back to this restaurant. Thank you to our waitress Litzy for being knowledgeable, and very hospitable. read more

We came here on Friday night at 5:30 pm after church. They were busy, but still had tables available as this is a large restaurant! We were warmly greeted by the hostesses and seated right away. The chips and salsa arrived right away and our server was very nice. The chips were hot, but didn't seem to have any salt on them and the salsa was ok, but also needed some salt. We ordered: Chile relleno burrito - This is our friends "go to" items to try. She said it wasn't the best she has had, but was pretty good. Tacos & Caldo - My husband and I both ordered the combo Tacos & Caldo (soup). The Mama Avila's Soup is quite popular and has great flavor, but the chicken was over cooked. I loved the tacos, but they were way too crispy for my husband. He said he'll go with the soft tacos next time. There were was great, the food came out quickly and hot, we had timely refills on our drinks. We'll come back again. By the time we left at 6:30pm, there was about 10 people waiting outside to get in. They get busy so come early. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Chile relleno burrito - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Best Mexican Frijoles we know! And What FABULOUS Raspberry Martinis and Margaritas Julio makes!! TIP HIM! read more

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I've been coming here for years, and we decided to try catering for our event in Lake Forest since our business is right across the street. Unfortunately, the order was missing all the plates and items that had been confirmed the day before. I had to drive back and ended up being late to my own event. On top of that, a bag of chips in a to-go bag felt disappointing for a $200 order. I expected better. I won't be doing this again. read more

Good comfort Mexican food! Love their chips and salsa! Staff was friendly and we stayed a long time and they were ok with it!

Food was good but service was Ahhmaziinngg! Our server was Litzy, and she is the most attentive and friendly girl, if you come ask for her!!! She even took a pic with my daughter! read more

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

Always a great experience at El Ranchito....food is amazing, staff friendly and our go to!!

Amazing food. Cadillac margaritas and salsa are AMAZING!!! We order take out for lunch often!!

El Ranchito is one of our go to restaurants. The Mojo de Ajo is the best around. Margaritas always hit the spot!

I appreciate the consistency with quality taste and customer experience. The simplicity and authenticity is important to me knowing I can satisfy my Taco Tuesday craving with ease and reliability. It's typically a combo plate with some mixture of a ground beef taco, cheese enchilada, or chicken flautas for the win. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - 2 Items Combo with ground beef tacos - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This is one of my favorite restaurants. I know I've reviewed them before but tonight I went with people who had never been there before. We had the nicest waitress. Her name was April we try to sit with David but he wasn't there tonight. We have fajitas, enchiladas, and a chimichanga. Everything was good and served quickly. Of course the best thing they have is table make guacamole!! Great restaurant thank you very much read more

First time trying this location and my goodness, the food was delicious! I ordered a cheese enchilada, crunchy shredded beef taco with rice and beans and you can't beat it elsewhere. Everything tasted so fresh and not overly salted like some other restaurants. I also had the watermelon margarita and that was delicious as well! It was a large portion for the price and was definitely worth ordering. Inside is so fun, it's "cluttered", but feels lively and I love all the colors. You feel like you're in an outdoor restaurant in Cozumel while still indoors? It lovely. The only reason I docked a star was because the server seemed to miss us every time he came around to tables near us so what could've been a quick lunch took way longer. Either way we'd love to come back! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Two-Item Combo with Cheese Enchilada and Shredded Beef Crunchy Taco - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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I love Avilas El Ranchito! My favorite go to for authentic Mexican food in all of California. The restaurant itself is such a vibe. You can tell a lot of time, energy, thought and love went into every inch of the place. The service is impeccable. The staff is extremely friendly and welcoming. The food speaks for itself - I love the Chilaquiles for breakfast - they are the best I've ever had! The new Paloma is to die for. Light and refreshing! Tastes like spa water :)) You can never go wrong with the soup! The menu is huge and offers so much variety. I highly recommend!!! read more

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Great food ! Family friendly and very accommodating. We have been coming every year when we are visiting our family. Highly recommended. read more

Good service they were super nice!! Cute place. Food was fast! Thank you! We appreciate you read more

My dinner was great as always. On Mondays they have their 2 comp plate for $15.50 which is $4.50 Off and even cheaper than the 1item combo. Their chicken flautas are so yummy. My husband said his chile rellenos and beans were a bit bland but he likes his food really spicy. But the best part was our server April. She said was so engaging and didn't mind chatting a bit since it was early and not busy yet. read more

Muy buena comida, nos atendieron muy bien y nuestra mesera blanca fue muy amable , eficiente y estubo siempre pendiente de que todo estubiera bien con nuestra orden de comida y nuestros refills de bebidas. Super recomendado este restaurante por su comida y atencion al cliente Gracias Blanca por su buen servicio ​ read more

Came for lunch with coworkers. Great food! Great service! A must in lake forest. Carnitas tacos were a 10!

We walked right in at 6 on Thursday night. Quick and friendly service. Had the shrimp and chicken fajitas and they were cooked perfectly. My son had the quesadilla and loved it. Said it was amazing! There was no skimping on the cheese. Had the table-side guacamole and they asked us to taste it before they served it to us!!! That's was pretty great. The decor with the yellow garland was new and impressive. Eveything was clean and organized. As always El Ranchito does not disappoint ! Highly recommend all my friends here. Especially Luis and Henry!! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Nice yellow garland and cool surfboards. - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The service was wonderful! April was amazing and friendly. The margaritas are huge, so buckle up. Food was delicious and the atmosphere was super cute. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Skinny Pineapple Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

We went there before the Rams Watch Party at SoFi and it didn't disappoint! My family had taco n enchilada plate, the chingolingas and I had a chile relleno with a carnita taco on a handmade corn tortilla that came with a Delicious salsa! It was a perfect meal! Service was excellent as always! read more

My fiancé has lived in the area over 30 years and said he's driven by this restaurant hundreds of times but never went in. So we tried it today, first of all love the vibe, it's decorated so vibrantly with so much color, lots to look at while you're waiting for your food. I recommend the Guacamole Ole because they make it fresh right at your table and it is addicting! I got the Tacos & Caldo which in retrospect is boring when I could have tried so much else, like their Chicken and Mole. Oh well, looks like I'll have to come back! Unfortunately 4 stars because our waiter was not attentive at all, honestly seemed like he was purposely ignoring us. It appeared the other younger waiters were used to this and went out of their way to help us. read more

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My wife And I ordered a chicken soup and a Fajitas plate! The food was horrible, we will never eat there again!

They best Mexican food I've ever tried! Good service! Best ambience place it's very nice read more

Food was delicious loved the vibe in there was great 10/10 recommend. The service was great they were fast with everything read more

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

What a great place to enjoy Mexican food! The service was great, and the staff had good attitudes. We went for lunch and enjoyed a lunch special of Flautas and tacos. You will also enjoy the decorations. Put this restaurant on your bucket list, it's the best!! Laura K, Irvine read more

My fav Mexican restaurant. My friend lives nearby. Everytime she asks where I want to eat, I say, "Avila's", even though it's a 2 minute drive for her and about 20-25 for me. Great margaritas! I always get the chicken and sour cream enchiladas and am never disappointed. Tonight I ate at their location in Costa Mesa. I didn't realize it was Avila's until I left. I was meeting a bunch of friends there. The food was just as good as was the service. Both locations have lots of free parking. It's family owned. I like supporting local businesses, especially when everything is done right. The service is always fast and the food is always delicious. read more

Got takeout last night. Have been visiting this restaurant for years. Last night was a bummer. Food wasn't hot and they didn't give us any of our tortillas. Ordered just 2 Baja bowls and bill was about $50. Expensive!! Maybe just a bad night but next time I'll eat at the restaurant and avoid takeout read more

The only reason to go was kids eat free on Monday but they changed it to Sunday. No point to go anymore.

Stopped in to grab some lunch, looked around for a bar they don't have one so I had to sit at a table which fair. Loads of people and got seated. Service though was quite slow didn't get a menu straight away and had to ask to order a drink. The food however is amazing and very good. So many tables so close together seem like a cafeteria. Like the CDM location 100% more! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Chicken Enchiladas Suizasenchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I came hear during my lunch hour, totally forgot to take a pic of the entreees. I had a vegggie enchilada with Ranchero sauce. Service was quick and attentive. Staff was well trained. Food was tasty and ambiance is eclectic. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Pineapple and peach virgin margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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I'd like to give a short review for the dish Steak Picado at Avila's El Ranchito restaurant in Lake Forest. Particularly their dish Steak Picado (see left photo) which I was expecting it to be an awesome dish like in the traditional sense. (see right photo) If a picture tells a thousand words, then I think these speak for themselves. If you like meat in Ragu style spaghetti sauce tasting, (see left photo) then feel free to try it for yourself. Me, myself... I won't be ordering this anymore from Avila's... read more

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