2024- We stopped by El Ranchito Taco Shop a couple of years ago, and I still think about those tacos to this day. We ordered the carnitas and carne asada tacos, and both were absolutely amazing. The carnitas were tender, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned, while the carne asada was juicy with just the right amount of char. Everything tasted fresh, authentic, and made with care. The portions were generous, the service was friendly, and the overall experience was one of those hidden gems you're so glad you found. Even after all this time, it's still one of the most memorable taco spots I've been to. If you're in the area, it's definitely worth checking out--you won't be disappointed! read more

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ordered the taco and enchilada plate. food was great. portions are large, staff is friendly, and service is fast. also, many salsas to choose from their salsa bar. can't go wrong here. the workers really do care about the business as if they're all family and are working hard to ensure success together. read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Crunchy taco and enchilada with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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What a great place. The food is a total standout in a community with dozens of 'taco shops.' Normally, when 'combos' are shown I usually go for the two item, with rice & beans. Here I find that a single item is more than enough even for me! The quantity is on par with the quality. They have an excellent array of items at the salsa bar, which is tended to regularly by the staff, constantly monitoring and tidying and all items are well stocked. The service is fast, efficient, helpful and friendly. The entire location is clean with a better than usual ambiance. So far I've had their hard shell taco with shredded beef, tostadas, fish tacos. Sadly, my go to, chili rellenos is not on the menu, at least at this location. Pro tip: El Ranchito gets super busy starting around 11am and actually seem to slow down about half noon. read more

First off, food has always been good no problem there. But what kind of company has combos but doesn't come with a drink? Seriously? Been coming here for YEARS. I guess I understand price inflation/increases I mean who doesn't? But to ADD a COMBO on the MENU and it doesn't come with a damn DRINK? Crazy corporate greed from both of the two locations here in the valley. Don't call it a combo if it doesn't come with a drink. It's a small thing you can say but with the price being already what it is, is wild. The food is not even that good for its price to be the way it is . there's more competition from other places and start at 15. Made me rethink this place. Bottom line, corporate greed folks. read more

Absolutely the best Authentic Mexican Food in Palm Desert! We ate here twice because the food was amazing. First time eating guacamole and it was more than I could imagine! read more

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Wow! This place is amazing. The menu had many different options and the service was good. The food came out very fast and was greatly portioned! I got two of the soft fried carne asada tacos with rice and beans (The tacos were giant!!). My partner got the flautas combo plate. There is a little self serve bar for all of the toppings you need; salsa, cilantro, onions, spicy carrots... my favorite was the cilantro and chipotle sauce. The restaurant itself was very clean and the employees were constantly going around wiping off the tables and sweeping the floor. I definitely would come here again! read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Can never visit or vacation in the area without stopping at El Ranchito in Palm Desert. Great customer service by the ladies behind the counter . There is a nice salsa bar with utensils and napkins to go. Ordered my usual order fish tacos with corn tortillas and ranch dressing, bean cheese and rice burrito , and a shredded beef hard shell taco . Super tasty and so filling to satisfy any appetite. It's no wonder the tables inside are always occupied.....eat in or take out! read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Shredded beef taco stuffed,bean cheese rice burrito, 2 fish tacos corn tortillas ranch dressing ....omg the best ! - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Best fish tacos! My husband and I were in town for a wedding and were on the lookout for a quick spot to grab a bite before meeting our friends. We stumbled upon this restaurant on Yelp, and with all the great reviews, we decided to give it a try. It's located in a shopping center, and as soon as we walked in, a friendly employee greeted us. We ordered 2 fish tacos, 1 Asada taco, and 1 Al pastor taco. The fish tacos are massive and loaded with chipotle aioli and cabbage; for someone like me who fills up quickly, one is definitely enough. I have to say, though, the al pastor taco could have been better; it didn't taste very authentic. There is also an amazing selection of toppings such as salsa, pickled onions for the tacos. The ambiance was very homey and friendly. read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Fish taco, asada taco, al pastor taco - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

I do have to say that I was surprised that this was not a sitdown restaurant... I must've glanced over everything too quickly to realize that we had to place our orders ourselves at the front counter. That being said... We loved El Ranchito! I have to say it's probably the best Carnitas that I've had... I had it put on my tostada, even though that wasn't one of the options, they allowed me to substitute the Carnitas. A lot of times. Carnitas don't have a lot of flavor, but these were packed full of flavor. As you can see from the picture... Our eyes were much bigger than our stomachs. The fajitas were outstanding as were the beans and rice that came with the enchilada dish. This place was packed, which is always a good sign. The person taking the order could've been friendlier, but the lady cleaning up was amazing. She made up for the lack of friendliness at the counter. Highly recommend! read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Carnitas, tostada, enchiladas. - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Chorizo breakfast burrito is bomb!! 5/5 We split it and it was perfect ! Little greasy but so good!! This place is legit and very authentic! The beans are so good. read more

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I was looking for a solid So Cal burrito, coming back after going to college here. Location is convenient and staff is friendly. Menu has plenty of options and I love the salsa bar. Please purchase salsa if you want salsa beyond a small co trainer; keep their prices down. They are so affordable! I had the Burrito Mexicano with shredded chicken, which was good. I loved the melted cheese. I was looking for a little more flavor, if I'm honest, but I loved the grilled flour tortilla. I got some mild green and red salsa and cilantro to put on top. The hubs got the same thing, but with mole, which he says is not as good with the sauce. I recommend a visit. read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - 1/2 burrito Mexicano - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Servers are friendly and helpful in answering questions about the menu. Large portions. They have a self-serve salsa bar. Shop is a bit on the smaller size, so limited seating. We went at 2 pm and there were only 2 tables available. read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Hard shell shredded beef tacos - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Horrible experience. Food was ok but the service was really bad. We ordered through their kiosk 3 sets of 2 enchiladas. Their system simply registered 2 orders of 3. When our order was ready we notified them there were 3 orders of 2. They just handed us an extra plate and blamed us saying we put in the order wrong. After we split the orders I asked for a bit more sour cream and again they argued that I need to learn how to input orders in their kiosk. Very argumentative basically calling me dumb. Avoid this place. To be fair one of the ladies was nice, the one who actually got me the sour cream. read more

Yum! Quick and tasty. Large portions - def could have ordered 3/4 of what we did and still been stuffed, we had to grab a takeout container. Classic west coast tacos. Very nice staff who gave me an extra taco () and cozy casual (but small) eat in area. read more

Out of all the El Ranchito Taco Shop's, this is by far the best location for good food. The other locations have gone down tremendously... Especially the one in La Quinta :( It's pretty quick to get food once you order it. The parking can be a little bit of a problem during lunch hours. I recommend their nacho supreme, shredded beef, tacos, and taquitos! read more

This was the freshest, most delicious mexican food!! The price was totally reasonable. I had a cruchy chicken taco and a soft fish taco. Both were top notch. The restaurant itself was very clean. The condiments bar had many various sauces to enhance the flavor of the food to your tastes. What a gem. Will definitely be back! Big Thumbs up! read more

Been here a few times now, the ladies in front are so nice! Finally, I found a place with a good crunchy taco. I myself don't eat salsa but I see that the salsa bar is also pretty popular. I love that they have mini meals so I can get one taco with rice, beans, and a drink for the days I am not really wanting a big meal. The food is always ready very quickly and I've tried a few different things and liked each one. Highly recommend! read more

CRAZY HOMEMADE FLAVOR!!! CAN'T WAIT TO COME BACK!!!! The true test is beans & rice. They more than passed the test. Beer is available as well. Enjoy !!! read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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That's fantastic food, great portions and good salsa bar. Would definitely recommend it. Came here based off of other reviews. read more

We were in the mood for fish tacos and came here. El Ranchito did not disappoint. We had two fried fish tacos and a beer. The fish and crispy and the soft tacos were bigger than street tacos. The place was packed for lunch. There was also a sauce bar to grab onions, cilantro ,sauce and pickled carrots. read more

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Walking in, you can tell that these people care about their establishment. It's very well organized, and just by seeing the Salsa bar I could tell the food was gonna be good. The Horchata was tasty as well as the agua de Jamaica. We got some fish tacos that were excellent. The batter was nice and crispy and crunchy while the fish on the inside was super fresh. The toppings on the fish taco were also extremely fresh and tasty. The taco de al pastor had a good marinade on it with fresh onions and cilantro. The tacos de asada were also good. The hard shell taco had a great crunch and was pleasant to eat. Definitely look forward to going back when I'm in the area of another El Ranchito taco shop!!!! read more

Delicious breakfast burritos!!! Always taste the same soooi good and fresh. I recommend this place for authentic Mexican food. read more

My regular place to go for the best Mexican food. The service is lightning fast. The music sets the mood for my memories at my grandma's.

Loved this place! My mom and I ate here twice in 3 days during our visit to Palm Desert. The $9.99 small meal is fabulous! I had a steak taco with rice and beans and my mom had the bean burrito with rice and beans. Came with a large drink, chips, and the fabulous salsa bar. Fast and friendly service. Clean restaurant. Highly recommend! read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - The carne asada taco small meal with rice and beans. - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

The breakfast burrito was the best I've had. So delicious! Soft, warm tortilla with delicious filling of steak, beans, cheese, and a salsa bar of options to top it off. I ended up splitting mine and sharing because it's really big! Can't wait to go back! read more

When I walked in, I asked the lady behind the register what is good and she said, "Everything!" And she was not joshing. We got the chicken flauta, beef flauta, cheese enchilada, and the beef taco. Everything was absolutely delicious! We will be back! read more

Carne asada breakfast burrito was fantastic! Right amount of tender and well seasoned meat, potato, beans and cheese, then smothered in their delicious salsa de molcajete. Friendly and clean, plus affordable. Will be back for sure ! read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Delicious Mexican food! - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

We were looking for a quick bite and stumbled upon this Taco Shop. We ordered the "Ranchito Special," and it was way more food than I was expecting, especially for less than $14!! The plates are very well proportioned and the price was extremely affordable. The meal consisted of a Crunchy Taco, Tostada and Enchilada. The restaurant is small but has a great vibe and is very clean. They have so many options to choose from and everyone really seemed to be enjoying their meals. The ladies taking the food orders were super friendly and very helpful. I for sure will be back. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because the cheese they use is pre-shredded, didn't melt and I think it kind of took away from the authentic flavors of the food. The machaca (beef) is delicious!!! read more

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Great service and friendly cashier! Food came out quick but was delicious! We got the shredded chicken burrito to share and the carne asada and al pastor tacos! All were flavorful. There is also a salsa bar inside so you can get all the sauces and toppings you want! read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Tacos, burrito - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

We travel a lot from Arizona to California so the I-10 freeway is our freeway so we wanted to try some Mexican food off the freeway and good things we did amazing food and customers service was friendly too read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Carne asada - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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***Primo Burritos*** {{{Takeout}}} Stumbled upon El Ranchito while visiting Cardenas Market within this fairly large shopping complex in the heart of Cat City. Glanced at their favorable Yelp and Google reviews, stepped inside to ask some questions, left and thought about it...then returned to step inside the batters box. I love a good grilled chicken burrito -- simply with rice & beans (sometimes avocado slices too) and El Ranchito delivered with some serious burrito game. Fantastico & Fresh Grilled Chicken Burrito Made To Order and Corn Tortilla Chips too. Loaded with chicken, the perfect amount of tasty refried beans, accompanied by excellent fluffy rice with tiny chopped carrots too. Nothing was too salty nor spicy... They also know how to roll & wrap a burrito to perfection: 1) evenly layered so you get to taste every ingredient in each bite. 2) takeout burrito is wrapped & rolled in wax paper & aluminum foil to perfection -- to preserve the quality. Might not make a difference to you, but it does to me because I usually don't eat such a big burrito at once...and this style of packaging makes all the difference to keep the burrito from getting soggy. Impressive and fresh salsa/hot sauce/condiment bar with lots to choose from (forgot to take a pic) Authentic decor at this cute little restaurant with some tables inside and more outdoors on the patio. It's no wonder this place was so busy at 5pm on a Sunday -- lots of families with kids -- lots of takeout orders too. VERY Friendly & Outstanding Customer Service. Looking forward to another at bat at El Ranchito for more burritos and...knocking the cover off their tacos too :-) {{{Big-High-Five}}} Grandslam I'm a Fan read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Simple Grilled Chicken Burrito with Rice & Beans = Simply Fantastico - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Our new favorite Mexican restaurant in the valley. Salsa bar is incredible and generous. Food is not the cheapest but generous portions. It looks like a newer restaurant hopefully it does not lose its charm. read more

Very delicious food here. Love the salsa bar. Especially since they have the pickled carrots I like. I've had their catering plates at parties. And everyone loved it. read more

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Stopped in for lunch and this was our first experience. We all thought it was only okay. The service was lackluster, and the food was average. I wouldn't say that it was "authentic Mexican cuisine" (which is stated on their website), as they used shredded white and yellow cheddar cheese on their dishes (big pet peeve of my wife's). The portions were decent sized, and the restaurant was clean. Overall, I think there are plenty of better taco shops in the desert. We probably won't return to this one. read more

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First, I LOVE a fried hard taco. It might be one of my favorite things. So when I saw that El Ranchito was close to my house - I immediately had to try it. We ordered the nachos, 3 beef hard tacos, 2 chicken hard tacos, and one fish taco. The hard tacos were all great, except the meat was just a bit dry. Chicken and beef - not ideal. The fish taco that my wife had was amazing. Flaky, coleslaw - perfect combo. The nachos were really good too (steak was flavorful and juicy), but by the time I was home - all of the cheese had gotten cold and the "if you get the nachos stuck together, that's one nacho." was in full force. We will def be back, but I might eat there vs takeout. read more

Service was fast. Food was authentic and plentiful!!! Becoming a regular. Tried seceral menu items--all were terrific.

Staff is very nice. Easy ordering. Clean environment. Great salsa bar and beverage options. I love ordering the carnitas, al pastor and breakfast torta's. Other items look very good too. Always busy which is a great sign eating out. Many locals dine here. read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Chorizo and eegs torta. - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Yumm yumm yumm! Best to go or dine in Mexican restaurant! I've tried the flautas, burritos, fish tacos, and tostada salad and all have been exceptional and fresh. The fish taco is massive and so so good. My favorite is the flautas plate and I love their beans and rice. Service is always good and quick and kind staff, the ambiance is nice also. Would recommend if you're in the area! read more

El Ranchito Taco Shop - Taco salad (sour cream guacamole on side) - Mexican Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Love it here, the food is always consistently good, service is great, always a good vibe!

Not really authentic more so "bulk item" Mexican food (Costco smart n final ) The portions are why this review has 3 stars You get plastic plates and all utensils are plastic Real authentic food needs actual utensils that aren't plastic read more