I want to give credit where credit's due, so, I'll prop out the front-of-house staff. They were everything you'd want them to be--friendly and attentive. : ) The food? It was lacking. Visual appeal, flavor, value. If you're the owner or a member of the kitchen staff, it's time to raise the bar. You already know this on some level. The tacos were sad and tired--cold, limp flour tortillas folded over unseasoned meat. Trinidad is in the heart of the American southwest! Be proud! Every day is an opportunity to serve fresh, vibrant, flavorful food! To make a positive, lasting impact on someone who took a chance stopping in here. read more

Food was outstanding and the service was great. Would recommend if you are looking for good Mexican Food flavor.

Service was ok. Nothing really for vegetarians except bean tostados. Meat in both red and green chili.

Food was great had the enchiladas, if you're looking for some decent Mexican Food this is the place.

At first glance, you are thinking a fort. Upon entering its like time never moved. Combo dance hall and bar from back in the day. The food was awesome. I had the combo plate with green chili. It was delish! The green chili had a bite. Beans and rice tasty. Sopapilla was a nice touch. Definitely will be going back. read more

I love El Rancho. Best chili in town! Also I love Gina . Been going for years and still my favorite in town. If you haven't tried you have to. read more

Damn. This place has me singing high praises for unparalleled food and experience. The food here is timeless and true to its roots, not wavering from tradition ingredients with Southern Colorado flair. It's out of the way, but the homemade food here is warming and delicious. They do fried very well and don't overdress their Mexican food. As for the atmosphere, it's cool and creepy. I'm pretty sure I saw a ghost between the back room and bar....looking forward to exploring more when I come back. read more

Had high expectations based on reviews. Food was not bad but not close to expected. Was told take out would be 15 to 20 minutes and almost 55 minutes later the food finally came. The girls serving and bartender were awful. Thet walked around ignoring pretty much everyone and showed zero respect to customers. Maybe this place was or can be good but not with the attitude they currently have. They don't give one crap about customer service. read more

Love the vintage decor! Got a great western feel. Food was scorching hot with temp, not luke warm and blah. Everything was tasty and authentic, green chile was flavorful. Loved the sopapillas and honey. They are not open everyday but would certainly wait for the day they are serving! Bottle beer only but ok. Second round of chips are pretty pricey at $3.50, salsa was picante and excellent! read more

The best mexican food restaurant in the area! It's not a fancy place to eat but the food is great. I've been eating here for the past 14 years. read more

I have tried to go to this place multiple times but always get incorrect info from them. The last time which was Wednesday, I called and was told they were open. I show up to be told they're closed and I live literally right next door! I did sit and eat here months and months ago and figured I'd give them another chance. Because the time I did eat inside, I got 1 drink, chips and salsa then the waiter/waitress disappeared. The food was incredibly spicy which isn't always best because I feel they're hiding what it truly taste like. read more

WE travel to & thru Trinidad quite often & always stop at El Rancho. The Indian Taco is our favorite but I haven't eaten anything there that wasn't wonderful. Sopapillas are to die for. Employees are very friendly but the service can be a hair slow due to the "fresh outta the kitchen" results & well worth the wait. The place is usually cold so take a light jacket with you. read more

Ground beef tacos and burritos, tiny fried chili rellenos. No chips in the middle of lunch. Masking mediocre food with overly hot sauces. Go somewhere else. read more

1st of all, no chips and salsa in a "Mexican" restaurant! ! I ordered the combo of taco, chicken enchilada and chili rellano. Ground beef taco with no flavor, chichen enchilada with a raw tortilla and a chili rellano that was fried and almost burnt. Ordered with the green sauce and it was so hot I couldn't eat the food. We love Mexican food and being full time motorhome travelers we eat in lots of Mexican restaurants and love the food spicy but this was outrageously inedible. read more

Stopped in last night for a quick bite and was pleasantly surprised! Service was great...they DID serve chips and salsa when you first sat down and both were tasty! Their home made tamales were great...a combination plate was on the spicy side but my husband enjoyed it (and he is not a fan of hot, spicy food...) their sopapillas were very good, the best we've had in Trinidad!! All in all a very good meal and we will go back!!! Not really sure why the other 2 Yelp reviews were so bad but try it yourself and make up your own mind.....everyone has different taste!! I only gave it 4 stars because I reserve 5 stars for places like Gabriel's in Santa Fe. read more

The decor is great inside. The owner has great posters of the Mexican revolutionary Zapata on the walls and other cool stuff. The place is large enough for a big party and for dancing. There is a full bar too. In fact, the place has two full bars and a decent sized kitchen that serves Mexican food. The last pre-Blues Fest party took place here. The problems with the place are the food prices, the portions and the donut cops that wait outside to arrest patrons after drinking. First the prices for food. They are steep and expensive. Is it because you get a full on Mexican combo plate? The answer is no. The portions are quite small. They charged me 8$ for a tiny Mexican portion! I realized that the food was not worth it, nor was it that good tasting either. Stay away from the food. What about the drinking? Well, the beer prices and liquor prices are also quite steep. A Budweiser bottle is about 4$. The last problem with El Rancho is that it is on a type of main thoroughfare road, Santa Fe Trail Rd., which leads to Interstate 25, the State Police station and goes the other way into Main St. Trinidad. You have drive to get there, which means you will have to leave in a car. This also means that the local donut cops and the State Police like to hang out on the hill road of Santa Fe and wait for unsuspecting motorists. If you drive around the El Rancho from 8 p.m. until 3 a.m., on Friday and Saturday nights, expect to be stopped for a DUI. They are harsh in Colorado. A first offense will cost you almost 10,000$ in fees, loss of license and alcohol classes. The cops have not just caught the local drunks, even local business people have ended up paying some hefty state revenue. The same thing happened to the great saloon, just out of town, out on 160 East, The Wagon Wheel. The cops waited for their DUI victims, and the old Wheel is now closed down. Bars are dying in Trinidad, and the small, historic city of Trinidad is dying too. Don't let an expensive night of drinking take away your life. Drink at home instead. Trinidad has plenty of liquor stores and they are doing a thriving business. read more

Best Mexican food in the area and AMAZING sopapillas! Don't be deterred by the unusual hours -- the food is excellent and authentic. Also, "hot" means VERY hot. :) We've only been there for lunch. Be sure to call ahead for hours to make sure they are open. read more