First time here, and overall, we had a good experience. What I really liked was the service. Everyone was super nice and helpful, from the servers to the rest of the staff. Our water glasses were always full, and they kept the table clean as soon as we finished a plate. The food was good, but not the best I've tried. I had the Grande Taco Salad, and I really enjoyed it. We also ordered the seafood tacos, but unfortunately, the shrimp had a little bit of a soapy taste. We let our server know, and they were very nice about it and offered to get her something else. A note for anyone who doesn't eat pork: ask for the beans prepared "a la olla" instead of the refried beans. I asked our server if the refried beans were made with manteca (pork lard), and he confirmed that they were, so just something to be aware of when ordering. The restaurant itself has a lot of character. It used to be a church, so it has beautiful colorful windows with designs, lots of wood inside, and some huge, beautiful lamps in the middle. They also have outdoor seating, but it was way too hot to sit outside when we went. Overall, it was a nice first visit, especially because of the friendly service and atmosphere. I'm giving it 4 stars because of the soapy taste in the shrimp and because, while the food was good, I've had better Mexican food at other places. read more

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Great customer service! Friendly staff and super accommodating. First time and it won't be the last, just discover my new dinner spot and I am going back to try the mahi tacos!! Ambiance is perfect for families, parties and even meeting up with friends. Food tasted authentic. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Wild caught shrimp tacos with frijoles de la olla & rice - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

Avila's is good for your basic Mexican meal at a price. It is not good enough. Although I often enjoy my Camorones à la Diablo. Which, admittedly is a more expensive dish on the menu. But once again one has this perfunctory service, that is service that is merely to get through a night and not to enhance a dining experience. So many restaurants now seem to have the same problem, that is servers who just want to get through the evening and get it over with. The service industry has really taken a dive since my day. I don't get it. Don't they get paid more than they used to just a year or two ago. Anyway, I do enjoy the Camerones. But, the dreadful flan that I was served. This is such a basic desert and very easy to make, but one can overcook the egg proteins easily and the whole thing is grainy, scrambled and not pleasant to eat. Basically it should be cooked in a Bain Marie. Probably a lost art. Avila's has several locations and one may differ from another. The one I ate at is in Orange. read more

I grew up going to Avila's El Ranchito in Long Beach and Newport Beach but my favorite El Ranchito location is in Orange. The building was previously a church and it's really beautiful inside. I love the Orange Circle area and it's close to many shops and dessert spots. My favorite is the Chile Relleno and their chips and salsa. Several dishes are really good there. Very consistent. Attentive staff. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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1st time here. I had Cameron mojo de aho and carne asada plate and the wife had steak fajitas. A draft modelo and blood orange margarita. Food was delicious. Great place. read more

Ordered the Impossible meal, taco and enchilada. It tasted like fish. They deep fried the shell in oil they also deep fry fish. I'm a vegetarian it was disgusting. Don't fry taco shells with fish. Also, the enchilada sauce tasted like ragu, not enchilada sauce. It came with a nice size salad and under normal circumstances I would have eaten it. But I don't know if they get it from Taylor Farms and I'm not taking that chance. But seriously. Don't fry taco shells in the oil you fry the fish. It's gross! read more

Came here for lunch with my coworkers. Probably the best work-related meal I've had ever. I ordered the shrimp enchiladas and it was so good. The beans did not taste watered down, and the enchiladas themselves were flavorful. I always worry about shrimp overpowering the sides of a dish but it tasted great. The rice was also really filling. We had a reservation and they seated us at a pretty big table, which I liked. The servers were very timely, kind, and knowledgeable about each dish on the menu and the rotating specials. The inside of the restaurant was HUGE. I'm pretty sure it was built inside of a church. I really liked the stained glass and elevated seating areas nearby, it reminded me of the Old Spaghetti Factory layout in Fullerton. Overall, I had a very positive experience. I had to get a Diet Coke and of course, it was crisp to my expectations. A little heads-up, unlike the Costa Mesa location, they do not have horchata. Nevertheless, I'd come here again to try their burritos, tostadas, and salads! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Enchiladas Camarones Rancheros - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

Have been to Avila's in Orange a few times now, usually during a weekday lunch as it is close to work, and it has been a pretty good and consistent experience each time. First off, the location is beautiful, inside an old church. The service is quick and kind as well. I enjoy the food that they have here, it is honestly pretty good mexican food, nothing too crazy. The Avila's soup is very good and comes with a large portion. I personally enjoy the enchiladas the best. Their green salsa is amazing and I always ask for extra on the side. Overall, this place is pretty good for a quick lunch. read more

The food and service were so good. The salsa ranchera that was over the chile relleno was delicious. My husband really liked his whole meal, nice flavor with the crispy flauta and delicious beans. We will definitely will be back. read more

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The best Mexican Food in OC . The service is consistently great . And the beer and the cocktails The Carne Assada , shrimp fajita .. everything e always great and the food is very fast . You must try . The atmosphere is wonderful. My husband and I enjoy the food and Alfredo the Bar tender and all the Jose's are so professional and friendly. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - The Best Strawberry Lemon Drop - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

I love me some Avila's This is one of my favorite locations, this place was once a church and it has an awesome vibe. If you like Avila's but you haven't been to this location trust me this place is RAD. The Avila's soup is awesome, the fajitas are fantastic and the chips and salsa are always really salty and super yummy. When you visit this particular restaurant tell them Costa Mesa Dave sent you make sure you try that salad, it's really good!! Oh and by the way, parking is a little bit tough for this particular restaurant so don't be afraid to grab a spot a couplea couple blocks away. And remember this is the only Avilas to my acknowledge that has a banquet room. We had our company Christmas party here a couple years ago and it was absolutely awesome. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Avilas in Orange - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

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The food is very good. Standard issue Mexican food. Don't expect a lot of food. They also don't give you enough salsa probably because inflation. The service is good. The waiter was a nice man. The restaurant itself is cool because it used to be a church. Parking can be weird. Try to find a spot where you don't have to pay. read more

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Parking is always abysmal here in Orange so let that be an unfortunate heads up for any out if town visitors! The restaurant used to be a chapel (to my understanding) so the decor feels very light and peaceful. There are lots of stained glass pieces and beautiful woodwork within this establishment. There are both indoor and outdoor seating with both being absolutely stunning. We chose to sit inside and can I say the service here never disappoints! Everyone here is incredibly attentive, friendly, and welcoming. Usually one server sticks to a table but here, everyone helped everyone. Not once did I have to ask for something. All needs were more than met here. The food itself was delicious! Both my boyfriend and I ordered the carnitas which came with beans, rice, pico de gallo, guacamole, and some jalapeños. We ordered corn and flour tortillas and neither disappointed. Everything, including the chips, were fresh. Overall, we had a great experience. My boyfriend (from Los Angeles of all places) is a huge Mexican food lover/critic yet absolutely loved the place. Take that as your stamp of approval. Will definitely be returning here read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Carnitas - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

You know it's a fantastic brand that's managed well when you return years later and it's just as great, if not better! Outstanding presentation and contents of their Grande (!) Taco Salad; so delicious with grilled chicken!! Without a doubt; this brand has the best salsa too. Great service (Jesus S.,) beautiful decor of an old church preserved and a menu that's diverse but more importantly consistently prepared. Delicious, large portions; you'll get your money's worth and have a great time! Note: front entrance has stairs but there is an elevator at other end of building to support ADA customers! :) read more

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Always a good time! Random stop in for the evening and the food, drinks, and bday ice cream never disappoints. Attentive service as always and we all left stuffed read more

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Authentic, amazing and delicious Mexican food and so affordable. The only place we go to when we are in the mood for Mexican food. Just delicious, from the chips and salsa to the main course to the flan. 10/10! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Amazing food and amazing staff! - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

We came here with a large party of 14 for my Aunt's birthday. They were amazing to set us up in a great spot and gave us excellent service. The food was tasty and we enjoyed our drinks. I docked 1 star because the chips were disappointing, they tasted stale and bland. Also, one of the servers spilled salad dressing down the side of my aunt's sweater when he was clearing her plate, and then later dropped a bunch of the chips on her pants! Some additional feedback for the restaurant - This restaurant is in a beautiful historic building that used to be a church, with the original stained glass and has such amazing potential for a nice special dining experience. Yet, there are big TVs mounted in the main dining area. I could understand having a TV or two in the bar area, but this is not a sports bar and the TV takes away from the ambiance and romantic characteristic of Avila's El Ranchito restaurant. To make matters worse, the news was playing in the middle of dinner on a Saturday night. The staff member was kind enough to change the channel to something else when I requested, but I think the restaurant could pay attention to what's playing and maybe just have a yule log on or something holiday-esq rather than a large distracting TV broadcasting disturbing news (since that's all the news is full of), taking away from the ambiance. read more

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This restaurant serves authentic and flavorful Mexico City-style Mexican cuisine. While I would have loved the tortillas to be freshly made or properly warmed, the meal was still thoroughly enjoyable. read more

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Our organization decided to do our holiday party here at Avila's. It was such a hit. The back room is perfect for privacy and we were able to shut the door and be as loud as we needed to be. The food is do tasty, especially the flautas. The chips and salsa are also always a hit. The servers that were helping our room were so professional and kind. We are a group of about 45 employees and everything went so smoothly. The location is a bit to the side of the Orange circle, so during busy times parking may get a little tough. I was able to find a spot close by though on a Thursday afternoon. It is well worth it, and we would happily do our events here again! read more

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Should out to Avila's El Ranchito! We came by with a group of ~20 hungry girls after a walk in the neighborhood to look at the Halloween decorations and they got the big back room ready for us within 5 minutes and served us all quickly and efficiently. They even let us split the check (even though they typically don't let the check be split that many ways). Very extensive menu. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Menú - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

We came on a weekend before noon, and we were easily able to find a nice booth spot by a window. We noticed that as we were in the restaurant, more people started to slowly pile in. By the time we finished eating, there were quite a lot of people. The staff here were very kind. I love their complimentary chips and salsa, which you can get free refills of! I got the Mayan Burrito, which I've tried before at their Laguna Beach location. It was delicious like the last time I had it. I love the salsa verde on top and all the filling (shredded chicken and rice). The portions were all great, and I took my burrito home. We all enjoyed our burritos, and we will definitely be back to try more dishes! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Mayan Burrito, Avocado Burrito, Fresco Burrito, & Autumn Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

Service was excellent. Friendly and courteous. Ambiance is kid friendly. Food was delicious. I would come here again. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Churro vanilla ice cream - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

Was bad I believe it's the worse one of the AVILAs I been too very disappointed waiter was amazing food was bad and I love this restaurant will never be back to this location read more

My first time dining at Avila's El Ranchito. I met my buddy here as it's one of his favorite restaurants. Situated in old downtown Orange, this little gem exudes an historic and authentic cultural vibe. The staff are super friendly and extremely attentive. We visited during lunch time on a Wednesday and chose to sit at a table in the bar area. We never had to wait for anything. Chips n' salsa never ran low and our drinks never dipped below half a glass before they were re-filled without having to ask. Impressive! Although, it was my first experience at the restaurant, there was a strong "cheers" style feel. Upon being seated, we were immediately presented with chips and salsa. I must say that the salsa was excellent! Definitely not from a jar here! It was super tangly, cool and refreshing with the perfect amount of spice to rally your tastebuds for what would be coming next.. I ordered the two chicken tacos and tortilla soup combo. I really liked that I had some options with regard to the style of chicken. Specifically, chicken grilled breast or shredded. I asked and was able to order one of each. While both were excellent, the shredded chicken was a bit more flavorful as it's marinated. The soup was absolutely perfect! Lots of chicken and vegetables in a broth that makes you feel like you are at grandmas! All in all, the food was EXCELLENT! Not a drop of grease, just high quality "homemade style" and authentic Mexican food that is delivered by a staff that aims to please. Fantastic experience and can't wait to comeback and try another amazing dish!!! Avila's El Ranchito is a MUST try!! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Two chicken tacos (shredded & grilled) with tortilla soup. - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

I love coming here for dinner. This building is a masterpiece. We love to bring our dogs so we end up sitting on the patio, but the building is a true marvel. Our server was super friendly and checked back on this multiple times even though we were so busy chatting with friends we delayed ordering, but he was very patient, kind and we needed nothing. I ordered a two item combo with a crispy chicken taco and chicken tamale. You can't go wrong. Everything was spot on as usual, and my mouth is still watering. read more

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Chips and salsa were great sometimes that's the tell tell if a great Mexican restaurant. The tortilla chips are made in house and served warm and unlimited from what I got! My order was the wet burrito with carnitas! Delicious! My girlfriend order the camarones à la diabla and they were again very delicious! The customer service was on point they were so attentive and overall a great mood. My girlfriend asked to sit outside for the "vibes" but was still cold haha so they offered to turn in the heater just for her! Overall great! read more

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Horrible staff and as well as service. As a Hispanic person coming into the restaurant I felt taken advantage as they overcharged me on my card and refused to refund it. The manager was useless and the server refused to see me face to face to go over the transaction. The food is fine, you can tell it's not really authentic but it's enjoyable. Never want to come back. read more

Great Service, Amazing food, the Burrito bowl was huge comes with your choice of tortillas. The atmosphere is spacious and very accommodating the open concept and valted celings keep noise levels down. Around back there is a handicap entrance with read more

I was intrigued to try this place out cause of how grand and historic the exterior looked. The reviews posted on the lobby walls guaranteed authentic Mexican food but I was disappointed to find how heavily they relied on cheese to make the dishes come alive. Most everything on our plates aside from the chips were a consistent mush texture. While the interior felt like a welcoming foyer where families could gather, it didn't distract us enough from the lack of cleanliness. I really wanted to like this place. At least the staff was friendly. read more

Absolutely insane we ordered takeout, the fajita plate and a burrito. The burrito was fine, until we opened the fajita plate. It wasn't even a full chicken piece and looked like some trashed pepper and onions from someone elses plate. Weve ordered inside before and ordered the same items and we got full portions and a FRESH fajita dish. Well tonight wasn't that.. Dont waste your money here read more

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Been coming here for years- since they first opened and took over the building. Food was always fairly good but this last time, the food was just off. The carne asada on the Asada combo usually is sliced thin and very tasty- this time it was like they substituted it with sirloin and sliced thicker and tastes was bland. Not sure if they changed who they get their steaks from now but not worth the $26 for bad steak and rice n beans. Not sure why they don't use flank steak like real carne asada. The service was also a bit unresponsive- considering it was kinda slow night, not very busy. Oh well. Looks like it's time to consider other options read more

I ordered a shrimp plate and could taste freezer burn, but I forced them down. I later came to regret that decision and I don't want to eat here ever again. The service here though was amazing! read more

Came in for lunch. Was seated right away, they had all the decorations up for Christmas which was so fun to see! Enjoyed the Mamas Avila Soup and it was absolutely to die for. With the rainy season here it was perfect. read more

Let me start by saying my wife and I are long-time customers of several of the El Ranchitos in Orange County. The food is always delicious. This location in Orange usually provides great service along with great food. The restaurant is a converted church, so the interior is unique and beautiful. The perfect atmosphere- open space and multiple levels to add visual depth. However, there are giant TV screens throughout the dining area which completely distracts from the dining experience. It makes no sense, since the bar area has plenty of TVs for sports viewing. Adding more to the dining room just kills the vibe. On this particular visit, our server was distracted and barely checked on us. The place was not at capacity, so it wasn't a crowd issue. He was just focused on other customers, I guess, since our order was not a big ticket bill (we shared the crispy ground beef and potato tacos). The food was still good, and we will be back. Just disappointed in the obnoxious TVs and lackluster service (on this visit). Hoping to update this review with 5-stars in the future. read more

The villa's Mexican restaurant looks beautiful, but the experience didn't match. Service was overly pushy, and the cocktails tasted like water. We asked to speak to the manager, who refused to help and just said, "Well, you drank them." Yes, we did -- but they were clearly watered down. Not worth the hype. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

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The location is in the middle of neighborhood right on the corner streets of old town Orange. So when walking in it's welcoming, casual and comfortable feeling. You can tell it's well liked and visited by the locals. The location is a refurbished old cathedral Church with beautiful stain glass. This is our 2nd time here and even though pretty packed, we got seated right away. One thing that is a major plus for us is their yummy fresh chips & salsa! The food is very tasty! The waiters and waitresses are very attentive and friendly. If you never been we recommend to come try for your self. read more

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Came here on Saturday night around 8pm, after a mini golf date, my wife was craving the avocado burrito. we had no reservations, were seated immediately. This time, i tried mama avila's soup -- absolutely mind-blowing (especially if you add lemon) Service was again super good , met Jesus who just crushed it from the moment i met him -- served chips and salsa immediately upon sitting -- got our mains within 5-10 minutes Constant reminders of why this place exists and thrives Also -- the Diet Coke here is 10/10 Worth the stop -- will be coming here frequently for the soup! read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

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Beautiful place. I liked the location. I've been to many Avila's restaurants and the food was very similar taste wise. 5 starts for that. However, this location doesn't include tortillas with meat dishes and doesn't have any other non- alcoholic drinks other than soft drinks. No horchata, Jamaica, etc. I was surprised. They're also known for their friendly service. You can expect the owner walking around greeting guests at their original location. I even get Christina's cards. This was a lot less friendly and cozy. The waitress grilled each child for their age when they ordered from the children's menu. Just a different vibe. read more

Ordered a carne asada, but the steak was full fat. People want good food not gross meat. Server was great and helpful. The ambiance was really nice and pleasant. The 3 star is only because the steak was horrible. read more

I can't wait to go back! The service was amazing and food was delicious. I loved the restaurant and environment. read more

Avila's El Ranchito - Mexican Near Me - Orange, California

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