This is not our usual go-to spot for Mexican in Old Town La Quinta but I had never been before so it was time to try it. I hadn't heard many good things about it and I have to say I now see why. This place is pretty meh. The food is alright. I asked for green sauce on my enchiladas and they gave me red. The chicken tasted greasy in a way. The shrimp tacos were big but basic. I could definitely make those at home. Dirty menus and pretty slow service. The service can be looked past though, it's the food that matters! read more

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Always delish! Attentive service, excellent food. A hidden gem in La Quinta highly recommend!

We came here for a quick beer and some chips while waiting for a table across the the street at casa Mendoza. Great service, and great chips and salsa. We went to the other restaurant and long story short, the other place sucked ... the weakest margarita I've ever had in my life... didn't stick around for the food. Read my review. Came back to here, and were welcomed with open arms, great margaritas, great food, and great service. Thank you! You saved our night out. read more

We ate here two days in a row. This is a very typical family-owned Mexican restaurant at its finest: nothing fancy, very tasty, with good service and a great atmosphere. The patio alone is worth an hour of relaxation. read more

Thought this was part of the Avila family of restaurants but it wasn't. Either way, I'm glad I came to try this spot. The food was very good. Beans and rice were spot on and the tacos were perfectly crunchy. Our waiter was nice and informative. He helped my friend steer clear of foods she couldn't eat. If you're out of town for the tourney. Give this spot a shot. Pretty authentic read more

El Ranchito Restaurant - Ground beef tacos combination - Mexican Near Me - La Quinta, California

Love this place ... Old school ... great service ... great food... Marianna is fantastic !!! Biggest smile Love her ! read more

Hidden gem located at old town La Quinta. With so many choices we chose this restaurant due in part to live Mariachi. We were not disappointed. We were promptly seated. For starters we ordered their shrimp stuffed chiles gueros.Very delicious and good portions. Also ordered flautas and mini chimis.No complaints. Authentic food with tons of flavor. We also shared a combo plate with cheese tamale,pork tamale and a grilled fish taco. Whatever you might order I'm sure you won't be disappointed. One can't leave without trying their margaritas. A must have. My only gripe is the service. It's slow and at times no existent but I understand there's staffing issues. The food and atmosphere make up for it. read more

El Ranchito Restaurant - Chiles gueros - Mexican Near Me - La Quinta, California

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This cute restaurant serves inexpensive and delicious Mexican food! I loved their extensive menu and delicious flavors. Our party ordered the cheese and jalapeño empanadas, veggie burritos, veggie fajitas, chimichanga, and a combination plate that included fish taco and cheese enchilada. The cheese enchilada had cooled by the time I started eating it so didn't enjoy it as much but the fish taco, beans, and rice were incredibly flavorful! Rest of the party enjoyed their food as well. We also tried horchata and sampled Jamaica, both of which tasted delicious. VEGETARIANS NOTE that refried beans contain pork, order black beans instead. We asked for spicy sauces on the side and they served us two salsas both of which were delicious, especially the salsa they call the street salsa - spicy but had an incredible flavor! When we inquired about the chillies, the server was so excited and she told us all about chillies and peppers used in the various salsas, and then grabbed a few fresh chillies from a bush in the restaurant for us to try! The chillies were spicy and the experience of trying a fresh off the plant product was top notch! Would definitely return when I'm in the area. read more

El Ranchito Restaurant - Chips and 3 salsas on the house - Mexican Near Me - La Quinta, California

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I'm not the biggest fan to choose a restaurant at La Quinta old town, but I got invited. It was Mexican restaurant. El Ranchito,It was OK. I ordered the Carne Asada quesadilla. Their menu is pretty extensive, but I settled for something that was basic. It was good. And to the point. Sat outside in the patio. It was a chilly night, but they had the heater lamps on very attractive workers servers the snowbirds are in town, so it was very crowded. Hard to Find parking on a Friday night. they had mariachi outside and started playing at around 6 PM. They had pre-recorded music which was a first for me. i've been to another Mexican restaurant in this area, but out of the two I would have to say this one is better in quality of food. I think I remember being here before and I ordered the green pork, of which was delicious. Maybe I should've ordered that again. read more

El Ranchito Restaurant - Asada quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - La Quinta, California

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Nice Mexican restaurant in La Quinta. Good value and delicious meal. We sat outside on the patio. Service was good. Margaritas were big and worth it. Food portions were sizable. My friend ordered the combo and had more than enough food even for leftovers! Fajitas were sizzling and good! It came with sour cream. Will come back again read more

El Ranchito Restaurant - Patio - Mexican Near Me - La Quinta, California

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Daniel the bartender is such a great guy, we love visiting him at the bar every Monday and Thursday for football. Best Carnitas, pastor, asada, y pollo in town, highly recommend El Ranchito! read more

This is a great restaurant and a local favorite. They have healthy Mexican food options and serve a generous portion of chips and salsa until your food is ready. Highly recommend! read more

El Ranchito Restaurant - Huevos Rancheros, Coffee, and chips and salsa. - Mexican Near Me - La Quinta, California

Consistently good and relatively traditional Mexican food (says the white guy from Indiana). Service is always friendly but YOU should probably go to casa Mendoza so you don't screw up the vibe. Thanks. read more

Have been dining at this location for years. First time back in 7 years. Here to celebrate my nephew's birthday. We ordered an appetizer platter with jalapeño poppers, quesadillas, and nachos. Definitely a crowd pleaser. I ordered a strawberry margarita . I ordered the carnitas platter. The food came in a timely manner. Everyone seemed pleased with their food. Looking forward to my next visit read more

Great spot and same staff for a long time which I like. Great outdoor patio area when the weather cooperates. One our local hangouts.

The food is generally ok, and I've done delivery a few times with no issues until tonight. Ordered 2 Michoacán specials that are supposed to be a cheese enchilada and Carne asada taco with rice and beans. Both were delivered with no taco. Seems odd they'd forget the taco on a Monday night special. Tried calling for an hour but no answer or line is busy. Fool me once... read more

Great food, great cocktails, great live mariachi band. I went there with my family and had a blast.

Hands down one of the best little hidden gems in La Quinta. The wife and I just went to check out the pottery shop next door, and what a pleasant surprise to find this place just in time for lunch. Atmosphere is so on point I actually almost forgot I was Stateside for a moment. Food was on point and very traditional. Probably the best refried beans and rice I've had in a very long time, along with my fish taco and enchilada. My wife had the chicken enchiladas and just loved them. Will definitely be back to explore the menu further. I'm just a little bummed that they don't have lingua on the menu because I'm pretty sure they'd do a good job with it, but that's just me. read more

Loved it! The day before, we were in the area. My friend saw someone she knows walking over to El Ranchito and asked him his opinion, and he was all raves. Mental note, we will have to check it out. We did the next night and we were glad. Great drinks, yummy food, and service was on point. Really nice atmosphere, too. Liked the salsas and pico that were served with the chips. One was really spicy, but all good. I had the garlic shrimp (camarones mojo ojo...those three words are in the name). Really good! Even better, dumping it on top of the rice. Yeah, I'm returning for that. My friend had the chile rellano and cheese enchilada. I tasted the enchilada and it was definitely good. A new favorite! read more

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Five stars for El Ranchito. The burritos were excellent. They gave use the fattest chicken enchilada I've ever seen. Their chile relleno was second only to my mothers'. All the food was fantastic. We ordered take out, and three different employees offered to assist us while we were waiting! We will definitely be back next time we are in town. read more

We love coming to our little town Mexican Restaurant. We've been coming here since the late 80's when we visited my in-laws who lived in Indio. We then moved here in July of 1989. And we've been coming here for years. The margaritas have been great and we love the food, we've never been disappointed. Lupe Uribe La Quinta, CA read more

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Best hard shell tacos! I got shredded beef and chicken. Come every time I'm in town. Great enchilads also!!

Our favorite Mexican food. We love this place. If you are looking for authentic Mexican food this is the place to go. The beans are the best in town. Everything is delicious so you can't go wrong. The service is great and very friendly. The ambiance is really nice with both booths and tables with chairs. read more

Great food every time, including this visit. We always stop by when in La Quinta, and I always have a margarita and the chile verde. Joel was a great server, and my friends who came with me for the first time were equally haopy. read more

El Ranchito Restaurant - Our margaritas! - Mexican Near Me - La Quinta, California

The best in the world. Love the frozen margaritas, best hot sauce, cheese enchiladas. Staff is super friendly. It is a joy going there. Love this place. read more

Food would of maybe been good, but it was served cold not one of our plates were hot waitress was to bus not enough help my husband never got his drink because she was running around we asked her 3 times she kept saying sorry she'd bring it but never did dinner plates came literally 1 at a time , we were almost done with our dinner before my daughter in law got her plate we did not complain but should of. don't think we'll go back there again. read more

We loved the authentic refried beans. The ceviche was perfect for me. Also the carnitas was cooked to perfection, although I'm not sure they serve carnitas every night. My husband and I spend close to two months a year in Mexico. We love the real Mexican feeling from the people and the atmosphere in the restaurant. Thank you for being open long before old town was even on the drawing board. Resident of La Quinta for over 25 years, Christine and Sal read more

The food was so much better and larger in size than I expected. The torta was way bigger than how it looks in the picture. I couldn't even finish half of it. All the food was so fresh and flavorful. read more

El Ranchito Restaurant - Torta with Carnitas - Mexican Near Me - La Quinta, California

Good food and drinks . Good happy hour and ok service . Cute decor and the best option for Mexican in the old town area . Not the best Mexican food though but ok read more

Some of the best Mexican food in Coachella Valley. Great service and an awesome atmosphere. Margarita's on the patio can't be beat.

I am giving El Ranchito a One Star for their Customer Service. I was in La Quinta this past weekend and I placed an order to pick up. My wife ordered a salad and I got the Breakfast Burrito combination with grilled chicken. When I got back to the house, I realized that they gave me Bean and Cheese Burrito. I called them, explained the situation and they put me on Hold for like 5 minutes and they would not talk to me. I hanged up, called again and I was put on hold a second time. No one would talk to me. Instead of going back to the restaurant and create a scene, I decided to let it go, but I will NEVER EVER GO BACK AGAIN. We are planning to move to La Quinta in the near future and they will Never get my business. read more

Food is great! Staff is amazing! Really love this place! Prices are very reasonable. They are also open on Mondays which is great since so many other places are closed. read more

Wasn't too crazy about the food!! I really wanted to love it. The staff was awesome. Perhaps I'll try it again just because I really loved how cute the place was!! read more

The best Mexican food. 10/10 recommend the shredded chicken tacos!! Also all the workers are delightful read more

El Ranchito Restaurant - Shredded chicken tacos - Mexican Near Me - La Quinta, California

The Shrimp Rancheros is outstanding! Great food! Great staff! Great service! 5 STARS!!!! read more

El Ranchito Restaurant - The Shrimp Poblanos is outstanding! Great service. Great staff. Great food! - Mexican Near Me - La Quinta, California

Came for lunch ,with one of my friends, a day ago. ** MY ONLY NEGATIVE comment is that their Music is way too loud for lunch. It's irritating to listen to!! I Ordered Chilli Rellano with Rice, Refried Beans and Chicken Enchilada. My friend ordered Chili Rellano and Enchilada with Cheese only, and Refried beans. My lunch dish was $14 49. Comparable to most places locally. Watch out for the Salsa dips, as one of them is quite spicy! Our food was good, and service was good! read more

El Ranchito has been in La Quinta for several decades. The atmosphere is charming, service always attentive and the food is what you would expect from a traditional Mexican restaurant.I love the Smokey margarita made with mescal. If you are looking for a causal traditional Mexican restaurant.... you will love El Ranchito! read more

Dario and his mom helped me arrange for a breakfast burrito catering order. They even opened a little early so we could pick them up when we needed to. The burritos were huge, tasty and the salsa was delicious. read more

Local, authentic...absolutely the best outside of Mexico. Local owners provide excellent service. Too bad Bidenomics has pushed prices up with inflation. read more

Great food great people. Usually order delivery and always great..they always care of my orders