Old school Hollywood movie star hotel , not to be missed if you are in the Gallup area . The cocktails were strong enough to justify the price . What can I say ? I like a Cadillac. Margarita. With nachos . I really hate how modern the bars area looks now . The remodel is hideous but the Lobby area is a Time Capsule & a TREASURE! read more

The restaurants is part of the El Rancho hotel. It holds about 40 people, there are also two bars affiliated. Dinners are steaks, burgers, salads and a mishmash of other stuff. The beer menu is OK, dessert menu is good. I tried the churros with ice cream, definitely recommend it. My dinner was the Lana burger, which is a half pound burger to order with onions on marble rye bread. Perfectly medium rare, came out hot, everything was done correctly and it tasted great. The best burger I've had in quite a while. I did not have fries or potatoes as a side rather just some fruit. Ambience is old Western. The hotel has hosted several Western movie groups from the past. The hotel lobby you'll have to take a look at, lots of pictures, great old western style, lots of fun. Service was quick, everything I ordered came out correctly and I got the check when I wanted it. Sabrina-great waitress. Yes, I recommend it and next time I come through Gallup, I will be sure to stop here. Note, it serves breakfast lunch and dinner. read more

It's a nice place with years of history, very interesting hotel! The restaurant is a good place to go get food. We think 3.5 stars for the food. Nice smiling friendly service, historical environment. The John Wayne burger is very good, you've got to try it! We enjoyed walking around the hotel. read more

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Charming ambience, friendly & efficient staff, delicious fresh homemade salsa!!! Tacos & beans were excellent. If you are a Western buff you will truly enjoy it here. read more

Love the place. Great hotel and fantastic restaurant. Loved the green chili and everything else they offered. We've stayed here twice and plan to stay again on our trip home. read more

We went for dinner after a long day of driving on I-40, and we were looking forward to trying Mexican food in New Mexico. The ambiance was cute, there was a lot of decoration and memorabilia. Unfortunately the food was disappointing. Our queso fundito reminded us of Tostito's queso dip from a jar at the grocery store. We shared the Ricardo Montalban, which included two enchiladas, a tamale, a tostada, and a hard shell taco that was comparable to a fast food taco. The green and red chile sauces were flavorful. Our waitress was cheerful and nice, but we only saw her twice throughout the meal and didn't receive any refills on our beverages. read more

We sat in the bar area because there was music and it was a bit more lively. The service was great. Unfortunately the food was just subpar. If you want a quick meal in the hotel, it works. But if you're looking for a great food experience, I'd try elsewhere. read more

Hands down, one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. Because I was going to have a martini, we decided to eat in the bar. Prices are HIGH for what you get. My martini was $9, my Fajitas was $23 and my boyfriend's "Armand Ortega" was $27. Plus we had chips & salsa so roughly about $65 before taxes. Had to go to the bar to ask for salt because no one checked on us until we were almost done, which included no one asking me if I wanted another martini. I couldn't eat most of the meat because it was chewy and I had to spit it out in my napkin. What I left on my plate I gave to my boyfriend, and even he couldn't eat some of it. He rated his Armand Ortega a 6 out of 10. Said the meat was not quality. The bartender who was supposed to be our server as well, finally came to our table when we were about finished and asked if I wanted another martini. Seriously? To his credit, we weren't charged for the Fajitas. We're just out of towners staying one night in Gallup but be assured we made sure to tell our hotel across the street about our experience. read more

Even if you don't stay at the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, the restaurant is well worth a visit. Excellent food and margaritas. A nice respite after a long day on the road! read more

Food was fine. Mexican food wasn't as bad as stated on other reviews. Hamburger was loaded and salad was good. Restaurant is a bit loud and has a cafeteria feel. Alcoholic drinks were good and some good draft beers... get the lifted kilt. Server was nice. Open late which is nice. Cloth napkins! And they have 4 large booths. read more

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Historic hotel and restaurant that was a Hollywood favorite at one time. The eats are good and standard from Mexican to hamburgers named after Hollywood starlets. Get the house green Chile soup, it's really good and a staple here! read more

El Rancho Restaurant - El Rancho sign in the lobby - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

An awesome unique mexican restaraunt in a historic hotel on Route 66. Go there and enjoy.

They don't make them like this anyone - and they should! Skip Santa Fe. The pork & green chile stew is perfect. Try it get a bowl to go. A classic 30s hotel in pristine condition. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

Good service, good food, great atmosphere. Service was fast and helpful. The food was good.

Not great mexican food. Kind of expensive. But open on Sunday. Cool historical hotel for old movie buffs

Best omelette I've ever had! It was a combo and very loaded! The hashbrowns were also fantastic! great service and the place is beautiful!! Best breakfast I've had! read more

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This is a small restaurant in a historic hotel, 14 tables as mentioned by others. They are resting on their laurels, food- wise, but we probably didn't choose the best menu items. I had the pork and green chili stew and really liked it. The Katherine Hepburn wedge salad was ok, i didn't hate it. RRR had the tamale plate which he liked but last night's tamales are a hard act to follow. Our waitress was wonderful! The hit of the meal was dessert. We shared the churros with caramel sauce and ice cream. Worth the price of admission! Next time, a burger and dessert! read more

Haven't been here in about 20 years. Used to eat here often with my grandfather on business trips to Phoenix. Has the same ambience food is still great. Fajitas used to come out sizzling though read more

Just by chance I followed a Yelp review and landed here for the 1st time. The Food was good, service was good, the history and ambiance was EXCELLENT. read more

We were delighted to find that El Rancho hotel has a restaurant attached! We had a meal that was so flavorful and en point that it was the perfect end to a good day. Do have to warn that it is spicy, but it's the perfect level of spice even for someone with a low spice tolerance because of the well rounded flavor. The waitstaff was so friendly and so fast to help us with anything we wanted. And overall the restaurant has the feel of old western Hollywood. I would highly recommend this to anyone in the area if you get a chance. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Hatch green chili mac and cheese with chicken - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

We really enjoyed ourselves here tonight. We were there at approximately the same time as the yelper who just left a 2 star review, complaining about the lack of music. I have no idea what she thought was happening in the other room, but they were seating dining guests there. Service, food, and ambiance were all great, in our opinion. My mom is very fussy with beef, and found her meal delicious. I enjoyed my first ever wedge salad, named "Katherine Hepburn." They let us old people order the tiny kids sundae! read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

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Bland and dry food that was way overpriced. Waitress was nice but did not take our orders down correctly. Would not recommend

The El Rancho Restaurant is located in the El Ranch hotel. The hotel is beautiful and so full of history! The hotel is well worth the stop! If seeking sustenance, I would save my money and go to one of the many other restaurants available. The prices are WAY too high for the quality and amount of food you receive. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

So the hotel was good, but as far as the restaurant? Meh. I get it that this place is always busy, as people who probably don't stay here eat at the place. I went on a Wednesday night and it was probably the slowest experience ever. Be it from the time that I was sat to the time I got my food which was a duration of about 45 minutes. But the waitstaff sympathized as they gave me free chips and salsa. All I ordered was nachos. I wasn't that hungry for a sandwich, salad or entree. They had a lot of drink specials but I wasn't in the mood for an alcoholic bev. The nachos were okay, but apparently the nationwide employee shortage definitely has hit the area as well as many others. Lame. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Selfie time - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

I'm not sure why this place isn't getting across the board stellar reviews. I'll admit - I was hesitant - the decor is very basic; utilitarian even. There's a saying in my business: "put the money in front of the camera". And that's what these folks have done - the money isn't in the curtains; it's on the plate. Don't let the unassuming nature of this place fool you - the proof is in the pudding...and the burger...and the fries...and the salads - nailed it read more

We have always held a good opinion of this establishment, especially since they renovated a couple of years ago. The past couple of visits have just been too careless and inattentive from the staff. The restaurant is nice, the food was great, but the service is beyond slow and careless. We had a nice dinner over the course of two hours (literally), and it wasn't really busy because it was a Sunday night. Our previous visit last month was similar in poor service and very long wait times from ordering to actually receiving drinks and food. I will definitely think twice before I recommend this place to meet with friends. read more

Good food but kind of bland. Needs salt. Service is great and the hotel is really nice. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - The Ricardo Maltaban combo. Chicken taco, bean and cheese tostada, pork tamale, and 2 chicken enchiladas with beans and rice. - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

Totally solid restaurant! We are staying at the hotel and needed to go to bed before 11pm for activities the next day so we chose to eat here (around 9pm. They're open late!). We sat in the front patio to eat and received table service. Menus were paper and they had menus under plastic and glass in displays too. We got the John Wayne Burger (half pound ground beef, American cheese, tomato, lettuce, guacamole, toasted bun, and medium-well done burger with a hint of spices) and French Dip (super well seasoned shredded beef, very good au jus dip, Swiss cheese, and toasted roll). We got both with the shoestring fries. Our group of four women shared the two meals and are full, so servings are solid. Water was given automatically in individual styrofoam cups with straws. We ordered two Turquoise and Silver margaritas and one the John Wayne margarita. All condiments were offered too in individual servings which was nice! Tables seemed very clean. Burger: 4/5 Fries: 5/5 (classic salted fries that were crispy) French dip: 5/5 John Wayne margarita: 5/5 Turquoise and silver: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Service was friendly, nice, and quick! They wore gloves and masks. :) read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

The food was excellent! I had the "Rita Moreno" with chicken-amazing. Great portions, friendly service. read more

Visited the Lounge a few months ago and Gallup is our stop over a couple of times a year.We decided to try the restaurant as the menu descriptions sounded so good. We anticipated a little higher end meal with dinner house atmosphere and cocktails. This place is not that. Honestly it could be a treasure but the restaurant fails on every level. A beautiful hotel lobby, great gift shop and nice lounge..creative sounding fun themed menu. When traveling we don't hesitate to spend money on a great meal in a nice restaurant..came in got seated in a small room with 14 tables crammed together..not a problem except NO atmosphere, no music and the little room to the side feels like a break room. People who work there coming and going in and out of this room and because there is no music you have to hear all of their personal conversations. You feel like you are in there space..we were wanting to have our own private conversation but it was not happening. I asked if they had music to put on as there were 4 or 5 speakers hanging from ceiling. Server brought out her phone and put on music... had anything but dinner or themed music on..thought since menu was themed to early Hollywood, western and rat pack they would have such music on. At least she tried though. Ordered southwestern plates and margaritas and food came in 5 minutes. Boxed taco shells..very mediocre food. I had to go ask to order salsa and guacamole as the servers were in the room discussing their schedules and weeks activities. We both were looking for a nice dinner house for a different kind of experience after 10 hrs on the road..this one is not it. I do recommend the lounge for cocktails..much cozier atmosphere. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

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Breakfast was pancakes and ham with maple syrup. Classic Mexican eggs with beans and Hashbrowns. Server was pleasant and came to check if there was anything else we needed read more

The hotel is BEAUTIFUL lobby at the least. Then I went in and ate dinner at the 49er lounge. Had the Ronald Reagan burger and it was AMAZING. Had it cook medium and was cooked to PERFECTION. So glad I ate here. read more

El Rancho Restaurant - Outside the main entrance to the hotel/restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

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GREAT food and service! We read lots of mixed reviews. But we are here last night (and enjoyed a great night in the adjacent historic hotel). We were in the 49er Lounge. Love the ambiance. Fantastic burgers. Really! All around fabulous! read more

El Rancho Restaurant - 49er Lounge - Mexican Near Me - Gallup, New Mexico

Got in relatively late to the hotel one night recently and opted for the restaurant instead of trying find a different place after driving all day. Should've found a different place. This is what I would call "Old People Mexican Food." The margaritas were simple, classic and tasty. I had the tamale plate. Wife had a taco plate. The tamales looked like they sat under a heat lamp for too long. I liked the beans. Wife's tacos had straight up unseasoned ground beef, and store bought corn taco shells. Skip it next time you're stopping in Gallup. read more

Staying at the El Rancho and starving after our long road trip, they seated us within 15 mins or so which was appreciated. The restaurant menu has lots of choices from steaks to Mexican favorites, salads and sandwiches. We ordered the green chili mac n cheese, which was a bit bland and dry and a top sirloin steak we shared. Steak was good, and roasted fresh squash served with the steak was fab. We ordered drinks and a queso fundido dip, but they brought just queso which was a disappointment. Overall was fair, but not bad. read more

Loved just reading all the names on the menu. Had to try the Desi Arnez with Christmas sauce (red and green chili) thanks for the recommendation read more

Enchiladas were pretty good. Definitely not Tex-Mex but still good. Atmosphere in the bar and lobby is kinda old school Hollywood cool. Restaurant not so much. The only disappointment was you had to pay $5 for chips and salsa and we're kinda used to that being free. read more

Tried to have dinner but couldn't get service. Hostess sat us in the area with no AC. Server saw us sitting here couple of different times but never came over. We walked out told the hostess we were forgotten about and her response "oh poor you" Fine with me the whole place was sketchy as hell. I've been to other historical restaurants and this is one to avoid. read more

Good steak salad with extra ripe tomatoes, fresh greens and quality meat. Decoros old time and fun. Service was good.

Poor service and lousy Mexican food. Had better tacos at Taco Bell. Beans and rice were Luke warm and didn't taste good either. Server omitted the salsa and sour cream that was supposed to accompany our orders. Hard to get their attention. No one seemed to care. I expected better at a restaurant in New Mexico. Tourist trap! Steer clear of this place. read more