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    El Ranchito Restaurant

    3.7 (307 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Salad, Soup
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    El Ranchito Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    EL RANCHITO RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Ranchito Restaurant

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    Tamale,rice,enchiladas
    Miguel A.

    I've been here quite a few times, and the shrimp are always good--that's probably the one thing that keeps me coming back. This visit, though, was disappointing. We waited longer than expected for our takeout order, and when we got home, my enchilada looked nothing like it should. It was completely drowned in sauce to the point where it was unappetizing. My girlfriend's enchiladas also came with the wrong sauce, so both meals missed the mark. Mistakes happen, but when you're paying for takeout, you expect the order to be correct and the food to look like it was prepared with some care. Hopefully this was just an off night because the shrimp continue to be consistently good.

    Nicole W.

    Service was excellent. We sat at bar, jj was our server/Bartender. Drinks he made were superb. He made great recommendations for the food, and wat tequila we shld use for my margaritas. Food was good, forgot wat I had. My son got the chimichanga n it was good. Big portions. Thank you jj for the excellent service and a unforgettable time. ;)

    Enchiladas
    Jenna A.

    Enchiladas were delicious! Very fresh verde sauce! Service wasn't as attentive as we could have hoped, waited awhile before we were able to get someone to give us the bill, but they were attentive before and during the meal. Great place to grab lunch!

    Stacy H.

    Lovely restaurant in old town La Quinta. Plenty of seating both inside and outside. The house margaritas were delicious. The salsa has a nice zip to it. David our server was friendly, fast and efficient. All of our dishes were delicious. They have a nice happy hour and food specials daily. A very enjoyable meal.

    Go Big or go home
    Darla A.

    Super sweet restaurant. Found it cruising through La Quinta. Staff so nice and welcoming. Decor was warm and homey. Don't sleep on the Chiles Gueros. They are amazing. Yellow peppers stuffed with Al Pastor, carne asada and shrimp topped with melted cheese and served with a side of aioli and special sauce. They are outstanding. Carnitas Sopes were delicious. Tender and charred carnitas with beans, lettuce tomatoes, Sour cream and cotija cheese. We are happy campers after this tasty, tasty lunch. We will return. Probably on the way home from this vacation. Thank you El Ranchito

    Hands Down one of the best Chili Verde Burritos I've ever had, Trust me when I say. I'm a connoisseur.
    Mike L.

    Hands Down one of the Best Chili Verde wet burritos I've ever ver had. Thank You And the Service e was phenomenal!!!

    cheese enchiladas and Carnitas.
    Rob H.

    My kid's ordered me El Ranchito for my birthday. They sent us cheese enchiladas and Carnitas ( my favorite). Both plates were average at best. My Carnitas looked liked they were cooked yesterday and reheated the next day. The hard uneatable portion of pork out weighed the dry uneatable pork. If I'd been at the restaurant it would have been sent back but because it was a delivery, they sent it out. The cheese enchilada was under stuffed and lacked any flavors. There are so many great local Mexican restaurants in the area, why deal with this place.

    Kids cheese burger
    Esteban A.

    I've wrote several reviews for this place. It's my absolute favorite. Service is always amazing. And the vibes are always immaculate.

    Carne Asada Fiesta Salad.

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    2 months ago

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    3 days ago

    Mariachi band on Friday's starting in October it always make for a festive environment

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Our Favorite place, Food and ambiance great! (So is the Manchaca!) Beside the good food also great Mariachi's on Fridays.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    8 months ago

    What an absolute gem! Amazing food and wonderful service. Wait staff is exceptional! Highly recommend! David is very attentive!

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Great food, love the Cadillac Margarita. Super great staff, always on point. Don't sleep on the breakfast menu!

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    7 months ago

    Excellent food and service. The margaritas were excellent. Yummy warm chips and salsa.

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    1 year ago

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    Page 1 of 8

    Ask the Community - El Ranchito Restaurant

    How's the food?

    Awful, came out incorrect and contained items no listed on the menu, also got food poisoning.

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    Casa Mendoza - Fried ice cream

    Casa Mendoza

    4.0(944 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    SHORT ANSWER: Just an update, but Casa Mendoza seems to be just getting better. Some new staff but…read morefood quality and people here are very welcoming. LOCATION: In Old Town La Quinta, OTLQ easy to find, tons of parking but at times it gets busy so you may have to walk a bit. FACILITY: very traditional inside and out, clean, and lots of space between tables. MENU: rather massive, we usually order the same things so all the other options makes my head hurt so we just go with what we know. FOOD PREP: excellent, always looks the same which is a good things. FOOD QUALITY: some of the best in the valley. LIBATIONS: lots of choices and not too expensive, wish they had a locals city of LQ discount like some of the other options in OTLQ.. WAITSTAFF: very nice, everyone. OVERALL VALUE: if you order the right things, it is a great value but you can go nuts and spend a lot, tourist dollars spend well, upselling happens for those who want it and deserve it! TIP: Sitting outside is great most all year, we don't go out when it is crazy hot, but have dined outside in 100+ temps, we prefer the front outdoor space.

    *Mi Casa es Su Casa*…read more My buddy had a small casual bday get-together with his family and invited me to join the celebration. I saw all the favorable reviews on Yelp and was looking forward to my first visit at Casa Mendoza. Very chill & lively family owned Mexican joint in Old Town LQ. The place was kinda busy @6:30pm on Hump Night ~~ always a great sign when I see this. Felt more like a Sunday Evening. It took an hour to receive our meals. Ordered @6:45 arrived @7:45pm. Good thing the Chimichanga & Gauc apps arrived pretty quickly. The Gauc was Excellente. All their food was very good. But all our meals arrived cold/lukewarm. Took forever to receive our food and we knew for a fact it's because all our plates sat a while until we were served. The actual plates weren't even warm and the sizzling fajitas had sizzled out and lost its dazzle. Because it was still 95 degrees when dinner was finally served, our lukewarm meals were doable on a hot night. Everyone did enjoy their meals tho. I was very pleased with my Mahi Mahi in Garlic Butter Sauce. The refried beans were outstanding. The rice very good...and I made tacos with the 3 corn tortillas. But would have enjoyed it even more had all the food been a little warmer. I stuck with H2O but all margarita drinkers said their drinks were good and hit the spot on a warm night. The service in general was also inconsistent for our small party of 8. The Birthday Boy was a little frustrated and got up a few times from his throne seeking assistance -- such as missing tortillas for meals, water refills, extra napkins. We even had to wait longer than anticipated for them to acknowledge the bday boy with a celebratory bday song & sombrero...and the fried ice cream, which didn't include a candle. Tho we all enjoyed ourselves and time together...a 2 hour dinner at a Mexican joint on a Wednesday night wasn't what we anticipated. Especially with one restless 7 year old ;-) But everyone working at Casa Mendoza is very friendly with great attitudes. Hostess team, waiters, servers & runners too. So that made up for the spotty service, just a little bit. Since I'm closer to the other Casa Mendoza in Palm Desert, I'd go there in the future with my wife, and order the exact same thing. But hope for much better service and warmer food.

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    Casa Mendoza - Bar Area

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    Casa Mendoza - Friday lunch, outside, single comb  $12.99

    Friday lunch, outside, single comb $12.99

    Casa Mendoza - 100 outside misters outside.. cheers

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    Adobe Grill - El Perfecto Margarita and Appetizers

    Adobe Grill

    3.5(623 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    As I was walking in, there was live music and dancing right outside, which immediately made the…read moreplace feel fun and inviting. I ordered the green salsa enchiladas with rice and beans, and they did not disappoint. I also love how the rice and beans came in their own little dish. it was a such a cute touch. The chips and salsa were SO good. There was something about that salsa. I loved it so much that I even asked fora a little cup to take back to my room so I could finish it later. My friend ordered the carne asada plate and said the meat was full of flavor, and my daughter ordered the carne asada quesadilla plate and loved hers as well. Service was quick, and our server was friendly and attentive through our meal. Between the food, service, and inviting atmosphere, were really enjoyed our experience.

    Adobe Grill wants desperately to be the kind of place people remember forever. The setting…read morecertainly tries hard enough. A warm La Quinta evening, desert air finally cooling off, a solid live duet working the patio with the kind of soundtrack that should make mediocre food taste better than it is. For a few minutes, you think maybe this place is going to deliver on the promise. Then the flamingo arrived. Or at least that's what the bright pink polo shirt on our server suggested. Somewhere between Palm Springs golf tournament and poolside timeshare mixer, the uniform choice set the tone immediately: completely off-brand for a resort carrying the La Quinta name. To her credit, the server herself was pleasant enough. But pleasant is table stakes at a resort property. Competence, polish, awareness, that's what people are paying for. The twenty-ounce margaritas landed with all the sophistication of a fraternity mixer. Sweet, forgettable, and somehow both weak and aggressive at the same time. I've had better drinks poured into Solo cups at parties where the furniture was stolen from somebody's dorm room. Then came the food. The chips tasted stale, like they'd spent the afternoon losing a slow battle with desert air. The ceviche? Rubbery and tired. Seafood should taste alive. This tasted like it had already accepted its fate hours earlier. Sylvia ordered the Caesar salad, and it looked exactly like what it was: something assembled without care, without attention, without anybody stopping for even a moment to ask whether it represented the standards of a resort restaurant. She barely made it halfway through. Oddly enough, the lone bright spot was my chicken enchiladas verde. Solid. Comforting. Not life-changing, but at least prepared by someone who appeared interested in their job that evening. But the real problem at Adobe Grill isn't the food. Restaurants recover from mediocre dishes all the time. The real problem is culture. Or more accurately, the complete absence of one. The food runner couldn't answer even the simplest questions. The service staff moved with that unmistakable energy of people who were never properly trained because nobody above them really cared enough to train them. Empty plates sat on the table for what felt like half the night. Nobody cleared them. Nobody reset or groomed the table. Crumbs, empty glasses, dirty dishes, they just accumulated while the evening slowly unraveled. At a place carrying the La Quinta name, that level of inattentiveness is stunning. And then the manager arrived, or more accurately, drifted by. No eye contact. No engagement. No sincerity. Just a quick pit stop at the table to perform the illusion of management before immediately turning away and loudly shouting to another group thirty feet off as though we had already ceased to exist. That moment explained the entire restaurant. Because once you start looking closer, you see it everywhere. Bird droppings baked into chairs and railings long enough to become part of the décor. Neglected details. Deferred maintenance. Staff operating without direction. A restaurant surviving almost entirely on atmosphere and location while slowly forgetting hospitality itself. And that's the frustrating part. The bones are there. The patio. The music. The desert night. This place should be magical. Instead, it feels like a resort coasting on reputation while the little things, the things that actually matter,quietly fall apart in plain sight. And honestly, the restaurant may not even be the biggest issue. But that's a whole separate review.

    Photos
    Adobe Grill - Taste of Summer at Adobe Grill features a seasonal three-course prix fixe menu.

    Taste of Summer at Adobe Grill features a seasonal three-course prix fixe menu.

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    Guacamole

    El Ranchito Restaurant - mexican - Updated September 2026

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