Street parking or public municipal parking. I admit we were a little skeptical to try a Mexican spot in Chatham. I must say this is a nice gem in town. We needed a good authentic Mexican spot in Chatham boro. We ate on a Saturday night, busy but not too busy. We were seated right away, and were brought chips and salsa. Our drinks and food order came fast too. I ordered the chicken w mole enchiladas, it was a 10/10. My mouth was salivating from the flavors. The shrimp tacos were phenomenal also, corn tortillas are the way to go. Highly recommend. Very family friendly. The staff were very friendly as well! We will definitely come back to this gem. Can't believe it took us this long! read more

See all

The food here was good but I'm not a fan of all the plastic packaging now that we know it's effecting our health and environment. read more

El Ranchero Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Chatham, New Jersey

See all

El Ranchero absolutely nails what a real Mexican taco should be. I got the beef taco, and it was excellent perfectly seasoned and full of flavor. They serve it with the essentials: three or two tortillas per taco, lime, onion, and cilantro the four must-haves that make or break a true Mexican taco. This place gets it. The flavor was a solid 10/10, and the salsa on the side was just as perfect. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, especially the tomatoes you can tell they care about their ingredients. If I had one wish, it would be that they included chips and guacamole at the price that's the only thing keeping it from a perfect "real-world" score. But for authenticity and taste, it's unbeatable. 10/10 for flavor and genuine Mexican quality. read more

I'm not much of a Mexican food fan, but my son is. Cute little place with some very good food and excellent service. Always friendly and hard-working staff.... It's a family place ... sometimes lots of screaming kids... But..., it's a great little hidden gem. read more

Excellent authentic Mexican food. Delicious chicken tortilla soup with much chicken. Had the steak fajitas, tender skirt steak with plenty of extras read more

El Ranchero Mexican Grill - Aztec soup - Mexican Near Me - Chatham, New Jersey

Costumer service is horrible Charging prices differnt from online menu Asked to speak to manager and got a bad attitude and didnt resolve the issuue at all. Useless manager read more

Mediocre at best. Unfortunately it was formulaic at very best. Not a lot of flavor. Just adequate.

Nice neighborhood Mexican restaurant with colorful decor. Fresh and good portion. BYOB.

The food was the best Mexican I've found around New Jersey and the service was amazing! I will definitely be back to this hidden gem. Special shoutout to the nachos supreme it's huge and delicious! read more

wow!! Came twice and both time were great!! They serve unlimited salsa and chips, the salsa was so tasty that they made with fresh tomato! All the food we ordered are delicious, i only had good Mexican food from San Antonio, and this is another place i really love! IT might be a little pricy than other place but totally worth it! read more

See all

Great place for lunch and dinner. Ordered a burrito and it was huge and delicious. The staff is very friendly. Plus, that Chatham area is so cute. read more

Amazing authentic food and great service. Very happy to have this place close to home. We will be regulars!

This very casual, brightly colored Mexican BYOB restaurant located on Main Street in Chatham was a disappointment. On the positive side, El Ranchero offers generous portions of Mexican cuisine - including platas fuerte (or "entrees"), tortas (or "sandwiches"), tacos, burritos, fajitas, salads, burgers, and a good selection of vegetarian dishes - at a reasonable price and the complimentary chips and salsa were tasty. On the negative side, the service on a recent evening was terrible. Although the restaurant was less than half-full when we arrived at 645pm on a Saturday night, it took nearly 45 minutes from the time we ordered to receive the two entrees we ordered. Further, the kitchen didn't accommodate any of the minor requests I made to the server to accommodate dietary allergies/preferences, I had to flag down our server to refill our water glasses once, and I had grab silverware off an adjacent table after the server only brought one fork for my dining companion and I to share. At our server's recommendation, I had the Alambre Fajitas ($19), comprised of grilled beef, bacon, peppers, onions, and mushrooms, served on a sizzling cast-iron platter with flour tortillas and a small side dish of refried pinto beans and rice and guacamole. I'd asked the server to hold the mushrooms (due to preference) and sour cream or cheese (due to allergies). When my dish finally arrived from the kitchen, I was very disappointed to see a generous portion of mushrooms across the top of the platter and a dollop of sour cream on top of the guacamole -- but I was too hungry to complain (or take a photo) and just ate around the unwanted ingredients. Although the platter contained a generous portion of meat and vegetables, it was served with only two small flour tortillas and definitely tasted re-heated rather than made-to-order despite the lengthy delay in serving it to the table. My dining companion opted for the Ceviche Acapulco ($15), comprised of tilapia, shrimp, onion, tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro served in a large cocktail glass. She noted that the seafood definitely felt thawed and reheated (yes, reheated) and the taste of pineapple juice overwhelmed all of the other flavors. Hope they're able to solve some of the service issues, but we will not be back. There are many better options in the area. Pro Tip: El Ranchero doesn't have a private parking lot, but there is plenty of on-street parking and parking in the Chatham municipal parking lots off Main Street. read more

Pretty good. Server was this chick named Ella. She did well. My sister and I recommend. Good birria tacos too.

The food was delicious, the music and ambiance was excellent. The service was superb and the over experience was unlike anything Chatham currently offers. The tres leches left me wanting more, however overall it was great read more

See all

Solid food and service. Ambiance is bright. Child friendly. I stick to basic foods and always good. Chips happily provided as eaten.

El Ranchero makes delicious Mexican food with a fresh home-made taste. It doesn't feel processed They can adjust the spice level (mild for me). And I love both the red and green sauce. (Christmas style ala New Mexico fare). The staff is always friendly. The decor is festive. Highly recommend. read more

El Ranchero Mexican Grill - Enchilada Mixta - Mexican Near Me - Chatham, New Jersey

This place is good. Roomy and fun interior nice service and huge portions. Best fried ice cream I've ever had

Food was very good and ample. Service was friendly and attentive. Decor was very fun and felt authentic to Mexico.

Great Mexican restaurant located in downtown - heart of Chatham. Great service and the food was good. They had a ton of veggie options and the menu showed all options for all vegetarian options. The portions were very generous as well. The service was quick. Overall a good experience, will be back to try different options. read more

We picked up take out which was ready when promised. Our food beef burrito and carne asada tacos were just as ordered. We asked for all toppings on the side- and they handled it perfectly. Very tasty and good quality. Small serving of chips for chips and queso. Would definitely order from here again! read more

I waited months to post this review because I wanted to give this new restaurant in our town a chance, but I see that many other patrons are having similar issues. The service was not good. My friend's fajitas came out at least 15 minutes after all of us were served and they forgot to give him his tortillas. When he asked for them, the server said that she would get them right away but then she proceeded to another table to take their order. My wife's enchiladas were pitiful, just chicken and a bit of cheese with no sauce or additional cheese on top. The servers were not attentive. We asked for water numerous times and they did not deliver it. I had to walk up to the service area to remind them to bring it. I'm willing to give them another chance but the other 3 guests in my party are not interested. Hoping that they are able to turn this place around read more

Bright & friendly BYO place serving tacos, burritos, chimichangas, cemitas, fajitas and many house specialties like a garlic shrimp platter and a huge molcajete special. Chips and salsa are free! The service was a little slow, the flipside of that was we could sit and catch up as long as we wanted with nobody bothering us. My pork tacos were generously sprinkled with diced jalapeño, served with a cup of broth, very good. My buddy got the fajitas, would've fed two of us easily, also excellent. Recommend, I need to go back soon. read more

El Ranchero Mexican Grill - Fajitas $25 - Mexican Near Me - Chatham, New Jersey

See all

Husband loved the chicken burrito. I had the chicken tacos. Chicken was tastefully seasoned and delicious. For a Friday night it was not that crowded but reservations are recommended. BYOB read more

.....But it is literally their first week, so I will let some stuff slide. I am hoping they pull it together. Take this review with a grain of salt. They were very accommodating in letting us get a table at 8:45, 15 minutes before they close on a Thursday night - so we truly appreciate that. Chips and salsa were good, I think salsa would be better without the smokiness of the chipotle in it. Guacamole did not look or taste like it was made fresh right before coming out. (This is an easy fix - they could even prepare table side to make it more of a special appetizer). Nachos supreme were good however, I think I would prefer with melted Mexican cheeses instead of a cheese sauce. Shredded beef tacos were not what I expected. The beef was very good but I would have preferred the hard taco shell to not be fried - too greasy. The au jus sauce that came with the shredded beef tacos was really good!!!! The chicken flautas were kind of bland and boring. The chicken needed to be more flavorful and not so dried out. I ordered an entree that never showed up, so I just ate my kids shredded beef tacos with them. I was charged for the entree and then told the waiter that the meal actually never came to the table. They removed the charge from my bill respectfully. I am hoping these are just growing pains of a new restaurant and will all be worked out in time. read more

See all

Service was great small mexican joint with great food and laid back environment, owner is a sweetheart and also cooks incredible. Byob is a great addition with liquor stores nearby Chicken Avocado is the way to go. Def coming back read more

I've been here three times and the food is always good. The restaurant is nicely decorated. Generous portions - the first time I got the delicious chicken enchiladas mole. Two enchiladas would have been enough for me, but the serving was four or five enchiladas, all with the typical sides like Mexican rice and beans plus a really good house made pico de gallo. The fajitas are some of the best I've ever had. I tried the steak fajitas and the shrimp fajitas and again the portion was huge. Steak was tender and came on a sizzling hot plate. Same with the shrimp fajitas. Good size shrimp too. Will definitely be back when I feel like Mexican food. read more

I've been ordering from here for months and have eaten there in person a few times as well. I am sort of obsessed with their mole chicken enchiladas. They are addicting! I eat them at least once a week for lunch or dinner. The latest time I got them I received this note with my order; made my day! read more

El Ranchero Mexican Grill - a note on a bag - Mexican Near Me - Chatham, New Jersey

I wanted to like this place. The ambiance is very nice, location is convenient, menu is good. But the service was very slow and struggled to split checks, and the food was mediocre. Most of the chicken in my burrito was burnt so much I had to take it out, the salsa tasted more like tomato sauce, and most other people in our party didn't like their food either. read more

Service was good. Our server was super sweet. Food was good, some of the food was missing some seasoning. However the wait was very long, we waited almost 50 mins for 3 plates of food. Again the server was very nice and apologized multiple times for the long wait. The ambiance is very informal, and loud. Come early for hopefully reduced wait time. read more

Great service and food. The waiter was super attentive and it wasn't expensive. Between my boyfriend and I- we paid $35 in total. The ambiance is super positive as well with bright colors and Mexican styled images on the chairs, tables, and walls. Absolutely lovely place, will definitely be back soon. read more

A welcomed addition to the neighborhood indeed. My wife and I walked up to El Ranchero tonight for dinner and it was exactly what we were hoping for...tasty chips and salsa washed down with delicious cocktails only to be way too full when our oversized yummy entrees arrived. I was a little confused by the BYOB margaritas but don't be...they have several different fresh mixers for sale. You provide the tequila and they'll give you everything you need to make the perfect margaritas (shot glass, shaker, strainer, ice and a salted glass). We'll definitely be back and next time we'll bring more tequila for those peach margaritas. We both enjoyed and would recommend our meals (shredded beef enchiladas and pollo poblano). Welcome to the neighborhood El Ranchero! read more

We just tried El Ranchero and this is our first impression. The staff were friendly and welcoming, the decor was festive and the painted tables imported from Mexico added an authentic charm. The server was friendly but could have been more attentive. For example, the staff congregated around the register instead of checking on tables and filling up water glasses. We ordered the seafood fajitas and the Malcajete which is shown in the picture. The portions were huge and each dish we had could feed two people. The food was fresh, hot and full of flavor. We also had chips with salsa and rice and beans which were good. Will definitely be back and next time bring friends!! read more

El Ranchero Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Chatham, New Jersey

Very good food! Service is decent and the ambiance is nice too! Definitely recommend!

This is a new place, so I'm willing to cut them some slack. For a while. We went last week, eager to try it since we know all of the Mexican restaurants in the area. I confess I was a bit disappointed. We were seated quickly enough and the chips and salsa were ok, but then we had two problems. First, the entrees all turned out to be pretty bland. Second, we had to wait a long time both to get served and to get our check. We will try again before writing it off. read more

Great new addition to the neighborhood. Fresh chips and salsa as we sat down and the fajitas were excellent. Going to be in the regular rotation read more

I was hesitant to try this based on some of the reviews. So glad I did! The food was amazing. We got the molcajete (Chicken, Steak, Shrimp, Grilled Fresh Cheese, Mexican Sausage, Scallions, Nopales, and Green Sauce) it was plenty for two people (and I eat a lot). It doesn't say enough for two so we also got the tacos al pastor. They were delicious as well, though we didn't need them. We ended up taking quite a bit of food home. Remember to byob- or you can just bring tequila and they have either regular or strawberry margarita mix. read more

El Ranchero Mexican Grill - Tacos Al pastor on the left and molcajete on the right - Mexican Near Me - Chatham, New Jersey

This rating is really by my kids. We ordered Chicken Enchilada and Shrimp Tacos. The food was fresh and kid friendly. The decor is gorgeous and the server was friendly. I asked for hot sauce on the side and they bought me this fresh Green concoction which was hot and tasty. Will likely come again esp. if kids around. read more

Overall the service is what kills this place for me. Good vibe, good location, decent food. Was there for 45 minutes before getting waters (after requesting twice). Later on, we ordered two orders of tortillas to go. These were not brought to the table until after the check arrived (which it was included on) after the second time reminding them (once again). I'd recommend the wait staff be given proper training (and maybe a pen and paper). If you're looking good mexican cuisine I'd recommend hitting Nom in morristown. El Ranchero? More like El Ranchergoanywhereelse! read more

Was very excited to have a New Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood. The food was delicious, but the service and ambiance were not to my liking. There were only 4 other diners, yet it took our waitress at least 10 minutes to bring water and open the wine that we brought. There were 6 of us and 1 tiny bowl of salsa to share and pass around. We had to ask for plates. The lighting was so bright- no ambiance. At 9:05 they started putting up chairs around us to clean. If they want to close at 9 they should mention that when taking a 7:30 reservation. read more