Came in for dinner and once again left completely satisfied. My dish was the grilled chicken, perfectly seasoned, tender, and topped with a creamy sauce that had just the right richness. The mashed potatoes on the side were smooth and loaded with flavor, and the Spanish rice was spot on as always, fluffy, well-seasoned, and the perfect complement to the whole plate. My dining partner went with the enchiladas, and honestly they were a showstopper. One smothered in green salsa, one in red mole sauce, both drizzled with crema and crumbled cotija cheese, the presentation alone was beautiful, almost like the Mexican flag on a plate! The flavor combination was incredible, with each sauce bringing something totally different to the table. The portions are generous, the food comes out hot, and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Whether you're in the mood for something classic or want to try something a little more traditional, El Ranchero has you covered. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a solid, satisfying Mexican meal. We'll definitely be back! read more

El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

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Consistently good food, service and traditional Mexican decor make this a staple in the Winchester area. My wife and I have been coming here for years and have never one time had a bad experience. The staff know you as soon as you walk in and greet you warmly. The margaritas as tasty, perfectly filled with alcohol and the food is as solid as it gets. If you want down to earth traditional Mexican food at a good price, this is the spot to be. read more

El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant - Texas Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

Great restaurant with great prices. Never too busy and service is excellent! No complaints at all... read more

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I hate to leave a bad review but my husband wanted to come here for an early Father's Day lunch and I have never been more disappointed in a restaurant in my life. The waiter was dismissive and condescending from the start of the meal. When we were finished with our meal and about to order dessert the waiter directly told my husband he had wasted food. To be honest it was me. I was afraid to ask for salsa for my burrito and my husband asked for some for me. I didn't finish the container. My husband told the man he was rude and he apologized but then stated that he was right because we didn't finish the salsa. I explained that it wasn't my husband it was me and my husband thought he was being nice by asking for it for me. I told him I couldn't finish it and we couldn't take leftover salsa because we were going to the grocery store and I didn't want to carry it around or leave it in the car. He said that made sense and he didn't know - and he seemed like he understood. We didn't order dessert. There is another waiter (bald man) we had in the past who likes to pretend he doesn't know English even though he does. He also says things in Spanish and when you use apple translate it translates to "here is your s***" when he is serving the food, among other things. We won't be back. read more

Great Tex Mex place near downtown. El Ranchero has been here for some time. The decor is typical Mexican restaurant with colorful lamps and hangings - many booths and tables, they also have a full bar with stool seating. They have updated their menu again and every time it gets better. Plenty of choices of all your favorites from burritos, tacos, enchiladas, tamales, fajitas to chef speciality dishes. They start you off with a generous basket of crisp tortillas and bowl of homemade salsa - the salsa is mild to medium and great tasting!! I often find myself needing refills. They offer a full bar and have beer on tap. The margaritas are normal size to giant !!! combo plate that includes to selection of a few items. They offer your choice of meat - shredded beef, ground beef, chicken, shredded chicken and fish for some items. The food is always a served piping hot and deliciously seasoned. The enchiladas sauce is mild but delicious. They also have red sauce and verse sauce to choose from. The service is always above average to excellent. Look for their specials they run daily or often - portion sizes are generous for lunch or dinner so come hungry! They also offer dessert so be sure to try them. Great spot to feed your craving for Tex mex - One thing I wish they would do is to offer fresh guacamole made table side !! Adding sour cream as a side with some dishes would be nice too- love sour cream on my burrito!! read more

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Not too far off of interstate 81. Was very good. Decent prices and a relatively extensive menu. My waiter recommended the shrimp tacos. I made all gone. read more

El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant - Shrimp tacos - Mexican Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

Food was absolutely delicious! The salsa and chips were fresh. Drinks were tasty. Very filling and not a bad price. The inside was nice and clean. The server was very friendly. Food came out at a decent pace. read more

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I have been meaning to do a review for this restaurant for quite some time. This is my go to Mexican spot! I wanted to specifically review the salmon tacos which are fantastic! I do not like pico de gallo so I exclude that, but everything else is directly off the menu! read more

El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant - Salmon tacos - Mexican Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

Definitely an original when it comes to Mexican food in Winchester, and that's part of what makes this place stand out. It may not be the best food in the world, but the consistency is really what makes it great. You generally know what you're getting, and it delivers on that every time. They offer free chips and salsa, which is always a plus, and free refills on sodas small things, but they add to the overall experience. I ordered a burrito, and it was definitely on the larger side, more than enough to leave you full. The lunch specials are also solid and a good value for what you get. The only negative on this visit was the staffing. They seemed understaffed, and we only saw one server covering this entire section, which led to things moving a bit slower than usual. Overall, still a dependable spot that I'd come back to, especially if you're looking for a consistent, no frills Mexican meal. read more

I like the decor and service was Terrific. We also enjoyed the nachos and salsa. My burrito was very disappointing. The steak was very overcooked. I didn't care for the rice at all. It was mushy which made the entire burrito mushy. I can't even tell you if it had any beans. My wife had a similar review of the taco salad. There are too many great Mexican restaurants in the area. We won't be back to this one. read more

El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant - Burrito was mushy - Mexican Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

My favorite Mexican restaurant in Winchester and has been through a few owners etc, still my favorite date spot. I always know exactly what I want and I like they have sports on all the time and a bar read more

Overall, a very nice Mexican restaurant. the waiter was very friendly and his demeanor was kind of like a grandpa which was very welcoming and homey. Only bad thing coming off of it was the food, I obtained a rather nasty case of food poisoning from the suija enchilada, probably from the fried rice and chicken. Not fun at all read more

My friend and I went for lunch on a random weekday. The staff were so sweet and kind! The food was fairly priced and delicious!

Consistent great food! Consistent great service. Consistent short wait times. time. I love the fajitas( fajita burritos!

We have been eating here for years. Food is fresh, well prepared and reasonably priced.

Great service from our waitress and the food was amazingly delicious. Definitely will be back again. El Ranchito Taco Shop read more

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I have NO IDEA how this place has good reviews for food. It is barely even edible. Mexican food is my absolute favorite, so I've been to many Mexican restaurants, and this place is one of the worst. I got an enchilada and the sauce was DISGUSTING! The chicken in my quesadilla was gross too. Even the sweet tea was so bad that we didn't even drink it. We will NEVER be back. read more

I have been going to this place my entire life. I've been going here since I was a toddler and my family went here right after my younger brother was born (same day) Always has been our go to mexican restaurant in winc and the staff has always been friendly. We also Love Taqueria Guadalajara because we met the owner when he was a server at El Ranchero. Food has been solid forever and they update the inside decor and menu often. Great for dinner with family or a bar night with friends. Most of the bad reviews are from people expecting tex mex type food. read more

Great carnitas with onions and tender. The jalapeno margaritas are delicious and huge. The desserts are great as well. Sometimes a wait but worth it. read more

Flavors are poppin and savory best to combined the burrito Jalisco with shrimp chipotle great combined flavors read more

El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant - Burrito Jalisco - Mexican Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

The Food was tasteless, the service was slow and unenthusiastic. Plates were not cleared in a timely fashion and had to ask to get my water glass refilled. Won't be going back. read more

Good food, good service, nice meal. Diverse menu. That all I have to say. This 85 word minimum is b.s. That all I have to say. This 85 word minimum is b.s. That all I have to say. This 85 word minimum is b.s. read more

Great food. Great service. Small parking lot. And a smidge of a bit of a different menu if you're from somewhere nearer the Mexican border. Southern-to-Southwesterners (a.k.a. tourists not frequent to these more northern climes) may gossip amongst themselves as to who under the heavens could be in their right minds to serve rice and mashed potatoes not only at the same time on the same plate, but on a plate of Mexican food that is free of frijoles? ¿Dónde están los frijoles? ¿Están perdidos? Even the Mexican restaurants in Banff-ph-ph, Alberta serve frijoles! Or they used to. Like Archie Bunker's unwavering dedication to principles of "a sock and a sock and a shoe and a shoe," something as direct as "a starch and a starch" of rice served alongside mashed potatoes is bound to make sense to others and especially regulars of El Rancho. Viva! For those of us yet unable to adjust to that double-starch plated mash-up, El Ranchero is kind (and wise) enough to present rice and beans as staple sides for its "house specialty" items. Clever! El Jefe. He understands. read more

Service good. Clean. Unfortunately, the Birria tacos were horrible. Tacos smelled funny and just didn't taste good. They were also falling apart, definitely wasn't able to do the "dip". Should have paid attention to the other bad Birria review. Also expensive. Paid $34 for an order of Birria tacos and 1 Margarita. Would not recommend. read more

El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

Delicious food and fantastic service, I highly recommend this Mexican restaurant if you are in the Winchester area. read more

El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant - Beef Chimichanga fried with double rice. - Mexican Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

The entrees fell short for me. I seek out the best enchiladas and these were just ok. I had to order beans and rice where normally this would be include. No hot sauce nearby either and had to ask for it. Drinks are really expensive and so-so. read more

We had the best dinner here tonight! We don't eat meat so our order was a bit complicated but Chef rocked it! Our server was so nice and attentive! I had Mashed Potato Burritos with Fajita Veggies and Red Sauce and Hubby had Mashed Potato Chimichangos with Fajita Veggies. Definitely will order again so be ready Chef! read more

if i could give this place zero stars i would. This is my first time eating here and my last! they added a new item on the menu "birria tacos" it came with beans and rice which were good. but when it came to the tacos it was disgusting. Now i have tried birria tacos before so i was expecting them to taste amazing and i had high expectations, but no that wasn't the case. IT TASTED LIKE SOAP! not authentic at all, i do not recommend eating here. read more

El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant - Birria Tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

We've been here several times and have always enjoyed the food. The last time we were there, they had Sangria as a special. We thought the Sangria was excellent. We've tried several different dishes and all of them have been good. They do have a children's menu which offers standard kids staples such as cheeseburger, so if you have a child that doesn't like Mexican food, they have other food. The chips and salsa are good. The service has always been good here as well. read more

Nice ambiance fora Mexican restaurant great bar salsa was average good chips. Margarita was excellent. Burrito was a belt buster and tasty. read more

El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant - Bar - Mexican Near Me - Winchester, Virginia

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We came here on a Monday night and the place was packed. The space had great energy and visuals. We loved the lights on the bar especially. Our server was polite, quick, and the fajitas were delicious. I go to tons of Mexican restaurants and this one had some of the best salsa ive ever had. Definitely a place I'd come back to. read more

This place always seemed crowded so we finally decided to try it. Why did we wait so long?! Flautas for an appetizer- perfect. Chimichangas for main course; fried but not too hard, plenty of shredded chicken, and maybe the best crema I've tasted. Rice and beans weren't super hot, but ok. The service was great, especially considering how busy it was. The prices are reasonable. Will definitely return. read more

WHAT A FIND! Friendly, charming, speedy service. Free chips and salsa. $5.49 lunch specials on Thursdays. What's not to love? We go at least once a week. It just doesn't get any better. GO! read more

My wife and I eat here frequently. Staff is wonderful and friendly but not too in your face, food is always fantastic. Can't recommend enough read more

Wonderful service and predictably tasty food. It's the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to Mexican food in the area. The ambiance is family friendly and enjoyable for a variety of customers. read more

Mediocre at best coming from a person living next to Mexico & used to real authentic Mexican food. Salsa was runny & seemed old. My fish tacos were pungent & just yuk. Heavily flavored w/cumin...my plate was burning hot (the side plate rice/bean burned mr & was still scalding after meals done!) waiter seemed pissed that we asked for the kids meal to be veggie(states on menu all can be)& said veggie was- lettuce & cheese..so we asked for bean(kids don't eat meat). The 2nd kid chose Mac n cheese-$6.75! For a plate of just Mac n cheese.. anyhow nothing worth figuring twice for. read more

I enjoyed this place, although I don't recommend wearing shoes with slippery bottoms. The food is served hot and tasty with lots of choices to choose from. The bathrooms are clean and the staff semi friendly. We had plenty of food with leftovers for the next day. I recommend the fajitas with its many choices including everything! I would have given them five stars but I almost injured myself on the greasy floor coming back from the restroom. The staff did mop once they saw people sliding around read more

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This place is pretty good. I haven't found another Mexican restaurant I like other than this one so far. I go with the California burrito, which is HUGE and filling. I just wish they added more meat in it! read more

Absolutely love this place. I first found out about this place while look for an apartment in the Winchester area. Since then, I have taken each of my guests here. The food is just too good to pass up. First off, their guacamole is a homemade recipe. It doesn't taste like it came out of a bottle, and has terrific flavor. I'd recommend getting some with your chips, even if its extra, because its worth the extra $2.50 or so (btw, the salsa is good too, so have both). I'd also like to point out that they make a terrific tortilla soup. Its got a great amount of zest and flavor, and its a very generous amount. Its on par with El Centro in downtown Winchester, but I feel they don't skimp on the meats, tortilla strips, and veggies that El Centro does. They also are very reasonable for their drink specials. Their Margaritas are very refreshing and go down very easy. The Mango Pomegranate one is my favorite. I'd get that every time there. Also, they make a very good Horchata, which for those that don't know, tastes kinda like a milkshake, but made with rice and milk, and tastes real good. A definite recommend. Lastly, their food. I usually like their fajitas, the Texas ones being my favorite since you get chicken, beef, and shrimp, with 3 tortillas and a "salad". But their burritos are excellent too. You won't feel hungry after leaving here, and you get your food in reasonable time too so you are not waiting all that long to be served. The only real knock on the place is the pico de gallo is way too spicy, to a point I couldn't even eat it. But it gets its fifth star back because of amazing customer service and the quality of the product. Oh, the place is a little dark, but that's alright. The food makes up for it all. For anybody new to the Winchester area, this should be your first stop for any dinner. And for you bringing somebody from out of town, a must as well. It all goes without saying that you won't regret any of it later. read more

Food was great. Had the Pollo Relleno ( stuffed chicken). The mango sauce was shockingly delightful and completely new to me. Great blend of flavors. The potatoes and rice were cooked just right. Definitely making a return visit. read more