Stopped in for a quick lunch with my folks. The reviews spoke highly of this place, my opinion was it was just ok. I went went the pastor torta and unfortunately not overly impressed. My father had the chicken burrito and said it was rather good. I just say though from the outwardly appearance it was much better than it let on, so don't let the looks dissuade you. Given thin options in the town this probably is one of the better bets. Unfortunately what I ordered just didn't really do a whole lot for me. read more

Don't skip out on this hidden gem. My boyfriend and I (without checking yelp reviews-- I know, how embarrassing) decided to grab some dinner here because I was getting hangry, it was getting late, and nothing else seemed to be open in Dorris. The family running the joint were extremely friendly. And so we ordered: shredded beef enchiladas plate, birria (goat) taco, carnitas taco, and pork tamale. And then we waited a bit. But right before we hit the impatient line, the food started coming. All were delicious, but the carnitas taco (OMG! so good) and the enchiladas plate were out of this world flavorful. I'm no chef or food expert, but they seemed to use unique spices and seasoning, or so it tasted. Yum! As you can imagine, we licked our plates clean. I'm hoping to make my way back to this little town real soon just so I can get my ElRanchito fix. read more

Yes it's small, yes its almost in the middle of nowhere, but the couple that owns the place are super nice and cook with love. Great hospitality and the torta de carne asada is bomb. #supportmomnpopshops read more

El Ranchito - Torta de carne asada. - Mexican Near Me - Dorris, California

Wow we thought this place could be good? It's the worst!! Cold little on plate this place just SUCK's!! Don't go in here it even dirty yuck Yuck!! read more

This is Mexican. Yummy. Tasty. Flavorful. Big portions. You know it's made from scratch. There's isn't much else in Doris. So if you're hungry stop here. You won't regret it. It's our go to when driving through. A must !! read more

Fantastic chile rellenos and carnitas in an old gas station. good service, nice owners.

Absolutely delish and authentic! We winter in Mexico but luckily we can get a summer fix of excellent Mexican food at this little, funky spot. Highly recommend the birria! The staff/owners do their best to be sure you're satisfied and taken care of. If you're in Hwy 97, be sure to make a stop here! read more

Ignacio and Graciella make truly authentic fantastic food. We will plan our departure times around having lunch or dinner at this gem in of all places Dorris, CA.... super nice people.... amazing salsa.... burritos are huge! Chili verde was off the hook! Everything was fabulous.... strongly recommend supporting there business and family. Been here for 15 years..... crazy! read more

Delicious food, large portions, accommodating staff and casual atmosphere. All in all, it was pretty excellent.

Amazing! Did I say amazing yet? I've been traveling in California for a month and this place in the small town of Dorris, an hour north of weed is the best I've had since my days traveling in Mexico. The homemade corn tortillas, the shrimp diablo was sublime. If your lucky enough to be in the area. Stop in. read more

We pass through little Dorris on our way to Oregon at least once a year, and have always noticed that there are 2 Mexican restaurants in town, but have never stopped and tried them out. We stopped at El Ranchito and got a couple of carne asada burritos this weekend, and they were quite delicious! They were also nice and big, so we split the 2 among 2 adults and 2 teenagers, and it was perfect. The flavoring was right on, helped out with cilantro, and they toasted them on the grill before serving them so the tortillas were slightly browned and appropriately cruncy. The atmosphere is homey and inviting, too. We'll be back on our next trip for sure! read more

This is the same atmosphere and the same food that you will get from a Mexican restaurant south of the border. I never drive past here without eating something, even if I'm not hungry. Not that fast, they don't always get the order exactly right, but what do you expect, they barely speak English. Don't pass this place up. read more

Chicken chimichanga full of tender seasoned chicken, and fajitas ranchera with beef, shrimp, and lots of it. We ordered 3 more tortillas to handle the filling. This was delicious home-made food, obviously owned by a family, with the sweet daughter (we think!) serving. If you're hungry, try this place before you head on north out of town. Me gusto mucho!! read more

It used to be hard to find good food when traveling. Thanks to Yelp though you can find gems. I most likely would not have walked into the restaurant without other yelp reviews. However, it was great. Excellent food, good service, nice people. My son (13), wife and I were very happy with our meal. read more

Amazing Mexican restaurant in the middle of no where. The burritos were massive, tasty, amazing. Eat here

Extremely nice family owned restaurant. Excellent food and it's all handmade! Can't wait to travel through again! Thank you for make our road trip so much better! read more

Tasty treats. The hot chili verde was hot just how i like it. Small dining area. Looks like it used to be a gas station.

Great food. Good family restaurant. Don't let appearance of the building deter you. The food is excellent.

Our family stopped here on a road trip and we absolutely loved it. Very amazing, authentic Mexican food and the owners were so kind. We highly recommend eating here if you have the chance. All of the food is made from scratch, it's for sure one of the best meals we've had on our whole trip. read more

The BEST Mexican food EVER! Service was great and the food was Amazing! The Chicken Fajitas are the best I have EVER had ! The Sopes with carnitas was also delish ! My daughter had the enchiladas and said it tasted like Heaven only Mexican !!! The only down side is that I live 281 miles away so I will need to Waite until my next trip to Oregon to stop at the GEM again ! read more

Just couldn't justify 3 stars for this place. As is the case with most people, we gave it a try on a trip through the area, because of the good reviews. They were out of salsa, which they didn't tell us until long after we'd ordered. So, getting chips and salsa (a requirement for an enjoyable Mexican dinner experience for us) was not possible. That's like a hamburger place being out of fries. The carne asada tacos were ok. A few pretty fatty/gristly pieces of beef and it was very dry. They completely messed up on my wife's veggie burrito. They left off the lettuce, onions, cilantro and tomatoes, all of which we had clearly asked for during the order. They don't actually offer a veggie burrito, so they charged us as if we had meat on it (unheard of at all other Mex places we go or have gone to). They were slow, so we didn't have time to re-order. She tried to add some of these items after the fact, but it didn't work. They don't have fountain drinks, so if one 12oz can of soda isn't enough for you, you have to order a second. We heard them tell another table they didn't have tamales available. There are so few options in the area, I guess they can get away with marginal service, but we will not return even if there are no other options. read more

The girl serving us was sweet. Very nice. Her mother (assuming the cook was her) was rude. This is the only restaurant on the entire west coast who's chimichanga recipe doesnt include guacamole and sour cream. When I politely asked for some she scowled at me. Brought me the sour cream but no guacamole. The place has the atmosphere of a diner in Mexico but the food wasnt good mexican. A poor experience that wont be repeated. read more

What an amazing surprise! Authentic, juicy, flavor plus! We ate the chicken tacos which were so delicious, made to order. The corn tortillas were thrown on fire to give them texture so they weren't all soft and had a nice crunch. The chicken must have been cooking slowly all day in wonderful spices. The rice had a really nice garlic flavor and was made perfectly. Don't judge it by its appearance. Eat here! read more

Food right out of mommas kitchen. Everything was made fresh and came to the table hot. Great service, and timely delivery of our order. A must stop if you love great Mexican food. Try the sopes with shredded beef. Great Carne Asada tacos too. The salsa was great. Very fresh and had a little burn to it but not enough to keep you from eating more. The place looks a little rough on the outside but very clean inside. read more

Stopped by with my two sons driving from Lava Beds Nat'l Monument to Weed, CA. First off, don't let the looks of this place discourage you from eating here. I have to admit, after reading the reviews, I was expecting a bit more in the way of aesthetics - I really wasn't sure what to make of the man in front of the restaurant cooking the meat on a BBQ. The place looks like it used to be an old gas station - we went inside to find about 6 or so tables - relatively clean. I ordered the chicken enchiladas combo plate (with rice and beans), and my sons ordered the chicken chimichanga and carne asada. I tried all three and they were delicious! As good as any of the mexican restaurants near my home (in SoCal). The salsa (which I would guess is made from scratch) was really good, however, the chips (for the chips and salsa we ordered) were cold and not very fresh. There were three cardboard boxes of commercial flour tortillas stacked on the floor near our table, so I'm guessing they are not made from scratch. I originally put 3 stars, but I increased it to 4 only because it is probably the best place to get a decent meal with 50 miles in any direction. read more