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    Avila's El Ranchito

    3.7 (578 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Avila's El Ranchito Takeout or Delivery

    Avila's El Ranchito Photos

    Business Info

    AVILA'S EL RANCHITO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Avila's El Ranchito

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    Reviews With Photos

    Betty G.

    We used to eat here all the times and always like food from this location (and their Costa Mesa location). We recently ordered El Ranchito catering finger foods for our office event. We had chicken flautas, beef flautas, crispy chicken tacos, crispy potatoes tacos, and mini burritos. I didn't try the burritos but had a bit of everything else. Mini tacos are good but not too much meat in them. Chicken flautas and shredded beef flautas are all good, as well as their salsa.

    My meal before I dug into it egg and chorizo burrito no eggs, rice phenomenal
    Jim G.

    Got the egg and chorizo burrito no cheese, sour cream and guacamole on the side. Gave me a bunch of chips salsa. I enjoyed the guacamole with chips and the salsa. The burrito was over the top pictures. Tell 1000 words great rice and beans #PhenomenalMeal

    Entrance and dining area
    Lance N.

    I've been here twice for lunch because my mom enjoys a good chili relleno. This time I had their appetizer platter and it was a good portion. Overall I would go back again and try something else, but I would advise look T the photos to see if the plates are what you expect. My first time I thought my plate would be more food for a combo, but item wasn't as much as expected. So this time I picked something that was posted on Yelp and enjoyed my dish. If you are ever in the area, enjoy, and try Avila's El Ranchito.

    Martini
    Tiffany P.

    I rate this place a 4! Service was nice, and inside was so spacious. It looks alot bigger inside then I thought. We drove by here and my husband's been wanting to try it out. I had my fa write Chile Verde it was okay. My husband had steak and garlic shrimp. I tried the shrimp and it was buttery not so much garlic flavor. Rice and beans were okay couldn't say authentic but the chips were fresh, however the salsa was all tomatoes. We had drinks, green mermaid was delicious ! It had cucumber, lime, Serrano and mint. My husband had his regular mojito. If you visit I highly recommend the green mermaid. I would of Gave a 5 if the sides taste more authentic including salsa. The pico de Gallo that was served with the meal was awesome including guacamole, it was the salsa served with chips that didn't hot the spot. Appreciate all staff, thank you!

    Chimichanga with beef.
    Ryan N.

    I came here for dinner with my family last night. 9/10/25 Avila's El Ranchito Santa Ana is my step dad's go to place for mexican food. We were warmly greeted and promptly seated for our party of 3. My mom got the one item combo chicken tamale with rice and beans while my step dad ordered the two item combo beef taco/beef taquito with beans and rice and I got the Chimichanga with beef which also comes with rice and beans plus a raspberry ice tea to drink. The food came out quick and it was hot and delicious. Service was top notch. I will return and highly recommend.

    Super cute inside and out!
    Annmarie M.

    Lovely old building right there in a residential area of OT Orange. Met some friends for Saturday lunch and did not even need to wait. Gotta love that. We had great service, attentive nice people work here. Chips were meant for gringoes but salsa was nice and spicy! I didn't mind. Had the chicken tostada with all the accoutrement- cheese, beans, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, onions on a crispy tortilla. It was fresh, flavorful and generous. Everyone served at the table was happy with their meals. I would return! Good place to take family, meet a friend, with no annoying waits or crowds.

    Mama Avila's soup

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    4 months ago

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    4 months ago

    The go to place for great Mexican Food. Full Bar, great atmosphere & service. Multiple fireplaces & the best ranchero sauce ever

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    5 months ago

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    6 months ago

    The Cadillac margarita was perfect. Food and service was great. I highly recommend this place

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

    Large order for a corporate meeting, no utensils or napkins were sent (I did request it). Food was very bland.

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    1 year ago

    We stop here with our team every time we're in the area for a tournament. Good food, quick/friendly service.

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    Page 1 of 15

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    Ask the Community - Avila's El Ranchito

    Is a reservation required?

    Nope!

    Can I make online reservations? Or do we have to call in?

    Do you have happy hour? If so days & time & what's on the happy hour menu?

    Yes! We have Happy Hour Monday- Friday from 3 to 8 pm in the Cantina. Our Happy Hour menu is posted on our website.

    Is there mariachi every Sunday?

    Sorry, no. We only have Mariachis on special occasions.

    Is the mariachi band there on Saturday evenings?

    I’m sorry, they aren’t.

    View All 10 Questions

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    4.6
    (285 reviews)
    2.4 mi
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    We recently relocated from Garden Grove to the Santa Ana/Fountain Valley area and have been on the…read morehunt for a Mexican restaurant to fill the void left by our beloved spot in Los Alamitos. Thanks to Restaurant Week, we stumbled upon this gem, and we are so grateful. The hospitality alone would earn five stars. But then came the food. The tacos? Absolutely exceptional. The steak was tender and flavorful in a way that reminded me of eating throughout Mexico, you could actually taste the meat. A light, gentle pickle of vegetables on top, minimal cheese, nothing heavy or greasy. These are not the American-style tacos drowning in a pound of melted cheese. These are the real thing. The beans were lovely, the rice was solid, and my passion fruit winearita drink was genuinely a treat. Restaurant Week gave us the perfect low-pressure reason to try somewhere new, and we walked out with a new favorite. We'll be back for lunch. We'll be back for dinner. And yes, Taco Tuesday, we'll absolutely be back for that.

    Honestly, I have no idea how this restaurant has nearly 5 stars…read more We arrived around 6 PM with a party of 6 adults and 3 toddlers, and we didn't receive our food until almost 8 PM. To make matters worse, one of our meals was completely forgotten. The service was extremely slow throughout the entire visit. Every time we needed something, whether it was a refill, an update, or assistance, the wait felt excessive. The restaurant may have potential because the food itself was flavorful, but it seemed like they were either understaffed or unprepared for the number of customers they had. Another disappointment was the drink selection. We were told they don't have a liquor license, so hard alcohol isn't available. Their sodas were canned, and when we asked for juice for the kids, they told us they were completely out. As for the atmosphere, the restaurant is on the smaller side and felt more like a converted house than a traditional restaurant, complete with a fireplace and television in the dining area. The food had good flavor, which is the only reason I'm giving more than one star. Unfortunately, the long wait times, missing meal, lack of drink options, and poor service made the overall experience disappointing.

    Photos
    Indoor seating
    Indoor seating
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    Pork Belly Tacos
    Crispy chicken taco and beef enchilada

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    Sabroso! Mexican Kitchen

    Sabroso! Mexican Kitchen

    4.3
    (4.3k reviews)
    5.2 mi
    $$
    Happy hour specials
    Catering service

    We ordered our regular Chile Verde ( 4 orders total )…read more3 orders of Sabrosos beans (for the table ) A torta Nachos A wet burrito Garlic shrimp For dessert : Flan Churros & cream We had an opportunity to enjoy their private room which was great for our little kiddos on such a busy day !

    The food is really good. It's the time it takes to get the food that's the problem…read more We were seated at 7:20pm and didn't get our food until almost an hour after we ordered. Meanwhile, 3 nearby tables that were seated way after us received their food. This seems to be a consistent problem here based on other reviews so I do hope that they reorganize the kitchen better. As far as service, our waitress was nice but we didn't get checked on much in the 45+ minutes it took for our food to arrive. Had she checked in with us, it would've given us the opportunity to ask her about our food and maybe receive it sooner. However, the other staff members who checked us in, seated us, filled our drinks, bartender, etc. - they were great. We ordered their molcajete, quesabirria, asada taco salad, guacamole, chips and salsa, and elote. Everything was delicious. Only 2 complaints was that 1) they charge for chips and salsa and 2) they charged me for extra dressing without letting me know it was an extra charge and I didn't even get the extra dressing. Overall, I can see why the restaurant is popular and I would probably come back.

    Photos
    Sabroso! Mexican Kitchen
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    Mar y Tierra Molcajetes
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    Navarro's Taqueria

    Navarro's Taqueria

    4.3
    (572 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    I came here with my coworkers for lunch and so glad that we did. I'm disappointed that I have not…read morebeen here sooner! There is a decent size parking lot for Navarro's. It is next to a gas station. It looks like a pretty popular place during the lunch hour. It's a smaller place inside, but they do have an outdoor patio. We were able to find a small table, not too far from the front counter. Ordering at the front was easy. The staff was friendly and quick. We could see the cook grilling up the meats as we placed our order. There were at least five different salsas to choose from as well as cucumbers and a chili oil at the self-serve salsa bar. I noticed a customer in front of us ordered a kids plate which included two street tacos and rice and beans. That's what I ended up ordering with Carne Asada and chorizo. There were four or five proteins to choose from for the kids plate. I loved the grilled meats with the char flavor. It was delicious! Everything was well seasoned. I wish I would've ordered a third or maybe even a fourth taco because it was that good! I will definitely come back many times and it's going to be on our lunch rotation for sure.

    I ordered the BK breakfast burrito through Postmates since I was at work and really feeling a…read morebreakfast burrito. So I tried this out. I'm glad I did. The burrito was solid sized, I was definitely full after eating it. Great seasoned potato wedges inside, tasty egg, and plenty of bacon and sausage. Only thing with the bacon and sausage was that the bacon was actually bacon bits. I'm pretty sure they are pre bagged bacon bits, judging by the extreme salty taste...they overpowered the sausage inside so all I was really getting was bacon bits. There was supposed to be chipotle mayo inside as well, but I don't think mine had it. Or it was also overpowered by the bacon bits. Burrito was grilled on both sides and wrapped up nicely. By the time I got it, it was still super hot. The green and red salsas are also delicious.

    Photos
    Menu
    Menu
    Chicken Enchiladas
    Chicken Enchiladas
    Birria Combo A

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    Avila's El Ranchito - mexican - Updated June 2026

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