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    El Rancho Restaurant

    3.6 (119 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, American
    Open 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

    El Rancho Restaurant Mexican Restaurant Photos

    EL RANCHO RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Touristy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Rancho Restaurant

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    Bar

    I love this place. The atmosphere is of a grand old resort. Beautiful lobby with Hollywood photos and amazing log lodge woodwork and stonework. I always come here if I'm in New Mexico it's worth an hour or so drive from Grants for a good meal. This place is like stepping back in time to the old west and a great America. I war in the cozy bar area with its comfortable half round booths and dark comfy atmosphere.

    Breakfast enchiladas made vegetarian.
    Athena M.

    Stayed at the hotel so decided to pre-purchase breakfast as well. Restaurant was large with lots of seating and menu looked decent. The breakfast voucher was only good for a smaller menu but luckily the 2 things we wanted were offered on that menu. Staff were friendly and quick on the coffee refills as well as tuned into what was vegetarian. I appreciated being able to slightly modify mine and receive a giant plate without meat, stock or lard. Thank you!

    Art inside
    Melissa G.

    My friend and I made an hour detour out to Gallup to check out El Rancho Restaurant, per a family member's recommendation! El Rancho is a stand out spot, and the hotel is famous for being frequented by Hollywood's stars who stayed while filming in New Mexico. The historic charm definitely won us over! We walked in on a late weekend afternoon and were seated right away. I was starving from a long day of travel and decided to order a cup of the green chile stew and the loaded nachos. The green chile stew was one of the best I've ever had, and I wish that I had gotten a bowl. The nachos, on the other hand, were very underwhelming, especially with the hard melted on cheese and raw jalapeños. Service was slow, and it took a while to close out. El Rancho may be a landmark place to stay for tourists; however, I'd recommend passing on the restaurant since you can probably find a better meal elsewhere.

    Sirloin and enchiladas
    Elizabeth A. H.

    Normally I am weary of hotel restaurants, but this restaurant was great! Our waiter was so fantastic, he was very diligent with my husband's food allergy. The sirloin and enchiladas dish was delicious. And I also highly recommend the green chili stew.

    Cool sign! Fun place. Good food.
    Melissa L.

    I don't know why this place only has 3.5 stars. We were driving through to Albuquerque on a Sunday after 8:00PM. El Rancho was the only non-chain place we could find that was open late enough to serve us dinner. Wow. We had a great experience. Our server, Dylan, was friendly and quick. My husband ordered the pork tamales. I ordered the green chili pork stew and the beef tostadas entree. The two tostadas were small but they were generously piled with meat and veggies. The sides of rice and beans were delicious and just enough. The stew was sooo good. It was everything I was hoping it would be. Tender juicy chunks of pork with a well seasoned, spicy green chile broth. The tostadas were not over seasoned so the red and green chile I ordered on the side complemented them perfectly. My husband said the tamales were some of the best he had ever tasted and the red chile he selected was amazing and had a delectable consistency. The hotel itself is a historic property and it was really fun to see it, inside and out. Loved our experience!

    Ronald Reagan burger with fries
    Derek R.

    Came here for dinner after we checked in. The restaurant doesn't really have the same old school vibe as the hotel. It was kind of a surprise. The place was relatively empty but we came late. An hour before closing so we were seated right away. The staff were friendly and the waitress was attentive. I ordered the Ronald Reagan burger and wife got the pancho villa salad. The food took a while to come out which isn't necessarily a bad thing but it was longer than expected. My burger and fries were good. Nothing exceptional but decent. The wife said her salad was good and they put a decent amount of chicken on the salad. I tried a few bites and the salad was good. The chicken was well seasoned. If I stayed here again I would definitely eat here. Don't know if I'd go out of my way to dine here though. Also drinks were good. I had the old fashioned and wife had Chardonnay. Also reasonably priced.

    Hotel Lobby

    We stayed at the Historic El Rancho Hotel in Gallop NM and there is a restaurant attached to the hotel, but not related business wise. Since we were staying at the hotel, for convenience we had three meals there. Afterwards we were thinking one was too many. For lunch, my wife had French toast. She said it was pretty good. I had their special, Santa Fe Crunch egg salad Sandwich. Cute but bland. reminded me of elementary school when I'd put my potato chips in my sandwich. In this case it was an unseasoned scrambled egg with Frito corn chips in it. For dinner my wife chose a Turquoise & Silver Margarita. It had the usual in it, but using Blue Curacao, orange liquor, and lime. Not a good mix so she sent it back and had it replaced with a house margarita. I ordered the three-taco dinner with two beef tacos and one chicken taco The beef tacos were pretty decent, but the chicken was cold and dried out. The rice was dry, and the beans were bland. We had the churros with vanilla ice cream They got that one right. Breakfast ... service was very slow (as were the other two meals) and the food was nothing to write home about. The Hotel itself was fun and included a great historic tour. The rooms were nice. Ours had a veranda which was fun when the thunderstorm rolled in. And the bathrooms ... let's just very small.

    My dinner.
    Lee H.

    Great dinner at this local landmark. Ancho chili soup/stew was delicious with just enough kick to keep me interested. The mole sauce on my chicken was the best I've ever eaten. And my spicy margaritas was outstanding. Very cool spot and a must visit if, like me, you find yourself with a night to kill in Gallup.

    Breakfast Menu

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    12 days ago

    Took forever to get our order. Food was very tasteless. The brisket was tough. Rice and beans unseasoned.

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    6 months ago

    The service was friendly and attentive, but the green stew was overwhelmingly spicy and hard to enjoy.

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    Native Grill and Meats - Navajo taco

    Native Grill and Meats

    4.9(22 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    We're from California and used to having tons of food options, but I had never actually tried fry…read morebread before. We were just passing through Gallup and needed a quick lunch. We found this spot on Yelp and I'm so glad we stopped! We got the fry bread (sandwich) and it completely surprised us. I usually think lamb is too gamey, but this wasn't at all. When I brought it out, my husband thought it was beef at first because of how mild it tasted. The portions are huge. HUGE! One taco was seriously the size of a medium pizza and somehow we still finished it. If you're taking it to go like we did, eat it within 5 to 10 minutes so it doesn't get soggy. They also have free broth and honey inside which was such a nice touch and made it even better. Dipping the fry bread in the broth was a nice touch. Like a lighter consomé. Try it with the honey, too! We did with the remaining fry bread as a bit of a dessert. The best part though was the woman working there. She was so kind, answered all my questions, explained everything, and even gave me a magazine about Gallup. If you want something authentic and filling, definitely stop here.

    I've had native food a few times here and there but never in an actual sit-down restaurant setting…read more The lady who was working was extremely nice. I wanted to try everything but settled for the lamb stew and the navajo burger. Like other reviews stated, portions really are HUGE. The broth was even self serve in a hot pot out on a counter which is pretty cool. Super nice on a 10° day. I wasn't sure but it seems like native cooking is very light on additional seasonings as my food wasn't as salty as I usually prefer. Which I guess might be a turn off to some but if that's what traditional cooking is then... yeah. The navajo burger actually had enough flavor from the patty. I loved the fry bread. The broth was amazing, I just wish it were a little more salted but that's something easily fixed. Oh I almost forgot. I guess my brain blocked out the trauma of it but New Meixco is supposedly well known for their chilis and this place has some fire chili. literally. roasted green chilis. but yeah it was painful. I couldn't take it. Definite must for any big spice head. Highly recommend broadening your horizons, trying something new, and supporting a locally owned business!

    Photos
    Native Grill and Meats - Different cuts of lamb for sale

    Different cuts of lamb for sale

    Native Grill and Meats - Navajo Burger Corn Stew and Fry Bread

    Navajo Burger Corn Stew and Fry Bread

    Native Grill and Meats

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    Grandpa's Grill - So much delicious food!

    Grandpa's Grill

    4.2(139 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    I have been in the area for over a week now and I have eaten here twice. My niece brought me here…read moreand I have to say it's really a great place. First visit I had the bbq ribs with a baked potato and it came with a side of what looked like an attempt at refried beans with a squirt of bbq sauce in it. It was pretty good. Today we went in because their burgers look amazing. As you walk in they're cooking everything right there to your left as you go in. You order your food off the menu before you sit down and they bring it to you. As well as your drink order. One problem right of the bat is the plexiglass they have in front of the person talking your order. Preventing them from hearing anything. They're struggling to hear what people are saying. Today I ordered onion rings with my burger and I got French fries instead. The guy just didn't hear what I said. Luckily I didn't get charged for it. I ordered the Papa Burger with pepper jack cheese and bacon. That was one hell of a burger. The fixins are on a cart as you go to your seat. Where you can add what you want to your burger. The only gripe I think I can say about this place is that you have to ask for napkins. Both times I've been in I've had to ask. As well as silverware. But the staff is very friendly and helpful. So it's not a deal breaker. I wish I lived closer because I would eat here a few times a week. I'd love to try their breakfast. But overall this place is pretty awesome. Definitely worth a try.

    Just okay. We stopped here while on our Route 66 trip because it had an overall 4 star review…read morerate. I had the southwest philly cheese steak sandwich and fries. The fries were good but the meat on the sandwich was overcooked and super chewy but dry. My sidekick had the fish and fries and some kind of soup. The fish pieces were a generous portion with light breading. It was a quick stop and the staff was friendly so that was a bright spot. The decor had that fun old school diner/cafe vibe one would expect out on The Mother Road.

    Photos
    Grandpa's Grill - Usually Grandpa's Grill is good, I ordered the BBQ ribs special, the baked potato was gross, ribs sucked

    Usually Grandpa's Grill is good, I ordered the BBQ ribs special, the baked potato was gross, ribs sucked

    Grandpa's Grill - Western burger.

    Western burger.

    Grandpa's Grill - Front entrance.

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    Front entrance.

    Sandra's Place - My beautifully whipped topping on my delicious hot chocolate

    Sandra's Place

    4.5(250 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    Customer service was exceptional, ensuring we had everything we needed and refill on coffee. Many…read morelocals were there to enjoy the food and appeared to be repeat customers. Pleasant environment, I especially loved the decor on the walls. The food was delicious, I had a chorizo breakfast burrito stuffed with has browns and scrambled with eggs. The burrito was smothered with my choice of green chile sauce, not spicy, however it was delicious. The whole beans served were flavorful. The other plate was the huevos rancheros with red sauce that was amazingly delicious, the kind of sauce you can eat Camarones (shrimp) à la Diabla, and the spice was just right! Coffee was delicious, not too strong or watered down, just right! I would come back to this place if I wasn't just passing thru.

    Passing through Gallup NM and found this little gem. Now if I hadn't looked up breakfast stops I'd…read morewould hand down NOT have stopped. DO NOT LET THE HOLE IN THE EXTERIOR Stop you!!!! Please stop And enjoy some amazing, traditional home cook New Mexico style food. The pancake was 2nd best that I have EVER had!! Only 1 other beats it, and I'm extremely tough on my Pancakes so the 2place in my book is huge!! I had the Huevos Rancheros. Couldn't decide on red chili or green to cover my eggs so I had both. Yummy! Both were extremely tasty! No regrets there. Beans were absolutely tasty- no cheese, just home cooked frijoles de olla which was seasoned to perfection. Hubby had the traditional eggs n bacon. Oh, and the hash browns were buttery goodness. The atmosphere was like you stepped into your family's kitchen with your cousins whippin up breakfast. Such beautiful ladies and so kind. 2 fulfilling breakfast $27. Can't beat that! And the locals, all just good positive energy!

    Photos
    Sandra's Place - Front desk

    Front desk

    Sandra's Place - The big breakfast

    The big breakfast

    Sandra's Place - Breakfast

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    Breakfast

    El Rancho Restaurant - mexican - Updated June 2026

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