If you're craving good Mexican food and are tired after swimming at the beach, stop by El Rancho…read moreand get your fix! This hidden restaurant is around a 12 min walk from the shore and neatly packed with long tables perfect for bigger parties (4 to 6 people). The few times I've been there, there had only been one waitress manning all the tables, but she does a good job of keeping tabs on everyone. I haven't had a chance to try their other items on the menu yet, mainly because I keep going back for the grilled chicken chimichanga. Let me just say, it is heavy, cheesy, saucy and satisfying! Especially given the refried beans, hot rice, sour cream and salad, this is a hefty plate. Each time I order, it ends up in the to go box, ready for another meal (and I can't say I'm upset about that :) ) that's all from me, ty for reading!

We first visited El Rancho about six years ago while vacationing near Ocean Grove with our kids,…read moreand we've been trying to remember the name of this lovely spot across from the train station ever since. We finally made it back -- and it was just as good as we remembered! I had the carne asada, which was tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly (so many places tend to overcook it until it's like cardboard, but not here). My wife ordered the chicken torta, generously layered with lettuce, crema, and all the right fixings. Both dishes were absolutely delicious. The food is not only tasty but also reasonably priced, and the warm, cozy atmosphere paired with friendly service makes the experience even better. We're so glad we rediscovered this gem -- still a favorite after all these years!

Parking lot in rear…read more The chips were delicious. Our food took a long time to come out and so we finished the chips while waiting. We subsequently ordered another basket of chips because we were still waiting for our food. My food,Seafood fajitas, was tasty. The seafood was fresh. The peppers were not cooked enough. The chicken flautas were flavorful, but the chicken was inconsistent across the 4 flautas; some of the chicken was over cooked. The menu listed piña, coladas, and margaritas, implying that there's alcohol served. They do not serve alcohol and did not specify that the drinks were non-alcoholic. The place was busy and the only waitress at the time also had to answer the phone. She had a pleasant demeanor even though it became very busy. By the time we left, a second waiter, also the delivery man, came to help her wait tables. The lunch crowd was rowdy, so it is not a good place to have a lunch meeting/conversation. There was a beautiful aquatic mural on one of the walls. I was surprised when I received my bill and there were hidden charges: $2.00 for the 2nd set of chips and $1.00 for the to go box. The waitress should have mentioned that these items would require a charge.

Outstanding authentic Mexican Food. I love their chicken enchiladas, but have tried other dishes as…read morewell. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Always a great experience here. Food is amazing, live music weekends, wait staff excellent. Eating…read moreoutdoors with our pup was fun & they even brought her a giant bowl of water.

I leave a lot of Yelp reviews and rarely give 1 star ratings, but unfortunately that was my…read moreexperience here. The service, wait times, and overall cleanliness were all extremely disappointing. When my friends and I arrived, there was a sign asking guests to wait to be seated, so we did. After about 10 minutes of standing there without anyone acknowledging us, despite making eye contact with multiple employees, we finally asked a server if we should just seat ourselves. She responded with a rude "yes." We went to the back room to find a table and ended up choosing the only one that felt clean enough to sit at, as most of the others still had not been cleared or wiped down from previous customers. It then took another 15-20 minutes before a server came to our table, and close to 30 minutes just to receive chips and guacamole. Our entrees arrived roughly 45-60 minutes later, which honestly felt lucky considering the table next to us, who had three small children, had apparently been waiting nearly two hours for their food. Overall, this was a very disappointing experience. We came on Cinco de Mayo and expected it to be busy, but long waits don't excuse poor service and lack of cleanliness. I hope the restaurant plans and staffs more appropriately for holidays and high-volume nights in the future.

This place is the poster child for a mom and pop, hole in the wall restaurant. We came on a whim…read morefollowing a beach day and are so happy to have found this place. The service is kind, but slow, and there may be a slight language barrier. Don't let that any of that deter you!! They gave us chips and salsa to start, and we ordered the 5 tacos, which you can mix and match any of the meats. We were blown away by how STUFFED with meat these tacos were. They were so delicious and the red and green salsas were great accompaniments. We tried the carnitas, chorizo, and beef--all of them were an hit. And 5 of them for $15.30! Definitely a steal. We'll be sure to stop by again anytime we're craving tacos :)

Sunday at night, the service was HORRIBLE. The food was not good and not the same as it used to be,…read moreit gave my sister food poisoning. If you're thinking about going to eat here, dont.!! Very horrible experience.

Got 2 orders of carnitas tacos which was $24 and chips&guac was $11. I loved the carnitas tasted…read morevery fresh from cilantro and onions. Salsa verde sauce was a bit spicy for me but tasted good. The tortilla had some crispy part at the edge. Good equal portion of meat and tortilla.

Cute small restaurant. Some wall decor was being painted while we ate. Menu was typical Mexican…read morewith some Nice surprises. It's BYOB FYI. Service was very non existent for literally no one in the restaurant on a mid September sat nite at 730. Food came out not too slowly but one wonders how it would be if it was actually busy. Food was pretty tasty, all agreed. The hot sauces they provide seem homemade and were excellent. Will swing by again.

My friends suggested this restaurant after a day at the beach. They spoke highly of it and the food…read moredid not disappoint! We called ahead to see if outdoor dining was available and it was. I was told that we did not need a reservation for 3 people. We were seated right away when we arrived. They have a very cute set up outside with a lot of tables and everything is spaced out. They gave us chips with a green sauce to start. The green sauce was pretty spicy but good. We also ordered guacamole and chips. The guac was pretty good and tasted fresh. I ordered beef enchiladas with green sauce. My meal was very tasty. Again, the green sauce was spicy but I like spicy food so it was fine. Everything was authentic and very affordable. The service was a little slow and it was not busy when we went. I would dine here again.

Ordered take out steak tacos - so yummy! Next time I think I'm gonna get the steak quesadillas…read morewhich looked baller cooking on the grill when I walked in. Let me put it this way, the interior is very "unique" or basically super authentic Mexican/Spanish style with a store in the back! I bought this huge bottle of Valentina hot sauce for $2.50. With the tacos my total bill was about $11. The main girl working there was a little abrupt but nothing to crazy. I do DEF recommend the food here if you like authentic Mexican. :) def get lots of the green hot sauce on side! P.S.- I downed the roasted onion and pepper they put on top of the tacos right away - so good but so spicy! I felt a little sick after but it went away. I think my stomach just hasn't had that heat in a while. Also, they had run out of guac(?). That was kinda lame.

The food is great and Hymie is a nice man. I especially like the chimichangas…read more Getting out of the parking lot can be a challenge.

Another great Mexican find in the area. Placed an online order, food was warm and ready when I got…read morethere. The staff member that took care of me was very friendly. I tried the nachos mixtos (beef, chicken, chorizo) and pupusas rebueltas. The nachos had great crunch and flavor. The pupusa's were large and delicious along with the spicy salsa roja. I would definitely recommend for great Mexican food and will be returning.

This place is definitely a local dive. I circled the block twice trying to find the parking lot…read moreit's not exactly where yelp says it is but I eventually got there. There's not much here by way of decour, empty tables and pictures of food wearing at the corners. But I was welcomed warmly first in Spanish and then in English. This place is family owned a kind mother and father smile from the back and their daughter runs the counter. There is a digital jukebox which someone chose to use halfway through my time there, it is loud and would make conversation difficult, but not impossible. I ordered the pork burrito which came with generous servings of rice and beans, which were flavorful by themselves it was truly a large meal. As they cooked my meal fresh they brought chips and salsas, both salsa were tasty and flavorful instead of just hot. If the chips were warm it would be heaven. The wait was a little long for a lunch break meal, but the quality and portion was well worth my time. Flavors are clearly a priority here and my stomach is thankful! For $11 I got a huge burrito with sides and a bottle of water. They have Spanish bottled sodas and home made juice if that's your kind of thing. Good little gem hidden in Long Branch, there are MANY good Spanish restaurants to choose from in this area, consider this one a strong competitor. Make sure to put money in the tip jar here it doesn't get any more local than this.

Excellent service and great food. Greatest chicken quesadillas!…read more They are warm and welcoming.

I accidentally walked in here thinking it was the Valentina restaurant. Lol!…read more Since I was here and don't live in Long Branch (was on my way home) I figured I'd order something. I asked the girl working which tacos were the best here. I don't think she spoke much English which is completely ok, I unfortunately just don't know much Spanish! Lol She pointed to the cabeza taco aka head which is all good but I'd opted for the chicken (pollo! I do know that in Spanish) lol. So she took my order of chicken tacos I guess but I asked her to change to chicken tostadas. Of course once I went back to pick them up they had prepared both the chicken tostadas and chicken tacos which I paid around $18 for. SO MUCH FOOD FOR ONE PERSON! Haha. They were good but I think I liked the steak tacos at Valentina down the road better. The pulled chicken on them seemed a bit too rotisserie for my taste and the toppings were bland. Also not enough hot sauce! The positive side though is that this place IS super authentic and I'm sure won't disappoint on other menu items. :)

Omg!!! Thisss place!! Say you have a little piece of Mexico in Long Branch!!…read more As you enter it's very colorful, clean and clear!! The art on the wall make you feel as you've stepped into a cantina in the zona rosa - or the best taco place in your local area!!! The moment we walked in we were greeted and immediately attended. We ordered horchata - A BIG ONE!! Lol!! And it was very big- but very delicious!!! They also served chips with salsa verde and spicy red one too - which are made in the restaurant.- and ALL snacks are as well! We ordered the sopa de camarones ranchera , sopes, guarachas; ALL made to perfection and very generous portions !! The soup must have had 20 super big and fresh shrimp well seasoned and flavored- with diced onions, lemon and tortilla to season at your desire!! Sopes and guaraches delicious- with plenty of beans. Cheese, cream and chicken!!! Enough to take home!!! The menu is a bit overwhelming but I can tell with The dishes we ordered and the dishes that we saw other tables order - everything. I mean EVERYTHING is good!! :) Price - all for 36.00!! Can't beat that goodness for that price!!! Will be returning!! And you should try too!! Buen provecho!!!

One of the absolute best Mexican restaurants I've ever been to. They have the best tacos and Birria…read moretacos around. I don't live close enough to go all the time but I have a student I teach in Red Bank that after his lesson, I will go and eat here. When my student graduates, I will still come back every now and then.

This was a small and casual spot that served a number of Mexican dishes. The service was well…read moreappreciated. I will describe what I had below as I went here on a food tour. I did have a bunch of their sauces and salsas. None really stood out except their green sauce, which was used sporadically. Birria Tacos - These were very good. The consommé was flavorful, while the beef was tender. The tortilla was crisp too even with the consommé added. Elote Corn - This was rather plain. There was only a crema and cotija cheese present. It seemed like chili powder was supposed to be added, but I did not taste or see any. The corn could have been cooked a little better too. Guacamole - This was tasty. It appeared fresh and paired well with the chips given. I really liked the texture of it too. Chicken Flautas - These were deep fried tortillas with chicken, sour cream, lettuce, and cotija cheese I believe. These were solid. The chicken could have been seasoned a little more, but the tortillas were crisp and held up. Choriqueso Con Tortillas Tostadas - This was melted jack and Oaxacan cheese topped with Mexican chorizo over toasted nixtamal homemade corn tortillas. The cheese and chorizo was excellent, with lots of flavor. It did not look the best but tasted good. The corn tortilla was either old and stale or just fried way too long as it was very tough to chew. It could have made for a great bite. Will I go back? Debatable.