I ate there today 4/4/2026. Our server was very nice and gave us great service. The food was very tasty, hot and well prepared. The chips and salsa was the best I ever had. The grilled chicken with chorizo and cheese with beans and avocado salad was one of the best I ever had. The other one was another meal I had there another Time I visited. I recommend this place to other people. It would be my choice for best mexican food in Topeka Ks. Thank you. read more

Came here on a referral from a friend of ours who lives in the area. Authentic Mexican cuisine. Came in for lunch and I was actually able to get Huevos Con Chorizo on the lunch menu. House salsa is great, but they do have a much spicier option which we opted for and it was delicious. Chips are definitely made in house. The value for the food was excellent. Will definitely come back when I'm back in Topeka for business. read more

Took forever to get seated (it was not busy). Then we sat waiting for someone to take our drink order. No urgency, no eye contact, no one saying it will be just one minute. We just left and went somewhere else. Will not be back. This was the second time with poor service. read more

My family and I went to El Ranchito to celebrate my dad's birthday. We arrived around 5pm, we had a table for 7 in the bar area. The restaurant was not very busy and we had chips/salsa on our table right away. I started with a Michelada which is similar to a Bloody Mary but with beer instead of vodka. It's light and refreshing and you can choose what beer you want. I like dos xx lager. My mom ordered a Mojito and asked if they could add strawberries which they did. The rest of the table had tea/pop. I wanted to try The Steak Ranchero, which is a Ribeye with ranchero sauce, rice/beans and tortillas. The flavor of the Steak was delicious, the whole meal was fantastic!! My parents shared Fajitas and my brother had Chilé Colorado which looked good as well. The others had Quesadillas and tacos. Our server was great, and the owner José stopped by our table to say Hi and to wish my dad a happy birthday. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and has plenty of seating around the bar area and throughout the Restaurant. This El Ranchito is prob my favorite one in town. read more

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1. The decor is beautiful. 2. Chips and salsa is meh, at best. Guacamole was delicious . My fajita quesadilla was very good but the rice was very bland and my dinner arrived lukewarm. My companion ordered huevos rancheros and he said the red sauce tasted like pasta sauce. 3. Our waiter was inattentive. He dropped our water and drinks off without a straw and refilled the water after I asked twice. 4. The chip on my card wasn't working. He couldn't figure out how to swipe the card or manually input the info. He simply returned my card and said, "Is broken." If you enjoy bland food with mediocre service, this place is fine. If you enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine, skip it. read more

Took my mom here for lunch today. My stepdad and her go frequently and he's out of town so I came to check in on her and make sure she ate something. We ordered the espresso martini, which was super delicious. Sweeter than others I've had but she probably wouldn't have liked it if it wasn't sweet. We also got a margarita we didn't order. I wondered if they brought it because it's what she usually has. It was a good margarita. Nothing spectacular. I'm picky about margaritas and don't like them made with the margarita mix like most places make them. We got the elote, which was fabulous. And we got some chilaquiles. They were made with a great sauce. I left satisfied and my mom left happy and maybe a little buzzed because she fell in love with the espresso martini and drank most of it AND the margarita. In general it was less Americanized than most Mexican restaurants around here, which I enjoyed. It was a very nice looking restaurant and I'm sure I'll be back when I come over this way in the future. read more

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WOW! I haven't been in that place since it was Carlos O'Kelleys. A pleasant surprise as our food, service, and overall experience was outstanding. My new favorite Mexican food place in Topeka. I can't wait to go back. read more

Food is good, caught a male worker cleaning the chairs with his hand instead of using a wet rag. I can see a pest issue in there future read more

El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant - Tacos and Mexican rice - Mexican Near Me - Topeka, Kansas

Went there on New Years eve but it was terribly noisy with drunk people in the back and mariachi band in the front. But I did not give up on it. We went back since then and the food and atmosphere was excellent. Lots of mexican fish items in addition to traditional mexican fare. All servings were large and many were taking "to go' containers. The staff were wonderful and very friendly. I was told that this restaurant was also an offshoot from the great place in Auburn. I had some since then and could only finish a half of the bowl. This used to be "Carlos O'Kellys", but this place is authentic mexican food and a great lunch or dinner facility read more

Wow the new location will blow your socks off! Beautiful renovation of the old Carlos O Kelly's and the food is amazing. You should see the bathroom read more

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Dinner was very bland. We ordered a combo plate and very disappointed. The margarita did not have any flavor and didn't seem to have any tequila. We had to order shots to add to it. drink was $8.99 plus $2.50 shot and still not that good. Spent $60 and will never return. Nice place, awful food read more

Formerly Carlos OKelly's, this freshly remodeled El Ranchito restaurant offers great food, prompt service and friendly staff. The Carnitas Dinner is the best roasted pork in Topeka. It is roasted with sauted onions and is tender yet crispy edges. The Carnitas dinner is served with mexican rice and refried beans. The Tamale Supreme includes a large tamale plus 2 chicken taquitos and then covered with rich queso and crispy chips. For a great lunch, the 3 Mexican style soft tacos are a delicious meal when a side of refried beans are added. Order them with carnitas (pork). The owner of this restaurant spent time and energy to remodel the former Mexican restaurant into a real treat of a venue. Hand painted murals decorate the walls. New furniture and spanish tile floors make this a fun experience in which to enjoy the food. We were seated immediately by this hostess, brought chips and salsa within minutes of being seated. Our orders were taken promptly and we were served very quickly. Waitstaff is prompt and attentive. Dining at this newly remodeled restaurant is a very nice experience from the fountain at the main entrance, to the interesting murals on the wall, to the lighting in the bar/lounge area. read more

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Was very disappointed with the time that it took to get our food. When it did arrive it was lukewarm at best!

The food is great, the service is very good and the restaurant looks amazing. The menu is huge and everything we've tried has been excellent. read more

Went on a Sunday evening and had about a 15 minute wait for seating. In less than five minutes after being seated, we had chips and salsa at the table. We asked for spicy salsa which was delicious - just the right amount of heat. We ordered Queso Fundido which was AMAZING! I enjoyed the Camarones a la diabla, and others had the chicken chimichanga and menudo. We believe the menudo was made when ordered because they let us know it would take a little longer. The menudo had large cuts of tripe along with a huge bone joint with tendon - again, AMAZING!! The service was good and we will be returning!! read more

Enchiladas Jalisco were good. Chips were not my favorite, very thick. Margarita was warm with no salt. Not sure I would go all the way across town to eat there again. read more

Check this place out!! The service was amazing. The food was delicious. The only negative was that it was a bit loud. Joe was one of the best servers I have ever had. Was packed when we got there but no wait to get in. We were seated and brought chips and salsa immediately. The waiter, Joe refilled things before we even realized we needed them. This is my new go to for Mexican food! read more

Salsa taste like Chili powder and the food well it will make a turd. The service was good. The ambiance was good. read more

Food and service were very good. I would have given it a 4or5 but the bartender was so slow that it took it down to a 3

I had lunch there today. The service was awful. The salsa was very spicy and the chips were on the verge of being stale. I needed a knife to cut the enchilada. The beans were thin and runny. Even the iced tea tasted old. I won't eat there again. read more

The food was great. The atmosphere is one of the loudest in town. It's hard to have a conversation when restaurant is busy. The service was okay and I assume will get better in time. They are still going through their busiest time with growing pains as the word gets out. I will return! read more

First time here, we visited from College Station, Texas this past sunday. Service and food were great! we were greeted as if we lived in the area & felt as if we were home. Great place will definitely go again & highly recommend. Muy bien servico ! nos trataron como si era nuestra casa. read more