This place is the go to for me. I can walk there, they take credit cards and there is a jukebox with Peter Tosh and Texas Tornados. Seriously. First, some insight. It's small and always busy. If there is a big group of you try and get there on the early side or later side of everything. Don't be an amateur and show up at 1 pm or 730 pm with a party of 6 and expect a table immediately. Believe me, Yelpers, it happens. Also, there is limited English spoken here. Get over it, Spanish is the new English. I usually order the Bandeja para uno which feeds two! Comes with adovado and steak and all the trimmings. Chips and salsa out first of course. The Bandeja para dos fed me and three others. That's a full meal for 8 to 10 bux a piece. It's Guatemalan which is not hot enough for this Tejana. So reach for the chile (sauce at all tables and pickles jals). Bien provecho. read more

Aw yeeeeeah, boyeeeeeeee. One of the things I have missed the most, moving to Providence from Texas, is the Mysterious Hole In The Wall Restaurant Where They Don't Speak Much English. I knew they existed here, as they do in all cities, but I was wondering when I would discover one that had what I was looking for. Mexican food! Meats in curious brown sauces and red spice rubs with lots of beans and rice and peppers! Make it cheap and plentiful! Give me the opportunity to wield my impressive command of Restaurant Spanish, and feed me until I explode! Mi Ranchito does not disappoint. The food is delicious. The fajitas sizzle and smoke as they are dropped onto your table with a heavy, cast-iron thud. The carne asada and its tomato-tomatillo sauce is crazy good. The beans are a star all by themselves, and the salsas and pickled peppers they serve are what's-the-recipe amazing. I grew up on flour tortillas and have habitually avoided corn tortillas in my life, but the homemade corn tortillas here are delicious and served too hot to hold. The beers, of course, are cheap and cold and tasty - always a fan of the Modelos myself. Also, if you have never experienced the joy of horchata, this is your opportunity to do so. Note that the food at this restaurant is Guatemalan and Mexican, and not Tex-Mex. If you are anticipating tacos and burritos and a lot of cheese, you might be dismayed - but I hope you will use it as an excuse to branch out and try something new and exciting. At 13 bucks a plate tops, you'll be hard-pressed to find yourself regretting the experience. Reminds me of the good parts about back home. I was very glad to find this place. read more

Went into this place on a whim since I just moved into the neighborhood and was looking for decently priced, good food. I think this place often goes ignored for being both a hole in the wall with darkened windows, as well as being directly across from Loui Fuller's (which I don't really care for). What people are missing out on are platters of awesome and cheap Guatemalan and Mexican food. Point and case: I don't think I've ever eaten someplace where I wished the server brought me more beans. It's very much a local hangout and primarily Spanish speaking; the waitresses accommodate to English speakers, but I went with the 'point at the thing on the menu' method. I was not disappointed. Awesome spicy salsa (and one unlike anything I've tasted texture wise -- not sure what was in it), great carne asada. I look forward to trying their fajitas next time. The beer is standard fare (Presidente, Modelo, Corona), but it's cheap and cold. Basically perfect with the food you're getting. I'll be coming back there again. Actually, I might go back right now. read more

Comida Nacional de Guatemala. The Chef/owner is from Guatemala City and prepares mostly Mexican oriented foods. A great place to go when you are really hungry because portions are full sized. Pork is a specialty. Great Juke Box as well when you want to bang out some of the Banda or Tejano tear jerkers. They also have a great selection of Mexican sodas with real sugar vs corn syrup. The black beans are almost part of every meal and they are really good. They always serve real corn tortillas. Ask for Salsa Picante because it is really picante! The atmosphere is standard local restaurant. People stare when strangers come in but get over it quickly. Seats about 25 people with two TVs showing the latest Telenovellas from Telemundo and Univision. read more

First, this is a Guatemalan restaurant, not a Mexican restaurant. The two foods are very close, like cousins but not exactly the same. This is a small restaurant, and it is not fancy. It is a family run affair with the television tuned to a Guatemalan station (who knew there was a Guatemalan station that you could get in RI!) with adults and children in the restaurant. I found the food to be yummy whether it is chicken or steak. You can bring your kids here even if they won't eat Guatemalan food because they also have hot dogs on the menu. The waitress was young and her English was not the strongest, but I liked going to a restaurant that feel "authentic." If you like Mexican food you will like this restaurant. read more

Looking at Mi Ranchito from the outside, you would fall into the false perception that this is some sketchy Guatemalan Bar with its large darkened glass windows and neon "open" sign. But once you enter, the atmosphere of the restaurant completely changes. Light is plentiful and the speakers are blasting Mexican pop music. Soccer (or sometimes Spanish soap opera) is playing on the 7 or 8 tv's in the tiny little restaurant and a waitress greets you and shows you to your seat. Love going to Mi Ranchito when all of the "popular" restaurants on Federal Hill have hour long waits. It's a great hole-in-the-wall Spanish restaurant complete with Spanish menus, affordable drinks, and delicious meals. The waitress gave us some chips to munch on for an appetizer and four dipping sauces. Loved dipping the chips in the warm refried beans! If you're not in the mood for one of the humongous platters, I'd recommend the chicken fajita. Still enough for two or three meals, but affordable and delicious. Perfectly cooked chicken on top of peppers and onions. Comes with veggie rice (some of the best rice I've ever had), refried beans, salad, guacamole and house-made tortillas. Scrum diddily-umptiou! I never eat the tortillas, but just dig in with a fork instead. I always bring friends here from out of town. Service is fast and super friendly. One tip: they always seem to be late with the check. I find that I have to ask the waitress for the check every time. Make sure you ask for the check right after you get your meal if you're in a hurry to leave. Five stars for excellent service, delicious food and at an affordable price. read more

Solidly delicious, legit Guatemalan food. This is the best you'll find north of Route 40. Most meals are very reasonably priced, especially for the amount given. Trust me, they don't skimp on the portions here. English is not great, but I think that's part of the experience of Mi Ranchito. Don't expect any fancy-pants downtown upper crust catering. There's generally Latino television playing, a cute little bar in the back, and very colorful decor. Skip the horchata, I thought it was pretty bad. Tacos, yes! Meat platter - definitely! The chips and dip they serve as complimentary appetizer, yuuum. Pretty much everything is good here. Although this is not Mexican food, if you're got a craving, rather than hitting one of those white-washed spots around Providence, THIS will satiate you. read more

One of my favorite places. We go here once a week. Love the caldo de res asado, pollo a la plancha, carne asada. Basically everything here is so good. read more

Suzanne's review summarizes this place pretty well overall. I didn't get taco's but instead got the marinated pork (pork adobodo i think it was in spanish?). Most things on the menu has an english translation for all the gringos like me, the only thing that was not too obvious were the drinks (the non-soda's coke is pretty obvious) and the waitress was very helpful in telling me what was what. The place is casual, has ac units so it is nice and cool in the summer and the best part is they give you a ton of food for the money. Entrées are about 11 dollars starting and come with the main choice that's on the menu along with rice (which has corn carrots and other goodies in it), black beans, and beet salad. Appetizers are about 5 dollars on average and I got some kind of chicken tamale splitting it with a friend, the appetizer was completely unnecessary as it also came with the beet salad and two tamales. read more

Darn good Mexican. You really don't need to say anything more. I was the only non-Mexican in the restaurant and that is how I like it. Just like La Arepa, I want to go where the locals go. Just as many reviewers have said, it is good that you know your Mexican dishes because there is very little English on the menu. Their guac is some of the freshest I have tasted. Did I mention this place is pretty cheap?! I love Mexican and thank God Providence has Mi Ranchito. read more

The food here is very good! The atmosphere leaves something to be desired, but most don't come here for that. I ordered the combo steak and pork dish, which came with rice and refried beans. It was delicious and there was more than enough to fill up and take home leftovers. And, the hot n fresh corn tortillas that come with the food are also good. Non-Spanish speakers beware though, some of the staff don't speak English, but as long as you can point to what you want on the menu, you'll be fine. I have been craving that pork since the day I went, and I will def be back. read more

Mi Ranchito Resturant - Delicious Mi Ranchito platter with steak, marinated pork, rice, refried beans, plantains and fresh queso blanco. - Seafood Near Me - Prov, Rhode Island

Mi Ranchito, ay dios mio! I had to wait to write my review because each time i saw the name of your Establishment my mouth would begin to water longing for a speedy return. The food was muy delicioso. The Huz and i decided to stop over on a Friday night. Upon entering the small building with two modest rows of tables we were the only people in there. I asked myself... Has Yelp led us astray!?!?! The chips and salsa which greeted us shortly after being seated were very tasty and had just the right amount of spice. Once our food arrived we noticed people were starting to pile in and packed up quickly. I guess we hit it at the right time? The pollo asado which i ordered was one of the best i've ever had. Tenderized chicken, flavorful rice and beans, and the small salad with ranch dressing was great. Service was also attentive and speedy. I've lived in PVD for 3 years and wish i found this place much sooner!! read more

I'm gonna sum it up really quick... good food, inexpensive and fresh. On top of that, they give you a free "appetizer" (per say) before serving lunch or dinner its always nice. By the way, it is a Guatemalan restaurant. read more

Mi Ranchito Resturant - They give you a free "appetizer" (per say) before serving lunch or dinner its always nice. - Seafood Near Me - Prov, Rhode Island

Just had an awesome lunch with my coworkers here. We had gone on the basis of Yelp reviews and boy were we not disappointed. The place was jamming at 12pm, mostly regular customers who were conversing quite rapidly in Spanish with the single extremely efficient waitress. Food: wowsa. The salsa and chips were great. We also had a very spicy ensalada en escabeche. My coworkers loved their guacamole! Every plate comes with beans, rice, salad and some get plantains. My "mi ranchito" plate was HUGE even though I ordered the "for one" size. Everything was fresh, well seasoned and we all went home with leftovers. On that note, be careful how much food you get. One gal got two appetizers and still was stuffed! Price wise it was more than reasonable for the amount of food we got: $80 for 6 people is pretty decent. While this may fall into the category of "Mexican," technically, the menu says "Guatemalan" food. The menu is mostly in Spanish and does boast many crossovers to other Latin inspired dishes, but don't look for enchiladas or chimichangas. I am excited to go back to try several dishes that I am hard pressed to remember the exact translation for. This was an awesome find! Thanks Yelp community for being spot on. read more

This is a hole in the wall kinda place. Great Guatemalan food at a good price. 3 beef tacos, rice, and salad for $8. It's really small but a nice clean place inside with good service. You can tell it's a family run business and that the care for it. I'll definitely be coming back whenever I need a taco fix! read more

Mi Ranchito Resturant - 3 beef tacos for $8! - Seafood Near Me - Prov, Rhode Island

This was an unexpected find of an authentic Mexican restaurant in Providence. I came here with my girlfriend on a relatively busy Friday night, and was immediately seated at a location fairly away from the cold winter night, where every door opening reminded me how I yearned for springtime. Our waitress was very friendly and polite, and recommended the vegetarian stew, and the softshell beef tacos. I heard much about the famous refried beans, and scarfed it down immediately with the stew and rice, found it quite delectable. It was certainly made with a meat broth that was amazing, I even had her bring a side order just for my folks at Triad home, in addition to two chicken stuffed corn rolls, like corn dogs, but better. The softshell tacos were very good, but also not earth shattering. Although my next meal will definitely include some of the meat selections, in which I regret not ordering since it was on a Friday and I was limited in meat selections. Overall a great find and I will definitely return to check out the meat dishes. Super cheap $4 beer! Food: 4 stars Price: 4 stars Service: 3 stars Ambiance: 2.5 stars read more

I love this place. Found this gem a couple of years ago. I moved out here from San Diego and was having a hard time finding good Mexican food. Well, Guatemalan cuisine is very similar and I fell in love right away! The tortillas are handmade, just like my abuelita used to make. Their portions are very well served and unless I'm just getting tacos I always have leftovers. Everything is great, the main courses, the beans and rice, the soups. It's a must if you're ever in the area! read more

The flavor of their fresh grilled meat and the serious value you get for your dollar are what gives Mi Ranchito 4 stars. Ignore the heavy tinted windows that make the place look like a dive bar and give this place a chance. The staff is very nice here. If you get the platter for two or the fajitas, be prepared for large mound of protein on a sizzling hot platter. The sides aren't anything special but you do get rice, salad, and black beans with EVERYTHING. Even the appetizers get this treatment, which honestly creates a problem of too much food on the table. I like that the salsas you get with your chips vary depending on the day, or perhaps, who is in charge of the kitchen. The same seems to go with for salad prep as well. Also, the dressing is basically crema. I don't understand how that can be confused for "ranch". The only downside is they really should give you more tortillas! read more

This place is a joke when it comes to Guatemalan food I hate to eat out I rather cook my own food they rush you out of the tables cause they had people waiting outside waiters come to your table with the check 5 minutes after you start eating I felt like I was push out never again. Also very expensive 1 coffee 1 juice 2 orders of eggs with beans and tortillas $30 Food had no taste eggs and beans were cold plantains were very oily read more

Just to be clear this is not a Mexican restaurant but a Guatemalan restaurant. The menu is limited but for what's available the prices are great. I definitely recommend this cosy little place to anyone. read more

Tortilla soup was brothy and surpringly refreshing with the cilantro and avacado as a nice light touch. Warm corn tortillas with black bean soup stuffed with pulled pork with a tangy kick Chicken quesadillas with stringy, yummy cheese was out of this world. So authentic tasting and incomparable with any other "quesadilla" I have ever had! And to finish, homemade flan prepared by the waiters mother, what more could a tastebud ask for?! read more

It's going to be -5 degrees tonight and found a great spot to get soup - Authentic Mexican - love that the offer more than the traditional Chicken soups - also have beef and cow foot - great flavor! I did the beef soup - tender beef chunks and tendon , onion, Cilantro in a flavor filled broth - request fresh onion and fresh cilantro to be added - this will make the soup pop! It comes with rice (with corn, carrots green peas), yuca, boiled carrot stalk, corn cob and half of lime. This was a full meal - oh yeah be sure to squeeze the lime in the soup and be prepared for a great experience- Authentic Mexican experience! read more

Authentic! Wonderful! Large portions of flavorful mexican/guatemalan fare, very reasonably priced. A local gem!!!! read more

I'm surprised I don't go here more. This is a cozy little place with darkened windows and telenovelas playing on two screens. The runaway best dish here is the fajitas. A sizzling cast iron skillet of veggies and meat, another plate heaped high with beans and rice, and a towel-lined basket with more steaming tortillas than you could possibly eat. If you're within a mile of it, you owe it to yourself to go there with a friend. read more

Guatemalan/Mexican food with generous portions. Casual / comfortable environment. I ordered the seasoned meat fajita and my Wife had the shrimp fajitas. They gave chips with salsa to start. Our dish came with a sizzling platter with our meat, peppers and onions, corn tortillas and a plate of salad with rice and beans and a side plate of picketed peppers and veggies. Cost $13 for seasoned meat fajita and $14 for shrimp fajita. Delicious, you will leave full and friendly service! read more

I have only tried the "Mi Ranchito platter," but it was so good I've been back for it about a half-dozen times. Only ordered takeout so far, so I don't have much to add re: atmosphere, service, etc. The lady who arranges the takeout orders is pretty nice. #helpful read more

My favorite breakfast place in Providence. Plus, great taste in TV. Get the huevos revueltos with chorizo. Many blessings to the whole crew. THANK YOU. read more

Last night my roommate & I were walking around the West End, looking for a taco truck. When we finally found one, the wait was atrocious, but Mi Ranchito was right across the street, so we decided to try it out. The food was great! I got 3 crispy tortillas, one with refried beans, one with tomato sauce & one with guacamole, all topped with cheese. She got tacos but they were meaty so I don't know anything about them except that she said they were good. It was very reasonably priced, the whole bill was only $19 for the 2 entrees and 2 beers. The baby got a little loud while we were eating, but no one seemed to mind. My only minor complaint is that it took the waitress a little too long to bring the check, but otherwise the service was very prompt! read more

This Guatemalan/Mexican store-front cocina is casual, comfortable, cheap and good! Sorta fun to navigate the menu, which is not in English, but then we all speak a little food-Spanish... tortilla, taco, pollo and I managed with a willing waitress who got the point across that the tacos are very small. They came two to the order and were open-faced on homemade little fat tortillas. Nice! I asked for chips, salsa (pico de gallo) and guacamole and together that was a perfect meal. A far cry from Taco Bell, this place is purely authentic. I was the only Gringa there, and about a foot taller than everyone in the place, and all faces were friendly. Beer + wine, too! read more

The food here is amazing & authentic! However I was disappointed in the lack of alcohol available :/ only two wines (sweet wine) and two beers. read more

I can proudly say that I was the only Gringo in the restaurant. The food was awesome, the portions amazing for the price, and all those high school Spanish classes finally paid off. I stopped in here after a brutal workout in the hills of Scituate to top off the reserves with Mexican beer and protein. The fajita combo, served with beef and chicken was a plentiful bounty of deliciousness. For $12, I barely could finish a huge skillet of meat and a separate plate of sides. They also serve their chips with salsa, queso blanco, and a mix of onions, carrots, and peppers in an oil dressing. Mi Ranchito offers authentic Mexican at an amazing value. read more

Very tasty, fast Guatemalan food. NOT MEXICAN. Do I know if this is authentic Guatemalan food? Of course I have no f-ing clue, but what I do know is that each and every part of the Ranchito platter was DELICIOSO. The salsas were quite good - my toddler tried to lick the bowl. The pork was probably the best of the three meats, and the rice with veggies was excellent. White rice? Excellent? Indeed it was. The steak had a salsa flavoring of some kind. I honestly didn't even get to the chicken, there was so much food. AND THE TORTILLAS. Fluffy, savory, sauce holding little lovelies. Seemed homemade or from some secret sourcing operation I would like to stalk. The fried plaintains made my afternoon. Appetizers are all $5, mains are all $12, except for the special plate for one ($13), it also comes for two. The only random miss in the whole deal was average ranch dressing poured over the salad. Several of the tables are big enough for small groups (6-8?) though the entire restaurant is not overly large. Friday lunch was about 80% full at 12:30 but the food still came out very quickly for all the tables. read more

We have lived in panama for years. We are in love with the flavors and love in the food here. It is Leo wonderful and a real treasure in providence read more

Yummy black beans and tacos, great friendly service.

The food was amazing, huge portions and great taste, the staff is friendly and its not expensive

I am obsessed with this place. It definitely seems to be a favorite among Central Americans in the area so you know it's authentic. Food is simple but beyond delicious. My favorite part is the tortillas, definitely made fresh. If I could only have one kind of bread for the rest of my life it would be Mi Ranchito's tortillas. The tacos are a steal-- you get 3 tacos with pork (my fave), chicken, or beef, which comes with salad and rice, for about $6 plus tax I believe. The only problem with the tacos is they don't come with refried black beans like the entrees, which start at about $11, and oh dear god, those beans. How do they make them so delicious?? Large quantities of lard I'm sure; perhaps it's better not to dwell on it. YRMV, but I went with a couple friends the other night and 2 fajita platters, one plate of tacos, and 3 negra modelos came to $51 including tip and ended up being about 2.5 meals for each of us. Not a bad deal. Service has generally been pretty quick even when they're busy (which they usually are). I'm a gringa who speaks fluent Spanish, but they also speak some English-- you should be able to make yourself understood. Another reviewer mentioned they weren't sure if they take credit cards -- they do. As Tracy Jordan would say, I love Mi Ranchito so much, I want to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant. read more

This is a Guatemalan/Mexican restaurants. It's a really small restaurant but with really good food. I recommend the sweet plantains as an appetizer or side to any meal. My parents were even impressed by the quality of food presented by this restaurant, and they are very hard to impress (especially my mom) LOL. You should know a little bit of Spanish before coming in but it is worth the effort. I deducted one star because the bathroom could have been cleaner. read more

The best kept secret in my neighborhood by far. Truly authentic, house made food with great ingredients. Friendly staff, quick service, and very affordable. The mi ranchito platter (for one!!!) will last many leftovers. Awesome spot. read more

Average food. Nothing spectacular, but not bad. I got some pork dish (pork adobo) and my fiancé got the beef fajitas. The waitress was nice. Food came out quickly. The decor/ambience wasn't anything special. Food was reasonably priced (came out to 30 dollars for the two of us.) read more

Food was good! However I like Mi Guatemala better. My partner who is Guatemalan says that this place is more authentic/traditional Guatemalan, but she likes Mi Guatemala better too. It was mad cheap though. read more